R7,100 salon refund fight lands in small claims court as NCC flags 57 beauty complaints

A R7,100 hair installation refund dispute is now before the small claims court, and the National Consumer Commission (NCC) has disclosed it has logged at least 57 complaints against the hair and beauty industry since 2023. For salon owners, that number is the real story: the regulator is watching, and it says enforcement will tighten.

The case at the centre of it pits client Zukelwa Solomon against salon owner Rosta Guambe. Solomon paid for a hair installation she says bore no resemblance to the reference video she showed Guambe before the appointment. She picked the hair herself, with the owner's guidance.

"She showed me which hair she used, and I picked the hair. I showed her the video of what I wanted, and she said she could definitely do it," Solomon said.

What went wrong with the installation?

Solomon raised concerns about the colour while still in the chair, and Guambe adjusted the installation. But the final style still didn't match the reference image, according to Solomon. Guambe then curled the hair.

"I kept asking her whether the curls would last, and she assured me that they would because the curls were natural and the hair was curled in its natural state," Solomon said.

The curls fell out roughly two hours after she left the salon — by the time she got home. She contacted Guambe, who told her the straightening was normal and invited her back for re-curling. Solomon returned the next morning but questioned the fix.

"That is not a permanent fix. It means I have to curl the hair every day I leave my house, yet I had been assured that the curls would last," she said.

She requested a refund. The installation was removed, and she left the installed hair and remaining hairpieces at the salon. The two could not agree on the refund amount.

How did it reach the courts?

Police told Solomon the matter was civil, not criminal, and directed her to the small claims court. A letter of demand was served on Guambe in the presence of police officers, giving her 14 days to respond or repay the money. November 4 is the deadline.

That path — dissatisfied client, failed negotiation, letter of demand, small claims court — is one any salon can land on, and it costs owner time and reputation even before a ruling.

What does the salon owner say?

Guambe disputes Solomon's account. She said she did not recall Solomon as a previous client and claims she advised her against too much blonde hair because the colour would be too bright. In her version, Solomon expressed dissatisfaction with the blonde while the installation was in progress and asked for more black hair to be added.

"Every woman wakes up in the morning and fixes her hair. I don't see what would have been difficult for her to do the same," Guambe said.

She said she isn't opposed to refunding — but cited cash flow and a business partner as the hold-up.

"I have to [pay] Sars with that money, and I have a partner at the salon, and I needed to consult them on how we were going to handle the refund matter," Guambe said. She also accused Solomon of causing a scene in front of other clients: "I think her agenda was to make me trend in a bad way."

What does the law actually require?

NCC spokesperson Phetho Ntaba said the 57 complaints since 2023 cover service delivery failures, clients not getting what they paid for, poor results, poor-quality products and "the use of products that burn the scalp."

The commission pointed to sections 54, 55 and 56 of the Consumer Protection Act, which entitle consumers to services of good quality, reasonably suitable for their intended purpose, and give them avenues for redress when services fall short. The NCC says continuous monitoring, inspections and enforcement are needed to improve compliance in the beauty industry.

The practical lesson for salons: a reference image plus a verbal "definitely" is now the evidence a court will weigh against a R7,100 invoice. Watch November 4 — and the NCC's next enforcement numbers.