Another out-of-state woman is coming forward after she said a Houston hairstylist collected her money but failed to deliver a service.
KPRC 2 reporter Taisha Walker followed up with an Arizona woman who said she had not received the full amount she was promised from a popular Houston hairstylist for flying to Houston last week for a hair appointment that never happened. Last week, Kayla Love of Phoenix told KPRC2 that she spent more than $600 for travel expenses, not including a $200 deposit, for loc extensions.
Love said on the day of her initial appointment, Amina Yaramax, the owner of Serenity Hair Studio, had re-scheduled for the following day. Love said Yaramax then tried to reschedule again but it would have caused Love to miss her flight back home.
Yaramax told Walker that she would refund Love $600 for her deposit and for some traveling expenses.
“As of today I have received the $200 deposit refunded but I haven’t received any of the expenses that I requested,” Love said. “Just the sheer fact that not only me being scammed out of money but there are so many other women like I said over 50 women that some have not received their deposits back.”
Love said she’s now weighing her legal options.
“I’m definitely consulting with lawyers to see what my opportunities are as far as pursuing that additional $400 and I encourage the other ladies who have been scammed by her to do the same, to receive at least the minimum their deposit back,” Love added.
On Tuesday, KPRC 2 revisited Yaramax at her southwest Houston salon. She said she no longer plans to refund Love the additional $400.
“Are you going to give Kayla the extra $400? You told us in person on Wednesday you were going to give her $600, you sent her $200,” Walker asked.
“Yeah because her deposit was $200,” Yaramax responded. “If you excuse me, I really would rather go back to my work right now.”
Shenealle Gabbidon from Panama City, Florida reached out to KPRC2 after seeing the initial story. Gabbidon said she’s out $300 for loc extensions she purchased from Yaramax through Instagram on July 29, which she has yet to receive.
“She said a week and a half and she said that she used priority shipping so it wouldn’t take long for me to get them,” Gabbidon said. “After the timeline that she gave me I had not heard anything from her. No update, no email, nothing.”
Gabbidon said she’s now working with the money transfer app she used to try to get a refund.
“Basically, they requested a refund from her and said they’re giving her 14 days and if they haven’t heard anything from her during that time they’ll get back to me and most likely I’ll have to contact my bank,” Gabbidon said.
The Floridian said she’s speaking out to spread awareness and potentially prevent other people from having to go through a similar experience with Serenity Hair Studio.
“I know $300 is not a lot but it could have been used for something else and I just want to make people become aware of the situation so that she doesn’t continue to do this to other people,”
Yaramax also told KPRC 2 on Tuesday that she’s planning to send out the locs soon.