A brazen customer fled a Hampshire salon in a waiting car without paying her £85 bill after enjoying a lavish two-hour manicure and pedicure session
A brazen beauty customer treated herself to a two-hour pamper session before fleeing the salon without paying. Shocked salon owner Hope Tran was left out of pocket after watching the shameless woman walk towards a cash machine, only to jump into a waiting car and speed off.
The cheeky customer spent more than two hours getting spoiled at New Milton Nails in the Hampshire market town. She bagged herself an infill acrylic set with colour tips for £35, plus a £50 full pedicure and polish removal.
Dressed head-to-toe in pink, with sunglasses perched on her head and white sliders on her feet, the woman even enjoyed a complimentary cup of coffee while staff tended to her hands and feet.
CCTV from inside the shop caught her casually scrolling through her smartphone while a nail technician worked on her manicured tips.
Despite clear signs posted around the shop stating cash only, the woman tried to pay with a bank card when the bill came.
When told they didn’t accept cards, she claimed she would pop across the street to use the cash machine.
But staff watched in total disbelief as she walked straight past the ATM and hopped into a blue vehicle parked nearby.
The woman, who spoke with an Irish accent, is believed to be a holidaymaker staying at a local campsite in the New Forest.
Devastated owner Ms Tran has been forced to cover the £85 shortfall out of her own pocket so her staff don’t lose out.
She said: “As soon as she came in I had a bad feeling. She had a strong accent and mentioned she had been camping, hence she was all covered in mud. She went to the toilet to use our cleaning brush to brush off her slider.
“I even offered her coffee and she asked me what it was as she liked it. At the end she asked if she could pay by card, I told her we don’t have a card reader and said she could do a bank transfer or cash.
“She asked to go to the cash machine across the road. I watched her walk across the road but instead of going to the cash machine she got straight into a blue car that was already parked and waiting for her right beside the cash machine and they drove off.
“I still had to pay my hard working staff who did her nails for over two hours, meaning they could not do any other paying clients during that time. I have to use my own money to cover all her costs – nail products, electric, water.
“In the future I think I will have to ask for payment upfront for holidaymakers and first time clients. Hopefully it won’t happen again.”
Ms Tran admitted she didn’t bother calling the police as she doubted officers would be able to trace the runner.
Furious local clients have since posted CCTV images of the woman’s face on social media, hoping the public can help track her down and shame her into paying up.
Outraged local Helen White branded the woman a “disgrace” and a “thieving low life”.
Fuming customer Sally Dinham added: “No small business can afford this, people who do this are complete lowlifes.”