A TikTok dispute over a buyer paying $2,600 for a tough tattoo sketch and no precise tattoo has spiraled uncontrolled

• Courtney Monteith turned to TikTok when she ended up hundreds out of pocket with no tattoo.
• She mentioned the artist, Lindsay Joseph, over-charged her and would not change the preliminary design.
• The web responded, flooding Joseph’s studio with destructive critiques.

A girl’s criticism a few tattoo artist who she says charged her $2,600 for a disappointing sketch and no tattoo has spiraled into viral outrage on TikTok.

Courtney Monteith, from Ontario, Canada, posted to TikTok final week describing being hundreds of {dollars} out of pocket after hoping to get a tattoo of a fox.

Monteith had deliberate on getting a full sleeve of the fox tattooed on her arm, surrounded by leaves and flowers, and had requested the providers of artist Lindsay Joseph at her studio Lucid Tattoos.

Nevertheless, after some backwards and forwards, Monteith ended up spending $2,600 on designs and deciding to not go forward with the tattoo.

All she had was a tough drawing of a fox that, she complained, regarded nothing like what she wished.

In her submit she mentioned she agreed to the charges, however later thought-about herself to have been ripped off.

The dispute — nicknamed TattooGate — follows an identical sample to different buyer disputes to go viral on TikTok, together with ones a few disappointing birthday cake and a $200 plastic cup.

Monteith’s first video racked up over 5 million views as individuals jumped to her protection, shared their very own tales, and provided to tattoo her without cost.

“I used to be simply posting my expertise for my associates to see,” Monteith informed Insider. “I had lower than 200 followers. I had no thought that individuals would rally round my expertise.”

It additionally sparked a backlash towards Joseph, who set her social-media accounts to non-public, had her enterprise flooded with dangerous Google critiques, and informed Insider she had obtained loss of life threats.

Folks suppose there have been crimson flags from the beginning

Monteith mentioned she despatched Joseph two reference pictures of what she wished her tattoo to appear like: a full orange fox surrounded by completely different crops or butterflies. She shared the supply photos in her submit, and the design she bought again.

Joseph initially agreed and requested for a $180 deposit, plus a $1,000 design and session price, per the TikTok submit.

Monteith was then provided three choices: to pay $1,500 for one idea sketch to which she may request one change, $3,500 to have just a few adjustments, or $6,000 for a number of critiques and adjustments (all plus tax).

Instantly, individuals within the feedback mentioned this was a crimson flag.

“I am 70% lined in ink,” one particular person wrote. “I’ve by no means had an artist cost for an idea or a session. RUUUUN!!”

Monteith mentioned she went for the primary possibility, and paid $2,695 in complete. She mentioned she was “assured” Joseph would design a fantastic piece as a result of she had been such an admirer of her work.

However when Monteith obtained the drawing of the fox tattoo, she mentioned she knew it wasn’t what she wished — the fox did not have its full physique exhibiting and didn’t resemble the reference photos.

She emailed Joseph to ask for some changes, however Joseph refused, saying if she wished a brand new piece, she must pay the distinction between possibility 1 and possibility 2 — an additional $2,260.

“She mentioned it was my fault that I wasn’t clear that I wished a full fox,” Monteith mentioned, regardless of exhibiting the 2 full fox tattoos she had despatched as reference.

“I do not understand how a lot clearer I may have been,” she mentioned.

In an e mail response, which Monteith confirmed, Joseph mentioned having a full fox would have made it appear like it was “scooting after they get an itchy again finish.”

Monteith mentioned she requested for a refund, however Joseph declined.

“No. I am not refunding you something, I’ve given you choices of transferring ahead, I’ve been variety, affected person, and have fulfilled my duties to you this far,” she wrote in a screenshot Monteith shared.

“If you happen to do not need to transfer ahead, that’s your selection, however I am not supplying you with my time, experience, and creativity for nothing.”

Monteith mentioned in a response Joseph was “deflecting” and “inserting all blame on me.” She mentioned she would have appreciated Joseph asking extra questions.

“I mentioned, I assure should you had despatched me a fantastic sketch of a full fox, we would in all probability be transferring ahead and I might in all probability be getting this tattoo,” she mentioned. “However sadly, we’re on this state of affairs and I am out $2,600.”

Enormous creators and artists have seen the movies and reached out

TattooGate has unfold quickly by way of TikTok over the previous week, gaining the eye of big creators equivalent to Danisha Carter, Mama Tot, and the actor Julia Fox.

One other creator named Ri McCue additionally got here ahead, claiming she had been “mainly scammed” out of $4,000 when she visited Joseph for a session in 2021.

McCue mentioned she wished Joseph to cowl an outdated tattoo on her collar bone, and that Joseph quoted her $1,700 with 50% upfront as deposit.

In contrast to Monteith, McCue mentioned she finally did get the tattoo, however that issues did not go to plan. She alleged that Joseph first modified the position of the tattoo, requested for extra money than she quoted, and confirmed up late to the appointment.

McCue mentioned she ended up paying $4,000 in complete over two classes. She mentioned Joseph threatened to name the cops on her if she did not, and tried to blacklist her amongst different native artists.

Joseph did not reply to Insider’s emailed request for a response to the allegations made by each Monteith and McCue.

Within the final 5 days, Joseph’s studio has been flooded with destructive Google critiques that introduced her common score all the way down to 2/5 earlier than lots of the latest ones have been eliminated. Nevertheless, some historic destructive critiques stay, describing related experiences of late begins and excessive costs.

Joseph informed Insider in an e mail she had not responded on social media to the claims towards her as a result of she could be “attacked from each angle” and declined to touch upon the person claims towards her.

She mentioned she had been receiving loss of life threats for the previous 5 days, together with messages “telling me my kids ought to die, my mom ought to get most cancers, the record goes on.”

She mentioned her aspect of the story did “have to be informed” however did not give specifics about how or when.

Monteith mentioned in varied follow-up TikToks that lots of of artists had reached out to her with their very own fox designs.

In a TikTok posted Monday, Monteith mentioned she had taken up a proposal from Matt Vaught, a tattoo artist in Newport Seaside, California, to fly her out and tattoo her freed from value. She mentioned she by no means anticipated to get something without cost, so she was going to make a donation to a fox rescue charity.

Monteith informed Insider she is aware of Vaught goes to do an “unbelievable job” on her tattoo.

“I am overwhelmed by every little thing,” she mentioned. “However I will maintain posting my journey on my TikTok web page so everybody who has been so supportive will get to see the superb tattoo I had hoped for.”