$50 just for a consultation???

Dev80

Tue, Dec 16 2014, 1:02 pm

Hm the fee definitely seems annoying but if it's a good sheitel sale that you can get in your town it may be worth it. I'd probably ask her a LOT of questions on the phone in terms of what she can get for me and to what lengths she would go to get me what I'm looking for, and if she seems willing to accommodate I'd probably go in because you'll spend $50 in gas/tolls to NY and may miss this sheital sale.

ETA - do you have feedback/recommendations about her? B/c if she's good then that $50 may also be worth just knowing you're going to some one good, reliable, and local

amother

Tue, Dec 16 2014, 2:07 pm

amother wrote:

can you explain this?

I am the OP. I am originally from NY. If a shaitelmacher would charge a fee just to meet with her they would get laughed across the Brooklyn Bridge.

I just don't get it. What if I don't like her styles or she can't do what I am asking? I just lose my consultation fee?

I am spending over a thousand dollars for a product. I have the right to consider carefully what I am looking for.

I guess I will have to go to NY if I want to buy a wig.

Basically, this woman says that if you want to drop in and just see what she has, there is no fee. But if you want her to sit with you and give you different options etc. and talk with you about your purchase, you need to pay the fee, which is then applied to the sheitel purchase. I think it's because she is considered a more "high end" sheitel macher who thinks her time is worth money, so if you want a private appointment, you have to book it and pay for it.

ETA: I responded back to you before reading the other responses, and what everyone else has to say is true. I think it's different if you come in just to peruse her items, but if you want her time, she wants you to pay for it.

amother

Tue, Dec 16 2014, 2:09 pm

amother wrote:

yes but I wasn't given the option of just stopping in and seeing what she has.

Fox

Tue, Dec 16 2014, 2:23 pm

Barbara wrote:

People come to her because she's local. Look at the various styles of wigs. Try things on. Take an hour or more of her time. Say, "I'm going to think about it." Call the stores in New York to get a better price on the same wig, without worries that they won't like it. After all, they tried it on!

So the $50 isn't a "consultation fee." It's a "if you're going to buy it somewhere else, gezunte hey." (The only Yiddish I know!). "But don't waste my time picking it out so you can buy it elsewhere."

This is my guess regarding the $50 consultation fee. Unfortunately, many people are very unfamiliar with the practical application in our times of the halachos concerning ganeivas daas.

The Internet has made this problem a gazillion times worse: people want to pick out a product at a B&M store; then order it at a cheaper price online.

There are certain situations where this might be okay. Target and Wal-Mart, for example, figure that if you come in to compare electronics, you'll buy some paper towels while you're there.

A shaitel macher or other small business owner, however, is in a different category, and even more so when he/she is imparting professional advice.

I would definitely ask if the consultation fee will be applied to any shaitel purchase, but if this person is really good at what she does, you will probably get far more than $50 worth of good information that you can use when making shaitel purchases in the future.

Leahh

Tue, Dec 16 2014, 2:36 pm

Why is it different than a jewelry store? You can't just walk in and browse the merchandise, you need to be helped and shown the pieces you want to try on. Did you ever shop in a jewelry store that had a consultation fee? Or even a shoe store? Many of them keep one shoe on display and if you want to try it on you need to ask a sales associate to get it for you from the back. Do they charge for that?
Seems very odd to me.
The only way around it that I can think of is to either buy a wig there or possibly put the money towards a wash or repair if they allow that.

Bsimcha

Wed, Dec 17 2014, 12:07 am

Buying a shaitel from a shaitel macher is a combination of service and product. It's not the same as buying a piece of jewelry. My shaitel marcher helps me figure out what I want. It's not cut and dry and as someone said each piece is it's own story.

I think a fee for consultation is fair.

Fox

Wed, Dec 17 2014, 1:06 pm

Bsimcha wrote:

Precisely. If you go into a B&M jewelry shop, you will likely be served by a junior employee, part of whose job will be to ascertain whether you are a serious customer. Only if it is determined that you are planning to make a purchase will you meet with the jeweler, who is likely a registered gemologist and can give you professional advice.

There are some larger shaitel operations that run exactly on that model: if you come in to look around, you'll be assisted by a slightly-above-minimum-wage employee or whatever daughter didn't find a summer job. Only when it is determined that you're serious about making a purchase will you meet with the actual shaitel macher.

A really good shaitel macher will not simply sell you a shaitel and style it to your taste. She will educate you in the terminology of the wig industry; explain various choices; tell you about new technologies and options; and give you the benefit of her experience -- all of which will be valuable when you make your next shaitel purchase, regardless of whether you make it from her.