Courtney Monteith spent thousands on tattoo consultations and design fees but did not receive the desired outcome.
Gone are the days when consumers used to suffer in silence or just share their dissatisfaction with friends and family at the end of a hard day. TikTok has provided a platform for everyone to bring up their grievances in public and call out businesses, giving them a chance to make a greater impact. In the latest viral rant, a woman shared her heartbreaking experience on TikTok after she felt cheated by a tattoo artist. Courtney Monteith (@runningfoxlady) wanted to get a specific fox tattoo design on her arm and she chose Lindsay Joseph, a tattoo artist at Lucid Tattoos. However, things didn’t go as planned, and despite paying $2,600 for the designs, Monteith ended up with just a rough sketch.
Monteith shared her desired tattoo images with Joseph and agreed to pay a $180 deposit and a $1,000 fee for design and consultation. Joseph then offered three payment options: $1,500 for a concept sketch with one change, $3,500 for a few alterations, or $6,000 for multiple revisions. Despite some warnings in the comments about these charges, Monteith chose the first option, paying $2,695, trusting Joseph’s skills based on her previous work.
However, Monteith was disappointed with the fox tattoo design she received. Despite providing reference images, Joseph demanded an extra $2,260 for adjustments. When Monteith asked for a refund, Joseph refused and shifted blame onto her.
Public response
The situation, called “TattooGate,” got a lot of attention on TikTok and users left many opinions, like other complaints that got big on the app. Courtney Monteith, from Ontario, Canada, shared her story on TikTok because she felt tricked by a tattoo artist.
She wanted a tattoo on her arm with a fox surrounded by leaves and flowers, so she picked Lindsay Joseph from Lucid Tattoos. But even though she paid $2,600, all she got was a rough sketch of the fox, and she felt like she was charged too much. Her TikTok post unexpectedly got a lot of views and support from people who understood how she felt.
As for Lindsay Joseph, she received so much criticism that she had to make her social media accounts private and was also hit by bad reviews on Google.
Experiences of other customers
TattooGate gained traction on TikTok, drawing attention from creators like Danisha Carter and Julia Fox. Ri McCue also shared a similar experience, claiming a $4,000 scam by Joseph during a 2021 consultation.McCue recounted her experience with Joseph, stating that she initially requested Joseph to cover an old tattoo on her collarbone, for which Joseph quoted $1,700 with a 50% upfront deposit.
Unlike Monteith, McCue did proceed with the tattoo, but encountered several issues. She alleged that Joseph changed the tattoo’s placement, demanded more money than initially quoted, and arrived late to the appointment. McCue ended up paying a total of $4,000 over two sessions. She claimed Joseph threatened to involve the police if she didn’t comply and attempted to blacklist her among other local artists.
Drop in ratings
Despite Monteith and McCue’s allegations, Joseph did not respond to requests for comment. Negative reviews flooded Joseph’s studio, causing her average rating to drop to 2/5. Even after that, Joseph declined to address the allegations publicly, citing fear of backlash and death threats she had received.
Monteith continued to share updates on TikTok, revealing that she accepted an offer from Matt Vaught, a tattoo artist in California, to tattoo her for free. Monteith planned to donate to a fox rescue charity in appreciation.
