How we verify stylists

The checks, one by one

Where we are today

No stylist is listed on Luxora yet, so there are no verified stylists to find. When the first are listed, each will have passed every check below. If you ever see a stylist on Luxora who you think has not passed them, tell us at [email protected].

What a stylist sends us

Stylists apply through the List your salon page. They send their name, WhatsApp number, services and prices, city, suburb, work mode (how they work), photos and their consent. Sending these does not get anyone listed. The checks do.

Check 1: are the photos their own work?

We match the work photos a stylist sends to their own social media accounts. A photo that appears only on someone else's account, or that we cannot connect to the stylist, does not pass. This is to stop another person's braids standing in for a stylist's own work. We note which account each photo was matched to.

Check 2: does the WhatsApp number answer?

We message the WhatsApp number the stylist gave us, and the stylist has to answer. A number that does not answer does not pass, because messaging that number is the first thing a client will do.

Check 3: are the prices confirmed, and re-checked every 90 days?

We ask the stylist to confirm the price of each service they list. Prices change, so we re-check them every 90 days. We record the date of each confirmation. A listing that is past its re-check date is not shown as verified.

Check 4: is the suburb confirmed?

We confirm the suburb the stylist works in. Luxora shows the city and suburb so you can judge the distance. We never show a street address.

What verified means, and what it does not

Verified means we confirmed those four things. It does not mean we guarantee the result, a booking or the stylist's conduct. The checks do not include inspecting a salon, checking a qualification or insurance, or judging how good the work is.

Your agreement is with the stylist, not with Luxora. When a stylist supplies you with a service, the Consumer Protection Act gives you the right to the timely performance of the service, in a manner and quality that people are generally entitled to expect (section 54). If the service falls short, you may require the stylist to remedy the defect or refund a reasonable portion of the price. That applies whether or not the stylist is listed here.

What you can check yourself

Our checks are a start. Before you book anyone, listed or not:

• Ask for the price of your exact style and length in writing on WhatsApp, and ask what it includes, for example whether the hair is included.
• Compare the photos on the listing with the stylist's own social account. Ask to see recent work, not only the best photos.
• Ask how long the style is meant to stay in. The American Academy of Dermatology advises wearing braids for no longer than 6 to 8 weeks.
• Ask for an install that is comfortable, not tight. The Academy lists tightly braided hair and hair extensions or weaves among the styles that can cause hair loss from pulling, and says weaves should come out immediately if they cause pain or irritate your scalp. The British Association of Dermatologists says traction hair loss caught early can regrow completely if the tight style is stopped, and the Academy warns it can become permanent the longer it goes untreated.
• If you will be at someone's home, tell a friend or family member the address and the time.

Taking a listing down

We take a listing down if a check fails, if we find that a photo is not the stylist's own work, or if the stylist asks us to. A stylist can withdraw their consent at any time and we will remove the listing. The privacy policy explains how we handle the details they sent us.

If you have a problem with a listed stylist, email [email protected] with the stylist's name as shown on Luxora, what happened and when. We cannot settle a dispute or refund you, because the booking is between you and the stylist, but we will look at whether the listing should stay. If a stylist does not put a poor service right, sections 69 to 71 of the Consumer Protection Act set out where a consumer can take a complaint.