These people are thieves. I know of no better way to describe them. If they think they can get away with it, they turn from tattoo artists into scam artists, and will gauge your wallet beyond belief. Trustworthy people who value integrity should be warned about greedy companies like this one.
What I learned from Artemus Tattoo in Boulder, CO, is that if a tattoo parlor says they charge “by the piece” rather than by the hour, grab your stuff and run. What that means at Artemus is they’re going to see how much they can get out of you. No fair value. No hourly rate. No honesty. No integrity. It boils down to “How gullible is this person and how much can they get him for?” That’s who they are.
Your artist from Turkey did a nice job on my tat. The Dandelion tattoo tribute to my dead girlfriend is quite nice. Unfortunately, it makes me sick to look at because it reminds me that you price-gauged me due to my inexperience and being a trusting person. You saw I was gullible, and you decided to fill your pockets. Your customers turned into a targets and perhaps taking advantage of people isn’t such a good idea.
You charged me double what my tattoo was worth, after pretending that you were giving me 30% off, like you advertise on social media. You are a scammer and a thief and this review is your karma. You 100% earned. Own it. For a 500-750 tattoo, you suggested that
What you quoted would take 5 hours, for 1500, took 2 hours, so 750 an hour, more than the best artists in the world get. Either you don’t know your business, or fairness is optional for you. Did you make a mistake? Lastly, you didn’t even calculate the 30% off correctly. Either you made a mistake, or fairness is optional for you. I think we know the answer.
I made the mistake of not comparing prices, and got swindled. If you see Artemus offering 30% discounts, it’s a scam. Them being 5 stars (as their reviews suggest), go look at yelp (1.7 stars) or their "F" rating on the BBB.
Recommendation: My recommendation is avoid them at all cost. Minimally, get a second opinion on prices.