Not even a 1 star. Don't let the website and the elegant decor fool you.
I went in to try to resolve the problem with the owner. I wanted to let him know that I was really disappointed with the way he handled the situation and found the original artist to finish my piece. I did tell them I would let them know my decision. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by the treatment I was given. He told me my husband lied to me about him saying that I made a scene in the shop when I didn't and suggested that I seek help because I was obviously crazy for being upset that they "lost" my $200 deposit, told me they had it, but then said they didn't, and never once informed me that there might be a problem because my artist quit the shop. Lu (one of their star artists) is a phenomenal artist, there is no denying that, but the only thing the owner cares about is money and, unfortunately, he has forgotten he will get more of it with great (or even just good for that matter) customer service than by insulting his clients. Especially given the premise that this shop isn't meant to be a place where you just drop in and pick a cute little dolphin off the wall to put on your ankle. He should take the $200 that was supposedly stolen and invest in some customer service training. That's right, given the numerous different stories I have been given by his staff and by him, I don't believe for a second that the artist actually stole the money. It's more likely that the owner is simply trying to trash the artist because he doesn't want clients to leave with the artist. Too bad he's gone about it all wrong.
I have a beautiful tattoo but it's no thanks to this shop. It was only half done at $1000 and shouldn't have cost me more than $800 for the whole thing. I was romanced by the website and really liked the skill of the artist I chose. I didn't realise when they said they slowed down the design process that meant charging obscene amounts for the work. I will be the first person to admit that you get what you pay for and should never look for a bargain when going for a tattoo but there is such a thing as over-paying, especially when you're treated like crap by the owner.