Midtown Atlanta salon says customer walked out on $345 bill after 5 hours of services

Share Add Us On Google Add as a preferred source on Google ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Employees at a Midtown Atlanta nail salon say a customer walked out without paying a nearly $350 bill after spending hours getting her lashes, nails and toes done. The shop, Lashes and Nails by Glow, said it turned away other customers while employees worked on the woman. Surveillance video provided to Atlanta News First appears to show the woman attempting to tap her card to pay before leaving the salon. Employees said she told them she was going to get money and would be right back, but she never returned. “She casually walked out like nothing. The whole service she was the most calm client I’ve ever worked on. You wouldn’t have thought that she was getting ready to steal and deal or whatever,” said Desmond Ward, one of the nail technicians who worked on the customer. Ward said the woman was a walk-in who received a full set of individual lashes, a manicure and a pedicure with French tips and designs on her hands and feet. After five hours of services, her bill was $345, including a discount from the shop. The original total was $375, the salon said. The video shows the woman leaving behind a take-home product from her lash service before walking out. Ward said he followed the customer and caught up with her several blocks away, near Peachtree and 12th streets. He said he tried to persuade her to return and pay, but the exchange became heated. “So I said, ‘Okay, not worth it.’ Came back to the salon. My manager said, ‘We’ll do a police report the next day,’” Ward said. The salon filed a report, and Atlanta police confirmed they investigated a theft of services. Police said the report has not been finalized, and Atlanta News First has not located any arrests associated with the incident. The shop said the woman provided a name and phone number on a consent form before her lash service. Atlanta News First called the number and reached voicemail. “Nails are a luxury. That’s the reality of it. It’s something you want to do because you want to get it done for yourself. It’s not a necessity,” Ward said. “This experience has been traumatic, so I can’t imagine anyone feeling like, ‘oh, I love this set’ after all of this.” Copyright 2026 WANF. All rights reserved.