Woman says she paid a jewelry artist $700 over what she precalculated, then looked at the receipt and noticed an unexpected charge

A woman who hired a jewelry artist for a permanent jewelry event claimed she was hit with a $350 tip she never agreed to. Nelly Venegas said in a TikTok video that she expected a total of around $700 based on the price list she was given, but claimed the receipt came to $1,430.

Venegas said she booked the service for a party of seven and that there was no deposit or formal contract discussed beforehand. According to her, the receipt included $1,000 for service, $80 for tax, and the $350 tip. She claimed the tip was never discussed or agreed upon, which she said left her feeling like she had been scammed.

Venegas claimed in a follow-up video that the business owners refunded the tip in full after she threatened to dispute the charge. She said the owners told her they were unaware of the charge and have no policy requiring a mandatory tip for offsite events.

Nobody wants a surprise on their receipt

Venegas said she first reached out to the business by phone, and the call felt suspicious to her. She claimed the woman on the line acted nervous and insisted the tip was mandatory. She also claimed she had been charged for eight people instead of seven. Venegas, who said she’s a bartender herself, called the alleged behavior unprofessional and said one of the bracelets broke just two weeks later.

After hearing from viewers, Venegas said she sent a formal email to the business saying she couldn’t justify the tip and was prepared to dispute the charge with her credit card issuer. She said the situation was especially difficult because she had used a company card for a work event. According to Venegas, she gave the owners a deadline to make things right before escalating the issue.

Venegas claimed the owners replied just in time, apologizing and issuing the refund. According to her, they said the situation fell short of their standards and that they are reviewing their procedures to make sure all costs are clearly communicated in the future.

Venegas said she believes the response confirmed her suspicion that the woman who performed the service had allegedly added an unauthorized tip on her own to pocket extra money. She said she was relieved the owners handled it professionally, since she did not want to destroy a business. She also credited her followers for pushing her to hold the company accountable.

Charges like the one Venegas described are unpopular with most Americans. A Pew Research Center survey of nearly 12,000 US adults found that 72% oppose businesses adding automatic service charges or tips to customers’ bills, regardless of group size, while only 10% favor them. The same share said tipping is expected in more places than it was five years ago.

Customers who spot an unexpected charge have options under federal law. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, cardholders must send a written billing error notice to their card company within 60 days after the charge appears on their statement. The company then has 30 days to confirm it received the dispute.