Class Action Lawsuit Says Aveda Beauty School Overcharged for Haircuts

A beauty school associated with Aveda Corp. has been sued for allegedly overcharging customers who received services from cosmetology students.

The class action lawsuit was filed by Sophia Krivy against the Jean Madeline Education Center of Cosmetology Inc., along with Aveda in a Pennsylvania state court for allegedly charging more for haircuts than what is allowed under state law, which says beauty schools can only charge for the cost of materials.

“Defendants employ a uniform policy of charging fees to members of the public for cosmetology services which are much higher than the costs of materials consumed in providing those services,” Krivy says in the Jean Madeline Aveda Institute class action lawsuit.

On Feb. 11, Krivy went to Jean Madeleine Aveda Institute beauty school in Philadelphia to get her hair cut from a student there, for which she was charged $12.00. Krivy alleges that the price she was charged for the haircut “was higher than the cost of the materials.”

“Indeed, even if one tried to amortize the costs of the brushes and clippers and other tools used in providing such a haircut, the cost of such ‘materials’ would be less than $2.00 per haircut, since the same tools can be used hundreds or even thousands of times,” Krivy says in the class action lawsuit.

According to Pennsylvania law, cosmetology schools are not allow to charge for services that are performed by students. The only charge that is allowed is to cover the materials used.

Krivy is looking to represent a class of individuals who claim they were overcharged by any of the three Jean Madeleine beauty schools in Philadelphia since 2008. She is also looking to represent a subclass of individuals who had haircuts at the University City location and paid more than $8.

Krivy’s is charging Jean Madeleine with violating the state’s Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, which would award $100 to each person as a penalty who was violated under the law. It is not required that plaintiffs prove actual fraud, only that the deceptive conduct took place.

The class could make up 5,000 individuals, according to the class action lawsuit, which if true would mean Jean Madeleine would have to pay out a total of $500,000.

Krivy is also asking that Jean Madeleine be forced to end the overcharging practice.

The plaintiff is represented by Stephen DeNittis of DeNittis Osefchen PC.

The Jean Madeline Aveda Institute Class Action Lawsuit is Sophia Krivy v. Jean Madeline Education Center of Cosmetology Inc., et al., Case No. 140202603, in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County.

UPDATE: On Mar. 29, 2016, the Jean Madeline Aveda Institute overcharging class action settlement is now open! Click here to file a Claim or visit www.JeanMadelineSettlement.com for more details.

UPDATE 2: On July 25, 2016 viewers reported receiving $25 settlement checks in the mail!