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Won a chargeback dispute, now customer’s parent is threatening my business

· noise   r/smallbusiness  ·  ↑ 177  ·  💬 88  ·  2025-12-13  ·  kw: negative review  ·  open on reddit ↗
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Small business owner in beauty services (cosmetic tattooing) won a chargeback dispute but customer's mother is now threatening negative reviews, BBB reports, licensing board complaints, and industry connections leverage unless refunded within 48 hours—constituting potential extortion after service was completed per signed consent forms.
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anthropic/claude-haiku-4.5 · 2026-05-08

Body

**\*UPDATE\* Thank you guys all for your responses. It’s been tremendous in helping me feel less alone and worried!** 🫠 **-** Hi everyone, I’m a small business owner in the beauty industry (cosmetic tattooing / brows) and I’m looking for advice on how to handle a situation that has escalated beyond normal customer service. A 19-year-old client booked and received a permanent brow service. The pricing, policies, and consent forms were clearly disclosed and signed. During the appointment, I checked in multiple times, and the client specifically requested a very minimal result. I initially did more and removed strokes at her request. She also has a complimentary touch-up included if she wants additional fullness. Payment was made using her mother’s credit card (the service was a gift). After the appointment, the client herself did not contact me. Instead, her mother texted me angrily saying the price was “ridiculous,” called my business a scam, and said she was filing a chargeback. I submitted a full evidence packet (signed consent forms, before/after photos, appointment details, policies, etc.), and it appears the bank ruled in my favor. Now, after the bank decision, the mother has escalated. She has contacted me again - from a different phone number - demanding a refund within 48 hours and threatening: * Posting negative reviews and “blasting” my business on Google, Facebook, and Instagram * Reporting me to the BBB * Reporting me to state licensing boards * Using “connections” in the industry to harm my business She has framed all of this as contingent on me issuing a refund. I have not heard from the actual client at all, and I have remained professional and brief, redirecting communication to the client herself. At this point, this feels less like a service dispute and more like harassment or extortion. I have saved all messages and have not refunded. My questions: 1. Should I reach out to the client via phone call to understand the situation? 2. Should I reply to the mother? 3. What should my next steps be? 4. Has anyone dealt with something similar after winning a chargeback? I’m trying to handle this correctly and not make things worse. Any advice from business owners or legal-minded folks would be appreciated. Thank you.

Top comments (7)

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[score=375] Away_Hotel_9980
Honestly don't engage with the mom at all anymore - she's basically trying to extort you at this point and you already won the chargeback for a reason. Document everything she sends you and maybe give your state's small business legal aid a call since she's threatening to weaponize licensing boards
[score=146] asyouwish
If even half of your post is accurate, she will look fully cray cray to anyone reading reviews. Let her have her moment of hateful vomit and burn out. Before she can regain her composure, she'll be mad at some other business. Also:, new policy: photo ID for the service must match the credit card being used.
[score=37] Randomized007
The BBB is nothing. I've reported businesses and it accomplished zero. And if she had connections in the industry why didn't her kid go there? All bark, no bite. As long as you're cool on paper just ignore it, and document all of your encounters, no more phone calls, just texts and emails for the paper trail. You'll need those for court. Good luck
[score=26] MsMo999
I’d ignore her and if she doesn’t stop soon I’d then go file a police report for harassment.
[score=20] brewbake
Note the one thing she is not threatening — legal steps. She knows she has no case. My best guess is she will not follow through with anything she says. If she does, you will have an opportunity to present your side of the story like you did with the bank. So make sure you continue to have your ducks in a row and move on. I would also not communicate with them any further (this is also advisable if it does come to legal proceedings — anything you say now can and will be used against you in ways you might not expect).
[score=29] Ukelele-in-the-rain
Do nothing or if you want to reply in a very polite and professional manner to the reviews that are public State that while appears the mother did not get the effect she wants, you honoured what the client wanted. That you are unable to follow only the desires of the gifter without the consent of the actual person getting the service. That you offer a touch up with the service and if the actual client wanted it, you would welcome them Don’t mention anything about extortion or harassment or chargebacks in your replies to the public reviews. Just be professional, stick to you policies and ethics around consent and people will get it