Woman Says She Was Turned Away by Nail Salon Because of Her Weight: ‘I Was Embarrassed. I Was Humiliated’

A woman who says she was turned away from a nail spa because of her weight is speaking out.

Ashley Cheffen is speaking out after she says workers at POSH Nail Spa II salon in Columbia, SC allegedly told her they couldn’t move forward with her appointment because of her body size. On June 18, Cheffen went to the nail spa, a location she’s gone to since 2018. “I went, and it was pretty busy, and I sat in the waiting area for fifteen to twenty minutes, which is expected on a Friday night,” said Cheffen.

Just as the nail tech was getting started on Cheffen, she stopped, and then moments later, a receptionist walked over to her. “She said, ‘Mam, unfortunately, [the nail technician] is not going to be able to continue your service. We’re not going to be able to finish your pedicure because of the weight limit of the chair,'” Cheffen recounted.

The nail salon has a policy that states a customer could be held responsible for a spa chair if it malfunctions if a person is more than 300 pounds. But, the policy doesn’t mention that a customer would not be able to move forward with their service. The spa told WACH News that “they don’t turn anyone away.”

“When I left, I sat in my car, and I had a moment. I broke down,” Cheffen said. “I was embarrassed. I was humiliated, and I felt horrible. Joseph Nguyen spoke on behalf of Posh Nail Spa owners, saying the weight limits are there so that customers are safe. “At Posh, we just want to make everybody feel welcome,” said Nyugen.

Nyugen continued: “POSH is there to serve everybody, and there is absolutely no discrimination against anyone of any size,” Nyugen added. “As [managers], we will be going around and making sure that everyone feels comfortable and welcome, and make sure what they get is actually what they really want.”

The owners of POSH told WACH News that the receptionist that told Cheffen she could not get her nails done is no longer working at the location.