Customers frustrated with Raleigh tattoo artist Devin Foulkrod who took their money during COVID 19 pandemic and then vanished

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Greater than a dozen prospects are out a whole lot of {dollars} after a Wake County tattoo artist took their cash in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and left them with empty guarantees.

“He must be stopped,” buyer Matthew Alexander mentioned.

“After we gave him that cash it was like see-ya,” buyer Katelyn Falls mentioned.

“He’ll take your cash and never offer you a product,” buyer Brandon Lilly mentioned.

The product these prospects are lacking is a tattoo from Devin Foulkrod of Power Tattoos. One other of Foulkrod’s buyer’s, Tasha Britt, mentioned she gave him $200 after which he stopped responding to her makes an attempt to contact him.

The purchasers all say they’re aware of Foulkrod after seeing his work posted on Foulkrod’s Instagram web page for Power Tattoos, plus the offers he supplied in the course of the COVID-19 lockdown on that Instagram web page.

“He was working a particular, it is like 50% off. When you give me $1,000 you get twenty hours of labor for simply ten hours,” Alexander provides mentioned.

All the disgruntled prospects of Foulkrod that turned to Troubleshooter Diane Wilson for assist have proof of paying Foulkrod upfront by way of money apps for the tattoo work.

Alexander paid Foulkrod $1,000 final summer time and the 2 texted forwards and backwards a number of occasions, with Alexander displaying Foulkrod precisely the tattoo he wished. Whereas a number of appointments had been set, Foulkrod texted a number of causes for not having the ability to schedule the appointment for the tattoo.

“He mentioned with the curfews going round I do not really feel protected doing it,” Alexander mentioned. One more reason Alexander obtained was that Foulkrod’s mom had handed away.
Apart from a dying within the household, there have been different causes for delaying appointments. One other one in every of Foulkrod’s buyer’s, Deirdre, mentioned she was informed, “Due to COVID we’re going to have to attend for issues to open again up.”

In some instances, Foulkrod did give prospects, an tackle and precise time to do the tattoo however after they confirmed up–nobody was there and Foulkrod didn’t reply to texts.

“I mentioned, ‘What’s your suite quantity?’ He did not reply. I mentioned, ‘Good day, I am outdoors.’ I waited thirty minutes, and he did not reply. I had my son and his buddy textual content him and he responded straight away,” the shopper mentioned.

One other annoyed buyer is Stephanie Hafferty.

“He would not reply to something I despatched him,” she mentioned.

Apart from paying upfront for her tattoo work, she additionally says Foulkrod posted on social media that prospects might get further tattoo time in the event that they purchased an merchandise from the child registry for his son. She purchased a excessive chair considering it would assist, however she mentioned even that did not encourage Foulkrod to do her tattoo.

Foulkrod did promise her a refund however she says, “I despatched him all of my data from my Venmo, Money App, every little thing and simply in some way there was an error and it wasn’t capable of be despatched, and he simply by no means replied to me and blocked me.”

The identical story for one more buyer when it got here to promised refunds from Foulkrod.

“He had mentioned 10-30 days and the day I hit 30 days, he blocked on every little thing,” Tasha Britt mentioned.

“I by no means obtained a refund,” Brandon Lilly agreed.

Some prospects like Terrica Hamoud would not simply let it go. She wasn’t keen to lose the $400.00 she paid Foulkrod, so she took him to courtroom, and she or he acquired her cash.

Others like Kira McLawhorn who paid Foulkrod for a tattoo however did not get it aren’t so fortunate.

Foulkrod is a permitted tattoo artist in Wake County, as their data present he works at a store on Bandford Manner in Raleigh. Nevertheless, Troubleshooter Diane Wilson didn’t discover him there, as a substitute, she was informed he was evicted final November.

Foulkrod gave a latest buyer an tackle on Louisburg Highway. Wilson didn’t discover him at that tackle both or any signal of a tattoo store, as a substitute, the tackle led to an empty discipline.

Wilson was finally capable of speak with Foulkrod and he mentioned, “My primary precedence is paying individuals again and getting this entire mess mounted. Everybody that feels that approach they do is totally legitimate, I’d really feel the identical approach.”

Foulkrod blames the beginning of his troubles on the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I had a very good fame, nice buyer clientele; I used to be booked out your entire 12 months and every little thing went to crap.”

In the course of the COVID shut down, he could not work as a result of restrictions. He admits he supplied offers like shopping for an hour for $100.00, get an hour free to maintain prospects.

“Nobody pays that a lot cash upfront, however I used to be giving them a deal to do it, they usually did do it,” Foulkrod mentioned.
When restrictions loosened and he might tattoo once more, why did not he present for the appointments made? One motive, he had a child in December.

“Subsequent factor you understand I am canceling my shoppers that had some huge cash down, and that is the place I used to be very unprepared for that, and I began owing a whole lot of refunds,” he mentioned.

Foulkrod additionally admits a number of the causes he gave his prospects for canceling appointments weren’t totally true.

“Lots of these prospects have been tremendous harassful. Among the excuses I made haven’t been totally truthful,” he mentioned.

As for proper now, when Wilson requested him if he was tattooing anybody proper now he mentioned, “No not presently, I am on paternity depart just about. If you look at my page, it says books closed.”

Wilson then requested, “However you had your child in December, it is now Might. You are still on paternity depart?”

Foulkrod then mentioned he isn’t tattooing as a result of his household all acquired COVID not too long ago, and he is transferring to a brand new Raleigh location and ready on Wake County to allow him there. Nevertheless, Wilson checked with Wake County about Foulkrod requesting a allow at a brand new location and a consultant mentioned, “There aren’t any latest purposes for tattoo allow from this artist. The final software obtained from this artist was in September 2020.”

Wilson then pressed Foulkrod if he was nonetheless taking over jobs proper now.

“I am not working proper now,” Foulkrod answered. Wilson mentioned, “However you take cash from individuals?”

“I’m reserving, sure,” he replied.

After Wilson acquired concerned Foulkrod did begin sending refunds to a few of his prospects like Tasha Britt. She mentioned she did obtain the $200.00 she was owed. As for the others nonetheless ready? Foulkrod informed Wilson, “Inside 60 days everybody ought to count on their a refund, and that is a assure.”

The perfect recommendation is to be very leery of companies that publicize on-line offers to get money upfront. Attempt to not pay till the work is getting accomplished.