Fountain of Youth Academy of Cosmetology

Dealing with this place has been nothing but a hassle.
I purchased a Living Social deal in October for a one-​hour facial at the Mars location. The first time I called, the woman told me they would only honor it at the Pittsburgh location. This is not at all convenient for me, so I contacted Living Social. Suddenly Fountain of Youth said they could do it in Mars.
I made an appointment in at 5:30 pm December and when I showed up, no one was there to do it. So I went home pretty frustrated but did not want to lose the $ 27 I paid for the deal.
I called a third time to make an appointment and now I am told they are only open 9 – 4 Monday-​Thursday so I have to come then. I work a 9 – 5 job so this is not possible.
I’m very frustrated by my experience. Each time I call, I talk to a different person who tells me a different thing. I will be contacting Living Social again for a refund.

I purchased 3 groupons for manicure, pedicure and facial. I called 9 times to schedule an appointment and never received a call back. I stopped by 3 times, 2 of which they were closed. On the third try, someone came out and said that the phones were broken. I scheduled an appointment for the next day for a mani/​pedi for my little girl and I. They did an awful job. We basically soaked our feet & they painted our nails which chipped the next day. The 2 technicians, along with the manager, complained about the owner & how she shut the Mars salon don due to negligence but she continues to sell groupons It was a total waste of time. My 5 year could’ve done a better job. I’ll cut my losses with the facial I purchsed. These people are terrible.

Making my first appointment at the academy was like pulling teeth. The girl on the phone, obviously a student, was so dim and clueless. I had a lot of trouble finding a day/​time that worked, and she was absolutely no help at all. Usually when you’re trying to schedule a service somewhere, the person doing the book will toss out days and times, but no, not this girl. She had absolutely zero phone skills. This was especially frustrating because it was their schedule that was tight, not mine. I was quite flexible, but apparently they were hit hard by the Groupon bookings.
Next, the appointment. This place is really hidden and very easy to miss. It’s a house that does not look like a salon at all. The sign is falling apart and angled poorly for drivers.
I went for a mani/​pedi and the mani was first. It was a very basic manicure. Absolutely no frills, yet somehow it took forever. The polish turned out to be a bust. There were so many thick layers to the polish job that it all started to peel off later in the day.
The pedicure. Well, the pedicure was very awkward and not at all what I expected. Actually no paying customer should be getting a pedicure done this way. They do not have massage chairs, or even just a basic proper chair for the pedis to be done in. Feet are soaked in a bucket and polish is done with your feet in the student’s lap. Yes, the student’s lap. It was so uncomfortable. The polish job on the toes was much better than the nails, but I think it was because there were fewer layers of polish/​base coat/​top coat/​quick dry/​etc done on the toes.
I purchased the Groupon for the unlimited mani/pedi’s, but unfortunately it was an expensive mistake. I won’t be returning.