Health

Michelle Fonville Charged Extra at Natural Nails Due to Weight

by Amy Judd | August 23, 2010 at 12:22 pm

497 views | 0 Recommendations | 3 comments

Michelle Fonville Says She Was Charged $5 Extra at Natural Nails in Georgia Because She is Overweight

When she first noticed the extra charge on her bill, Ms. Fonville thought that there had just been a mistake with the numbers, but it turns out the manager, Kim Tan was apparently worried that Ms. Fonville's size might damage the expensive chairs she sits on to get her nails done.

"I was letting my nails dry and was looking at the pricing list and realized that I had been overcharged," Fonville told ABC News. "I said to the clerk that I thought I had accidentally been overcharged, I honestly thought it was an error."

"But when she came over and wrote out the prices she then said, 'I charged you five dollars more because you're overweight,'" said Fonville.

The staff at Natural Nails in Lithonia have not commented on the allegations to ABC, but Ms. Foneville says she was so humiliated by the whole incident that she will not be returning to that salon in the future.

Ms. Tan did speak to WSBTV and said that the surcharge was due to the potential repairs to the chairs customers sit on. She said that each chair has a capacity to hold 200 pounds but can cost up to $2,500 to fix.

“I didn’t want to argue with her about $5. I wanted to make her pleased with her service,” Tran said. “I whispered … I said, ‘I’m sorry, next time I cannot take you.'”

According to ABC news, Ms. Tan said that she also charged Ms. Foneville extra because it took longer to do her nails, but she did refund the $5 and told her to take her business elsewhere.

Ms. Foneville was shocked by the whole incident and is planning a protest outside of the nail salon later this week.

“The word has to get out there that these people are discriminating against us because of our weight. I mean come on, we’re in America. You can’t do that,” said Fonville.

She has said she may even be considering a lawsuit.

1 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend This comment thread is now closed

Tim Pietrzyk (not verified)

at 08:57 on August 25th, 2010

This is such and outrage is this little Ms Tran trying to turn this great country into the dog eating rice republic she came from, if she cant afford to do business in our Great USA get the heck out and I will buy her cheap but a one way ticket!!!

carouser (not verified)

at 11:07 on August 26th, 2010

You hear that big beautiful women of Georgia? Kim Tran does not want to service you. She doesn’t think you fit in with her establishment.

We’re sorry, Michelle Fonville, but next time you’re just going to have to take your fat ass elsewhere.

JunnieB (not verified)

at 12:26 on August 29th, 2010

So people get mad at the manager for having a discriminatory policy, yet they leave comments discriminating the manager on her race? Do you not understand that you're no better than the woman? If you have to say anything about her practices, which I think is pretty ridiculous, criticize her all you want. But why do you have to tie it to her race and make ignorant comments about her origin?