Complaint Review: Vertigo Tattoo and Body Piercing

The "Vertigo Tattoo and Body Piercing" shop located in Manns Harbor, NC 27953. Is owned and operated by crooks. I started a professional tattoo apprenticeship a year ago with them, and it was all a scam!! Not only was I ignored when asking questions about the processes of tattooing, healing, sterilization but I spent 36 hours a week (at LEAST) there handling all the grunt work alone. By grunt work I mean everything that needed to be cleaned, sterilized, stocked, scrubbed, emptied, replaced etc AND I managed the shop when I was there, answering phone calls, handling all appointments, cancelations, walk-in clients and I even set up each work station before a tattoo was done, for EVERY artist and took it down and cleaned it afterwards. I hardly found myself with any time to train or practice tattooing. Months went by and I realized I had to push myself to learn anything, I started on fruit, moved up to pig skin and then onto friends of mine that allowed me to practice. I never recieved proper guidance, or criticism before or after my work was done. I was basically in the dark the entire apprenticeship yet I pressed on in hopes to really get somewhere in the industry.

The shop had 3 full time Tattoo Artists, one body piercer and one owner. There was no manager, the owner was never in, and I was recieving mixed orders from 4 people all telling me different. It was very frustrating. I did not pay for this apprenticeship, but I can honestly say I don't think I gained anything from it either. The shop had a layover of artists being hired in, and then fired out, or they would quit. I never knew of the situations leading to their leave or fire. I suddenly understand why.

One of the new artists brought in about 2 months prior ro me being 'let go' in my apprenticeship, was an artist named Jim Twiddy, aka James Willis Twiddy. He started to make things worse and worse by degrading me, embarrassing me, harrassing me in front of clients and finally, shouting and screaming at me, for no acceptable reason. When the first occurance of his temper arose to me, I contacted the owner immediately after the incident. Upon telling him what happened I simply got the response, "It's no big deal, maybe you aren't doing something right. Put on your big girl panties and get over there and do some work." I was beginning to realize that they were making it nearly impossible for me to succeed, not taking me seriously and quite frankly taking advantage of me.

A large event was held on our property that creates a load of business in the shop. It's called Vertigo's Four Days of Mayhem Bike Rally. Those four days I not only was the only one there cleaning, preparing the shop and managing it, but the artists spent their time outside the parlour DRINKING beer and enjoying the festivities, I had to chase them down every time a client walked in the shop. This was how I spent the entirety of the day for those 4 days, on the last day, I was screamed at a second time by this Jim Twiddy artist, this time his reasoning was that I forgot to take out a bag of trash upstairs. I calmly asked him to lower his voice, and that if he needs to tell me something I would appreciate it if he would cool off first so he didn't end up screaming at me, I said that it was inappropriate, unprofessional and that I felt he shouldn't talk to me that way. In which he replied, "I will talk to you however I feel is necessary." This entire conversation we had back and forth was overheard by every artist in the shop, and the body piercer was seated directly behind me as it happened, yet noone said a thing.

Suddenly I come in a few days later to work, and I am told they need to talk to me and that it's not good. SO I head up the stairs and wait for the meeting. I was joined by the 3 tattoo artists and no owner. Jim Twiddy started his topic of the meeting by telling me that they just don't see it happening for me right now. When I asked what that meant he said I do not have the passion for it, I am not taking it seriously, he said I am too immature and that I am lazy.

At this point, I felt cheated, used, taken for granted and was ready to get out of there, so I got my things and left. One BIG mistake I made was that I DID NOT unlock my craftsman tool chest BEFORE leaving the shop with it and taking it home. After it was home and I unlocked it, I was SHOCKED.

My machines had been destroyed, there were pliers marks on the springs, the armature bar was bent and swayed to one side, each machine cost me over $300. I open one of my drawers and it's cleaned out, all of my supplies that I PAID FOR, gone.

I called the police, filed a report, and an investigation followed, when questioned the shop owner Brian Mervine told the police that maybe I took some things from them, when he was told what I had missing, he said to the officer, "that's what I am missing too!" The ignorance and unprofessionalism that this owner has, to actually point a finger back at me, was shocking. I want so bad to go back in time and to have NEVER started my apprenticeship there in the first place.

The police couln't do ANYthing to help me without proof of which individual was responsible for the damage.

NEVER GET AN APPRENTICESHIP with them, I am warning anyone. They are crooks!