Ink twice: Woman had to cover up a ‘wonky Tardis’ as tattoo is botched
A TATTOOIST rumoured to still be working in Hull left customers deeply unhappy, including one Doctor Who fan whose TARDIS fell well below her expectations.
The Mail has been contacted by former customers who claim that tattooist Karl Eginton either failed to refund them or left them dissatisfied with his work.
It is claimed Mr Eginton worked in Goole during the pandemic and he has since located to Hull.
One customer accuses Mr Eginton of taking money without completing work and another for some shoddy ink that one woman claims left her needing a cover-up that cost her a further £350.
Hull City Council has confirmed Mr Eginton is under investigation.
Kirsty Walker says she was first booked in for September 2020 to make her vision of a bespoke Doctor Who tattoo come to life, but claims she ended up being left with a terrible TARDIS that required reworking by a new artist.
She said: “I first contacted Karl during the first lockdown and he was happy to accept my request, I’d asked for a bespoke Doctor Who tattoo.
“Karl requested the money in full rather than a deposit, as it helped him stay afloat while he couldn’t be open.
“I’d asked to see the design before being booked in, which he said was fine, but every time I asked he said he was doing it ‘soon.’ That soon never came.
“A month after I’d paid the £100, he asked for another £50 because it was a bigger tattoo than he initially thought. I just paid it.
“After the first lockdown, he got me booked in for September 26 at 2pm. I arrived at 1.45pm and had to wait in the car. He made me wait for three and a half hours as he was running late due to ‘family problems.’
“I waited, because I paid in full and had no choice. When I went inside, he hadn’t drawn anything so I had to wait for him to make my design. He didn’t draw anything, just copied and pasted from designs online.
“I asked for a Van Gogh sky with a TARDIS, a sunflower and a rose to represent characters and two pieces of script. There was an overall space theme.
“When we finished, he had to stop because it was late and said he would book me back in to finish. I was disappointed he didn’t get further with it, but didn’t think too much about it.
“If I’d have known I was blowing £150 on a two-hour session with not much to show for it, I would have walked out.”
The tattoo parlour in Princes Road where Karl Eginton was working at the time of Kirsty’s experience have distanced themselves from Mr Eginton, saying he only worked as a guest.
Kirsty Said: “Around a week after my first session, my tattoo got infected and I had a tetanus jab and antibiotics. Luckily, it healed OK, but my leg was inflamed and very painful.
“As it healed, I saw how wonky the line work was, the dots were uneven, the sunflower was a black blob and I was generally very unhappy. The Van Gogh sky did not resemble the famous artwork at all and I didn’t want to show anyone. I tried to get booked back in to finish it off and touch up areas, but every time I suggested dates, I was ignored.”
By this point Kirsty had decided she couldn’t trust Mr Eginton to
take the tattoo any further and found Jordan from True Colour, York, who agreed to help her get a tattoo that she could be proud of.
Kirsty said the new tattooist was shocked by the state she had been left in and completed an intensive cover up which cost her £350.
She said: “I’m still very angry from this experience and honestly didn’t think I’d get stung like this. I researched artists before booking and Karl had more than ten years ‘experience and a great portfolio, there was no way of knowing this would happen. I’m trying to put this behind me and I’m fortunate I found another artist to help me.”
Another customer, Teresa, booked a tattoo with Karl while his shop was still open in Goole. She said: “He explained that he was struggling and could I possibly pay him the money now and once opened we could book a date.
“He’s always got excuses like he had not got his booking diary or he’s going through bookings and would get back to me.
“I sent him more messages until he finally replied and stated he had moved to Hull, I was annoyed he’d not contacted me about the move considering he had taken my money and owed me a tattoo.”
A spokesperson for Hull City Council confirmed the matter was currently under investigation.
Mr Eginton was contacted comment but did not respond.