momma-
I experienced a similar loss with a $1600 shaitel that I brought to a salon which, admittedly, had minimal experience with wigs. (I was visiting in a neighborhood that did not have a sheitel macher at that time.)
I gave it in to be dyed, and the hair practically fell out in clumps when I got it back. I realized that the stylist had brushed out all the knots on my hand-tied wig. The knots had formed a layer just over the net, and now that layer was gone.
When I showed it to her, she told me it was my fault for not telling her that those knots were not supposed to be there; she thought I just hadn’t cared for it properly, and it got a layer of knots!