WASHINGTON: A network of skincare stores operating across shopping malls in the United States has come under scrutiny after customers reported being pressured into buying expensive beauty products and treatments, with some bills running into tens of thousands of dollars.
According to an investigative report by NPR, hundreds of shoppers described similar experiences, including being approached with free skincare samples before being drawn into stores and subjected to aggressive sales pitches. Some customers said they spent thousands of dollars on products they neither wanted nor could afford, only to discover that their purchases were non-refundable.
The investigation identified several skincare brands, including Voupre, Orogold, Avinichi and Introstem, linked through California-based distribution company Mazal Group. The report found striking similarities in sales tactics across stores operating under different names.
In one case, a Michigan shopper who initially agreed to purchase eye cream was quoted a bill of $5,000 after being encouraged to consider an LED light therapy device. Another customer in New Mexico said she spent $19,000 before discovering the store’s no-return policy.
Questions were also raised about the products’ value. Laboratory testing of an anti-wrinkle cream detected only one of three targeted ingredients. Internal order forms reportedly showed that the product cost stores about $20 but was sold to customers for $1,300.
Former employees said sales staff worked on commission, incentivising them to push expensive purchases. The investigation also uncovered allegations of visa fraud involving foreign workers employed at such stores.
Mazal Group maintained that the stores were independently owned and operated. The company, its owners and two storeowners reportedly settled a consumer class-action lawsuit in Hawaii for $650,000. Mazal Group later terminated its business licence, while its owners established another beauty company.
