Bee & Co. Closes After Investigation
CBS LA consumer investigator Kristine Lazar is continuing her investigation into Bee & Co., a mall-based skincare retailer accused of pressuring vulnerable shoppers into large purchases. Her latest report looks at what happened to two men with intellectual disabilities, and what came of their cases afterward. Valley Legal Aid is proud to have represented them as they sought justice.
How it started
The investigation began with Victor Chisholm. He has an intellectual disability and says he spent more than $50,000 over several visits to Bee & Co. last spring, and that he felt pressured into draining his savings. According to the reports, about $41,747 of that went to skincare products and a red-light therapy device. He also gave employees another $10,120 in Cash App tips. When he tried to return the items, he says he was given a receipt stamped "no refunds."
After Victor's story aired, other customers came forward with similar experiences. One of them was Gabe who has a learning disability and says he was pressured into spending more than $3,000 at the store.
Watch the outcome of the case here:
A familiar pattern
The two men describe the same approach. A woman at the Westfield Topanga mall offered them free samples and compliments, then urged them to come into the store. Once they were inside, the pressure kept building.
"At one point, she said she wouldn't take no for an answer," Gabe said, describing how he was pushed into handing over his credit card information.
Why this matters
Businesses have a responsibility to deal fairly with every customer. That responsibility is especially important when a customer may not fully understand the pressure being put on them. It was our honor to help bring these practices to light and to stand with Victor and Gabe as they sought justice.
"Based on what people have said to me, this is something we're going to keep after," our attorney, Fred Voigtmann, said in the interview with CBS.
If you or someone you love has been pressured into a purchase like this, please let us know so we can help you.
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