More Than 100 American Laser Skincare Closures Leave Customers Without Thousands Of Dollars
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A skin-care clinic closed more than 100 locations abruptly, leaving their customers with no warning or refunds.
American Laser Skincare had 136 locations in 25 states and Puerto Rico, and all have closed. The five locations in the Sacramento area are among those closed on Nov. 14.
According to clients, none of them were notified of the sudden closure.
The president of the Northeast California Branch of the Better Business Bureau says customers should be wary of putting down a large deposit ahead of actually receiving services.
He says it's not all that rare for companies to take large sums of money or deposits and end up closing shop.
"To say it doesn't happen would be a misnomer. We see it with gyms, cosmetic surgery, all kinds of stuff," Gary Almond said. "There's been a big recession, and a lot of people are financially unstable, and you don't really know about their financial condition."
He says often times, there's not much that can be done and customers end up without a refund.
"We've had people pay them like the day before they closed their doors," he said.
According to American Laser Skincare customers, that's the case for them. On the company's Facebook page, there are hundreds of complaints posted, with some people saying they are out thousands of dollars.
In response to the shutdown, the company has posted a statement on its website that reads, "We are sorry to announce that all of our clinics have been closed. If you are a client with a treatment package that has not yet been completed, we are taking steps to try to find alternative providers for you as quickly as possible."
CBS13 called the company on Wednesday, but none of our calls were returned.