Two Bee & Co. skincare stores in the Los Angeles area have closed after a report examined alleged high-pressure sales practices and refund disputes. A third location reopened as LUME, with the same employees and products observed inside, and Westfield says it is taking appropriate steps without giving details. Customers and former workers described pressure to make costly purchases and difficulty obtaining refunds; these are reported accounts, not findings about every store. Mazal Group says it does not direct retail sales or refund policies and condemns aggressive selling. No new government policy, enforcement deadline, or compliance form is identified in the available report.
TLDR: Store closures and a mall operator’s response have followed scrutiny of alleged pressure selling and refund disputes. Customer and former employee accounts remain allegations, while Mazal Group denies directing retailers’ sales and refund practices.
At least two Bee & Co. skincare stores in the Los Angeles area have closed after a CBS California Investigates report examined alleged high-pressure sales tactics aimed at vulnerable customers. A third location closed and then reopened under a different name. The developments bring renewed attention to customer complaints and former employees’ accounts, while leaving important questions about the renamed operation unanswered.
The report’s stated purpose was to investigate allegations of aggressive sales tactics and restrictive or deceptive refund policies at beauty retailers, including businesses connected to the Mazal Group. No government policy change or official policy rationale is described in the available account. The rationale for the reporting is straightforward: customer accounts and employee testimony warrant careful examination, but allegations should not be treated as established findings about every store or retailer.
Since the investigation first aired in August, the Bee & Co. locations at Westfield Topanga in Canoga Park and Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance have closed permanently. A Bee & Co. store at Westfield Fashion Square in Sherman Oaks also closed, then reopened as LUME. CBS California Investigates reported seeing the same employees and products inside LUME after the name change.
A Westfield Group spokesperson told CBS that Bee & Co. was no longer a tenant at Westfield Topanga and that the company was taking “similar appropriate steps” regarding the newly named operation at Westfield Fashion Square. Westfield did not explain what those steps involved. That leaves the status and outcome of its response unclear in the available material.
The broader investigation identified hundreds of beauty retailers around the country that consumers have accused of aggressive, sometimes coercive, sales practices and deceptive refund policies. Customers described being pressed to make purchases worth thousands of dollars. Those accounts, along with hundreds of online reviews, establish the scope of reported complaints, not a finding that every retailer or employee behaved in the same way.
One account came from Linda Merrill, a 77-year-old Orange County resident. She told CBS she spent more than $11,000 on products distributed by the Mazal Group at a Lionesse Beauty Bar in Las Vegas and could not obtain a refund. Merrill said a saleswoman offered a sample and promises of younger-looking skin, then took her to a back room to show her skincare products and devices.
Merrill said the sales pitch lasted about 90 minutes. She uses a mobility scooter and needs round-the-clock oxygen for chronic lung ailments. She recalled feeling woozy as her oxygen supply ran low and telling the saleswoman she needed to return to her hotel room. Merrill said the pitch continued after she expressed discomfort and said she wanted to leave.
According to Merrill, she handed over her credit card after being told she could return the products. She later found a charge of $11,271.52 and said the store denied her refund request the next day. She described making dozens of calls, mailing unopened products after an attorney sent a letter, and receiving no response. These details are Merrill’s account as reported by CBS; the available material does not provide an independent resolution of her refund dispute.
Former Bee & Co. receptionist True Tetrault said that, during eight months at a store in Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, employees regularly pressured customers who hesitated over expensive purchases. She recalled customers being shamed and urged to spend more than $600 on a jar of cream. Tetrault also said refunds were generally unavailable unless customers became confrontational or threatened legal action. Her account is testimony from a former employee, not a determination about every Bee & Co. location.
The reporting also notes that several former employees at stores selling products distributed by Mazal recalled enforcing restrictive policies in some cases. Mazal Group said it is an independent distributor and has no role in retail operations or store refund policies. The company said many reported complaints were unrelated to brands it distributes and condemned aggressive selling by retailers.
The practical effects described are substantial for customers who say they were involved: purchases could run into thousands of dollars, refund requests could be denied, and some customers reported making repeated calls or seeking help from an attorney. Receipts reportedly carried “no refunds” notices that customers said they noticed only after returning home. The excerpt gives no general consumer complaint form, new compliance deadline, government enforcement order, or fee. These details are not part of the reported plan in the available account.
Westfield’s next steps for the LUME operation remain unspecified, and the available material does not identify a new government deadline or oversight process. The confirmed closures and the mall operator’s statement are the current developments; further action or explanation has not been detailed. Any next steps and oversight remain necessary to clarify the operation’s status and address the concerns raised, while keeping the claims and responses on the record distinct.
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