An NPR investigation has uncovered how skin care stores across the U.S., including in Washtenaw County, pressured customers into spending thousands of dollars on products they did not want.
California-based Mazal Group distributes skin care products under dozens of brand names, often with degraded ingredients.
Monica Evstahtieva is part of an NPR investigative report that aired Wednesday on WEMU. She discovered the company’s brands are sold in stores across the country, with salespeople often targeting the elderly or disabled.
“It all started with a tip from a friend of mine where she told me one of my mom’s friends in Ann Arbor had a very interesting exchange at Briarwood Mall, and she told me her mom was charged at a skin care store $5,000. She just couldn’t make the salespeople stop pushing those products onto her.”
An 84-year-old Ann Arbor man with dementia was charged $42,000 after he was subjected to aggressive sales tactics. His family only found out when his credit score dropped.
While Mazal dissolved in September, a new company under the same ownership is operating across the U.S. and globally.
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