Students targeted by alleged salon scam

Friday, January 29, 1999

DISPUTE: Shop owners, ad company disagree over wording of coupon

By Natasha Behbahany

Daily Bruin Contributor

Bruin Walk can be a dangerous place, when students must avoid solicitors who ask for donations, give away movie tickets or offer great deals on salon visits.

Recently, a deal involving C-Zors salon in Santa Monica has left some students wondering about the legitimacy of some of these offers.

"It seemed like a really good deal," said Adrienne Rice, a first-year molecular biology student, of the salon package she purchased.

Rice bought a coupon from two solicitors who told her the deal, which cost $30, would entitle her to four different services at the salon.

The two came to Rice in her dorm and went to every room on the entire floor, she said. But other residents on the second floor of Rieber said this "deal" was a scam.

Courteney Cosso, a first-year English student, purchased the coupon and called the salon to make an appointment.

"I was told it was a fraud," Cosso said. The salon representative went on to tell her that the deal was unauthorized and that there was an ongoing dispute between the advertising agency and the salon.

Bahram Talei, owner of C-Zors salon, called the situation a misunderstanding between himself and Valu

Advertising, the company responsible for distributing the coupons.

For an up-front fee of $30, the coupon stated a customer would receive four salon visits - including a haircut, manicure and pedicure, make-up application and a hand massage.

Salon owners said, however, that the coupon they and the advertising agency had agreed on was different from the one being sold to students.

Valu Advertising did not return reporters' phone calls.

Talei said that the coupon that was sold to students is actually giving recipients a very good deal.

"The services offered in the coupon are worth much more than $30," he said.

Although the salon is losing money on the deal, Talei is in the process of negotiating with the advertising agency to create a new deal.

Talei said that coupons purchased before Jan. 15 will still be honored by the salon. He said that the advertising company had agreed to stop selling the coupons after that, and that C-Zors would not accept coupons dated after the 15th.

"For those who have already bought the coupon, I feel obligated to take care of them," Talei said.

Although Talei said C-Zors will honor these coupons, Suzy Jones, a Los Angeles Consumer Affairs volunteer, warns against solicitors who ask for money up front.

"There should not be any question in the consumer's mind that this is a legit business," Jones said. She suggested asking to see a business license in order to dispel any doubt about the legitimacy of a solicitor.

For those who purchased the coupon before Jan. 15, Talei said appointments must be made one week in advance is because the salon is "mobbed with customers."

"We want to take the best care of our customers and we hope they will take advantage of our other services," Talei said.

In the future, to avoid potential scams, Jones advises students to notify campus police about questionable solicitors.

Comments, feedback, problems?