Students targeted by alleged salon scam

Friday, January 29, 1999

Students targeted by alleged salon scam

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.

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