Bee & Co. skincare store at Westfield Topanga closes after sales tactic allegations
The closure comes after months of reporting from CBS California Investigates on allegations that Bee & Co. employees targeted vulnerable shoppers and pressured them into purchasing expensive skin care products and devices.
A skincare retailer named Bee & Co. has closed one of its Westfield Topanga outlets after customers accused the store of using aggressive sales practices. The closure was confirmed after months of investigative reporting by CBS California, which documented instances of employees pressuring customers to buy pricey products and devices.
Two customers, Victor Chisholm and Gabe Cota who have intellectual disabilities, claimed they were coerced into spending over $60,000 at the Westfield Topanga store. They said an employee took them into a back room for a treatment and pressured them to buy creams and devices, with Cota reporting she "won't take no for an answer."
Chisholm said he didn't understand how much he was paying. Westfield Topanga has not disclosed whether the store was removed from the mall. Bee & Co.'s parent company, Mazal Group, is linked to other stores across Southern California. The store's closure comes as Rep. Brad Sherman, whose district includes Westfield Topanga, plans to bring the matter to California Attorney General Rob Bonta's attention. Bee & Co. has denied the allegations, calling them "a one-sided and misleading account."
Written by urgent.news from CBS News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
