Lyndsey Paynter thought she'd surprise her boyfriend Mark Borison with a gift certificate to a spa. "I was just looking for a spa deal, and he had talked about wanting something like that for his birthday," Paynter said.
But instead of relaxation, all Borison he got was a headache.
"She said it will be a great day for you, I'll drop you off, but when we got there the business was closed," he said.
Doors Locked, No Explanation
The doors were locked, the lights out, at Enlighten Spa, located right across the street from Cincinnati's City Hall.
Borison says the worst part is that the salon closed with no forwarding address, no number to call, no apology, and no refunds.
"There was no sign saying here's who you contact for a refund, here's where you can direct your angry mail to, nothing," Borison said.
The salon is registered to a Monica Hedges, according to the State of Ohio,but we were enable to find a current home address for her.
She does not appear to own any other business, and the Ohio State Cosmetology board says the spa's license expired last year.
Advice for Customers
The salon's Yelp page is now filled with complaints from other customers who they prepaid for services never delivered by the now out of business salon.
We left several phone messages with numbers that appear to link to the owner, but did not get a return call.
Paynter, now out more than $50, has this advice for other salon and spa customers. She said "I'll probably be a little more careful, definitely look at recent reviews, check Yelp, check Facebook reviews, check their website."
Meantime, if you're impacted and holding a gift card or prepaid service, contact the Ohio Attorney General, which can investigate.
As always, don't waste your money.
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