An 82-year-old California retiree in a wheelchair got hit with a $53,500 bill from a mall spa — $24,045 of it in 1 visit

An extensive year-long NPR investigation uncovered hundreds of complaints from consumers — many of whom were older adults and people with disabilities — who said they were targeted and pressured into buying expensive skincare products and treatments (all of which were from brands that were linked to the same company.) One 82-year-old woman who uses a motorized wheelchair, for example, ended up with a staggering $53,500 in charges after visiting a mall spa.

At the center of the investigation was California-based Mazal Group, a family-run business with an extensive portfolio of skincare brands sold through mall stores. One former employee, who spoke to NPR anonymously, described why the company continued to introduce new brands.

“The reason why they have so many brands is because they had to keep remaking brands with different names to sell it a different way to the malls so that they could get a lease,” they told NPR.

The family behind Mazal Group

Mazal Group was founded in 2015 by Daphna Oded Weingarten to bring the family’s growing portfolio of hair and skin care brands under one umbrella. However, the business traces its roots to 2005, when Weingarten and her family — husband Eli Weingarten, brother Avihu Oded and his ex-wife, Adi Sharvit Oded — began building a hair-straightening business.

Today, the family holds more than 50 active trademarks, including Voupre, Lionesse and Orogold Cosmetics. One former corporate employee estimated that the company contracts with at least 2,000 stores worldwide.

Although Mazal Group doesn’t own the retail locations selling its products, NPR obtained documents suggesting the company influences how some stores operate, including through pricing and refund policies. The company said through its lawyer that it does not own or operate retail locations or manufacture products. Moneywise also reached out to Mazal Group for comment but did not receive a response by publication.

One of the customers caught up in the complaints was Mary Ellen Eckhert, an 82-year-old retired teacher who uses a motorized wheelchair. She stopped for a free sample outside Mia’s by Voupre in Manhattan Beach, Calif., then returned to the spa for regular facials over the following year.

Store employees ultimately charged her $53,500 across four credit cards, including $24,045 during a single visit, NPR reported. Her son, Marc, discovered the charges after her bank account became overdrawn.

“What kind of a spa charges anyone $54,000?,” he said in an interview with the outlet. The family disputed much of the debt, but Eckhert was still out more than $17,000.

“I’m feeling like I have to continue working in order to pay for all this,” she told NPR.

Customers describe pressure and disputed charges

NPR reviewed nearly 500 consumer complaints obtained from government agencies, along with court records and interviews with more than 50 people connected to Mazal Group. Customers described salespeople approaching them with free samples, then pushing them to buy costly skincare products, facials or red-light therapy devices.

Some shoppers said they were kept in stores for an hour or more while salespeople continued pitching products. Others alleged that the final credit card charge was far higher than the price they had agreed to pay. In one complaint, a customer said a salesperson added a zero to a $1,300 purchase, turning it into a $13,000 charge.

Customers interviewed by NPR also reported being told their cards had been declined when they had not, or being asked to sign checkout tablets without understanding that they were agreeing to a no-refund policy. Some recovered their money through credit card disputes, while others were left with thousands of dollars in debt.