Seacret Spa

I've ordered Seacret of the dead sea/cuticle oil on (3) different times and the plastic container is either cracked or leaking from the top. The bottle is so cheap that it breaks very easily. I gave it as a gift to my daughter and the same thing happened to her.

At this particular kiosk in the Nordstroms Mall on Michigan Ave. in Chicago, there are a group of people selling the Seacret spa line of products. The prices that they are charging are anywhere from 100% - 400% of the actual retail prices of the products as on the Seacret website.

The sales people are quite pushy, a bit unconventional, sometimes inappropriate (asking for hugs, etc. ) and quite charming. Which is probably why people (like myself) actually fall for their act. Upon doing some research, I've read about this line of products doing the same thing at various malls across the country.

I was approached by a man selling Secret Dead Sea Spa products in the Westfield UTC Mall in La Jolla. He put salts on my hand and buffed my finger nail which came out shiny. After that, it was very manipulative sales tactics for the rest of the products. It was strange because he wasn't aggressive while making the sale, just extremely adept at answering your concerns with what turned out to be lies and exaggerations. I specifically asked if I can return the products if I change my mind, he said "yes, no problem! " It was late at night and the mall actually closed while he was still working on me. He sort of had me pinned in the chair showing me all these wonderful effects on my face. At the same time, he asked things about me and used those things as sort of ways to say I need the products, talked about skin cancer, melasma, not taking care of myself, said I was hurting myself by using Aveno products from Walmart, etc.

He made claims about the product penetrating my muscles and other claims that were questionable, but he was talking so much that I didn't have time to think much less formulate questions or disagree. I remained very pleasant throughout the encounter; I'm not sure why. I think that maybe I was a bit scared. I assumed the things he was telling me about the products and return policy were true because it was in a high-end mall in La Jolla, CA. I said I'd like to wait to think about it. He gave me stories about how nobody else could give me discounts, that he was returning to Israel, etc. I could not get away from the booth.

The mall was closed and dark and he was putting stuff on my face "demonstrating" application to his assistant who he said was being trained. He insinuated that he had stayed late for me, that his friends were waiting for him when I said I would like to think about it before purchasing. He pressed along, repeated saying no other salesman could give me the same deals, etc. He cajoled me in to buying over $1000 worth of products. He had taken my credit card and started throwing in a bunch of "free products", and said "Come on, buy one more bottle to make it an even thousand. "

I felt very strange at the time, very awkward about being in the mall alone with these two men after the regular stores had closed and some of the lights had been turned off. Now I realize I was intimidated and trying to 'make nice.' He was overly familiar with me, and I'm embarrassed to say that after the sale he said "give me a kiss! " and kissed me on the cheek. I just wanted to get out of there and got to my car in the parking garage and knew that I didn't want any of the products and would return them the next day. He had said he wouldn't be there, was going to Israel. The only product I would have remotely thought of keeping was the the nail buffer which I realized after leaving the situation I can get at a beauty supply for about $2. The nail kit's price started at $100, then he went to $50, then he gave me 3 kits for 'free'.

When I got home I went on the internet to find the kiosk had charged anywhere from 150% to 500% over other retailers for the same products. I actually totaled up the cost of all of the products (even the 'free gifts') based on other retailers such as Amazon, and the total was still hundreds of dollars cheaper than the kiosk in the UTC mall. Then I read the reviews on the products and realized the product is not what was represented, and there are scads of unsatisfied customers. They do not even contain most of the ingredients he mentioned, and do not produce any results except for the shiny nails from the buffer. I got my receipt ready to return in the morning, and saw on the bottom "No refunds, exchanges only." I was completely sick. I was given a different receipt from the one I had signed. The print on the bottom was so small you would never see it unless you looked closely, and certainly not in the dark in the closed mall. But by that time I had signed the other receipt.

Then I found the stories of the hard sales and lies on the internet, manipulative tactics and many people complaining of misrepresentation concerning returns. In the morning I called the UTC mall's management office. The concierge was very pleasant and spoke to the mall manager. She returned my call to let me know that the mall manager spoke to the salesman who said I could return the product, just bring my receipt. I went to UTC mall to make the return. The concierge had mentioned on the phone that they had other complaints about the Dead Sea Spa kiosk retailer at both the UTC and Horton Plaza malls. She said that she had almost bought their products as well.

I got to the mall and the salesman (Yoni, the same salesman as the night before) pretended to be surprised to see me. I told him I wanted to return everything. I was very ill at ease realizing he had lied to me. This is where it got very bad. He became aggressive and insulting, telling me it's not his fault I could not afford the product, then said if I could afford it then what's the problem? Am I too cheap? Commenting on my boyfriend (who was not there), challenged me when I said the prices were much too high, and changed his story on refunds. He was manipulative and demeaning. He pulled out his Blackberry and opened it to the one website that had one of the products listed at prices close to his (but still $50 higher). He obviously was all set to use this as a tactic. I had spent Friday night scouring the internet for prices and made a spreadsheet of these prices because they were so inflated.

I pleaded with him to just honor his promise to accept the return. He said he could not until I explained what the problems was, which I had already done. I started crying because I realized he was doing to me exactly what everyone else had experienced and I was very upset by his comment about my boyfriend. I am a 45 year old woman and started crying in the mall. I told him I was going to call my attorney and the mall manager. He started laughing and gesturing, saying "Call the mall manager, I already talked to him. Call your lawyer, make a scene." While I walking away to go get the manager, he said "I could return your money if you weren't so difficult." He just wanted to keep selling me, told me he could give me $400 back only because I had wasted his time and he needed to be paid.

At that point, Michael became assertive and told the salesman "There is no way she did that to you. You are being aggressive and confrontational to me, and I manage this mall. You should not be making personal statements about her boyfriend. You need to refund this woman's money, and behave properly or face being removed from the mall along with your business. You cannot treat customers like this."

I got the impression that Michael was finished trying to reason with the salesman and asked for the kiosk owner's phone number. The salesman calmed down a bit and went back to the evasive tactics. He said "You can try to call him but his religious Sabbath forbids him to answer the phone today," and vague reasons. Michael said "You are operating in the United States, and must obey the law. It doesn't matter if it is a religious holiday, you are operating a business here and you must conduct business according to the law."

Michael stepped a few feet away and turned his back to call the kiosk owner using the phone number Yoni gave him. At that point the salesman said to me in my face quietly "If you didn't behaved this way, I could return your money like this," and snapped his fingers in my face. I was completely intimidated, afraid to even look at Yoni, and crying again. Michael finished the call and came back over. He said "Jill has changed her mind on your products and asked for a refund within 24 hours of purchase. You will refund her purchase." Yoni argued. Michael calmly but firmly repeated the statement.

The salesman said he'd try to call his 'other boss' who might call back. Then he said one of the bosses would authorized the return, and I could return to the mall and get my money back, but the product was now useless and could not be returned to stock. I had not even taken the products out of the bags. I asked Michael to step aside so I could tell him that it was not just that I changed my mind, but I found out the products do not work as I was told and they were grossly overpriced. Michael said "It doesn't matter why you want a refund, we are not going to let him engage in further argument. This will be taken care of, you will get your money back; maybe not today but by Monday. "

We went back to the kiosk and Yoni said some things about how he needs to get an authorization, and then my card can be charge-backed, probably Monday. He said something about all I have to do is go back to the mall. Michael asked for and took Yoni's phone number. He asked me to give Yoni my phone number but saw the look on my face, changed his mind and gave Yoni his own phone number instead. I was very relieved. I do not want to face any further contact with Yoni. As we were walking away, Yonni said "You still like your buffed nails, right? " Why would he even say something like that, it was just so inappropriate and bizarre.

Michael walked me to my car carrying the bags of products. We exchanged cell phone numbers. He told me to not worry, wait until Monday, try to relax and enjoy the weekend. He said he would not be working on Monday, but I could still call him. I have never experienced this level of dishonest persuasion anywhere, including in street markets in third world countries. This was the worst shopping experience I have ever had in my life. I'm afraid I'm going to go back to the mall and go through the same verbal barrage all over again, and not receive a refund.

I told the salesman I liked the product but did not have the money at the time and that was the only thing stopping me from making a purchase. He wanted to know what he could do to change my mind and I said nothing as I did not have the money. He said he could take a post-dated check for the following month and agreed to give me another product for a lesser price if I made the purchase that day with the post-dated check. To my surprise, the check was cashed prior to the date at which time I called my bank who informed me the date on the check is nothing, once you sign that check, it can be cashed. They recommended I contact Seacret to get reimbursed for the 3 overdraft fees of $37.50. I spoke with the company on four occasions and they promised to send me a check for $112.50 which was never done. I ended up with $112.50 in overdraft fees from my bank so the product cost me now $153.05!