Members of a Kintnersville Brownie Girl Scout troop raised $652 for a spa day to count toward their Healthy Habits badges.

Instead, the girls may learn a different lesson: always get it in writing.

Troop leader Rosemary Korchek, who had already paid for the April excursion over the phone with her credit card, arrived at the Seedlings Salon in Doylestown this week to find it locked and empty. The Web site for the children’s salon and its grown-up counterpart, Annodam, said the businesses shut down “due to current economic conditions.” An outgoing voice mail message said a new salon and spa will open in the near future but didn’t offer specifics.

The business closed March 7 after owners learned a day earlier it had to file for bankruptcy, co-owner Karen Lafferty said. Employees have been scrambling ever since to connect clients with other salons and hadn’t gotten to the Brownies’ mid-April appointment yet. She said the salon will refund the troop’s money.

This is a low point, Lafferty said, and the salon has 19,000 clients who’d have positive things to say about their experience with her business.

“We’re trying our best, dealing with everything we have to deal with,” Lafferty said.

The 19 Brownies raised the $652 by selling magazines, nuts and sweets, said Korchek. The troop paid up front in early February to lock in an April 10 appointment for manicures, pedicures, a lotion-mixing session and aromatherapy at Seedlings, Korchek said.

After hearing from Korchek, Serenity Day Spa and Wellness Center on Swamp Road stepped up Wednesday afternoon and offered the girls a Saturday afternoon session free of charge, so long as they leave a tip. The girls will learn about facial and nail care from two manicurists and four estheticians, then head home with some goodie bags, said Serenity co-owner Jennifer Wiegand.

Earlier on Wednesday, Korchek, whose own 6-year-old daughter was among the Brownies looking forward to the Seedlings trip, said she hadn’t told the girls their spa chances looked bleak.
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“They’ve really looked forward to this. They’ve really worked hard,” Korchek said of the Brownies, who range from 6 to 8 years old. “I’ve got to explain to them, sorry, we can’t go.”

Seedlings opened in the summer of 2004 as a place for kids to get away from the stresses of everyday life. The rainforest-themed business offered yoga classes, parties and a full range of salon services. This week, a peek inside the South Main Street spa’s windows shows an all-but-gutted Annodam and a darkened, empty Seedlings, a phone message pad and scattered business cards lying on an entryway bench.

Korchek said she’d spent half an hour conference calling with Seedlings management to organize the trip and was asked for full payment over the phone; she was told no-shows would be credited back to her card, and any moms who came along would be given $25 coupons for the adult salon next door.

The Bucks County Office of Consumer Protection is aware of the spa’s closure but hasn’t heard any formal complaints, said department director Michael Bannon.

When a business shuts down unexpectedly, consumers would be surprised how often sending a certified letter results in a refund, he said. Mail is generally forwarded to a new address, and letters copied to the consumer protection office will be filed away for future reference.

But buyers have to protect themselves in this economic climate, he said — first and foremost by documenting any exchange of money. Consumers should always get contracts, receipts or other paperwork to verify their transactions.

When there’s only a verbal agreement, the business may have a moral obligation to follow through but pinning down its legal obligations is trickier, Bannon said. Consumers need to do their homework, which includes asking businesses up front about financial stability and the possibility of closure.

“We have to ask those questions these days,” Bannon said.

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Mother’s Day is just around the corner and many of you may be considering what to get your Mother. A Spa Gift Card or Spa Gift Certificate is a great gift. It helps to minimize stress for your mother and it helps her to feel good about herself. Mom can choose from facials that reverse the hands of time, to body treatments that will tighten and tone those cellulite thighs.

Before you purchase that Spa Gift Card or order that on-line spa gift certificate with the ease of last minute printing from your computer, there are a few things that you should know before you make that purchase.

Recently, Spavelous.com has received emails from many individuals who received the gift of a spa gift certificate or spa gift cards. One person lamented ” Serenity Day Spa in Northville, MI is apparently closed. My husband purchased a gift certificate for me (from the spa itself) which I still have not used! What can I do? I am so upset I didn’t take the time for myself to go and now do not know what to do” another wrote “My daughter received a gift certificate at Spa Vure in Rhode Island for her bridal shower. She found out that the spas are closed.” These are just two of the many letters that Spavelous.com has received.

An article on Washingtonpost.com states that, according to Carl A. Boger Jr., associate dean of academic programs at the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management at the University of Houston in Texas, 5–7% of spas nationwide won’t make it through the coming year. All of this means that you need to do your homework prior to purchasing a spa gift card or printing a spa gift certificate. This does not just apply to spa gift cards, it is ANY gift card.

Given the economy, it’s more important than ever for consumers to understand who’re they buying from and doing business with
– Peggy Twohig
Associate director, financial practice, FTC

This year Spavelous has covered many Spa Closings. Some of the owners have made announcements of their closing so you could get in and redeem your gift certificates prior to them locking the doors. Some spas have made arrangements with other spas in the area to redeem them, and then there were some unscrupulous spa owners that locked their doors and cleaned the place out in the middle of the night. Spavelous puts a plea out to all spa owners to do the ethical thing. If you are experiencing a challenging time, STOP selling gift cards and online gift certificates, contact your clients to encourage they use the cards they have, and if you need to close the doors, make arrangements with a local spa to redeem your gift cards.

Planning to buy gift cards? Limit your risk

Here are a few more tips to limit your risk when buying a spa gift card:

• Follow the news: Even if you’re convinced your favorite retailer or spa is solid, pay attention to its business anyway. You don’t have to analyze its quarterly earnings statement, but you may want to follow news about layoffs, store closings and cash-flow problems.
• Pay with a credit card: You’ll have a better chance of recouping your money if the worst happens.
• Consider bank-sponsored gift cards: Sales of cards issued by a bank or credit card company such as Visa and MasterCard are on the rise because they can be used nearly anywhere and for anything, even gas and groceries.
• Consider the Spavelous Gift Card, it is a Visa Debit card and can be used at any spa or salon that accepts Visa nationwide and worldwide, it is the most accepted spa gift card of all spa gift cards.
• Consider purchaseing from a spa that uses PayPal printable gift certificates.  Paypal holds the funds for a year before they release them to the business.

If purchased a card and discover the spa may be closing:

• Take it back: Although most don’t have card return policies, it’s worth a shot. Do the same if you used a third-party retailer, such as Costco, a supermarket or drugstore. Your chances are better if you kept your receipt and return it quickly.
• File a claim with your credit card issuer: If you purchased a card with credit, your card company may refund the value. MasterCard says customers can receive charge-backs. Visa, on the other hand, recommends customers first try resolving problems with the retailer, then, if unsuccessful, contact their bank. American Express spokeswoman Mona Hamouly says bankruptcy disputes are handled on a case-by-case basis. “We do take the responsibility of resolving the situation with the merchant rather than leaving the cardholder hanging and filling out paperwork.” AmEx offered help to customers with Sharper Image cards, even when the submission was beyond the 60-day limit for challenging card charges. Coincidentally, Sharper Image cards were part of AmEx’s membership reward programs. Neither AmEx, Visa nor MasterCard have current plans to change policies on offering retailer gift cards in reward programs.
• Swap for another card: Those who bought gift cards at Internet sites that let you buy, sell and swap them may be covered by bankruptcy insurance policies and not even realize it. LeverageCard.com says it will transfer unredeemable balances to gift cards from stable retailers. A $50 Circuit Card recently could be swapped for equal-amount cards from five retailers, including Home Depot and Bloomingdale’s. GiftCardRescue.com reimburses for any unused card value. Claims should be submitted within 30 to 60 days of retailer bankruptcy and, of course, they’re only good for cards bought on the sites.

If you’re receiving the gift card:

• Use it immediately: Historically, only a third of giftees use cards within 30 days of receiving them. “In this economy, however, use it as soon as you get it, even if the store hasn’t filed,” says Twohig, who admits she has two unused gift cards still sitting at home.
• Call the retailer: If the company has filed for bankruptcy, call the nearest spa and ask if it is accepting the competitors cards. If you’re too far a drive from a spa, or if it’s an online retailer, call the company and ask if cards are redeemable on its Web site.
• Sell it online: Putting it on eBay is an option if your card is for a spa with no spas near you. Because gift card fraud is not uncommon on auction sites, be upfront about the card’s value, expiration date and other restrictions. Also be aware you’ll lose some money in commission fees.
• Check with competitors: A retailer’s rivals may offer to redeem at least some of the value. When Sharper Image reneged, Brookstone offered a 25 percent discount on any item purchased by an Sharper Image cardholder. When Bennigan’s fell, Texas Roadhouse let cardholders exchange for a free certificate good for any item on the menu.
• If all else fails, go to court: If you have a high value card or just feel like fighting for justice, you can file as an unsecured creditor. You should file a “proof of claim” document with the specific bankruptcy court the retailer filed in. (That information should be listed on the company’s Web site, or you can call and ask for it.) Include a photocopy of the card and any information about its value. File before the mandated deadline. Keep an eye on the legal process. If it files for “liquidation” through Chapter 7, there probably won’t be assets to pay off most, if any, gift cards. Some bankruptcy courts consider gift cards to be “consumer deposits” that are entitled to unsecured creditor priority over some other claims, but not all courts follow suit.
• Protest to the government. “It’s a good idea to contact your state attorney general because that may start some new consumer protection,” says Kwame Kuadey, CEO of GiftCardRescue and author of GiftCardBlogger. “It can especially work with small, local retailers.” He cites a recent success story in Missouri, where more than 300 consumers with worthless gift cards from a bankrupt St. Louis spa filed complaints with the attorney general’s office, which got spa owners to pay $103,000 to redeem the cards. As retailers keep faltering nationwide, more attorney general offices are banding together against bad redemption policies. When Tweeters, an East Coast electronics retailer, filed Chapter 11 on Nov. 5, 2008, it proposed to honor gift cards only through Nov. 15. State officials in Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois and Maryland filed an objection to the short time frame, forcing Tweeter to honor cards until its stores are closed.

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Daufuskie resort lays off remaining staff, closes doors

The Daufuskie Island Resort & Breathe Spa closed its doors this week, laying off what was left of its skeleton staff.

A bankruptcy judge ruled Tuesday that a trustee will be appointed to manage the resort, which could lead to a reopening. A trustee has not yet been named.

“It could be two days or two weeks until a trustee is picked and the resort’s back in business,” said Russ Brown, chairman and CEO of RBC Enterprises, which develops and sells real estate at the resort.

Brown said owners Bill and Gayle Dixon of San Francisco shut down operations and relinquished control of the club, the latest twist in a complicated bankruptcy case that started in January.

As a result, the Melrose Inn, the Melrose golf course/club house, and ferry operations from Salty Fare on Squire Pope Road on Hilton Head Island have been closed.

In another development, the bankruptcy judge ruled last week that the Dixons could not sell or lease portions of the resort without the consent of a select group of resort members.

Rich Silver, a member involved in a lawsuit against the resort, and Brown both said a lender was willing to loan the Dixons money but only if the bankruptcy judge allowed them to sell or lease its assets freely. The judge would not allow that.

“As a result of this ruling, the one lender that was willing to lend (the Dixons) monies to keep operatingis no longer willing to make that loan,” wrote Silver.

Brown said that after the lender pulled out, the Dixons agreed to let the court appoint a trustee.

Brown said having a trustee manage the resort is good news for everyone involved, including the Dixons’ creditors.

“It means an independent party, not tied up emotionally, is selected to move forward the resort, which allows the best possible chances for the creditors … to be paid back,” he said.

Brown and Silver said they hope to see the resort, and in particular the popular Melrose golf course, open once a trustee is selected.

“Hopefully, a trustee will be appointed immediately and that trustee can take over very quickly and ensure that at least minimal operations are resumed,” Silver wrote.

Brown said the sooner the trustee is named, the better.

Neither the resort members’ attorney, Alexander Beard, nor the Dixons’ bankruptcy attorney, Ivan Nossokoff, returned phone calls seeking comment.

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Inspire Skin & Body is out of business

Inspire Skin & Body Closed

Inspire Skin & Body, a Greensboro spa opened last year by an industry veteran, has closed.

The spa closed last week, according to an email sent out to clients. Citing the declining economy, owner Felicia Brown said in the email the business also was hurt by the departure of a key staff member and her clientele.

The combination of the two meant the company, which opened in August, could not meet its expenses, she said.

The spa’s skin care line and mineral makeup will be available at Coley Cosmetic & Hand Surgery Center on North Elm Street. Coley also will honor outstanding gift cards at full face value for several services, as will Spalutions on State Street.

According to the email, Brown, who founded and later sold the Balance Day Spa company, will return to her career in business consulting, writing and motivational speaking.

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More about the Owner Felicia Brown:

Brown, LMBT is the owner and visionary leader of Inspire Skin & Body which opened in July 2008. She is also the founder of Balance Day Spa in Greensboro which she sold in 2005 after growing it into a successful, respected and well-known business. After several years of industry research, professional training and personal self-discovery, Felicia decided to open Inspire Skin & Body to create a new kind of workplace for her staff and a upscale spa and VIP service experience for clients.

Felicia has won numerous awards for her business skills and accomplishments. Most recently, she was awarded the May/June 2008 Spa Person of the Month by the Day Spa Association and was selected as one of the Top Entrepreneurs of 2009 and Top 25 Movers & Shakers of 2008 by Business Leader Magazine. Other awards include the 2005 Small Business Person of the Year from the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce, 2004 Women in Business, 2003 Forty Leaders Under Forty, 2003 Best Places to Work, and 2005 Best Spa in Greensboro. In 2007, she was also given an award for National Volunteer of the Year by the American Massage Therapy Association.

Felicia is also the owner of Spalutions! , a firm that provides business solutions for spa professionals through business consulting, marketing coaching and staff training programs. She has written for and been quoted in numerous trade publications including DAYSPA, Spa Magazine, Skin, Inc., Massage Therapy Journal, Massage Magazine, Massage & Bodywork, Spa Management Journal and Dermascope. Felicia also provides free business and marketing advice and resources for spa and wellness professionals on Felicia’s Blog and is currently working on a book on marketing for spas.

Felicia currently serves on an advisory board for the Massage Therapy Journal, a publication of the American Massage Therapy Association and reviews trade-related textbooks, manuscripts and other materials for MiladySalonovations and Health Positive Inc. She is the Assistant Editor for the Day Spa/Medical Spa Bible 2nd Edition, a publicationwhich is being put out by the Day Spa Association (DSA) and the International Medical Spa Association (IMSA). Felicia has also released her first CD, Just Breathe: Guided Meditations for Inner Peace.

Felicia is a native of Greensboro, North Carolina and has lived there her whole life except for a three year stint in Crested Butte, Colorado where she taught kids skiing. Prior to her career as a massage therapist, she also taught figure skating and worked in the hospitality industry as a staff trainer, waitress and bartender. In her free time, Felicia enjoys running, yoga, reading, cooking, travel, and spa/travel adventures of most any sort. She also enjoys volunteer work and has worked in the past with the Melanoma Research Foundation, Greensboro Jaycees, Mobile Meals, Triad Health Project, The MS Society, and MDA to name a few. Felicia is married to David Clayton, and together they have a houseful of pets – 3 dogs and 1 cat – all of whom are rescued.

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Local Spa Owners To Honor Worthless Utopia Gift Certificates 

 There’s been an outpouring of support from our local salon community, after Utopia Day Spa shut down suddenly, leaving hundreds of customers with worthless gift certificates.

We brought you the story on Tuesday, and by Friday, four local spas have come forward, offering to honor the gift certificates.

The owner of Utopia sold $67,000 worth of gift certificates to local people, only to close up shop without warning. Now, thanks to the help of some very kind local business owners, they can finally get that pampering they paid for.

Local school teacher Loni Axley received a $100.00 Utopia certificate for Christmas from her husband. The card promised to “relax and rejuvinate,” but when she learned Utopia had closed, she only faced disappointment.

“With two kids, we could have used that money for something else. It was supposed to be a time for mom to go and relax and have an hour to herself, and that’s not the way it turned out,” said Axley.

Sea Scapes Day Spa owner, Debbie Plummer, says when she heard about the unsavory business practices, she decided to take the certificates anyway. She says to help her absorb the costs, she’ll honor half on one appointment, and half on another.

“Salons aren’t like that. She is only one person, one salon. The rest of us are here to do business and we’re here to make your time at our salon enjoyable,” said Plummer.

So Loni Axley finally got the massage she’s been waiting for. She says she’s still a bit angry, and wishes the Utopia owner had done things differently, but the massage did help remove some tension.

“I’m very pleasantly surprised that our community is pulling together in this way. I am really happy to live in this type of a community,” said Axley.

Plummer says her small gesture doesn’t make things right, and that the Utopia owner may have scarred the relationship between local consumers and gift certificates forever. But she hopes to introduce her newest clients to a salon that’s here for the long haul.

“When they leave here they’re smiling and they’ve forgotten a little about the everyday grind. And hopefully they have a little off their shoulders,” said Plummer.

Three other salons are also honoring the certificates:

Sea Scapes, A Salon & Day Spa
They offer: Massage, Skin Care, Hair, Makeup and Nails
You may use 50% of certificate on one appointment, and 50% on another.

Sphaera Massage Group

Spa at Siena
Reno, NV
They will honor the gift certificates at 50 cents to the dollar.

Metamorphosis Salon & Day Spa
They will honor the gift certificates at 20% of face value.

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Spavelous Note:  A Spa Gift Certificate is a wonderful gift.  Last Year Spavelous put out a Spa Gift Car and Spa Gift Certificate Warning:  You should only purchase spa gift cards from a Visa backed Spa gift Card – like Spavelous Spa Gift Card.  These cards may be used at any Spa or Salon Worldwide that accepts VISA.  As we have seen this past year, many spas and business have closed.  We reccommend that you redeem any gift certificates as soon as possible to avoid any problems.

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I-Team: Spa Certificates Stressing Customers

Now to our I-Team report. A business that specialized in relaxation is causing nothing but stress. It’s a story that could be repeated over and over again as retailers struggle to survive. Consumer and I-Team reporter Jeff Chirico is live in the control center with the story.

The I-team was contacted by several women who hold in total over 800 dollars in gift certificates for a salon that abruptly shut down last year. One woman asked for a refund but was told no way. He told me he did not owe me a dime. But Jennifer Altemos is demanding her money back for a gift certificate to Atmosphere Salon and Day Spa in Plains Township. The business closed suddenly last year.

It’s $55 down the drain. Ann Marie Hufford also wants a refund. These are just two of 7 women the I-Team knows of who hold more than 800 dollars in gift certificates. A plea from Jennifer was ignored. “He said he didn’t care, don’t threaten him, he was not paying.

“Atmosphere is a full service salon and day spa” This is video of company president Helen Kimble when she appeared on WBRE in unrelated stories last spring. Attorney Dan Munley says companies are responsible to pay, but filing a lawsuit may not be worth it. If you have a fifty dollar gift certificate and you pay 100 dollars for the suit, that would be the question to me.”

We called Kimble who says she’s working with her attorney to resolve all legal issues.

After hearing about the angry customers, the first owner of atmosphere, Erica Michaliga, who sold it to Kimble in 2007 has agreed to honor the certificates for the next 60 days in her new Zen Day Spa. “I appreciate your help and tell Jeff that we appreciate it” We’re told the corporation that operated Atmosphere under Kimble is filing bankruptcy but as of this Wednesday afternoon it hadn’t.

The state Attorney General is also working on this case. You can file a complaint at www.attorneygeneral.gov .

And here’s a tip –if you have a gift certificate use it soon. In this economy, you don’t know when a company may lock it’s doors.

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Spavelous Alerted Spa Goers and Gift certifcate buyers last year that they should not purchase gift certificates or gift cards from single spa or small spa chains.  Spa treatments make a wonderful gift, but you should always give a spa gift card that is backed by VISA like the Spavelous spa gift card.  It can be used at any spa or salon that accepts VISA.

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Spa reopened under new name in Fort Walton Beach. Tonya Ekstrom is excited to see her extended family again.

“I’ve known some of these women for 20 years,” Ekstrom said. “I am ready to see their faces back here.”

Ekstrom had been a member and then general manager of American Woman Fitness Spa on Racetrack Road since 1989. Now she’s the owner of a new spa in the same location.

A New Day Fitness Spa opened Wednesday after American Woman closed unexpectedly Nov. 19. Members said they showed up at the gym and found a note on the door that read, “Spa closed.”

Ekstrom, her mother Deborah Hansford and friend Rachel Hoffman decided to go into business together and honor the contracts members had with American Woman.

Po Young was a member of American Woman, which had been in businesses for at least 25 years.

“I’m excited,” Young said. “It’s cleaner, fresher, something different.”

Young said she likes the atmosphere because it is a ladies-only facility and she’s come to be friends with Ekstrom and many other members.

“It is a family. It is a social place. There are different crowds and different shifts during the day,” said Young, who added that she works out mid-day when the gym is quiet.

The building has been upgraded, with fresh paint and new ceiling tiles and flooring. Ekstrom said the swimming pool is even getting a saltwater filtration system that is healthier for her clients.

A New Day has a Turkish steam bath, Swedish sauna, hydrotherapy whirlpool and fitness equipment built for women. Classes such as belly dancing are free for spa members.

“We’re not nearly done,” Ekstrom said of the improvements. “We’re just beginning.”

The spa is open from 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Ekstrom said one- and two-year contracts are available, as well as month-to-month plans.

“The camaraderie is a huge thing here,” Ekstrom said. “It’s nice to be back here.”

SPA HOURS
A New Day Fitness Spa is open from 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Ekstrom said one- and two-year contracts are available, as well as month-to-month plans.

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Closed San Mateo spa gets new owners

The owners of a beauty supply store are taking over the space previously occupied by an spa that closed in October.

Mostafa Karim and his wife, Monir Zarrin, have leased the two-level Third Avenue facility that was home to the Sandra Caron European Spa until its closure. The couple, who own the California Beauty Center, decided to take over the space after losing their lease on Fourth Avenue at the end of December.

They plan to start selling beauty products by the middle of next week and hope to offer spa services before Valentine’s Day, Karim said. Those services will include massages, facials, waxings, mud and foil wraps, as well as access to a steam room and sauna.

Karim and Zarrin took over all of the equipment and merchandise left at the spa, including massage tables, washers and dryers, facial creams and an assortment of dancing gnomes and Betty Boop dolls.
Sandra Caron closed its doors after failing to make its October rent, and employees say they weren’t paid or given notice.

The state Department of Industrial Relations said last month that two former employees filed claims against the spa for unpaid wages. One is for three months’ work valued at $6,000, and another is for $270, the department said. Former clients have also complained to the San Mateo Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown San Mateo Association about unredeemed gift certificates.

Karim said he plans to offer former Sandra Caron customers gift
 certificates and significant discounts on spa treatments. He will probably give those who don’t want services some of the closed spa’s merchandise.

“We know that people are kind of pissed off,” Karim said. “They took money — it wasn’t so pleasant. We’re trying to bring a different image.”
Karim noted that his relatives were members of a massage membership program at Sandra Caron and lost $700 when the spa closed.

Six women filed lawsuits last month accusing a masseur who worked at the Sandra Caron spa of inappropriate touching during massages. The spa settled a previous civil lawsuit, in which the plaintiff accused masseur Kevin Bradshaw of touching her breasts and pubic region without consent during a May 2007 massage, for $500,000.
Bradshaw was sentenced to one year in San Mateo County jail for that crime and for inappropriately touching a second woman at Massage Envy in San Mateo.

Karim said he will take the time to review candidates’ applications carefully before making hiring decisions to avoid similar problems. “We are going to screen them,” he said.
“That’s why we don’t want to rush things to open. We have an obligation to the landlord and the public, so we want to do it right.”

California Day Spa, California Spa, Spa Closing, Spa Openings

Out of Buisness

This article is broght to you by Spavelous http://www.spavelous.com

KEIZER, Ore. – The sudden closure of a salon in Keizer left customers with useless gift cards and workers without their final paychecks Saturday, employees said.

Radiance Salon and Spa closed unexpectedly last week. Customer Sandy Ellis said she was shocked when she found the sign on the front door.

She had received a gift certificate to the salon as a Christmas present and had recently purchased another gift card for a friend. With the doors closed Saturday and the salon half-empty, she said she’s out $95.

“You don’t treat customers like that. I know times are tough or whatever, times are tough with me too,” Ellis said. “Like I said, this was a splurge and you need to do the right thing and pay everybody back.”

Employees were equally upset Saturday. They said they still haven’t received their paychecks that they were scheduled to receive Friday and many were left jobless.

“We’ve called several times and we’ve been told we were harassing her and that she was going to sell her client information and we’re not getting paid,” said Sarah Hiebert.

According to state business documents, salon shop owner Cathryn Thiessen has shut down businesses before. She failed to renew her licenses at West Salem Florist and Divine Floral Design. Document also showed she’s associated with Great Start Food Stores, which FOX 12 found to be empty and closed.

Thiessen’s house was also empty Saturday. Employees said it had fallen into foreclosure.

“I’m sorry with whatever is going on in her life, but it’s not OK to treat over 10 people this way,” said Alia Martin, a former employee. “No matter what the situation is, that’s not OK.”

As for customers, Ellis said Thiessen should have never sold the gift cards knowing that she would be closing up shop in just a few days.

“If she’s some type of human, she would have some type of remorse and to make it better with the people, she will pay people back,” Ellis said.

Thiessen couldn’t be reached for comment Saturday night, but she posted a message to customers and employees Sunday on the Radiance Salon and Spa Web site:

I understand that my staff and some of my former guests are extremely unhappy about the closure, but I truly gave it everything I had to keep it open, offering it to a couple of my employees at a very inexpensive and extremely reasonable price, but they did not want to “risk” it. But that is what a business owner does, they generally risk everything, including their homes, their employees do not. I invested everything I had into keeping Radiance open throughout this economic downturn, and lost everything, I will truly miss my salon.

 

To read the full message, visit www.radiancesalonspa.com.

 

Sudden Salon Closure Renders Gift Cards Useless

In today’s economy, Spavelous would like to remind everyone of the warnings we put out prior to the holiday season.  DO NOT PURCHASE A SPA GIFT CERTIFICATE FOR AN INDIVIDUAL SPA!  ONLY PURCHASE SPA GIFT CARDS THAT ARE BACKED BY VISA!  This way if a spa closes, you may use your gift card at any spa location that accepts VISA. This spa was open for 5 years, so the lenght of time in business does not indicate the future of the spa.  As we come up to Valentine’s Day, and Mother’s Day, please know that a spa gift card is a wonderful gift, but we recommend only VISA backed spas gift cards like The Spavelous Gift Card.  Read more about Why you should only purchase a Spavelous Gift Card.   

Spa Gift Card Questions

Spa Gift Card Laws

 

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