Tourists Claim: Ripped Off by Duval Street Cosmetic Shop
Complaints Lodged Against Duval Street Cosmetics Shop
Two Key West visitors have lodged complaints against Francesca, a cosmetics shop at 119 Duval Street, Key West. The two reported being “ripped off” with deceptive sales pitches and then being taken advantage of during a visit to Key West April 26, 2016.
Judy Nye, 70, of South Bend Indiana and Barbara Kabzinski, 79, of Spring Hills Florida, filed complaints with the Key West City Code Office and the Key West Police Department. The State Attorney’s office has also been notified and asked to investigate.
Both women claim store employees applied cosmetics before disclosing the products prices in violation of city code.
Judy Nye claims the company charged her credit card for two purchases totaling $958.90, then failed to send her the products as promised. Her friend Barbara Kabzinski claims she was unable to return unused products totaling $270.90 under the store’s stated return policy and that the store failed to return her phone calls and disconnected their telephone line.
Both women want full refunds and are asking for charges to be brought against the business.
The store is at the same location of two previous cosmetics stores that were sited for city code violations.
The Key West Rip Off Rapid Response Team has been notified and is investigating.
“We are very familiar with this location and we doubt this is a coincidence,” said spokesman Bruce Mitchell. “We see a pattern with these cosmetic shops and this case appears to be deja vu all over again.”
Tevis Weirnicoff, also with The Rip Off Rapid Response Team said, ”Key West can`t afford to see visitors, especially seniors get ripped off over and over again.”
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Key West must codify no-tolerance ordinances against these thieves, ones that will shut them down and put out of business at the first instance of proven illegal behavior. Licenses must be cancelled immediately upon a legitimate complaint being filed against the business. Let them sue to get it back and, unleash the strongest, nastiest lawyers we can find to defend against their suits if they dare to bring them. These shops are the spawn of the t-shirt shops and of the criminal enterprises that ensued from them.
I congratulate the Key West Rip Off Rapid Response Team for doing what they can to bring shame on the guilty parties, but it’s been at least two years since this particular scam showed up in Key West and it continues every day. It goes on around the country, especially in resort areas, and no doubt in other countries too.
My wife almost fell prey to the very same shop on Duval Street a couple of years ago, but we’ve discussed scammers many times and she knows well enough how to get out of their evil clutches. Even though they did manage to get some make up on her, they didn’t get a dime.
Empower Code Compliance and give them the tools they need to put a stop to it.
Scammers suck.