MEDIA RELEASE
FOR MEDIA RELEASE
Wednesday 26 June, 2014
Campbell Live Investigates Mall Scam
Tonight Campbell Live investigates the predatory sales tactics employed by staff at the Dead Sea Spa at Auckland’s Lynnmall shopping centre.
Over two weekends, an 82-year-old woman was bullied into buying $5,000 worth of cosmetics, mostly wrinkle-cream and for
a range of different skin types.
On the first occasion, Dead Sea Spa staff kept the woman at the booth after the mall had closed, making three separate
sales totalling more than $3,000, taking partial EFTPOS payments, and then accompanying her to ATM machines around the
mall to pay the balance in cash.
On the second occasion, the elderly woman was sold more cosmetics in two separate $999 sales. The sales emptied her bank
account.
Tonight, her son tells Campbell Live of his concerns not just for his mother but other vulnerable Dead Sea Spa customers.
“Five thousand dollars for products that she doesn’t want and doesn’t use. They’re completely unopened. There’s one item
there for a mask $599.99 which seems an awful amount of money for a mask and then on another receipt it seems to be the
same item for $400. It looks like they’re just making up the prices as they go depending on how much they think they can
get away with charging somebody.”
- ends -
Campbell Live, 7pm tonight on TV3.