Out-Of-Business Skincare Company Accused Of Ripping Off Customers

In August Lindsay Cullom paid months in advance for laser skin removal before her May wedding day and Tahiti honeymoon, but when she called for an appointment this month she just got a busy signal.

On the door of the American Laser Skincare clinic on State Street in Santa Barbara she found a closed sign posted before Thanksgiving. It said they were sorry they were closed and that they would try to help clients find treatments elsewhere. Numbers listed to call have not been answered.

Cullom feels cheated out of more than $1,600 cash and the bikini treatment and other hair removal she planned before her big day.

Her fiance said the money could have been used as a down payment on their wedding venue.

Cullom’s stepmother is out several hundred dollars, too.

There are more than 130 American Laser Skincare centers that have closed in 25 states.

The Better Business Bureau warns people of paying upfront for services.

Cullom, who was laid off recently, said she learned a financial lesson.