A Durango couple is suing an Aspen boutique, saying they were possibly drugged and forced into buying skin care products that they were told cost $700 but had cost more than $20,000.
The couple’s lawsuit marks the fifth civil action since April against two downtown Aspen retailers owned by the same company for allegedly using strong-armed tactics, overcharging customers and possibly drugging patrons.
The Durango couple, Dean and Kim Reeves, did not return phone calls seeking comment. Their Aspen-based law firm, Garfield & Hecht, P.C., also did not return calls and emails seeking comment.
The lawsuit filed Dec. 19 in Pitkin County alleges that on July 13, the Reeves were visiting Aspen and walked into Aspen Kristal Cosmetics, now known as Aspen Beauty Boutique, located at 525 East Cooper, Suite 102.
The company that runs the boutique, Aspen Retail Management, could not be reached for comment. The company also runs Lux Skin Spa on Hyman Avenue.
Once the couple entered the store, they felt “strong-armed into the corner” where an employee named Julian loomed over them and gave them a glass of champagne, according to the lawsuit.
After drinking the champagne, the Reeves said they “felt very confused and out of sorts.” Later, the couple felt that they were “not acting like themselves and they did not know what was going on.”
The lawsuit says the couple believes they “may have been drugged” by the champagne.
While this was going on, store employees began applying creams to the Reeves’s skin for a demonstration. But because the couple was so out of it, and the employees were so aggressive, they could not refuse, the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit then says the couple was “verbally forced” into filling out shipping information, which they agreed to do, “in order to escape the store and the high pressure sales tactics employed.”
The Reeves were told their purchase would amount to about $700.
But the next day, the couple found a receipt showing a total amount of $19,127 tucked into a tiny black envelope inside the bag of products.
Then, they found a charge to their personal credit card for an additional $2,732. The lawsuit says there was no receipt for the charge because an employee ripped it up and said it had been voided.
All told, the Reeves were charged $21,860.
The couple’s lawsuit says the boutique violated the Colorado Consumer Protection Act, as well as other consumer protections. It also lists numerous reports to the Aspen Police Department against the company over the years.
On the same day the Reeves’ lawsuit was filed, another lawsuit was filed that says a Las Cruces, New Mexico, woman entered Lux Skin Spa and was also given a glass of champagne and deceived into buying $26,250 worth of products.
The Aspen Times reported that these lawsuits are two of five civil allegations filed against the company within the last year. Each lawsuit has reoccurring themes of pushy sales tactics, deceptive overcharging of customers and possible drugging.
One lawsuit alleged that a Snowmass Village woman thought she was suckered into purchasing $3,000 worth of skin cream from Aspen Kristal Cosmetics. She called her credit card company and found out she was charged $10,110.
Another says that a Fort Worth, Texas, woman spent $11,341 on skin cream and after suffering severe irritation, tried to return the product. The company refused to accept the return, citing its return policy.
The other lawsuit involved a retired Snowmass Village attorney who was told the company’s skin cream was safe for people undergoing treatment for skin cancer.
The attorney, who was undergoing treatment, learned from her doctor the product was not safe and tried to return it. But the company rejected the return and refused to refund the $10,483 charge.
The Aspen Times reported these three lawsuits were settled out of court.
jromeo@durangoherald.com
Aspen Beauty Boutique suit (PDF)
