A skincare retailer in Southern California has shuttered one of its locations after customers accused it of employing aggressive sales strategies that coerced them into spending large sums on beauty products.
The Bee & Co. shop situated in the Westfield Topanga mall in Canoga Park has been vacated, with its storefront now obscured. A lockbox was affixed to the entrance on September 24, leaving only a faint impression of the business’s name visible.
This closure follows extensive investigations by CBS California Investigates that reported claims of Bee & Co. staff exploiting vulnerable customers by pressuring them to buy costly skincare items and devices.
Victor Chisholm and Gabe Cota, both of whom have intellectual disabilities, shared their experiences with CBS California Investigates. They recounted being approached in the Westfield Topanga mall by a woman who offered them samples and flattery before persuading them to enter the store.
According to the men, an employee subsequently took them to a private room for a skin treatment and pressured them to purchase various creams and devices, resulting in combined purchases exceeding $60,000.
“At one point, [the salesperson] insisted that she wouldn’t accept no for an answer,” Cota stated.
Chisholm expressed confusion about the total costs of the products, stating, “I didn’t realize it would actually be that much,” and emphasized that he never intended to spend over $50,000. He also noted that the store’s staff did not allow him to leave until he consented to buy the items.
For several months, CBS California Investigates has been documenting instances of Bee & Co. employees approaching potential customers in various Southern California malls, offering samples and encouraging them to enter the stores.
Bee & Co.’s parent organization, Mazal Group, is headquartered in Chatsworth and is connected to other retail outlets operating under different names across malls in Southern California and beyond, including Introstem, Rachel’s Best Soaps, and The Soap Tree.
The troubling allegations have caught the attention of Congressman Brad Sherman, a Democrat representing Sherman Oaks, whose 32nd Congressional district encompasses the Westfield Topanga mall. “This behavior is unacceptable in our malls,” Sherman remarked.
When asked if state officials or law enforcement should investigate the claims, Sherman indicated that he intended to raise the issue with California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
According to CBS California Investigates, the Los Angeles Police Department is currently looking into the interactions between Chisholm and the employees of Bee & Co.
It remains unclear whether Westfield officially removed Bee & Co. from the mall. In response to inquiries from CBS California Investigates regarding the store’s apparent closure, the company stated that it is “actively addressing this matter.”
Employees from nearby stores reported to CBS California Investigates that Bee & Co. staff suddenly covered the windows and vacated the location last week.
Chisholm’s attorney, Fred Voigtmann, asserted that the closure of the Westfield Topanga store will not halt his pursuit of further legal claims. “Given the number of individuals who have reached out to me, this is an issue we will continue to follow,” Voigtmann stated.
He mentioned that he has spoken to numerous others who have recounted similar experiences, noting, “There’s a lot of shame, and nearly every person I’ve talked to broke down crying on the phone about what happened to them.” Voigtmann has characterized the allegations as more severe than typical buyer’s remorse, labeling the conduct as “fraud” and asserting that individuals were taken advantage of.
In contrast, an attorney representing Bee & Co. has disputed this portrayal. Following an interview with Voigtmann, Bee & Co.’s attorney, Neville Johnson, sent a letter criticizing CBS California Investigates’ reporting as “one-sided and misleading,” claiming it omitted details about Chisholm’s purchases at other stores in the mall and suggesting that he is “prone to making large purchases at multiple stores.” The letter also alleged that Chisholm had “sexually harassed” employees at Bee & Co.
Voigtmann countered the harassment allegation in his own correspondence, calling it “baseless” and framing the company’s claims as an effort to divert attention from what he described as “despicable and potentially criminal behavior” by Bee & Co. and its staff.
Chisholm also mentioned that he was pressured into sending over $10,000 in tips via Cash App and Zelle, in addition to his product purchases. Bee & Co.’s attorney attributed these transactions to a “rogue employee” who was not authorized to accept independent payments and is no longer with the company. However, Chisholm’s receipts indicate that he also sent money to the store’s manager.
