{"id":698963,"date":"2026-05-28T08:35:20","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T08:35:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/698963\/"},"modified":"2026-05-28T08:35:20","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T08:35:20","slug":"london-senior-says-mall-skincare-sales-pitch-led-to-10k-in-repayments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/698963\/","title":{"rendered":"London senior says mall skincare sales pitch led to $10K in repayments"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Peggy Curnoe went to White Oaks Mall in London, Ont., to fix her iPad, she expected an ordinary afternoon errand.<\/p>\n

Instead, the 76-year-old left with bags of skincare products, a red-and-blue light wand and, she later learned, a financing agreement connected to a $6,300 skincare package that could total more than $10,000 with interest.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was overwhelmed. I was anxious. I was upset,\u201d Curnoe said. \u201cI just couldn’t believe that I fell for this.\u201d<\/p>\n

What began with an offer of hand cream outside the skincare store Royal Bee has since led to disputed loan documents, complaints to the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and a report filed with London police. <\/p>\n

Curnoe alleges staff at Royal Bee used high-pressure sales tactics and moved her through financing documents she did not fully understand.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery clue that I gave them \u2014 that I was maybe not feeling that great about myself, and my years-long concerns about my skin \u2014 they used that to manipulate me,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

CBC News contacted Royal Bee multiple times by email, but did not receive a response before publication.<\/p>\n

Her experience is raising broader questions about consumer protections, third-party financing agreements and the sales tactics some shoppers say they encounter inside mall beauty stores. <\/p>\n

The approach<\/p>\n

Curnoe says the interaction began in January when a salesperson approached her outside Royal Bee and offered her hand cream samples.<\/p>\n

\"TheRoyal Bee operates a skincare and beauty store inside White Oaks Mall in London, Ont., where Curnoe says staff approached her with free skincare samples. (Josiane N\u2019tchoreret-Mbiamany\/CBC)<\/p>\n

She says she was then invited into the store, where staff examined her skin under a cosmetic light and pointed out acne scars and sun damage.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’m 76 now, I’ve been fighting acne for a long time,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Curnoe said the employees told her they could help improve her skin through creams, facials and a special seniors skincare program.<\/p>\n

As staff filled shopping bags with products they described as \u201cfree,\u201d Curnoe says she became increasingly unsure about what she was actually agreeing to purchase.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll these creams, they were packing them in this big bag, and I didn’t know what was going in the bag,\u201d she said. \u201cThey told me, \u2018This is free, you need this, and you need that.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\"SeveralPeggy Curnoe says she left Royal Bee with multiple skincare products and beauty devices staff described as \u201cfree\u201d as part of a skincare package. (Josiane N\u2019tchoreret-Mbiamany\/CBC)<\/p>\n

Curnoe alleges staff rushed her through paperwork without clearly explaining she was signing a third-party financing agreement or disclosing the total repayment costs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt rushed, and I’ve never really signed things without reading them thoroughly,\u201d Curnoe said.<\/p>\n

White Oaks Mall says it takes customer concerns seriously and encourages communication between shoppers and tenants. <\/p>\n

\u201cAlthough our individual tenants operate independently, we strive to maintain an active role whenever customer concerns are brought forward,\u201d general manager Tarik Kasem said in a statement to CBC News. \u201cWe encourage open dialogue and work collaboratively to find a fair resolution.\u201d <\/p>\n

The fine print<\/p>\n

Weeks later, Curnoe says she learned she had missed a payment tied to the financing agreement.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just couldn’t believe the amount of money involved,\u201d she said. \u201cI thought, \u2018Why am I paying something every month if all this stuff was supposed to be free?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Jennifer Matthews, CEO of the BBB of Southwestern Ontario, says consumers should be cautious when businesses pressure them to make immediate financial decisions, particularly when financing agreements are involved.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know that sometimes that one-time sale, or that special, can feel like a high-pressure sales tactic,\u201d Matthews said. \u201cDon’t feel obligated to sign that contract right away, especially if it’s for a high dollar value.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AJennifer Matthews, CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Southwestern Ontario, says consumers should take time to review financing agreements before signing contracts. (Josiane N\u2019tchoreret-Mbiamany\/CBC)<\/p>\n

Matthews said consumers should carefully review contracts before signing and avoid making decisions under pressure.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you’re looking at signing a contract, it’s not a bad idea to take it with you and read it over,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

The BBB also recommends consumers research businesses, review complaint histories and read customer feedback before agreeing to large purchases or financing arrangements. <\/p>\n

According to the BBB, Royal Bee is not accredited with the organization and has received 13 complaints through its business profile. <\/p>\n

\"ARoyal Bee currently holds a B rating from the Better Business Bureau. BBB ratings are based on factors including complaint history, transparency and responsiveness to consumers, but do not include customer reviews. (Better Business Bureau)<\/p>\n

The BBB says accreditation is voluntary, and businesses can operate without it. Ratings are based on factors including complaint history, transparency and responsiveness to consumers. <\/p>\n

Curnoe says the experience changed the way she views mall storefront businesses and financing offers. <\/p>\n

\u201cI would like them to practice business more fairly, more legally and more transparently, so that when you come away, you know just what you’ve signed on for,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

Months later, while still trying to resolve the financing issue, Curnoe says she hopes that sharing her experience will encourage others to slow down before signing agreements or making expensive purchases under pressure. <\/p>\n

\u201cI just want people to be very vigilant,\u201d she said. \u201cBut when you’re feeling overwhelmed and trapped, it’s hard.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When Peggy Curnoe went to White Oaks Mall in London, Ont., to fix her iPad, she expected an…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":698964,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[45,49,48],"class_list":["post-698963","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-business","tag-ca","tag-canada"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/698963","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=698963"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/698963\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/698964"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=698963"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=698963"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=698963"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}