Complaint Review: Oro-Gold Cosmetics - Paramus New Jersey

I was a victim of consumer fraud at the newly opened Orogold store in the Paramus mall at the Gardenstate Plaza mall. Although I have now disputed the charges with my credit card, I want the warning to go out there to all consumers in New Jersey and all around the country to avoid this compamy at all costs! They are a bunch of slick con artists who have absolutely no regard for doing business in a legal or ethical way. Last week., I was at the mall buying something I had planned on getting for my upcoming birthday and I was in a relaxed and unguarded mood when I was approached by this man with an accent. He spoke to me as if he was my friend which I did not buy into but my defenses were down and I agreed to let him apply eye serum to my one eye. He went into his whole schpiel and even though I kept saying no, he kept saying how the product was not that expensive considering it would last for 2 years. I hesitated and he then asked me if I was a nurse.I said no and he looked at me knowingly and said, “Answer me again. Are you a nurse?” I said no again and he shook his head and said, “Come on. Are you a nurse?” So I kind of laughed and said yes because obviously he wanted me to play along. Then the product was 1/2 priced. So I agree to give it a try, thinking that I had gotten a decent price even though it was still kind of pricey. Then he was continuing to chat me up and saying I should come into their newly opened store so he could give me some more samples. So I reluctantly followed him into the store. There he had me sit and he examined my face very closely. He offered me first some water and then shook his head and suggested champagne since it was my birthday month. I laughed nervously and shrugged. He then gave me another schpiel how he was going to apply treatment to half of my face so I could see how well their other products work. I protested that I defintely could not spend any more money that day. He shushed me and started applying treatment to the right side of my face. At tis point, I was a little worried because I had an appointment in an hour and I wanted to get a bite to eat before I went. But he had already applied things to my face and had put a glass of champagne in my hand. Then he whisked me to the back, saying it was free there now and I could lay on the table and relax for a few minutes while the mask on my face did its magic. He then talked of Denise Richards who endorses them and said Dr. Oz recommends their products. All the while still talking to me as if I was a long time friend. When he took the treatment off my face, he gave me a mirror and was positively glowing about how incredibly better the right side of my face looked than the left! My head was a little light from the champagne since I had not yet had lunch and I agreed with him because it did look better. Then he told me the price of the package he put on me and my jaw dropped. No, I can’t! He protested, did I not like the product. I said I liked it just fine but I had to go and I couldn’t afford to spend that kind of money. He was then going, “What would you rate it?” I said, “Maybe an 8″ because at that moment I was impressed. He insisted hat he really wanted me to use their product so he would bring down the price and he proceeded to cut the price in half. It was still too steep and I said no. Then he whispered in my ear, “I’m not supposed to do this but I really like you and I want you to use our product because I know you will have good results and you will tell all your friends. But please do not tell anyone you got it for this price.” He then took a card and scanned it thru the machine and claimed it was his employee card for an employee discount. The price was now about 1/3. He then said he would minus the price I had already paid for the eye treatments I had already purchased. It was still too much money. but I was late and now I was a little torn. I thought to myself, “Maybe I’ll take it home and think about it. I could always return it.” Those were the thoughts in my head so I agreed and he took my card. My heart was thumping because I had just spent $1000 on skin products. Yes, maybe it was for 1 year or more but still, it was alot of money. Already I was starting to feel some buyers remorse but I was in a rush and after posing for a picture with them, feeling like I was in shock, I left.

When I got home later after my acupuncture appointment, I took out my purchase. Then I examined the receipt. I saw that it said “No Returns. Exchange in 14 days”. My heart dropped. He had never mentioned this no return policy to me once! Feeling depressed, I went online and googled Orogold. Behold the first suggested search was “Orogold scam!” My heart dropped more. I searched for a review and the first onethat popped up was, “Beward of Orogold”. And I kept seeing post after post of complaints about Orogold from all around the globe from the US to Canada to England to Sweden to the Philipines. Feeling depressed with being stuck with unaffordable skin care products I decided to open the treatment ad treat the other half of my face to see if I could see a dramatic change like they showed in the store. Guess what? There was no dramatic change and then it occured to me. They had tricked me. Everyone had one side of the face that is better than the other. The left side sees more sun if you drive so the right side is the better, less sun damaged side and thus has fewer blemishes or fine lines. The skin also looks brighter on that side. I was busy with other things too and I tried to go about my day while I also stressed about how I was going to pay off $1000 without my husband notcing since I did not want to upset him with the stupid mistake I had made.

But after pondering all the hundreds of stories and complaints from all over the globe about Oro-gold, I thought to myself that this could not possibly be legal! So I looked up NJ cnsumer protection laws and sure enough I found that I had been a clear victim of consumer fraud since they had misrepresented their prices, deceived me about the product and concealed the material fact that the products were non-refundable. I was in the right and they were in the wrong. I called my credit card company and they suggested I go back to them and give them a chance to make it right. So I did along with my friend who came for moral support. The moment they saw that I was upset with them they started acting like they were the victims and did not understand why I was so angry. I informed them that they had broken consumer laws and that I wanted to speak with their manager. The told me that was not possible because he was out of town. How convenient! They then kicked my girlfriend out of the store because she was trying to video the proceedings. THey then tried to reason with me but I stood my ground and threatened legal action. THey then threatened to call security. I am a petite Asian woman. Maybe they thought they could intimidate me since my friend was no longer in the store. I said, “Go ahead. You’re the ones who brok the law.” At which point, a customer slipped out of the store. They then changed their tack and said that they really wished to help me but could not do so themselves. I needed to call an 877 number, a number I had called the day befrore and gotten an automated message telling me to leave my name and number and that I would get a callback which never came! They promised me that this time the call would come.So I called and left a message demanding my money back in their presence.

I then left the store, upset and shaking but I had held myself together because there was no way I was going to cry in front of them. I walked away a bit with my girlfriend who was trying to calm me down and we called my credit card company to dispute the charge. This is when I burst into tears. I have never felt so victimized in my life. How do people just blatantly flaunt the law and then when faced with the consequences, behave the way they do. The credit card company informed me that since I had already given the merchant a chance that they would fight for me. I told them that these people must not get my money because they are a bunch of crooks. After I had calmed down, I also reported this incident to mall management. Mall Management was sympathetic but confessed they could not do much more than have mall security keep an eye on them. Why would they toleate a tenant that is committing consumer fraud? This is a lawsuit waiting to happen.

I plan to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and report them to the Division of Consumer Affairs in NJ. I also plan to post anywhere and everywhere I can on the internet about what a shady bunch of scam artists they are. I feel foolish to have been conned this way. I will never again speak to anyone who tries approach me with any kinds of products in the mall. I hope you can do a story on this because this store should not be allowed to profit, scamming their customers/victims. What they are doing is wrong and illegal and consumers need to be warned about them.