A beauty treatment company with a salon in Nottingham has been accused of taking customers' money without providing treatments. The Derby SkinHQ salon, which offers customers laser hair removal and skin treatments, has been badly vandalised and is currently closed.
The company has recently been inundated with negative reviews, with some people alleging a number of its 17 UK branches, including Derby, Stratford and Leeds, have taken customers' money but not delivered the service paid for. On its website, the company says its Nottingham HQ, in the Ropewalk in the city centre, is "temporarily closed". However, SkinHQ's chief executive officer Haroon Danis says the Derby branch is temporarily closed and customers can claim a refund by contacting the business directly, Derbyshire Live reports.
One person, who is from Derby and wants to remain anonymous, claims to have spent £600 on a course of laser hair removal but said when she turned up for her third session the salon was closed. They said: "Subsequently, I have reported the company to Trading Standards but the website is still live and more people could fall victim."
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Online reviews of the company made over the past few weeks relate similar experiences, although SkinHQ has a 74% excellent rating on Trustpilot. One anonymous review on Trustpilot alleged: "I paid for 12 sessions of full body and face laser treatment, I had two sessions in Nottingham before the clinic shut down and I was moved to Derby. My appointment was cancelled the morning of it and I have been trying ever since to get in contact with someone to rearrange. I just want my money back."
Derby-based customer Maryam wrote: "I booked a consultation with them at the Derby clinic and turned just to find the clinic closed. I tried to call and no one picked up WhatsApp messages don't go through. I then messaged on Instagram and they apologised and said that one of the staff members had car troubles and the other called in sick. They booked me in for another appointment and offered a free facial.
"I then turned up to my second appointment just to find the shop closed again and the glass smashed! Again no answer on their phone numbers. There was another lady there who was also there for her appointment, she had driven from Nottingham because they told her that the Nottingham clinic is closed.
"The poor lady had paid for all her treatment in advance and still had six or seven sessions more to go. Thankfully I had only booked my consultation and hadn't paid for it yet but please BEWARE!!"
Another anonymous reviewer wrote: "If there was a 0 star or negative star option I would give that to this company. I paid in full for 12 full body hair removal laser treatment. I had first 3 sessions on time and then they started cancelling appointments - first saying one of them has Covid and subsequent ones not even any email to inform that the appointment is cancelled or the clinic has been closed.
"This happened 5 times in the last 7 months. And when I emailed the manager for a refund he said I need to have medical reason to claim a refund."
MB wrote on Trustpilot: "I am having the same issue as everyone here. Purchased a 12 session laser pack in December, appointments cancelled twice and told to contact refunds or complaints after the last cancellation. No reply to emails/calls/voice messages."
This problem is not exclusive to the East Midlands clinics. One lady who had been booked in at Leeds clinic claimed that she had paid £360 upfront for a course of hydro facials, was due to go to her fourth appointment before receiving a call saying that the staff were no longer working there.
Another customer left a review of the Manchester clinic which claimed when she turned up to her appointment the building was locked and had "a landlord notice saying that the locks had been changed". However, a comment left by the SkinHQ Instagram admin on a post on its social media states: "We are hoping for our Manchester clinic to be back open from April 9."
SkinHQ's Instagram is inundated with negative comments demanding refunds. The majority of comments are similar, which is that the customer is redirected to contact SkinHQ for help but then no response is received.
SkinHQ chief executive officer and founder Haroon Danis said: "The Derby clinic was recently vandalised and has been closed whilst we try and rectify the damage. There has been a targeted chain of robberies within clinics which the police are investigating.
"We have been trying to contact the clients who have been affected by this and offer them to take up the services in the closest open clinic and if not possible then to issue a refund. Due to the high number of calls we have not been able to speak to every client and there has been a delay in communication. We are working to try and get each and every client contacted.
"We recommend that any client who would like a refund to contact via email to refunds@skinhq.co.uk and we will get back to them as a matter of urgency. We understand that this is causing undue worry for clients that have booked for treatment but we want to reassure our clients we are doing our best to rectify this situation during this difficult time."
Derbyshire Live also asked Mr Danis about the complaints about other clinics but he is yet to reply.
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