Franny Soctomah and her granddaughter were excited to go through their first ever fat freezing experience.
She said she spotted the service that was advertised on Groupon and signed up, but was later disappointed.
“It’s been most upsetting,” said Franny Soctomah.
Soctomah claimed she didn’t get the service.
Last July, Soctomah said she paid $576 for herself and her granddaughter to get two fat freezing sessions.
“The machine kept shutting off. So, she kept coming back in putting it back on. She couldn’t understand it,” said Soctomah.
According to Soctomah, the owner told her it was a brand new machine and that they needed to reschedule their appointments.
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“My granddaughter had taken that day off because we had heard sometimes you can have a little discomfort,” said Soctomah.
Soctomah said the owner threw in a third session for free and they scheduled their second appointment.
“No one showed up. I was sitting and sitting,” said Soctomah.
Soctomah explained that she waited for an hour and then called the owner. But told us she had to reschedule the appointment for a third time. Again, Soctomah stressed that no one showed up or called to cancel.
“No one and I called the owner on several occasions,” she said.
By now, it was September and Soctomah insisted she couldn’t reach the owner.
“I thought, uh, oh, we’ve been burned for that kind of money. It was almost $600,” said Soctomah.
She wanted her money back and reached out to NBC Connecticut Responds to intervene.
We went to the Farmington business to speak with TCS Beauty Bar’s owner. The property manager of Bridge Healing Arts Center told us they have not heard from the business since last July and said:
“We have terminated her as a tenant as of last September due to neglect and not being able to follow the high-quality standards the Bridge Healing Arts Center has in place for our practitioners and renters,” said Nadine Baez.
When we contacted Groupon, a spokesperson told Responds: “This customer has never contacted us to ask for a refund, but we've gone ahead and issued one. Also, we have no future plans to allow this business to advertise their services through our marketing platform.”
As for Franny Soctomah, she said she’ll do her research the next time before signing up for a coupon. And is very satisfied to get a $576 credit back into her account.
“I’m thrilled now. Yes, I am. So, I’m very happy,” said Soctomah.
Groupon makes it clear on its website that the company will work with the customer and the merchant to make a situation right.
The Department of Consumer Protection says if you’re purchasing a coupon, you should check the terms and conditions, and read reviews before you make a decision on any type of service.
