Customers out money after laser hair center chain closes down

BOSTON — Local customers said they're out hundreds, some thousands of dollars, after a chain of laser care centers suddenly shut down.

"It feels like a scam to me. It's feels like I’m being taken advantage of," said Courtney Balacco.

Balacco still has the receipt of her original laser hair removal package purchase. In August 2014, she paid $3,100 for treatments at Premier Laser.   It came with a two year guarantee, but Premier Laser filed Chapter 11 and shutdown in Massachusetts in January.

Balacco's frustrations don't end there. She said the chain referred customers to Care Laser for services, but then it also mysteriously closed its doors in June.

"I’ve been trying to get attention to this only because I don't want this to continue to happen to other people,” said Balacco.

Customers say the way they discovered the Care Laser’s locations were closed was by showing up and finding signs that would say, "Sorry, closed until further notice."

At Care Laser's Boston location, FOX25’s Kerry Kavanaugh found a sign with a phone number that provided a recorded message saying Care Laser was liquidating and that customer and employees would be contacted within seven days.

The owner of Premier Laser, Mike Linehan, told FOX25 via text message that after filing chapter 11, he sold his Massachusetts locations to Care Laser, which he says is based in Israel.

"Care Laser is responsible for all outstanding treatments from our operation. I have reached out to the Care Laser owners to see how they are going to handle their clients and they have not responded to me,” he said.

Kavanaugh also contacted the owner of Care Laser, but hasn't heard back.

Balacco created a Facebook page and found other customers out thousands in pre-paid services.

"It seems to me that this company can use the bankruptcy court to protect their financial interests and their business. Yet, hundreds of people are not protected,” said Balacco.

According to the Massachusetts Attorney General, 11 consumers have filed complaints against Premier Laser since January. Since March, there have been 132 complaints against Care Laser.

FOX25 checked the Better Business Bureau's website and found dozens of complaints against Care Laser just within the last month. The BBB closed all the complaints, citing they could not locate the company.

The Attorney General’s office says it's the policy of our office to neither confirm nor deny investigations.

Balacco set up an email for customers to contact her,

Cox Media Group