MINNEAPOLIS -- Customers looking for that extra glow aren't giving iBeach Tan a glowing review.
"It's frustrating," says member Matt Curtis. "I feel like I'm paying for a service that I'm not getting."
On Monday, the iBeach Tan location in Uptown unexpectedly closed its doors leaving those who pre-paid for a month of tanning out in the cold. A sign on the door instructed members that a nearby tanning salon would honor current memberships, but that business was not aware of any such agreement.
"Nothing was communicated to us so I was shocked when I showed up and saw the note," says Sarah Chuppe. "I know they still have my credit card information which is pretty unnerving."
The doors at iBeach Tan headquarters in Brooklyn Park were closed Friday, but KARE 11 did reach out to a woman in the corporate office. By phone, she said, "We value our customers and will stop billing them."
According to her, the iBeach location in Uptown is being replaced by another tenant, but she did provide an email address for anyone with billing questions or issues. That address is: uptownmn@franchise.ibeachtan.com.
Meanwhile, the Better Business Bureau reminds the public to always think twice before pre-paying and signing long term contracts.
"A business can succeed or it can fail and what looks good one year could have serious troubles the next," says Dan Henderson with the BBB. "Sometimes customers are left in a gray area and it takes some time to sort it out."
If you're locked into a contract when a business closes its doors, Henderson recommends to be persistent in receiving money back, dispute the charges with your credit company within 60 days, and if nothing changes file a complaint with the BBB or the Attorney General's Office.
(Copyright 2012 by KARE. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)