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Gabe Cota, who has a learning disability, said he spent more than $3,000 at Bee & Co. The company recently settled a class-action lawsuit brought by more than 100 customers who alleged unfair and deceptive practices at the company’s skincare stores in Hawaii. The customers alleged nearly $1 million in losses. In 2024, a Mazal-affiliated store called Lionesse at Westfield Fashion Square in Sherman Oaks settled a lawsuit with a woman in her 70s who accused the business of elder abuse and deceptive sales practices.
Customers with disabilities and older adults said that they were allegedly pressured into spending thousands of dollars at Bee & Co.’s mall-based skincare stores across the Southland, according to CBS California. Brad Sherman, whose congressional district includes the Westfield Topanga mall in Canoga Park, said he plans to bring the allegations involving Bee & Co. to the attention of California Attorney General Rob Bonta. “This is not what should be going on in our malls,” Sherman said. Two women, both now in their 80s, also told the station they were pressured into buying expensive skincare products at Mazal-affiliated stores at the Shops at Santa Anita.
Now, California congressman Rep. Bee & Co. is a skincare and wellness brand that offers natural products and in-store treatments. Since the report about Chisholm was published, other customers have come forward with similar allegations. Bee & Co.’s parent company, Mazal Group, is based in Chatsworth. The allegations are not limited to Bee & Co. Both took their cases to small claims court, where they reached settlements. The mall declined to comment, saying the matter involved an “independently operated tenant. Simon, which owns Del Amo Fashion Centre, was also contacted repeatedly for comment but did not respond. The allegations against the retailers have not been adjudicated in court, and the companies have denied wrongdoing in connection with the claims. Chisolm’s attorney has created a website where people can report their experiences with coercive skincare sales.