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Cosmetic Center Closes Down Without Informing Clients

POSTED: 4:11 pm PDT August 12, 2008
UPDATED: 11:57 pm PDT August 12, 2008

The I-team first told you about Body Solutions in a February, 24, 2008 investigation.

The I-Team kept a close eye on Body Solutions on Garden View in Encinitas. Body Solutions is a New York-based company owned by George Anastassiou and Aurora Andolfo.

Employees complained that they were told to oversell services.

"They wanted us to sell to everyone even if procedure wouldn't work for them," said Pamela Lewin.

Lewin used to run the Encinitas office and said she was turned off by what she called unethical business practices.

"They were hard sell, pushy, gotta do this right now. That's not how I ran the business," Lewin said.

Lewin told the I-Team the owners sent their relatives to California to do it instead.

In the summer of 2008, Franco Digioacchino and Susan Radcliff began helping run the business. Insiders told the I-Team the two are related to the owners and are also investors.

Employees said they sold hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of treatments to clients knowing the company planned to go out of business. Lewin said two months before closing, the company stopped all advertising.

"They were spending $20,000 to $30,000 on advertising and all of a sudden the phones stopped," said Lewin.

On August 10, 2008, the I-Team spotted a U-Haul truck parked outside the business and saw Digioacchino and Radcliff removing bags from the property. Inside the I-Team witnessed them boxing everything up. The I-Team confronted the two, who refused to answer questions and instead shoved the I-Team out the door.

The next day the doors were locked and the place was cleaned out.

Clients like Laura Quintana were there expecting to get their treatments, but the doors were locked.

"I feel like a fool," said Quintana.

She paid $1000 up front for her treatment and now worries she'll never get her money back.

Although employees had a hunch, they too were taken by surprise when the doors were locked. They are out of work and have complained to the labor board.

Another company with a similar name to Body Solutions is located on the same street in Encinitas. That company is Advanced Body Solutions, and is in no way affiliated with the Body Solutions clinic.

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