Grandmother says spa deal turned into thousands of dollars in debt, district attorney investigating

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (KCTV/Gray News) — A grandmother in Kansas says a spa visit left her on the hook for thousands of dollars, with records showing she’s not the only one complaining.

According to Roberta, the situation all started with a January visit to the spa, just days before her 80th birthday. She has multiple sclerosis and says she decided to do something nice for herself.

“I saw this ad on Facebook for $69,” Roberta recalled.

The promotion was for a facial at Serenity Esthetics Overland Park. She said the facial itself was fabulous. But it’s what happened after that she can’t shake.

“I wake up in the middle of the night and I’m thinking about this,” Roberta said.

The Kansas resident said a back-and-forth went on for what seemed like hours. Eventually, she signed documents on a tablet with a third-party vendor.

“I couldn’t read it. She just said, ‘Sign here, sign here.’ That’s what’s so devastating to me,” Roberta said.

On the way home, Roberta says she started having a reaction to the facial. She says she later learned she had signed for a $2,552 financed package tied to 13 facials, with loan documents showing 32.99% interest and a potential total repayment of more than $4,400.

“I started freaking out. I thought, ‘Oh my God, what did I do? What did I do?’” Roberta said.

Roberta says Serenity Esthetics refused to cancel, citing a no-refund policy.

“They never mentioned that there’s a no-refund policy,” she insisted.

According to Roberta, she filed a complaint with the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office.

The company offered to refund the money but only if she signed an agreement requiring confidentiality, non-disparagement, removal of online reviews and waiver of future claims. Roberta didn’t sign.

Another customer, Kathy Lloyd, shared her experience of going to Serenity Esthetics for a little self-care in March. She says her experience mirrored Roberta’s, right down to the high-pressure sales pitch.

“The pressure was there, but I wasn’t quite reacting in the way she probably expected,” Lloyd said.

Lloyd says she was told her skin would rapidly decline without more treatments and was also offered a loan.

“I was just staring at her, and I was getting mad because I thought my face looked OK when I walked in, and I just wanted to feel good and go home,” Lloyd said.

Feeling insulted, Lloyd walked out.

“I just wanted out of there,” she added.

According to the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office, it has received three complaints about Serenity Esthetics since Jan. 1, 2024, and confirms it has an active consumer protection investigation into the business.

Serenity Esthetics’ website lists locations in six states: Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Colorado, South Dakota and Michigan.

Iowa’s attorney general released multiple complaints describing a similar pattern: low-cost facial promotions, pressure to buy larger packages, third-party financing and denied refunds. Those Iowa complaints are allegations, not findings of wrongdoing, but several describe consumers saying they were drawn in by low-cost services and then pressured into financing larger packages.

Nebraska’s attorney general also confirmed complaints exist, but did not release them under state law.

Serenity Esthetics’ owner, based in Florida, said they are looking into Roberta’s case.

In a letter sent later by the company’s attorney, Serenity Esthetics denied Roberta’s claim, saying she knowingly purchased the package, that the no-refund policy was clearly disclosed in writing, and that financing was completed through a third-party lender.

“Ms. [Roberta] elected to finance her purchase through PatientFi, a third-party consumer financing company,” the attorney wrote.

The letter also said, “customers are informed in writing of this policy on multiple occasions before any transaction is completed.”

Additionally, Serenity Esthetics noted it offered Roberta a full refund — even allowing her to keep some products — but only if she signed what its lawyer calls a standard confidentiality and non-disparagement agreement.

“The sole condition attached to this offer was execution of a standard resolution agreement containing customary confidentiality and non-disparagement provisions,” the attorney wrote.

The refund waiver reviewed by KCTV included confidentiality, non-disparagement, removal of online reviews and waiver of certain future claims and disputes.

In a later statement, Serenity Esthetics attorney said the refund offer to Roberta remains open, adding that they are fully cooperating with authorities and that the complaints in other states reflect buyer’s remorse and are largely resolved.

“I’ve heard of things like this happening before in our community,” Alexandra English, managing attorney at Kansas Legal Services, said.

Her advice: Document everything, and don’t assume signing a non-disclosure agreement means you’ve given up your rights as a consumer.

“Anything you have in writing is going to help make your case,” English said.

She says if a business won’t refund you, file a complaint with your state attorney general or local consumer protection office.

According to Roberta, she is still working to stop the payments so she can get back to paying for her MS treatment. She says the financial strain has interrupted the care she has relied on for 15 years.

“I wish I’d looked them up before I made the appointment,” Roberta said.