Ohio woman told she’s ‘too fat’ to tan — then denied refund

We all know that tanning isn't good for us.

But for those trying to make their living in the tanning business — or any business, for that matter — stories like this one are perfect examples of "how not to treat customers." Ever.

A tanning salon in Norton, Ohio, apparently turned away a customer because she was "too fat" to tan there. As if that wasn't bad enough, this the day after the woman was sold a month-long tanning package amounting to nearly $70.

Kelly McGrevey bought the tanning package at Aloha Tanning last Monday after she was given a quick tour of the salon. She even tanned there in a standup bed.

When she returned the next day, the man at the front desk turned her away.

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"He said, 'Sorry, but I'm not going to let you tan today because we've just implemented a new policy where anyone over 230 pounds can't go in one of our beds,'" McGrevey tells Channel 3 News. "I was just so shocked and embarrassed and humiliated."

He told her that the standup bed was broken and that the traditional beds were no longer available to heavy customers because the acrylic wears out and ends up cracking under the weight.

She asked to see the policy, but he refused.

She asked for a refund, and he refused again.

McGrevey left the salon — and filed a police report against the owner of Aloha Tanning, Justin Hileman.

She then called her local news station.

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"Maybe there are people that have come here before, or that are going to come here, that are overweight and I just want them to know that you could be mistreated," she says.

When Channel 3 News asked to see the weight-restriction policy, a receptionist named Nicole said that the policy was a verbal one. No signs were posted anywhere with a weight limit.

As for a refund, Nicole claimed only Gus, the manager, could grant one.

And as if attempting to make the salon the least likely to concede that "the customer is always right" in history, Gus told Channel 3 News that he has no intentions of refunding McGrevey and that she should just cancel her credit card purchase instead.

The Better Business Bureau currently gives Aloha — surprise, surprise — an F rating.

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When reporters looked at policies in nearby salons, only one of them had a weight limit — 300 pounds — which is clearly outlined to customers before they pay.

Weight-limit recommendations are given by manufacturers. It's up to the salons to enforce those guidelines. Good salons will do so before taking your money.

"No one can escape the laws of physics, but businesses should at least try to follow the rule of 'don’t sell people things that you have no intention of providing,'" Laura Northup writes for The Consumerist.

By the end of 2013, all tanning beds in Canada will be labelled with another kind of warning: that tanning equipment can cause cancer — and that they're not recommended for use by those under 18.