Investigation into face cream sales

An investigation is underway by Oro Gold Cosmetics in St. Catharines after it learned one of its sales clerks sold more than $1,600 worth of face cream to a developmentally disabled woman. Lauran Sabourin has the details.

Twenty-seven year old Jovita Dejong was shopping at the Pen Centre with her support worker on Wednesday. Jovita walked over to the Oro Gold Cosmetics kiosk to look at face cream: “I didn’t see any price.”

She was told the first item was 11-30

“What do you do in your mind with something like 11.30. I think 11 dollars and 30 cents. I dont’ think one thousand dollars.”

When the support worker looked at the two receipts she saw Jovita was charged more than 17-hundred dollars for two items.

Q. “Were you shocked? Yes I was shocked.”

So was Jovita’s mother Wendy: “She’s very high functioning. She’s very independent. But it’s unmistakable she has a disability.”

After the support worker made a fuss the money was refunded by the kiosk clerk. But the anger over the perception that someone took advantage of Jovita hasn’t subsided. The Pen Centre apologized to the family.

John Bragagnolo is the Pen Centre Manager: “We’ve always taken our role of helping the most vulnerable seriously. We’ve been champions in that cause, so that’s why we’re as appalled and upset about this as anybody.”

We called Oro Gold headquarters in California and spoke to representative David Thomas. He says the Pen Centre kiosk has been shut down because it’s not an authorized dealer. And their legal department is investigating.

The Pen Centre says from its understanding, that’s not why the kiosk was shut down.

John Bragagnolo: “They were transitioning from an Oro Gold to Forever Flawless brand. That was in the works before this incident ever happened.”

As for Jovita, she’s a bit overwhelmed by all the attention: “I kind of feel a little bit good. A lot of people go to the same place and I’m making an impact to the people out there.”

Jovita has also made everyone aware of how much you can pay for face cream.  Oro Gold confirms, those retail prices are real.  And I don’t know what’s in them but they say some of their products cost more than a thousand dollars.