The skincare sample is free. What happens next can cost thousands.

NPR · 16:51

907,131 views · 14,132 likes · Oct 14, 2026

The products promise younger-looking skin. The salespeople promise special deals. But customers at skincare stores across the country say they've walked away with something else entirely: thousands of dollars in unexpected charges and purchases they can't return.

Over the past year, NPR investigated complaints from shopping malls in Michigan to hotel spas in Hawaii, where customers reported being…

The products promise younger-looking skin. The salespeople promise special deals. But customers at skincare stores across the country say they've walked away with something else entirely: thousands of dollars in unexpected charges and purchases they can't return.

Over the past year, NPR investigated complaints from shopping malls in Michigan to hotel spas in Hawaii, where customers reported being…

Watch this and more from NPR on Playtoob — no recommendations, no algorithm, just the channels you choose.