Sidewalk protest on Duval Street

Photo: Bruce Mitchell and Tevis Wernicoff of the Key West Rip Off Rapid response team protest in front of Oro Gold, 518 Duval Street, Wednesday afternoon. 

A sidewalk protest started yesterday in front of Oro Gold, 518 Duval street. The Key West Rip Off Rapid Response team is protesting the cosmetic shop’s recent city code violations and their deceptive, high pressure sales tactics.

 

Spokesperson Bruce Mitchell calls Oro Gold, “A bad apple in a rotten bushel”. 

 

Two Key West visitors lodged complaints against Oro Gold on 11/16/15 reporting the store manager applied cosmetics before informing them of the cost. City Code requires a written cost sheet be provided before any cosmetics are applied. 

 

Oro Gold was also cited October 1, by the city code office for operating without a permit and August 7, for charging a Dustin Florida couple $3,225 in unauthorized credit card charges and not providing the required prior written statement of cost.

That violation resulted in a $500 fine and was also referred to the the State attorneys office for investigation. One hundred and three days after the incident the money was refunded.

 

Tevis Wernicoff, also of the Key West Rip Off Rapid Response Team, warns consumers, “If you take a free sample of cosmetics in Key West you are half way to becoming the victim of a deceptive, high pressure sales scam”.

The sidewalk protest is expected to continue today.

[livemarket market_name="KONK Life LiveMarket" limit=3 category=“” show_signup=0 show_more=0]