Consumers who buy professional hair care products at major retailers, or grocery and drug stores, aren’t getting the bargains they think they are.
They also foster a gray market industry of counterfeit, stolen, or obsolete goods.
It’s a warning issued by hair care giants such as Paul Mitchell, Redken, and Matrix to crack down on this industry-wide problem known as diversion.
This problem is not only costly to the image of hair care manufacturers. Consumers also pay a heavy price.
“Not only are consumers paying more for goods, but those goods are not from us, are not guaranteed, are old, stolen, counterfeited or tampered with. It’s cheating because it could be,” says director Vicky Bresnahan. Product distribution management for Paul Mitchell. “It’s definitely a situation that buyers should be wary of.”
To illustrate how this scheme will affect consumers’ wallets, ConsumerAffairs.com purchased three professional hair care products from a Target store in Kansas City, Missouri.
easy to find
I had no problem finding these types of products in stores. Shelves on one side of the aisle were lined with various brands of salon-exclusive shampoos, hairsprays, and conditioners.
ConsumerAffairs.com purchased:
• $15.99 for a 10.58 oz bottle of Redken Guts 10 Volume Spray Foam.
• $13.99 for a 16.9 oz bottle of Matrix Biolage Normalize Shampoo.
• 8.5 oz bottle of Paul Mitchell Lighthold Finishing Spray, $10.49.
We have found that these same products are much cheaper in professional salons.
“The retail price for that finishing spray is $7.50,” says Bresnahan of Paul Mitchell. “He only paid $2.99 more than the retail price for the repurposed product.
“When consumers go to Target, I think they’re getting cheaper products,” she adds. there is.”
We reached out to professional stylists at The Sharper Cut in Kansas City to compare prices with other salon-only products purchased at Target.
higher price
Again, we found that we paid more than professional salon prices.
Consideration:
• Matrix’s Biolage Shampoo is $9.96 at The Sharper Cut. I paid $13.99 on Target, or $4.03 more.
• Retail price for Redken Guts 10 Volume Spray Foam is $14.99. I paid $15.99 or $1 more at Target.
We also found that hair care products purchased at Target had obvious signs of misappropriated merchandise.
For example, the tall silver can of Redken Guts 10 Volume Spray was dented and dirty.
Some of the batch codes for the Paul Mitchell finish spray were missing. Some of the letters on the bottle were also peeled off.
And every bottle had a sticker on the container that looked like someone had taken a razor blade and cut an “X”.
“At Paul Mitchell, we don’t put stickers on our bottles,” says Bresnahan. “Our UPC code is printed on the plastic. The sticker you see is probably on top of our UPC code, which is the code used by Target or the wholesaler who purchased the product to scan the item. ”
Missing batch codes are a common sign of repurposed product.
“There have been cases where batch codes have been completely or partially removed,” says Bresnahan. “If there is a recall, it is dangerous. Target is not an authorized retailer and will not be contacted. I don’t know if there is a product included in the recall.”
Dirt and dents on the bottle are additional warning signs that the product has been diversioned, says Bresnahan.
“It’s typical. It’s also typical to see dusty and sticky products. I don’t buy them. And if the can is dented, the pin used to spray the product is broken.” How do you know it’s not?
“These products can also become obsolete,” Bresnahan adds. “I have seen with my own eyes old packages on the shelves.”
But how do these professional hair care products, which usually state on the bottle that they are sold only in salons, end up on the shelves of Target and retailers nationwide?
not illegal
For example, wouldn’t it be illegal for Target or a retailer to sell Paul Mitchell’s finishing spray clearly marked on the bottle?
“We raised that concern because we don’t want Target to have our brand,” Bresnahan says. I wrote them a letter saying that I could not guarantee that they would be there.
“But it’s not illegal. We tried to pass a law[to make diversion illegal]a few years ago without success. It is not illegal to have
Illegality occurs when someone in the company’s distribution chain breaches a contract, she says. For example, a professional salon that sells products to unauthorized dealers and distributors.
“When we see a salon out the back door that sells our products, we take immediate action,” says Bresnahan. “We will stop doing business with them immediately and if we can take legal action against them, we will.
“We also have the ability to trace back to the distributor that sold the product, and if that distributor is identified, we will incur a penalty.”
forgery
Bresnahan said it’s also illegal to steal or tamper with the company’s products, or to make counterfeit goods.
“We had a counterfeit case and found that the product had high levels of bacteria,” she says. We cooperated.”
According to Bresnahan, in most cases, professional hair care products are sold to Target and other retailers when:
• The appropriator approaches the salon owner or manager. The diverter offers to pay the salon her 10 to 30 percent of the cost. “In many cases, the salon may need extra money – or the manager may not know he’s doing something wrong.
• A salon orders products. The diverter returns to the store, pays the agreed price (often in cash under the table), and receives the unopened box. “They do this until the truck is loaded and then they bring the product back to the warehouse,” he says.
• Upon entering the warehouse, the diverter removes the product’s batch code. Decoded items are shipped to discount stores, grocery stores, and drug stores nationwide.
“This happens every day,” says Bresnahan. “What you see at Target could be in most Target stores across the country. It’s an industry-wide problem.”
Matrix and Redken echo Bresnahan’s concerns.
The company’s website states that “the average price for a single bottle of Matrix shampoo or conditioner is typically 10% higher than salon retail prices.” “Matrix products are only available in salons because only trained and licensed professional stylists can formulate the best products for salon and home use.”
Redken doesn’t mince words when warning consumers about repurposed hair care products.
“Repurposed products may be counterfeit, diluted formulas, or old, expired formulas that are unsafe to use,” the company’s website states. “Contaminated or counterfeit products can cause irritation and even infection.”
Aimed at the Unrepentant
ConsumerAffairs.com contacted Target about selling repurposed hair care products.
The company says it has no problem selling these salon-only products in its stores.
In a statement issued to ConsumerAffairs.com, the company said, “Target has chosen to offer professional hair care products to better serve its customers.” We buy on the open market and operate in full compliance with the law, and we believe our customers will appreciate the availability of these quality products in our stores.”
I asked the company how these repurposed products can be called “high quality”.
Target spokesperson Joshua Thomas said he was unable to provide additional information on that question beyond what was stated in the company’s written response.
When asked about the price difference, Thomas said:
Consumers can return these hair care products to Target within 90 days of purchase and receive a refund with the receipt, he added.
Bresnahan warns consumers not to waste money on professional hair care products sold in retail stores nationwide and at local flea markets, which are popular during the spring and summer.
“Salons cannot decide to set up booths at local flea markets. We are not allowed to sell our products at flea markets.”
She adds: To ensure that you are getting a genuine product. If you buy them elsewhere, we cannot guarantee what you are getting.
What should I do
Any consumer who believes they have purchased a repurposed Paul Mitchell, Matrix or Redken product should contact the company.
They can reach them:
• Paul Mitchell’s website or diversion hotline – (888) 398-8884.
• Redken’s Security Department or call (800) 503-3997.
• Diversion of the Matrix.
Cosmetic details…
