By Joseph Edgerton
Staff Writer

A local beauty salon has closed, leaving many customers holding worthless gift certificates.

Allenstown police officer Rebecca Dunsmore said the investigation of Hair Today, located on 43 Allenstown Road, began on Jan. 9 after police received several complaints from residents. Police are considering charges of theft by deception.

"The business just up and closed, and we started getting frantic phone calls from residents," she said. "Initially we thought there wasn't much we could do, but now we have started an investigation."

Kristen Gover and her 14-year-old daughter were among the victims. In a letter to the paper, she said a gift certificate she and her husband bought on Dec. 23 as a present for her daughter is now useless.

"Yesterday, my daughter called to schedule tanning only to find their phone disconnected," she said. "I drove her down there, and the door was unlocked, so we went in. The cash register was gone, all personal effects gone, all displays, shampoos, were gone."

Gover said a nail technician said the owners had left, and that he knew nothing other than that many people had come in for the same reason.

Dunsmore said a few of the victims advised the police that the owner of the salon knew the store would be closed soon, and continued to sell gift certificates anyway.

"At this point, we have taken statements from approximately 20 residents, and we expect more," she said. "So far the maximum amount on a gift certificate has been $80, but the average cost is $40 per gift certificate."

The building in which Hair Today is contained has been in Allenstown for eight years, but the owners had been running the business for over a year. Dunsmore said there have been no previous complaints, and that the fraud is a first for the town.

"We are looking for statements from anyone who purchased a gift certificate between November and December of 2005 and hasn't redeemed it yet," she said. "We've getting calls and taking statements all day."

The reason for the specific time period is that any gift certificate sold then would have been sold with the knowledge that the store would close.

Dunsmore said the theft by deception charge is currently at a misdemeanor level, but that the severity of the charge could vary with the amount of fraudulent gift certificates stolen.

Attempts to contact Hair Today were unsuccessful; the number listed is no longer in service.

Those who believe they are victims of fraud and who purchased gift certificates between November and December should call the Allenstown Police Department at 603-487-9500.