What Happened to Electric Beach Tanning

Electric Beach Tanning appears to have gone out of business at both of its Ames locations.

There are no signs on the windows, but a small stack of yellowed newspapers sat outside the door in the Northern Lights Center location. The doors are locked though its posted hours said the salons should be open.

The listed owner, Luella Gustafson, could not be reached for comment.

One client Bobbi Borich, who said she just bought a year's worth of tanning minutes discovered the business was closed when her husband saw a post on Craigslist urging former customers to file a complaint with the Iowa Attorney General's Office.

The Ames Police Department said one person told staff about the closing about a week ago, but didn't file a police report. Officials with the Iowa Department of Public Health, which licenses such salons hadn't heard that the business had closed.

Maggie Birkestrand, an employee at Sizzlin Cabana that's been offering discounts to former Electric Beach Tanning customers who can prove they have unredeemed minutes, said the business closed the Sunday before Thanksgiving.

Birkestrand said she's talked to customers who have purchased $175 and $370 packages from Electric Beach Tanning, one as recently as Nov. 7.

Borich hadn't tanned at the center in a month and had left behind bottles of lotion worth as much as $60, head sets and other items there for use during tanning. She estimated she was out by about $600.

“It's kind of creepy she up and left and I feel like I've been robbed,” Borich said.

Read: Few Answers in Electric Beach Closing