18/09/2025
Good afternoon everyone! I’ve been in two minds whether to share this but as I have nothing to hide and prefer to be transparent and honest with my valued customers, I’ve decided to.
I have received a letter today from Staffordshire County Council informing me that the Public Protection department has received a complaint that my business has sold Sunbed services to a person under the age of 18.
You may not be aware that it is an offence to allow a person under the age of 18 to use Sunbeds and has been since 2011 in line with the Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010. As a business owner, it is my responsibility to be aware of the regulations that I need to enforce and, with that in mind, since the legislation changed in 2011, I have implemented the recommended policies and procedures to ensure that my business adheres to the law.
That includes implementing Challenge 25, which means that if we believe that you look under 25 (lucky devils), then we will ask to see your ID and reserve the right to refuse you service if you cannot produce this. We also have signage in the shop which we have now moved into the window so that it can be seen on arrival to avoid any confusion.
Upon receiving this letter, I immediately called the point of contact provided to clear this up. I have been in business for 25 years and have NEVER had any complaint like this and to be completely honest, it has really upset me. I have worked really hard to build my business and this feels like a personal attack on my reputation.
This complaint was, unsurprisingly, confirmed to have been made ‘anonymously’. I would much rather believe that this is a genuine concern that somebody has and not a malicious attempt at tainting my reputation that I have built over the years. If you do have any questions or concerns about the way that my business runs, please come to speak to me, directly. I’m an approachable, friendly person and I would appreciate that more than anything.
I am human, I don’t get it right all the time but as the lady I spoke to confirmed, the procedures that we have in place are correct and I would just like to take this opportunity to thank my staff as well as we are all doing our very best to ensure that we are encouraging safe tanning in line with regulations. Not only when it comes to age but also using EU approved 0.3 regulated tubes and ensuring that all new customers are over 18, that they are only doing a short first session in line with guidance and are consulting their doctor before use if they suffer from certain conditions/ailments.
Indoor tanning is a controversial topic, not everybody agrees with it. However, for some people it is a confidence boost, it’s self care, it’s a few minutes of rest & relaxation. For those people, I make it my priority to ensure that my business is ran with the utmost decency, following legislation, regulations and guidance. It’s a shame that somebody has felt it necessary to go to the lengths of reporting me for something that I already have procedures in place for.
To close, in a way, I am grateful as the subsequent phone call that I had with the council reassured me that I am implementing the correct procedures and that is always nice to hear.
If we do challenge you about your age, please don’t be offended! I wish I got challenged more 😅🥲
