Yellowknife (Feb 02/05) - Sunshine Tanning salon has left some Yellowknife pockets lighter and faces whiter than they were supposed to be.

Customers had been encouraged to bulk-buy time on the tanning beds in $120 packages, but since the business closed in late 2004, anyone who hadn't used their minutes has lost them - along with any hope of a refund.

Michael Gagnon, senior policy advisor for consumer affairs at Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA), said it's tough to deal with these types of situations.

His office assists consumers in making complaints against businesses that are still in operation.

"In this case there's nothing that would cover this type of situation. Usually, there's warranties and guarantees and there are policies surrounding direct sales and collection agencies," he said.

Any former clients hurt by the closure should complain to his office, he added.

"Nothing stops them from filling out a consumer complaint and sending it to myself," said Gagnon. "That would apply for any product or service throughout the territory," he said.

Court files show the owner of the business, Corey Stead, wrote a letter to his landlord, Polar Bowl partner Quintin Wood on Nov. 29 describing his situation.

"Due to financial difficulties we have to move out of the space for Sunshine Tanning," wrote Stead.

"We have notified the leasing company to make arrangements to move the equipment out of there as discussed with Quintin (Wood) on Nov. 26/04."

In late November, the company leasing the equipment to Sunshine Tanning, Equirex Leasing Corp. of Oakville, Ont., started legal proceedings.

The following month Michael Wingfield, deputy sheriff with the territorial court, wrote Equirex stating the suntan beds had been seized.

"There was one bed missing," he said. "The bed was sold a while ago to pay down arrears."