John:
Here's how we handle the client who is contemplating buying a home tannning bed. (They usually say that a "friend" is considering buying one, BTW.)
Rather than try to talk them out of it, we simply say - Let's take a look at what your "friend" needs to know to "do it right" before he/she (you!) buy a home tanning bed.
1. I tell them about the expense they will incur for electrical and security features (more about that later).
2. I tell them about the need to check with their homeowners policy to make sure that anyone out of the immediate family who tans is covered (many homeowner policies "exclude" coverage for injuries from tanning beds) and this gets them to thinking about
liability. I point out that a friend or neighbor who tans for free can (and probably will!) sue them if they get sunburned.
3. I tell them that, if they have children, they need to set up a "key controlled" device to limit access to the unit when they are not home (once again, the "
liability" issue).
4. I tell them what to expect in terms of maintenance of the unit, i.e., the cost of relamping, etc., and the difficulty in getting someone to repair it if they have problems (don't call me, I tell them!).
The "usual" pattern is that when I ask them later if their "friend" bought a home tanning bed, they say that, after looking at the "downside" and talking to their
insurance agent, their "friend" decided not to buy one.
The "bottom line" is that the great majority of people who buy home tanning beds don't understand either the liabilities that they are assuming or the "true" costs of tanning at home.
Educate or regulate?
Don