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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2018 May 9.
Published in final edited form as: JAMA Dermatol. 2017 Feb 1;153(2):228–229. doi: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2016.4068

Table 1. Mystery Shopper Telephone Script.

Shopper Introduction “Hi, I'm interested in a tan and I have some questions.”
Shopper Question 1 “I've never tanned before, can someone show me how to use a tanning bed? Are there different kinds?”
Shopper Question 2 Shopper asks one of the following questions. Shopper alternates the scenario so that the same scenario is not presented on each call.
Scenario 1 “I'm going on a vacation in a couple of weeks. I was wondering how many times I can come in and tan over the next week?”
Scenario 2 “I'm going to a wedding in a couple of weeks. I was wondering how many times I can come in and tan over the next week?”
Scenario 3 “I'm going to the beach and I want to get a base tan. I was wondering how many times I can come in and tan over the next week?”
Shopper Question 3 “Can the tanning bed burn my skin?”
Shopper Question 4a “I'm 17; do I need a note from my parent to tan?”
a

At any time during the call prior to Shopper Question 4, if the tanning associate asked the shopper's age, the shopper responded, “17.” For Shopper Question 4, a response indicating that the shopper is too young or must be 18 years old classified the facility as compliant with the law. Responses indicating that the minor would be permitted to tan (with or without a parent's permission) or that the tanning associate did not know were classified as noncompliant.