ComplaintsforThe Little Gym of Fenton

• Initial Complaint

  12/23/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We paid $118 for 2 months when inside the facility and online they advertised as $105. The manager stated she didn't have time to take the signs down or change the prices online yet. I told her that was illegal to do a bait and switch. She said she was a busy person and we are to pay the adjusted price. She then ripped off all signs and stormed out. I asked the receptionist to refund me the difference and they said they can't do that.

  Business response

  12/28/2023

  Hello ********, 
  
  This is ******* ******, I’m the Owner of The Little Gym of Fenton. You and I spoke at the front desk on Saturday 12/9/23 about our schedules needing to be updated with the new pricing effective on our website and new management system starting on 11/1/23. Thank you for bringing the issue to my attention. As you mentioned, I took down all the signs with the incorrect pricing that were posted, so that they would no longer be incorrect, and also so we could print new updated ones on the following Monday after we spoke on Saturday.  Those new schedules have been posted since Monday 12/11, after our discussion in person on Saturday 12/9/23. The price on the website has been accurate with the new pricing since we started using our new CRM on 11/1/23. **(Screenshot of our website with accurate pricing attached to this response).** 
  
  As I said in person, I apologize for the delay in changing our printed schedules. I also apologize for the delay in responding to your request you made through my employee at the front desk for a refund; as I explained in detail in my email directly to you, we've had a wide variety of illness at our house that has prevented me from being able to work as much as normally possible. In the same 2 month time frame that our entire family has been sick, we’ve also had to switch credit card processors twice, switch to & learn a brand new website with new links that needed to be updated in all paid marketing channels, and start using and training our team of 20 employees to use a brand new Customer Relationship Management system (CRM), that ties directly into the new website. Most of those new things did not come with provided training, so I also had to create and implement training for my team to ensure that they can effectively use them to help customers and manage enrollments every day. Because of those reasons, I do apologize that emailing you about the refund has taken so long. Thank you for your understanding of the situation. 
  
  You had mentioned in person that you were disappointed that the old pricing on our printed brochures in-house didn’t match the newest pricing change shown online, effective 11/1/23. I can understand the confusion between the email receipt you have from 9/17/23, showing the old pricing of $105 every 4 weeks, and the new pricing of $118 every month, which started on 11/1/23 and was reflected online on that date (the pricing is tied to the new CRM, meaning that once we started using the system on 11/1, the new price replaced the old website, old CRM and old pricing shown online). In the email we sent on 10/30/23 to all enrolled customers including you, titled “Technology and Payment Update at The Little Gym”, I explained the price change and why it was occurring. Here is some of that information, and I apologize if it did not reach you with the previous email. I also apologize for any duplicate information! **(Email saved as a PDF and updated to this response).** 
  
  “PAYMENTS
  
  AS OF NOVEMBER, WE WILL BE MOVING TO A TRADITIONAL MONTHLY BILLING CYCLE. YOUR NEXT PAYMENT DATE WILL BE NOVEMBER 12TH. 
  
  Your payment date will now be the same date each month (the 12th of each month). All customers are paid through November 11th; therefore, your next payment will occur on November 12th, and will cover classes from November 12th - December 11th. The next payment will occur on December 12th. 
  
  Some months have 4 classes, some have 5 classes; your price will not change depending on the number of weeks per month.  
  
  In our previous 4-week billing cycle, you were billed 13 times per year (usually twice in January). As we move to a monthly payment, you will only be billed 12 times per year. Therefore, you will notice a slight increase in your normal price, as the same amount per class is now spread among 12 payments instead of 13. Due to increases in payroll, rent, technology, insurance and supplies, there is a slight increase of less than $1 per class. The new price each month will be $118. “
  
  
  To dive further, the move to a monthly payment of $118 means that prices went up $.98 per class. On the old plan, payments occurred every 4 weeks, and broke down to $26.25 per class ($105 / 4 weeks = $26.25 per class). Moving that pricing to 12 monthly payments a year to coincide with our new CRM’s requirements, instead of 13 payments a year of $105, that price increased per payment to $113.75 ($105 * 13 payments in a year = $1365. $1365 / 12 monthly payments per year = $113.75 per payment). We increased prices by $4.25 per payment to keep up with pay raises, as well as increased insurance and supply costs, bringing us to a new price of $118 per month. The increase to $118 means our total yearly cost is $1416, which breaks down to $27.23 per class, or an increase of around $.98 per class ($118 * 12 = $1416. $1416 / 52 classes a year = $27.23 per class. $27.23 new price - $26.25 old price = $.98 increase per class). 
  
  I refunded you on 12/28/23 for the difference per class for the time frame for the 2 payments of $118 when we had the mismarked brochures up at the gym. That time frame encompasses the weeks of 11/12 – now (the week ending 12/31), which is 7 classes. That refund total with 7 classes, at the price increase of $.98 per class, is $6.86 total. The refund was run on 12/28/23, and will process through our bank at the end of the business day, and then it can take up to 3-5 business days to process back to you, based on the card and bank involved. Please let me know directly through my email any questions you may have about the process. 
  
  Thank you,

  - ******* ******, Owner & Chief Enthusiasm Officer 
  
  

  
  

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩