ComplaintsforElements Massage of Easton

• Initial Complaint

  03/28/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have been a customer approx 7 yrs. Services were great until Pandemic hit. I had approx. 6 of sessions billed to my account. No one knew how long the Pandemic would last. I decided to cancel my membership & wanted a refund. The owner said , "There is no refund" They gave me vouchers to use but they had expiration dates on them of one year. I went to turn one in & exchange for a gift card. He called the Sunday manager & she said, What is her name" she said "NO, I am not going to do that for her." I went above that manager. They basically have have said "No refund & your not getting your money back" It totals up to be approx $400. i want my money after the lack of Customer Service I have received from them.

  Business response

  03/29/2022

  This client signed an agreement joining our massage Wellness Program (see attached) and authorizing a monthly charge in return for a massage session.  During the Pandemic, client never contacted us to cancel her membership so she was charged and the sessions remained available for her use.  She accrued 5 sessions during this time and then contacted us at which time she opted to suspend her account to try to give her time to use up those sessions before cancelling her membership (which would cause her sessions to expire).  She was allowed to suspend twice during these months and still didn't use her sessions.  

  She has been unsatisfied with her services for many years, calling in frequently to complain and demand some sort of compensation.  She has received several refunds over the years, many free upgrades on session enhancements, and more (see attached profile notes from our POS system).  She has harrassed staff at all 3 of my Columbus locations when she was not able to get the answers she wanted and has even spoken with me, the owner, to resolve.

  In 2020, I spoke with Ms. **** directly about the 5 sessions and we came to an agreement where I would give her 5 cards with the value she paid for the sessions on each and she would have a full year to use them.  Normally, these cards are only valid for 4 months past the clients cancellation date, but I extended them for Ms. **** in effort to make her happy.  She verbalized agreement for this plan and the cards were made out for her.  Since then, she has apparently chosen not to use those sessions and is now coming back 2 years later again demanding a refund.

  We have already gone above and beyond for this client for years and no longer wish to have her as a client at any of our Elements Massage locations in Columbus or Dayton, OH.  She and I reached an agreement in 2020 and I will not be compensating her any further just because she decided not to follow through with her end of that agreement.  There will be no further refunds to Ms. ****.

  Customer response

  03/30/2022

  [If you do not say why you are rejecting the company's response, BBB must close your complaint.] 
  
  Complaint: 16955095
  
  I am rejecting this response because it is unacceptable.  I clearly stated on the cancelation form that was provided by the business that the level of customer service that I received was unacceptable which is why I asked for a refund in lieu of the 5 "discount cards" that I was forced to accept instead.  I  advised the person who took my complaint that I have NO desire to ever return to Elements Massage which is why I voluntarily canceled my membership and requested a refund vs. an extension of the due date referenced on the "discount cards" that she provided to present for future sessions. The "owner" advised that my ONLY option is to accept the discount cards which essentially implies that I am required to continue to come to her salon for services .  It's truly asinine for her to imply that I "harassed" anyone, if that were the case I'm not sure why she demanded that I accept 5 "discount cards"  for future services vs terminating my membership and providing me with a refund?  Furthermore, I do not recall a "verbal agreement" accepting an expiration date on the discount cards that she provided.  More importantly, the most recent contract that she provided was dated several years ago.  I believe that I was in a "month-to-month" status when I canceled my membership, so I'm not sure how the documents that she provided are relevant??

   

  At any rate, I want to reiterate that the services that were provided were wonderful, which is why I let them continue to draft automatic payments in good faith during the pandemic.  However, the lack of customer service that I received when I initiated discussions in reference to a refund was outrageous and unwarranted.  I was advised that I would be subject to a more expensive monthly rate if I canceled my membership.  Having said that, I was encouraged to continue to allow them to draft a series of automatic payments from my account because no one knew how long the pandemic would last.  Consequently, I paid for multiple unused sessions that I was not comfortable using during a deadly pandemic, which is way a refund is the ONLY feasible solution  It's truly pathetic and unprofessional at best to suggest that I am being unreasonable for not feeling safe getting a massage during the height of a pandemic.  Furthermore, I am not sure how they justify keeping my money and not providing any services.

  
  Regards,
  
  ***** ****

  Customer response

  04/02/2022

  [If you do not say why you are rejecting the company's response, BBB must close your complaint.] 
  
  Complaint: 16955095
  
  I am rejecting this response because it's a desperate attempt to justify keeping money for services that were NOT PROVIDED.  As previously stated, there is NO VERBAL AGREEMENT to move forward with discount cards with an expiration date that would require me to use them within a specific amount of time.  The premise is asinine at best, money doesn't expire!! How can automatic payments that you debited from my account WHILE THE STATE WAS SHUT DOWN during the pandemic "expire"??? In fact, there is a class action lawsuit filed by a series of customers who had the same unfortunate experience with ELEMENTS MASSAGE, please do not continue to imply that this is an isolated incident   The "owner" is fully aware that she CANNOT solidify the non existent "verbal agreement" that SHE ALEDGEDLY "wrote down" on my behalf.  I do NOT recall agreeing to any expiration date.  Furthermore, I am not under contract so YOU HAVE NO BASIS FOR KEEPING MY MONEY.  In fact,  the Governor required businesses to shut down during March 2020 which was enforced for several months so I'm confident that the "two year" period that you referenced in your most recent correspondence is inaccurate as well. More importantly, I can care less about other people's decision to move forward with getting a massage during the height of a deadly pandemic, I'm not willing to risk contracting a DEADLY VIRUS by making a careless decision to get a massage during a pandemic in an effort to accommodate you. At any rate,  I AM NOT COMFORTABLE BEING IN A SMALL ROOM GETTING A MASSAGE WITH A THERAPIST STANDING LESS THAN AN INCH AWAY FROM ME FOR AN EXENDED AMOUNT OF TIME IN AN EFFORT TO ACCOMEDATE YOUR DESPARATE ATTEMPT TO JUSTIFY KEEPING MONEY FOR SERVICES THAT WERE NOT PROVIDED.  It is IMPOSSIBLE to practice SOCIAL DISTANCING DURING A MASSAGE.  Clearly, I was not comfortable asking any OF MY FAMILY OR FRIENDS TO SUBJECT THEMSELVES TO AN ENVIRONMENT THAT WILL NOT ALLOW THEM TO SOCIAL DISTANCE EITHER which is why I RECENTLY attempted to convert ONE of the "discount cards" to a gift card to acknowledge a friend's birthday.  As you know, the mask mandate was RECENTLY REMOVED, so please do not continue to imply that it was an ARBITRARY decision for me to attempt to request to convert one of the sessions to a gift card a couple of weeks ago, my timing IS consistent with the guidance that the CDC provided in reference to removing the mask mandate. I ATTEMPTED TO CONVERT THE DISCOUNT CARD WHEN IT WAS SAFE TO DO SO, CLEARLY THE BASELESS, ARBITRARY DUE DATE THAT YOU PROVIDED IS UNJUSTIFIABLE. 

  Therefore, please do not continue to imply that I am being unreasonable for merely asking you to actually be professional by returning money that you INAPPROPRIATELY  took from my account while your business was mandated TO CLOSE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS.  The series of excuses that you have provided are baseless, inaccurate, unwarranted and pathetic at best. I  want to reiterate that I cannot justify keeping the relationship with your company or recommending your services to anyone which is why I CANCELED MY MEMBERSHIP.  Consequently,  the "discount cards" are NOT an option to resolve the issue.  The ONLY FEASIBLE SOLUTION IS A FULL REFUND.

   

   
  Regards,
  
  ***** ****

  Business response

  04/13/2022

  There was definitely a verbal agreement made during our phone conversation in 2020 (otherwise, she would have continued to contact the staff in my studio until she got a response as she has always done).  If there wasn't a verbal agreement Ms. **** wouldn't have picked up the cards in question and she did. It's quite convenient that she now "cannot recall" the conversation. She is now trying to get further compensation for something that she claimed she was previously satisfied with.  There will not be a refund.

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