Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa

This complaint was meant for the Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa in Davie, FL. The complaint was received at Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa at Logan Square in Philadelphia, PA. We are all separately owned and operated. Please remove this complaint from our record and, if...

applicable, apply it to the correct location. There is nothing that can be done to resolve the situation at this location, however, it is clear that the client has defaulted on her contract with the Davie, FL, spa and refuses to bring her account current.Eric S[redacted], Co-Owner

RE:   ID [redacted]To Whom it May Concern:On 6-9-14, [redacted] purchased a $49.95 monthly membership.  In return, [redacted] was to receive either a 50 min. massage or 50 min. facial once a month.  [redacted] preferred 80 min. massage services and paid the $30 balance his membership...

did not cover.  On 1-12-16, [redacted] was scheduled for a 50 min. massage only due to time constraints on our end, but he was not overly upset about this.  [redacted] had another 80 min. massage appointment on 3/1/16.  On 3-28-16, [redacted] arrived at 5 pm for his appointment.  When we saw he was only booked for a 50 min. massage, we quickly spoke with his Therapist and she agreed to forgo her break and accommodate [redacted].  The two Spa Associates at the front desk also offered this extra 30 mins. to [redacted] at no charge.  [redacted] became extremely upset and refused the free service then walked out all together without receiving any service at all.  3-31-16, [redacted] sent an email stating he wanted to terminat his membership.  Our Spa Director, Sarah L[redacted], telephoned [redacted] to discuss the terms of his termination and provide him with the necessary paperwork.  [redacted] stated he didn't like our policies and didn't want to accept anything for free from us. He then hung up on Sarah.  4-1-16, I, (the owner) walked into the Spa around 10 am to find [redacted] yelling at my employees while standing at the front desk.  They were trying to calm him down as he was saying he didn't want to talk to anyone, just cancel his membership and they had him sign his paperwork.  He then left after stating if we didn't cancel his membership, he would stand out front of our business and harass our other clients.  I then sent [redacted] a copy of his signed termination form along with his signed membership form.  I also included a personal note to stating that we were sorry to see him leave.  4-1-16, Our automated confirmation service contacted [redacted] informing him of his missed appointment on 3-28-16. This is something that happens regularly and not just targeted to [redacted].  Anyone missing an appointment will receive this message. Attached are the following:Membership Agreement - States the client agrees to be billed $49.95 once a month for either a 50 min. massage or a 50 min. facial.  Any client who wants to terminate must provide 30 day notice for termination.  Members are required to submit a Request for Membership Termination form at the location where the membership was purchased.Membership Termination Form - [redacted] signed the Membership Termination Form knowing 1 more EFT draft would be pulled on 4/9/16.  The document he signed also stated that he would have 30 days to use any services in his account at member pricing and an additional 60 days to use them at nonmember pricing.All Email Correspondence with [redacted] -  4-1-16, Due to the threatening tone of [redacted]'s last email to me (the Owner) and his inappropriate behavior at my front desk with my employees, we immediately terminated his membership without pulling through his last EFT draft.  He currently has 1 service in his account from his membership that he can use at member pricing until 5/1/16.  He will have until 7/1/16 to use this service at nonmember pricing.  He is encourage to use this service at any Hand & Stone location except our location due to his threatening behavior here. If you have any questions regarding this issue, please feel free to contact me at ###-###-####Regards,Denise V[redacted], Owner###-###-####[redacted]@handandstone.com

To Whom it May Concern,
We are writing to you in response ID# [redacted]. We have acknowledged the complaint made by a...

client.  She has been contacted by phone & email. The client has been issued a full refund.
If any further action needs to be taken, please let me know.
Thank you for your time,
[redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted]
Like us on [redacted]: [redacted]

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:
When I originally started this complaint, I wanted a simple settlement that would refund the money I felt they pressured my son and his girlfriend into paying after I bought for her what I was told was an all-inclusive gift certificate for two spa services. However, after reading the responses from Hand and Stone Spa of Livingston, I do not wish to receive a $20 refund, but rather would prefer to pursue an official complaint. It is one thing for a company to make a mistake, but the real measure of the business is how they handle it. H&S of Livingston has decided to take the low road each time, from sales pressuring my son’s girlfriend to berating my son for his perceived “cheap tip,” to hanging up on me when I called to complain. This was enough to bring this to the Revdex.com’s attention for resolution. However, when presented with the story, the spokespeople at H&S of Livingston chose to accuse me of “verbally abusing” their staff. It’s an easy accusation to make since what recourse can you take in a she said-she said? But they made the mistake of saying I did it in front of customers (when I had actually called—which is when she hung up on me). That is when their awful customer service crossed into malicious practice. When I pointed out that it could not be true because I was not present at the store, they conceded the $20, but then still went back to the story that I verbally abused their staff, this time over the phone. I never verbally abused anyone. So, no, I do not want the $20 refund. I would like this to serve as a permanent and written warning to anyone considering treating themselves or someone else they love to a day of renewal and relaxation, because this is the true nature of this business: bait and switch, hard selling, tip pressuring, unprofessional customer service, and outright lies. They are everything that a relaxing spa should not be.
Regards,
[redacted]

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.

From: [redacted] Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2014 12:05 AM
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To: drteamSubject: Revdex.com Resolution for Shari Farrell- Hand & Stone Massage and Facial SpaImportance: High
 
5/19/2014
 
Revdex.com Case # [redacted] - RE: [redacted]
Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa
4526 Research Forest Drive #150
The Woodlands, TX 77381
Owner: [redacted]
 
 
Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.  Customer service is a priority that we take seriously here at Hand & Stone.  We commit to providing an excellent customer experience for each one of our clients.  We have contacted Mrs. [redacted] and reviewed the situation together to ensure that we are on the same page, regarding a mutually agreeable outcome.  After reviewing the client’s membership with her, we have decided to make an exception from the signed agreement, as a courtesy and in efforts of good business.  At this time, while we recognize that the said charges are valid, we’ve decided to waive any previously stated fees & suspension charges, terminate Mrs. [redacted] membership (effective immediately), and invite her to use any previously stored services, at our spa before August 1, 2014.  Mrs. [redacted] has agreed to these updated terms and we look forward to seeing her in the near future. 
 
All the best,
 
[redacted]
Owner
Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa
[redacted]

H&S advertised introductory massages for $49.95 each. Only after we received the massages were we told we had to sign a contract to get this price.I made an appointment by e-mail for a couple's massage for me and my wife in response to an H&S website ad for $49.95 per massage. No other prices were listed on the website, so I assumed this was the applicable price ($99.90 for both massages). I received several responses setting up the appointment and asking for credit card information. One message also stated "The retail price for our couples massage is $99.95 per person for a 50min session." However, since ours was an introductory massage I assumed we were covered under the on-line ad for $49.95 per massage. After receiving a good massage on the day of our appointment and feeling relaxed, we went to the front to pay. The person checking us out tried hard to sell us a contract for massage services. However, politely but firmly rejected the offer and insisted on paying only the $99.90 for both massages. It was at that time she informed us that the special was $59.95 for each "couple's" massage and only those that signed the contract were eligible for that price on the first visit--our price would be $199.90 plus tax without the contract. These facts and the $59.95/couple's massage were completely new facts to me. However, not wanting to make a scene in front of others in the waiting room and not 100% sure I hadn't missed something in the ad, I reluctantly paid the fee as all the tension previously massaged-out suddenly returned. Upon getting to a computer I immediately returned to the Hand and Stone website to verify the ad. Not only did the website not distinguish between couple's and individual massage pricing or mention the $59.95, but nowhere did it mention these prices were dependent on signing a contract. Nor were these terms found in the e-mails sent to me by H&S. As for the regular price of $99.95 per massage for a couple's massage, such a price is 50%-100% higher than the prices of couple's massages for even the best massage therapists in Raleigh. Had I known these were the terms of the massage I never would have made an appointment. However, sadly, I think that was the point of their sales technique.Desired SettlementHonor the $49.95/massage fee and refund our excess charges ($99.90).

Review: I had a membership with them that I cancelled in February 2014. I was charged the membership fee again on April**, 2014. I called them on April [redacted] to dispute the charge and cancel my membership again. I was told the [redacted] was out and would get back to me the next day. She didn't. I called again on April [redacted] and got the same response and I have yet to hear from anyone at that company. I am currently in dispute over that charge and trying to stop further charges. Contacting the company themselves has done nothing but given me the run around.Desired Settlement: I want my $49.95 returned and all future charges to stop

Business

Response:

To Whom it May Concern,

We are writing to you in response ID# [redacted]. We have acknowledged the complaint made by a client. She has been contacted by phone & email. The client has been issued a full refund.

If any further action needs to be taken, please let me know.

Thank you for your time,

Like us on [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.

Sincerely,

Review: I had a conversation with an attendant in which I was given an option of continuing my subscription in order to receive member prices or simply canceling my subscription and no longer receiving the member discount. I opted to cancel my subscription and I proceeded with the cancelation process. At this time, no manager availed themselves to speak with me because none was on site but I was assured that one would call me ASAP.About 1 week later I see that I have been charged again for my membership that I thought was canceled. I was told that I would not be charged. I was never called by a manager to discuss this matter like I was told that I would be. When I called to discuss this after seeing the charges, I was told that no manager was available and that I should call back later in the week. At this point, I realized that I was being given a run around.The bottom line is that the managers here are trying to avoid speaking with me in an attempt to collect money that I have received no services for and have communicated to the establishment that I no longer wish to pay. The attendants claim to have no authority to do absolutely anything. They have offered no recourse or attempt to simply discuss the issue in a civilized manner and so I am opening this complaint because I don't like the way this establishment does business. I do not wish to support this business and they need to understand that this is not acceptable.I was told I wouldn't be charged and that was a lie. The real problem here is that I was told multiple things and made to believe that this situation would be handled in a certain way and it wasn't. I was told that I would be contacted to discuss this situation and that didn't happen. I called to discuss this with someone with authority and that didn't happen. I'm beyond frustrated, please help to resolve.Desired Settlement: I want a complete refund for the charges applied to my account in July and I would like my account with this establishment canceled like was discussed.

Business

Response:

July 28, 2014Enciosure (1) Membership Agreement for [redacted] (2) Communication record with [redacted] (3) Membership Termination Form for [redacted]Sirs:The referenced person’s complaint and claim have no validity. This person was and still is a member at our spa, paying monthly membership fees in exchange for services and member privileges.The first paragraph of the membership agreement (enclosure {1}} specifies that the member authorizes monthly deductions for membership privileges and must provide 30 days written notice using our Termination Form prior to termination. While an active member, one massage credit will accrue per month, but these credits are not available to inactive (suspended or terminated) members whose account is not in good standing. it is like trying to use a gym if you've failed to make your monthly membership payments. it doesn’t matter that you haven't used the gym in a while, you need your account to be current to use the facility.The second paragraph of the membership agreement (enclosure (1)) specifies that the member may be suspended or terminated for non-payment.The member failed to make payments on May 28 and June 28 and was placed in suspended status. Member was contacted five (5) times (enclosure {2}} to resolve the issue and no response was received.Member appeared at the spa and requested service on July 3 and was not allowed to access his suspended privileges. instead, he was allowed to pay for a massage as a guest of another member.That day, [redacted] submitted his Termination Letter (enclosure {3}}, which required a final payment on July 28 that he signed to provide. This letter was not initially approved, because members who are suspended (in default) may not terminate in good standing until they bring their account current.On July 14, a routine computer re-run of declined membership payments was successful in recovering the two, past due payments and [redacted] was placed back in active status. His termination was also approved. His required, final July 28 payment was made on the required date.When received the notice from the Revdex.com, immediately left a message for [redacted] that his account was now in good standing and he was welcome to use his accrued services. I also said that regretted his disappointment, but that management had received no notification of his concerns (and we have a simple, reliable process in which complaints are transmitted to management for action within 24 hours). I can also say with assurance that no receptionist would have been authorized to tell him he “would not be charged" or to waive his overdue payments, nor waive the final payment required prior to termination (see the signed enclosure {3} agreeing to the final charge).Because [redacted] made his final July 28 payment, he has until August 27 to utilize any accrued Services before they expire (see enclosure (3), sentence in bold.Please contact me with any further questions,Respectfully,Eric *. S[redacted] Co-Owner

Review: I have been a member for over a year I have NEVER cancelled any appointments, I had to once due to the fact I had to stay at work late. I spoke with a women named Alex and the way that she talked to me was not appropriate at all it was VERY unprofessional. I work in the customer care department and if I spoke to anyone the way I was spoken to I would no longer have a job. With that being said I asked if I would be charged with a fee for cancelling I was informed that it was possible but it would go under review by management. I called 2 days later and the women whom answered the phone informed me since it was my first time cancelling that I would not be charged one for this time. I was so happy to hear that. I call to make an appointment to use the package which was already paid for and then get informed that I no longer have one due to the fact I canceled. A $50.00 charge for canceling is unreasonable and being of the fact that I was told I did not have to pay one is a lie. I was lied to and spoken to in un appropriate manor and I will NEVER go back. I have informed my friends who go there as well. This company is a joke and the employees should learn how to speak with customer without attitude and like they actually mean something.Desired Settlement: I just want my package refunded back to me.

Consumer

Response:

From: [redacted] <[redacted]>

Date: Fri, Nov 7, 2014 at 11:29 AM

Subject: Re: You have a new message from the Revdex.com of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania in regards to your complaint #[redacted].

To: [email protected]

Good Afternoon,

The above complaint for [redacted] has been resolved I was wondering how I go about closing the complaint.

Thank you

Review: I was given a gift certificate for Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa. I had previously visited the [redacted], PA location so upon receiving the GC I made an appointment there. When I checked out I was told that if I used the GC to become a member I would have several months covered & as long as I cancelled by a certain date I would not owe any money. After my last massage appointment I signed the paperwork to cancel my membership. I was moving to FL and there are no locations close to me. When I signed the form I questioned the girl who processed it for me, confirming that I did not owe any more money. She advised no but informed me that I would still be eligible for the member price until the official date of my membership cancellation. I assumed that would be the end up it.On 5/29 I checked my bank account & found a charge for $49.95 pending. I immediately called the Hard & Stone location to address this charge. At first I was told it was corrected but after speaking with the manager she was advised that it was an error & relayed this information to me. She also explained that the money would be refunded. That was fine however this charge caused my rent check to bounce and I was charged $29 by my bank & $30 by my apartment complex. In addition I was charged another $29 for the Hand & Stone charge because my account was negative. It is all well & good that they refunded $49.95 however due to their error I incurred fee's totaling $88. I spoke with Nancy at the corporate office & she promised everything would be taken care of. Then she tells me that I need to go through the direct location. They told me it was all resolved, I received my refund. Because they screwed up I'm out $88 which should be refunded to me. After going back & forth I left the last message & my call was not returned.Desired Settlement: I feel that the $88 I incurred in charges, due to their mistake, should be refunded to me. I explained the situation fully to both the location this took place at & the corporate office. I have offered to provide documentation of the fee's. I have done everything I needed in order to resolve this. They have not.

Business

Response:

7/18/14Dear [redacted],The client came into our spa on 12/29/13 with a Hand & Stone gift card and received a massage and facial. She chose to sign up for our month to month membership program because the remaining balance covered her first month's payment (1/28/14), The program is structured to bill each member month to month with the option to freeze or cancel at any point, with 30 day written notice. Each payment a client makes provides them with a 50 minute massage or facial which can be used at any time, in any location, as long as they are an active member,The client reached out to me in early January expressing concern about being able to continue the program for financial issues. I assured her that her January payment was already collected and that if she wanted to cancel I would just need her to fill out our termination form and get it to me by 1/28/14. By doing so we would be able to avoid collecting the February payment. On 2/26/14 she contacted me with the same concerns. Because her payment was scheduled to be collected in a few days she chose to freeze her account, but was unable to come in at that time due to health issues. Because of her condition I agreed to honor her request to freeze the account without paperwork, As a result of the freeze, she was not billed In February, March or April and her next payment was scheduled for 5/28/14.In April she came in and received a massage by using her January prepaid service and chose to cancel her membership that same day. She agreed and signed the form which stated that she would be responsible for 1 final payment (which would afford her 1 final service) on 5/28/14, I processed the request accordingly and we collected her payment on 5/28/14, She called that same day to ask why she had been charged. She was under the impression that she didn't have to make a final payment even though she signed the termination letter to do so. After reviewing her file and reading my notes regarding her financial and health issues I immediately refunded her final payment and cancelled her out indefinitely. We called her to let her know that the refund had been processed for the final payment We took responsibility despite having the proper documentation to support the validity of the final payment.Included in this fax please find a copy of the membership agreement and the termination letter, both signed by the client. All of our documentation supports the Information listed above and clearly states the guidelines in which we facilitate our membership program and business overall.If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact me directly, Thank you.Sincerely,

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because: I specifically confirmed with the girl who processed my cancellation that I was NOT responsible for any further payments. As Ryan did mention in his response I do have medical problems. Those do include memory issues. I wanted to make sure that I was completely finished with the company which is why I asked for the verbal confirmation from her. If she was unsure or was uncapable to confirm anything herself, she would have gotten someone to assist her. She didn't! I was told on that occasion that I owed absolutely nothing else! When I got hit with the charge & it messed up my account like it did including bouncing my rent check, I was livid. I ended up losing money for something I was PROMISED was not going to happen. So no, I do not accept the response made by Hand & Stone!

Regards,

Business

Response:

Dear [redacted],We acknowledge the customer's concerns regarding the last payment that she made with the signed document which was previously submitted. Although the client has mentioned her memory issues, we always confirm our procedures with a written document that is reviewed and signed by the customer at the time of cancellation. Again, we have provided that documentation to you and the client to confirm what was discussed and agreed upon. In addition to having a signed agreement to charge the final payment on the specified date, and even under no obligation; („.out of kindness and as a courtesy), we refunded the last payment However; we are Not responsible for any of her management of personal finances, or fees related to such finances.We respectfully feel that we have done above and beyond normal business practices.

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because: in reviewing the "Membership Termination Letter" I do see where I did acknowledge I would be billed for one more payment HOWEVER if you look at the date input by the staff for the "Automatic Withdrawal Cancellation Approval", the date is 04/2014. I cannot confirm the day although I would assume it would be the 26th as that is the same date of everything else. I'm unable to read it because it looks like it was scribbled out. In any case my authorization for drafts from my bank account would have been cancelled at the end of April per the initials & date of the Hand & Stone staff member therefore the company was not authorized to draft my account for the amount of $49.95. They were only allowed to "Bill me", an invoice should have been sent to me. I have previous experience in the banking industry so this I can verify first hand! Since the draft on 5/28/14 was not authorized and consequently caused me to incur fee's, it is the responsibility of Hand & Stone to reimburse me for those fee's!