ComplaintsforNational Acceptance Company

• Initial Complaint

  08/13/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I signed a one year contract with National Acceptance Company on March 13, 2023 with the understanding that after 16 weeks if there was buyer's remorse thru my gym, I could nullify the contract, I decided I no longer wanted to be under the contract with NAC, so I sent all the required paperwork in before the 7/8/2023 date certified letter, however NAC's reply is they are rejecting my request because my coach and myself did not initial all of the days, instead we initialed each week, however the contract literally states a "check-in record print out from the gym or program sign in sheet with dates, my initials and gym representative initials', we did this, we initialed EACH WEEK, instead of each day, THE CONTRACT DOES NOT STATE TO INITIAL EACH DAY! I have met all of the requirements of the 16 week program, and provided all of the paperwork required to cancel, NAC is in default of their contract!

  Business response

  08/17/2023

  National Acceptance Company (NAC) is a third-party payment processor, contracted to manage the payment schedule and agreement for *************************. **************** did not sign a contract with NAC as NAC is only a payment facilitator and not a party or recipient of her membership dues. The Program and Guidelines states in third bullet All visits must be recorded in the gym electronic check-in system, or on a program sign in sheet which must be initialed and dated by both the member and gym representatives each visit to be eligible to cancel the gym membership at the end of my 16-week program.
  
  Although the Program Guidelines do indicate that each attendance be initialed by the member and instructor, NAC received notification that the service provider, Fitsmart Program, has authorized a closure of her membership with nothing further due at this time. NAC has consequently cancelled ****************** account accordingly and does not have authorization to process a refund as NAC does not retain the collected funds, but rather disburses the funds collected to the appropriate parties of the contract. Without further direction NAC is unable to make any other changes to the account as it is now closed.

  Customer response

  08/17/2023

  [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.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *************************
  

• Initial Complaint

  07/31/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I joined a 16 week fitness challenge through National Acceptance Company. I completed all of the requirements to cancel the membership after the 16 week program finished.Instead of being charged for 4 months of membership I was charged for 6 months. I have been unable to get a refund for the 2 months I was overcharged.

  Business response

  08/01/2023

  National Acceptance Company is a third-party payment processor, contracted to manage the payment schedule and agreement for *********************************. Although ************************ did not meet the terms of cancellation as outlined in the membership agreement and program guidelines (attached for review) our client has agreed to cancel her membership as of June 13, 2023. This was confirmed with her via email sent on June 14, 2023. The two payments ************************ is requesting as a refund were reversed via the credit card dispute process she initiated through her financial institution and therefore cannot be refunded. As of the date of this response, NAC has not received any correspondence indicating these payments will be credited back to her account and as such her membership remains closed.  Please close this complaint as NAC is only a payment processor and not a party to this membership agreement.

• Initial Complaint

  07/31/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I signed up for a 16 Week challenge at *****************. The terms of the challenge were clear, you must attend at least 3 times per week for 16 weeks, with the option to continue the membership for a year if desired. I exceeded the expectations for the 16 week challenge, at the end of the challenge I chose to cancel my membership, which you are eligible to do if you attended at least 3 times per week. Your are required to send a certified letter requesting confirmation. I obtained proof of all all the classes I attended from the gym, which did indeed validate I attended 3 times (sometimes 4 per week). Sent the letter priority mail, certified with signature requested, costing me about $14. The letter arrived at their PO Box on 7/13/23, they did not pick it up until 7/18, at which time I received an email stating my cancellation is "up for review". Why would this be when I met the terms of my contract? On top of that I was billed 2 additional months. I paid 2 months up front when I signed up on March, which I was told was my first and last month (March and June), I also paid in April and May. I received a letter stating I owed $79. When I called in I was told that was for June's payment and that now I owe for July. How??? When I explained I canceled after my 16 weeks, and paid for all for months I was told my contract is for 1 year with the option to cancel after 16 weeks if I attended 3 classes. WHen I informed her I did attend and cancelled and should only be billed for 4 months the rep just kept repeating herself and talking in circles. This company tries to force payments upon you, they will not let you out of the contract even when you meet the terms of the contract. I will never again deal with a company that does business through this scam of a company. They are thieves plain and simple. I do not understand how they are even allowed to do business in the US as what they are doing is illegal and plain extortion. They should be under a RICO investigation.

  Business response

  08/03/2023

  National Acceptance Company is a third-party payment processor, contracted to process transactions as outlined in the attached Membership Agreement. **. ************ request for cancellation was received on July 18th and a confirmation of receipt was emailed to her July 19th. NAC notifies customers when a request has been received with an outline of when to expect the cancellation to be processed. Our client has a policy to process cancellation requests within 15 business days of receipt. As of the date of this response, it is twelve business days since the date of receipt.
  
  ************************** contacted our office via phone on July 31 and a representative explained the contract and cancellation process to **************************. ************************** chose to file a complaint prematurely as her cancellation process had not yet been completed. Her account with NAC has since been canceled by our client with nothing further due for meeting the requirements of the 16 week workout challenge.

  Customer response

  08/03/2023

  This company finally cancelled my membership after 26 days, and billing me an additional month, and receiving my BBB complaint. I still stand by my statement that this is a horrible company to deal with, the customer service is horrible and they make it as hard as humanly possible to cancel your membership even AFTER you meet all of the many terms they have for cancellation. If a gym or any organization uses this company think twice about signing up. When I called on 7/31 before making this complaint the representative I spoke with was no help and kept repeating the same information. He could not answer any of my questions and stated the department that does (the cancellation department) does not take incoming calls. If you are not going to equip your reps with the knowledge to answer questions in an effective manner, shouldn't you have the cancellation department handling those calls? I would have to assume, based on the many complaints on this site I am not the only one who needed to contact the cancellation department.

  Customer response

  08/03/2023

  [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.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *************************************
  

• Initial Complaint

  07/21/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I signed up for a 16 week fitness challenge with ***************** and was being billed through the National Acceptance Company (NAC). I saw an ad on ******** promoting the challenge. Upon arriving at the facility, I noticed the pictures on ******** did not match the actual gym. The salesman explained to us that the challenge was for 16 weeks and after the 16 weeks, we could cancel our membership or choose to stay. He passed out membership forms for us to provide our payment info and he showed us where to sign and then gave us our membership cards. During this process, the salesman never mentioned they used a billing company (NAC) to process all payments. During the entire 16 week challenge, the instructor encouraged the participants to attend at least 3 classes per week. Within the first week of class, the instructor made a comment about how almost half of the participants who sign up for the challenge drop out within the first few weeks. Throughout the entire challenge period, there was no mention of specific guidelines participants had to do in order to cancel after the 16 weeks were over. The information provided to participants were purposefully misleading in regards to how we were able to cancel our membership after 16 weeks. During the 14th week, they finally provided us with instructions on how to cancel memberships and we were required to mail in a certified letter to NAC. I originally paid first and last month for the 16 weeks and was continuing to be charged $69.00 after I mailed in my cancelation letter. *** denied my request to cancel and charged me a late fee. They said I did not attend 3 classes a week and was not allowed to cancel. I called ***************** to try to resolve this and was told they couldn't do anything because NAC handles all billing. The membership form I completed is a ***************** form not NAC. ***************** and NAC purposefully misled participants and are continuing to charge and bill monthly fees to all participants.

  Business response

  07/26/2023

  Please accept this response regarding the complaint from **********. NAC is a third-party payment processor who was contracted to process the recurring membership dues as outlined in the attached agreement. This agreement provides all pages and not only the first page supplied by **********. Additionally, ********** has provided an email response from NAC regarding her cancellation request that provides a detailed explanation and options for cancellation. You will see that the information provided in the email matches the guidelines and requirements as outlined in the Membership Agreement and Program Guidelines. NAC is not authorized by its client to make any changes to an agreement other than provided for within the signed agreement. We encourage ********** to review all the relevant documents pertaining to her fitness program to determine what method of cancellation she may be eligible for at this time.

• Initial Complaint

  07/12/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My husband signed up for a weight loss challenge for 5 months. He signed up with me because the person signing us up said no problem u can cancel in 5 months and it was very easy. He knew he had to go to another state for work temporarily so this was perfect. When we get to the 5 months we contacted NAC to verify how to cancel. I specifically asked if we could send a screen shot of what we were able to see on the fitness program app, they said ok. We sent in a written cancelation postmarked by the date they said we had printed the screen shot of my husband's attendance. Then I see that he kept getting charged for the service and it had not stopped. I called yesterday 07/11/2023 to find out they have denied his "written cancelation" because it was going to be easy to cancel per the guy that signed us up. Come to find out.. they had denied the cancelation because the screen shot copies were missing dates. Nobody even bothered to call my husband to ask him for the rest or nor did they call the facility trainer himself to verify the date. Anyone can alter a piece of paper.. They didnt even bother to verify with the trainer the attendance. I know this for a fact because I had contacted the trainer to see if he could help us out and he said they had not contacted him. NAC could care less. They just want to take people's money even though you are trying to cancel appropriately. This is a scam. This easy cancel is a fraud. We want my husband's contract canceled and that is all we are asking for!

  Business response

  07/14/2023

  Please accept this response regarding the complaint from ******************. NAC is a third-party payment processor who was contracted to manage the recurring membership dues as outlined in the attached agreement. NAC is not a party to the membership agreement and therefore does not have the legal authorization from all parties to make any changes to a an agreement. ****************** signed the attached membership agreement which clearly outlines the program guidelines and terms for cancellation.
  
  As of the date of this response, ****************** has not submitted a cancellation request that meets the criteria as outlined in his membership agreement and program guidelines. The Program Guidelines and Procedures page provides the details regarding attendance and the requirements to cancel an account upon completion of the program 16 week program. These include: attendance of 3 times per week for 16 consecutive weeks, all visits must be recorded in the gym checkin system or a program sign in sheet, and an understanding that the membership will continue unless a qualified cancellation is submitted. The cancellation submitted by ****************** is also attached for reference and clearly does not meet the attendance requirements.
  
  Additional options for cancellation are provided on page 2 of the membership agreement under Section 2 and this information was also provided to ****************** on July 13th via email. Once again, NAC is not a party to this membership agreement and is only contracted to process the payments as authorized in the membership agreement. NAC is following the instructions provided by the fitness program and as outlined in the membership agreement.

• Initial Complaint

  07/03/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  NAC purposefully built communication blocks to make cancelling membership difficult.Example 1. High call volume alerts without voicemail access Example 2. Requirement of customer to post a **** certified mail letter requesting cancellation to their P.O. Box Example 3. Making customer service call difficult to hear by talking while customer is asking questions and then pretending the customer was interrupting Example 4. Using the word "term" to mean a continuously renewed contract that goes beyond a 12 month time period.Example 5. Using ambiguous terms within the contract so as to misdirect the customer and maintain monthly payment beyond 12 months. I should not be charged for July and August. I paid for 12 months even though I've been ill and unable to use the service. A year is a term. I should not be charged for July and August. I should not have to make a trip to the post office. I should not have to do anything more than tell customer service to cancel my membership. No one should have to go through so much to cancel a service. This is malicious greed.

  Business response

  07/07/2023

  Please accept this response addressing ** ********** concerns regarding her membership agreement.
  
  1.   NAC has voicemail options for any caller who does not reach a representative in a timeframe they are ok with. Our policy is to return all calls within 48 business hours.
  2.   **. ********** contract (attached) requires that she submit a certified letter requesting cancellation. This is not NACs policy, but a term of her contract.
  3.   This is subjective statement and not supported by the call recording.
  4.   The word term is used in the contract ********************** signed specifically in the renewal clause she initialed that states: In order to preserve the monthly rate after the initial term, Member understands and agrees that at the end of the initial term, memberships will continue on a month-to-month basis at the same monthly rate as indicated herein.
  5.   The contract additionally states on Page 2, Section 2, No. 6: After the completion of the original 12 month term (from date agreement was signed) and conversion to a month-to-month basis as indicated on the front of this AGREEMENT, the Member may cancel the AGREEMENT upon giving 30-day written notice sent via **** Certified Mail to NAC at the address listed herein. All payments must be current prior to cancellation approval. This is the same information that was provided to ***********************
  
  We are sorry ********************** feels she should be able to just call and cancel her membership. NAC is a processing center for payments and does not provide fitness memberships nor is a party to the contract. As such, NAC is forbidden from making any arrangements with members outside the terms of their contractual agreement and will provide customers with understand the process.  

• Initial Complaint

  06/26/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  i have received a collection ntice which is fraud stating this company on behalf submitted for *** **** ******* 720.00 which is faalse.I have already contacted you a few times and was received a email advising my medical cancellation was received post marked certified 6/7 and this collection compnay states you notified them 7/19 and they are now ahrassing me by text!I signed up for the 4 mont fitness trial which was from 2/20-6/20 2 payments of 138.00 in which I paid one,this needs to be resolved asap,this is unexceptable from you and war room fitness,the email you sent acknowledeged you would adjust everything and send me a new email in 3-5 days which has not happened!I laso want a new letter wehre you have corrected everything as you should have and adjust my amount owed

  Business response

  07/13/2023

  Please accept this response regarding the complaint from **************. NAC is a third-party payment processor who was contracted to process the recurring membership dues as outlines in the attached agreement. NAC is not a party to the membership agreement and therefore does not have the legal authorization to make any changes between the customer and the contract holder. As such, ********************** has made payments in good faith or provided documentation as outlined in the membership agreement for a proper cancellation. The terms for cancellation are provided on the second page of the membership agreement under Section 2: Consumer Disclosures. Item 1 provides for cancellation due to physical issues once the member provides proper proof of disability. ********************** submitted a disability form June 7 that did not meet the requirements for cancellation and was notified on June 28th the reason her cancellation was denied. Her condition is noted that it will last 3 months which would have made her eligible for a freeze of the membership provided her payments were current at the time of the request.
  
  Item 7 indicates that all membership dues must be current prior to cancelling an account. ********************** agreed to make payments of $69/mo beginning on 3/15/23 and has not made any payments to date. Her original payment of $138 is noted as received on the attached copy of the membership agreement.

• Initial Complaint

  06/15/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I mailed a cancellation letter for my account #*********** to NAC the same day I joined, because I read the fine print on what was supposed to be a 16 week membership, discovering it was actually for 12 months. NAC acknowledged via email that they received my certified cancellation, postmarked for the SAME DAY I joined. Their email of 31MAY2023 said my cancellation was "under review" (even though they stated it was during the legally protected 3 day buyer's remorse period) which is unacceptable because, legally, even according to their own email I should receive a full refund of the $138 charge to my debit card. Their email said to allow a maximum of 30 days for processing of my refund and completion of my cancellation. Today, on day 29 of that wait, they charged me an ADDITIONAL month's fee of $69, and still haven't refunded the initial charge. Unacceptable. I expect all charges refunded and no further charges from NAC in the future, with complete cancellation of this "membership".

  Business response

  06/23/2023

  Please accept this response regarding the complaint from **************. NAC is a third-party payment processor who was contracted to process the recurring membership dues as outlines in the agreement ************* signed with the ******** Program at ************************. NAC does not engage in any fitness services, signing customers up for memberships or management of fitness programs. NAC is also not a party to the membership agreement and therefore does not have the legal authorization to make any changes between the customer and the contract holder. As such, ************** has been updated regularly on the status of her cancellation request. *** received her request for cancellation on May 30 and promptly forwarded this request to the appropriate contractual parties to her agreement. As outlined in the membership agreement, all refunds are processed within 30 days; and would be due on June 30, 2023. On June 22, 2023, NAC received authorization to close her account and issue a refund for the payment processed on 6/15/23. ************** was notified on June 23 that her cancellation was approved, and the payment would be refunded within 5-7 business days. Any payments made at the time of signing will be refunded by the ******** Program she paid at the time of signing up. We hope this update provides resolution to **. ******** concerns.

• Initial Complaint

  05/22/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  False advertisement and false representation by **** ***** /NAC Fulfillment of payment commitment but will not release from contract. Rushed to sign contract. Given false information

  Business response

  05/26/2023

  National Acceptance Company is a third party payment processor and not a party to ********************** agreement. However, a copy of the agreement ****************** is attached for review as it clearly states the options for cancellation in Section 2, page 2. ****************** contacted our office multiple times regarding the options to cancel and was provided verbally with the options written in the membership agreement. As a third party, NAC is not authorized to make any changes to a membership agreement outside of those outlined in the membership agreement.

• Initial Complaint

  04/05/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I thought I would be able exercise but my health is not good enough to perform the activities required by this organization. So, I have paid them $276 and have been unable to benefit from their program due to failing health.

  Customer response

  04/05/2023

  Since I am physically unable to perform the activities I want to terminate any future relationship. Furthermore, this is a credit organization and they conceal the fine print until you sign. Keep the $276 and leave me alone. 

  Business response

  04/10/2023

  National Acceptance Company is a third-party payment processor, contracted to manage the payment schedule and agreement for *************************. The Program Guidelines and Procedures explains the requirements of the program on the 3rd page of the attached membership agreemnt. On March 27, NAC received a request to cancel Post Marked 3/20/23, however the guidelines and requirements of the program were not followed. As of the date of this response, NAC has not received a request to cancel for medical reasons. As stated in Section 2 of the membership agreement, there is a medical form to be completed by a doctor that does not require any HIPPA information. This form was emailed to ************************* April 10. If *************************** would have contacted our office to inquire about cancelling for medical reasons, the form would have been provided at that time. Please see the attachment for the signed copy of *************************** membership agreement. Thank you.

  Customer response

  04/12/2023

  [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 as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  I am seeing my doctor to complete their form and I am seeking legal counsel. I note the MANY complaints against these people.
  
  Regards,
  
  *****************************
  

  Business response

  04/19/2023

  The customer's response does not reject our position or the fact that a contract was signed. At this time, the response is the same as previous. NAC is not a party to the contract and must follow the terms as outlined in the membership agreement. Please notify the customer that their rejection is not related to any service or business process provided by National Acceptance Company and the customer should review the membership agreement for the services they purchased. Thank you.

  Customer response

  04/19/2023

  [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 as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  I have provided a letter from my primary physician stating I am physically unable to perform within the parameters of this contract. Furthermore, I regard their replies as harassment and I will not be bullied into submission.
  
  Regards,
  
  *****************************
  

  Customer response

  05/11/2023

  I provided NAC with the form they required to be completed by my doctor. This was done prior to their deadline and sent by certified mail per their requirements.

  Business response

  05/11/2023

  NAC is in receipt of the medical form requesting cancellation of the membership. As a third party processor, NAC is not a party of the membership agreement and has not been authorized to make any changes to it. The contract holder, Fitsmart Program,  has denied the request for cancellation because the request does not meet the requirements of the membership agreement. As you can see from the attached form, the customers condition began in May 2022, approximately 6 months before the agreement was signed. As such, the membership agreement was signed knowing that there was a medical disability that precluded use of gym services, yet the agreement was signed anyway. The membership agreement strongly encourages you to check with your physician prior to signing such a membership to ensure that you are physically able to participate in the program. Because the condition began prior to signing the agreement, the condition provided would not meet the requirements of the medical clause to cancel the agreement.

  Customer response

  05/11/2023

  [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 as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  They have now changed the name from ************** to ******** *********! This is a bunch of thugs and I will NOT ACCEPT IT. I've had enough. Next stop, Attorneys General.
  
  Regards,
  
  *****************************
  

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