ComplaintsforVASA Fitness

• Initial Complaint

  01/06/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  When I initially signed up for personal training they told me that I would have to sign up for additional time at the end of the 3 month period if I wanted to continue. Two months in I found out that it was set up to auto renew. I asked them to cancel the auto renew in person at the St.****** location because I did not want to continue. They told me it was cancelled. Then I was in a car accident on August 8th and I asked them to put my regular membership (which is separate) on hold. They then asked if I wanted to put the personal training on hold. I said that I'd asked for it to be canceled. They said it was set to renew. I asked for a third time to have it cancelled and asked for an e-mail confirming the cancellation. He said that they couldn't send an e-mail confirmation that it was cancelled and I asked to speak to a manager and started recording the conversation. I told the manager what had happened and asked for an e-mail confirming the cancellation. He put the regular membership on hold, but told me that he'd have to send an e-mail to their corporate to get it fixed because at this point (the third time I'd asked them to cancel) was after the renewal date. He said I would receive an e-mail confirming the cancellation. When I didn't receive the confirmation e-mail I called and was told it was put on hold along with the regular membership. They said they couldn't do anything to fix it until the hold was up and that I'd need to go in to the St.****** location at that point to re-request the cancellation...again. I did that. They said they couldn't cancel at that location and they'd have their corporate give me a call. I didn't receive a call and went back, again. I was told the same thing, again. I didn't receive the call. Again. The only calls I am receiving are automated calls from collections. Meanwhile, I've canceled it before the renewal, at renewal, and after the renewal and attempted to resolve this repeatedly. Its ridiculous.

  Business response

  01/11/2022

  Hi, 

   

  We appreciate your feedback. You are not in collections, the calls you are receiving is from our billing company ********************. I have canceled the personal training auto renewal and waived the balance. I do apologize for any inconvenience this had caused. Please let us know if there is anything else we can do. 

  Customer response

  01/11/2022

   
  Complaint: 16434351
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  Your company just charge me three charges, one for $115, and two for $90 each. These bounced my account and cost me an additional $135 in fees and made it so that I can't afford to pay rent. I had to dispute this with my bank and have to talk to my landlord tomorrow.  I feel it is further dishonesty that your company charged me while you tell me that it was canceled and the charges were waived. I would like a refund for the fraudulent billing. If you reverse these charges then I will cancel my dispute with my bank. Otherwise, I will total and include the fees for the bounced account and the fee to my landlord for the late rent, as these were a direct result of the fraudulent charges and will be billing your company. I would also like confirmation that your third party will not be continuing to attempt to collect on these fraudulent charges. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************************

  Business response

  01/14/2022

  Hi,

   

  I have refunded the 2 $90 charges. I am not able to refund any fees that are part of the dispute. I do not see the dispute as ended so I am not able to do anything with those payments. Feel free to contact us at ************************************** if you have further questions. 

• Initial Complaint

  01/01/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Oh man. A year ago, I called to cancel my membership for various reasons, the biggest of which was I had a membership at another facility that I preferred. I spoke to someone on the phone who guided me through the steps of canceling my membership, and let me know that I would be paying in full for that month (even though I called a week before I got charged) because they dont prorate and charge for the following month after cancelling. I thought that was strange, but whatever it took for them to stop charging me, I wasnt using my pass at all.Fast forward a couple months, I check my statements and see that they are STILL charging me. Obviously bothered, I call the helpline again. I was connected with someone who lets me know that this happens all the time and isnt a big deal illegally charging someones credit card without their permission is fraud? It most definitely IS a big deal. After that call, I trusted that the second employee could terminate my membership, as well as refund me for the wrongfully charged couple months, which I was under the impression they would do. The card they had on file was one I dont typically use for various reasons. I was in the midst of dealing with the sudden loss of a loved one, planning my wedding, as well as moving. That being said, I havent been routinely checking my statements since there was no reoccurring purchases, or so I thought.Today, I went to the back to move all the leftover money in said account to mine and my husbands account, and the bank let me know that they had seen multiple reoccurring transactions to this day from Paramount something, which is Vasa. Not only do they make it impossible to cancel, I have been wrongfully charged $30/month for a service I terminated a YEAR AGO!! Your customers should not be expected to cancel 3 times in order to stop being charged.I expect each dollar back in my account. Please resolve this, I never had an issue with Vasa before this experience.

  Business response

  01/04/2022

  Hi, 

  We appreciate the feedback and are so sorry to hear about your experience. I do see a cancel request in March 2021 but nothing more then that. How did you try to cancel? As a resolve we will refund $266.61. To processed with the refund we need you to verify your address. Please contact ************ or email **************************************.

• Initial Complaint

  12/27/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On October 25th, I contacted **** Fitness via Live Chat to ask some questions before I joined the gym, to see if the membership would work for me. As a single mom, my biggest need was KidsCare to be open, without it I wouldn't want the membership at all. I contacted Vasa Live Chat and let them know that I only want the membership if Kidscare is open. The **** Chat agent assured me the Tooele branch did have it open, so I signed up for a membership online. Turns out KidsCare has never been open since the pandemic, but **** Fitness still will **** for it even though they know the service can not be provided. Had the **** Chat Agent told me the truth, that KidsCare is still closed, I would have never signed up for the membership at all. Vasa has now charged me $250.41 for this membership, only offering to refund $75. I contacted the Club last month and it was supposed to be cancelled and I was to contact **** customer ********************** for a refund. Well the club never did the cancelation part and I was charged again. I would like **** to fully refund all of the money paid since I would never have signed up for any gym services had the **** chat agent given me accurate information. Further, **** customer ********************** refuses to look at the chat transcript for their own records to verify what their own employees told me prior to signing up.

  Business response

  12/29/2021

  Hi Cody, 

   

  We appreciate your feedback. I am so sorry for the misinformation you were told. I am unable to refund the initial fee you paid to sign up but we will refund all other charges. The total refund will be $134.77. We need your address confirmed, you can email ************************************** with your address. Thank you, let us now if we can do anything else for you. 

  Customer response

  12/30/2021

   
  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.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

• Initial Complaint

  12/27/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Company canceled my membership, despite paying for it.Asked for 4x what they owe me and dinged credit.Broke contract, didn't receive services that were paid for and attempted to extort money through threats and a collection agency.

  Business response

  12/29/2021

  Hi, 

  We appreciate your feedback and apologize for any inconvenience this has caused you. March of 2020 we sent out email communication  to all members that all clubs will be closed due to the ***** pandemic, we froze all accounts until we were able to reopen the gym safety due to the new regulations in place. June 2020 we sent an email letting all members know our clubs would be open and when all memberships would resume. At that point we started charging all accounts unless members said otherwise to cancel or freeze their accounts. Reviewing your account I do not see any attempts to cancel or freeze your membership. We have not be able to collect a payment since 02/21/20. Calls and emails were sent in attempt to contact you regarding your account but we never got a response. You will need to resolve your account with ****** & Associates. They  can be reached at ************.

  Customer response

  12/29/2021

   
  Complaint: 16401045
  
  I am rejecting this response because: company has lied and expecting customers to pay x4 the amount for services that were not provided
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

  Business response

  01/03/2022

  Hi, 

  We understand your frustration. Our final resolve we can offer to you is have you pay us what was owed and we can remove your account from collections. The balance owed is $181.96. Please contract us and let us know if this resolve is to your satisfactory.

  Customer response

  01/06/2022

   
  Complaint: 16401045
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I paid for access to the gym (whether used or not) and gym was closed. Paid for services not received. Gym owes ME (and many other customers) money for services not provided, but paid for. If anybody is interested in a class action lawsuit, feel free to put me down or contact me.
  
  VASA fitness is, by definition, guilty of fraud and extortion on a large scale. As evident by the many reviews and testimony of former clients/members.
  
  Fraud: wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in financial or personal gain.

  Extortion: the wrongful use of actual or threatened force, violence, or intimidation to gain money or property from an individual or entity. Extortion generally involves a threat being made to the victim's person or property, or to their family or friends.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

  Business response

  01/11/2022

  Hi, 

   

  Your account has been remove from collections and canceled. Please allow up to 30 days to update on your credit if you have been affected negatively. Let us know if you have any questions. 

  Customer response

  01/15/2022

   
  Complaint: 16401045
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  VASA has committed:

  
  Fraud: wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in financial or personal gain.

  and

  Extortion: the practice of obtaining something, especially money, through force or threats.
  
  I would like to be compensated for what I paid for in services and did not receive, as well as pain/suffering for crimes committed leading to time spent and resulting stress from being threatened and harassed during times where such actions have most likely contributed to the deaths of many people.
  
  I'm still interested in joining a class action lawsuit for the many victims of fraud/extortion at the hands of VASA fitness as well as those who've lost loved ones due to the increased stress caused by this criminal activity.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

• Initial Complaint

  12/09/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I had an account with VASA for about a year, I love their *********** employees were always outstanding. I am in the ******** received orders to move to another State (I moved in November of 2020) but decided to keep my account until January since I was going to be back in ******** for Christmas, in Jan I was under the impression I canceled my membership (somehow my fianc was also under my email and his membership was the one that got canceled however until a week ago I did not know this). From January to June (until I lost my debit card and had to get a new one) I was apparently on autopay for the $24 a month for the membership until I got my new debit card which obviously started declining my payment since it was a different card. Fast forward to last week I received a declined payment from Paramount on my apple pay, I thought that was weird because I didn't recognize the transaction so I googled paramount and saw it was VASA, I reached out through the customer ********************** email explained I was trying to check the status of my account etc I got an email back saying that my account was no longer with VASA it was sent to collections and that I needed to reach out to ******, I replied & explained how I moved on military orders and have spent the last 9 months out of the year **************** could send all supporting documentation to support that & how I was upset that no one made any attempts to reach out to me or send me an email or a letter saying that my account went to collections considering I have a clearance that I could lose for something going to collections (this was on December 4th). I was finally able to get in touch with ****** by paying someone here to use their phone since i'm deployed and have no service provider right now to pay a $235 collections **** just for VASA to email me back 5 days later telling me to send supporting ******************** would pull it from collections. Just extremely sad & disappointed in VASA and their customer **********************

  Business response

  12/10/2021

  Hello ********, 

  I sincerely apologize that this has been your experience with VASA. You had mentioned that you were gone for military and advising you to send the documentation of that should have been the first thing we did. I apologize that this wasn't the case. We will definitely be training our member services staff on how to better handle memberships of members that have been deployed.

  Is there anything we can do to make this a better experience? Again, I sincerely apologize that this has been your experience.

• Initial Complaint

  12/02/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I joined for my grandson who at the time was a minor now 18. Been trying to cancel, payments are drawn from my bank account. They will not let me. They say my grandson has to cancel. I could stop payments with my bank for a fee,but that want cancel this membership. Help I too am an older person I been paying for along time now,money I can't afford please help me make this stop.

  Business response

  12/03/2021

  Hello ********, 

  I sincerely apologize that this has been your experience with VASA. We are unable to locate a membership for your grandson with the information provided. Please provide us with the Full Name of the membership holder, Member ID, Barcode, and Birthday to be able to further assist you.
  
  Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  11/15/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On October 3, 2021 I canceled my club membership with **** on **************** in ********* **, knowing I would have to pay $24.48 for one more month, but on October 12 my credit card was charged $74.48 so I called the main **** office in **** and was told that my annual membership was due in October. I explained that I quit the club on October 3 but the office lady told me that the annual membership was due in October and that was why I was charged the additional $50. She was not going to refund that annual membership fee. This was NOT explained to me when I quit the club and I don't think I ought to be charged an "annual membership fee" when I had already quit the club 9 days earlier. That annual fee is charged at the beginning of a membership and the club employee used a euphemism when I signed up, calling it a "price lock guarantee" and NOT an annual membership. The **** office in **** can be called at ************

  Business response

  11/16/2021

  Hello ****,

  I apologize for any miscommunication! The Rate Guarantee Fee is drafted 60 days after initial sign up and on that date every year moving forward. Our terms of cancellation are any payments set to draft within 30 days of request to cancel are owed. The Rate Guarantee Fee was owed under the 30 day cancellation policy. However, I have gone ahead and refunded the payment of $49.99 back to you.

  Customer response

  11/16/2021

   
  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.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****

• Initial Complaint

  11/09/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  My husband and I signed up for memberships with VASA Fitness through a special program with my work. In 2017 both memberships were canceled. I just found out that they have been charging me every months since canceling, including multiple annual renewal fees. I have called them to request a refund and have been told that I have to provide proof of the cancellation to receive a refund. They never sent a confirmation email for either cancellation, but mine was cancelled when requested and my husband's was not. They are refusing to provide a full refund without proof.

  Business response

  11/10/2021

  Hello,
  I apologize for any inconvenience this has caused. I would be happy to look into this for you. Can you please confirm your husband's name so I can locate his Membership?

  Customer response

  11/10/2021

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  My husband's name is *******************.  His account is under the phone number ************. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

• Initial Complaint

  11/08/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was just charged about 90 dollars for signing up to a ten dollar subscription to Vasa fitness, that's ridiculous and I shouldn't have been charged anything, I demand an immediate refund.

  Business response

  11/09/2021

  Hello,
  It looks like the payment of $88.99 included the monthly rate and the $79 enrollment fee. It does look like the cancellation of your Membership, Zecharya Greiniman   -   2368004213893W, has already been processed and the refund will be processed back to you. At this point, there is nothing more that needs to be done.

• Initial Complaint

  11/02/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have been a customer of Vasa since they opened the Thunderbird location. In March 2021, as I was walking in there was a gentlemen behind me who needed to update his billing information. The front desk representative ended up adding his billing information under my account. (I am unsure of how this happened). I received a notification that my billing information had been updated. Knowing that I did not update anything since I got my membership since their opening day, I went up to the front desk and top them that I did not update my billing info. They recommended I reply to the email with the update and let the support staff change it. Since March 2021, I've had the runaround with Vasa. Recently, in September, I was finally able to update my account information to reflect my card/banking info. As of Nov 2021, my account was once again disabled because they continue to **** the gentlemen (from the March scenario); in addition to charging me they are also tacking on charges for late/bounced payments. Every time I email, call or speak to a front desk representative noone seems to be able to help me. Their main goal is to always collect payment and not fix the error their front desk staff created to begin with. I am constantly worried if my account is disabled, why my gym membership is always over $100 and why these people cannot fix the account once and for all. I've spent hundreds of dollars and there seems to be no end in sight. Today when I tried to cancel my account because I am just sick of all the billing issues never being resolved, I was asked to pay hundreds of dollars again. I refused. Disconnected. Vasa Fitness is my favorite gym in Phoenix. However,I am sad that I have to leave because of the horrible customer ********************** issues that have been dragging on since March 2021, due to untrained front desk staff.

  Business response

  11/03/2021

  Hello,

  I sincerely apologize for the negative experience you have had with VASA Fitness. I would be happy to make this right for you. Can you please confirm the last 4 digits of the billing method that is being inaccurately charged to the other gentleman's account so I can locate his Membership?

  Customer response

  11/08/2021

   
  Complaint: 16085197
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I no longer have access to my account, therefore, I am unable to provide the requested information  additionally, it appears that my account was cancelled  can you confirm that there isnt a balance you will be sending fo collections? 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  Business response

  11/09/2021

  Hello, 

  The Membership under your name is cancelled. However, you stated previously that you were being charged still. In order to find the account you are being charged for, we would need you to confirm the last 4 digits of the billing.

*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. ↩