Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  12/27/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  They will not stop billing my for a membership I have never used and have called to have them stop billing several times. I have never been there, do not live there. They are fraudulently charging me. This started back in 2021.

  Business response

  01/02/2024

  *******,

    I am sorry you have not been able to use the studio - typically we are unable to cancel memberships over the phone however it sounds like you have also moved out of the area.  I cancelled your membership when I received this message of course we would not expect you to remain a member from so far away.  I don't see any notes or other information in our system to indicate an earlier cancellation request do you happen to remember who you spoke with or when you called?

  Certainly happy to dig deeper to get this resolved for you,

  Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  06/21/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Unresolved

  More info

  I have been a member of HotWorx for nearly a year. I never got any disclosures up front but was told they would be mailed to me. I was told if I ever wanted to cancel they would need a 15 day notice in order to cancel my direct debit I set up with them from my checking account. I have tried for the last 5 months to cancel my membership. They told me I must come in and speak with them personally, after I sent in email after email requesting my membership be cancelled. I haven't even stepped foot in their facility for five months. Now I am being told they require a 60 day cancellation notice. I have to pay for two more months then they will cancel my membership. They have already gotten 5 months out of me and I haven't even used their gym! They want another 60 days or I can pay $99 up front to buy my way out of it..... That would save me paying the next two months at $57.. each month. I don't want to pay 60 days... I am being held hostage here...and the months will keep racking up! I finally cancelled my debit card so they can't debit it anymore.... I need help. They refuse to talk to me unless I go in person....

  Business response

  07/08/2023

  Please note the customer agreed to the membership contract (attached) which outlines the cancellation details and is emailed to members upon joining our Studio.  In addition each studio member is assigned a door code to access the studio - based on our records (see attached) this member has actually been in our studio as recently as 4/29/2023. We do require members, as outlined in the membership agreement to drop by the studio to sign the cancellation agreement however, can of course email the cancellation in cases where they may have moved or express other difficulties in fulfilling this requirement.  This particular member has not reported any such difficulties and while she reported emailing us multiple times I have no record of any email requests.  The member did send a Facebook message (attached) on 6/14/2023 which she attempted to delete stating again she hasn't had the code for 3 months which we know is not true.  She also states that she is unable to come in - even though we know she has used her code and come in and still reports living 5 minutes from the studio. 
  
    We are not a pay per use facility and never claimed to be - if the member was unable to use the facility 5 months ago as she claims she could have cancelled her membership then - this does not have anything to do with our business practices. 
  
   This member is upset because we won't "make an exception" "That is good business practice" If we made an exception for every member who asked for one we would be out of business.  When a member joins our facility we review the membership agreement including the cancellation policy in detail - People conveniently forget everything we tell them during their orientation when they are ready to cancel.
  
   The poor practice in this case is on the members end in cancelling her debit card so we are unable to collect the final 2 months as she agreed to in the beginning. As a business owner I can report this dishonest practice occurs more and more frequently, leaves us with no recourse for holding people to their end of the agreement, and costs us thousands of dollars in unpaid dues.
  
    Of course we will cancel her membership we have no desire to have people as members of our studio who are no longer enjoying the experience - there is however no reason this could not have been easily resolved with a conversation between the member and our studio. 

  Customer response

  07/10/2023

   
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: It is not an accurate description of the truth. I have called and sent emails since January. I have talked with two different females attempting to get my membership cancelled. They both did not give me an option to email my cancellation. They both said ‘You have to come in to sign the paper’. I was unable to for many reasons. 
  To get this canceled has been anything but easy and pleasant. It’s caused a lot of undue stress. 

  I would be interested to know if you have video of me coming in on 4/29. I do not believe it was me. My purse was stolen and had my code in there. Which is also why my card doesn’t work, on file, I had to close it done. Don’t accuse me of being dishonest. If I was that.. I wouldn’t even be trying to rectify this situation. 

  I believe it’s wrong to make someone pay an additional two months of membership if they are trying to cancel. Who does that? It’s an unheard of practice. Most will make you pay for the next month if you don’t cancel in time to cancel the ACH from the account. Most end the same month you cancel. 

  I have never reported to currently be living 5 min away. Wrong. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *** ******

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