Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  09/24/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was previously in a contract with HotWorx at their Gretna location ****************************************************************************************. I signed the paperwork digitally in their facility to cancel services in February 2024 with the knowledge that February and March 2024 were going to be my last payment withdrawn per their contract. However this business continued to charge the bank account that I had on file past the contract ending dates. I have called, gone into their facility, and most recently emailed them via their website because I continue to be charged random amounts by HotWorx after the contract has ended. The staff verbally keeps telling me that it is a software error and that I'll be reimbursed however that has not happened yet to date. The staff will not provide me with a copy of the digital documents that I completed in their location to prove that I have canceled my membership. I have had to take the steps of calling my bank to have them issue me a new debit card and to block HotWorx from being able to charge my account again for the next 5 years. The staff at HotWorx does not return calls and never follows up like they say they will. They have charged my account several hundred dollars without permission over the past several months. The dates I was charges without permission are:4/2/24: $32.21 4/2/24 $64.43 5/2/24; $32.21 5/2/24: $64.43 6/3/24:$32.21 6/3/24: $64.43 7/2/24: $32.21 9/3/24: $32.21 Total: $354.34 in unauthorized charges

  Business response

  09/30/2024

  Hello, my name is ******** *****, and I am the owner of HOTWORX Gretna. First and foremost, I would like to sincerely apologize to this member. It is never our intention to upset our members, as our mission is to enhance the quality of life through fitness. I am truly sorry that this situation has caused such distress.

  
  After thoroughly reviewing this matter, it seems the issue stems from a misunderstanding of our membership agreement, which all members are required to sign upon joining to ensure clarity and mutual commitment. Ms. **** mentioned that she was fraudulently charged, which is not accurate. She signed a membership agreement with us and also added her son, ****** ****, to her account on the same day she joined, as evidenced in the screenshots included in this report.
  Ms. **** also mentioned concerns about additional fees, but these are simply applicable state taxes, as outlined in the membership agreement. Regarding her cancellation request, our agreement clearly states that cancellations must be done in person at the studio, and the member must sign a cancellation form. Ive checked her profile, and there is no record of a cancellation form being submitted. I also reached out to our tech support team to verify if any attempt was made to upload a cancellation agreement, but none was found.

  
  Ms. **** also stated in her report that a staff member promised her a refund, which is not applicable. I have highlighted in our membership agreement the section where it states that no oral promises can be held against the fitness studio. As a franchisee, we are not liable for verbal statements made by staff that contradict our policies.

  
  Ive also attached the documentation showing her sons signed agreement, which was completed by Ms. **** on his behalf when she signed up. However, I am limited to uploading five documents at a time.
  Lastly, I want to sincerely apologize for not being aware of this situation sooner, as it was not brought to my attention. Had I known earlier, I would have addressed it promptly. Again, I apologize for any inconvenience, and I am more than willing to resolve this in any way other than issuing a refund, as that is not applicable in this case. As a small business, we must adhere to the policies set by our franchise model, which are created by our franchisor. Thank you for your understanding.

• Initial Complaint

  08/07/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On January 11, 2024, I contacted HOTWORX Dadeland to cancel my membership. This was not my first attempt at cancelling, but this was the first time I was able to get a response. No one ever answers the phone or texts back until this phone particular day. I was informed that a $99 cancellation fee would be processed to finalize the cancellation. I agreed to the charge and asked them to process it immediately. Despite my clear request to cancel, HOTWORX continued to charge me $84.53 monthly for six to seven months.In late July 2024, after many unsuccessful attempts to resolve this matter through phone calls and messages, I finally received an email from the new owner. They however refunded only the last two months of payments and claimed they were not responsible for the charges billed under the old management. I find it interesting that they had no problem assuming the former owners members but do not want to address problems that carried over after the transition. In addition to trying to resolve the issue with the franchise directly, I reached out to HOTWORXs corporate office multiple times seeking assistance and clarification but have not received any response to date. I used the contact us form on their website as well as sent an email once I located one in their privacy policy on their website. The lack of accountability and customer service from both the local franchise and corporate level is unacceptable.The new owner says the membership wasnt cancelled because the old owner tried to run the cancellation and it was declined. There is no way this was possible and my bank statements will confirm it but if this were the case, why didnt the owner text me back and say there was an issue? I am seeking a full refund for all unauthorized charges made to my account after my initial cancellation request in January 2024 but have had no luck. The customer service and lack of professionalism is alarming and I am outraged at the experience I have had. Please help!

• Initial Complaint

  06/11/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In April, I attempted to cancel my Hotworx membership for the summer. An employee/sales representative swayed me to put my account on hold for three months for a charge of $9/month. When my three months were up in June, I was charged the full membership fee. That's fine. I knew the hold was for three months, and this would happen. My issue is that I went to the site today to cancel and was told I had to make an appointment! An appointment to cancel, and the representative I'd have to meet with had a very full schedule! Not only that, but I would have to pay a $100 fee to cancel today or give a 60-day notice and pay the full membership fee during that time. This is simply absurd. I haven't used the service for 3 months; I paid during that time and wish to cancel. Charging for cancelation and not being available for immediate in-store service is terrible customer service. I'm appalled.

• Initial Complaint

  06/11/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  Misleading and deceptive cancellation policy. My wife and I were informed it was either a $99 cancellation fee, or a two months notice with paying two months of membership dues. It is actually $99 a person or three months membership dues and a cancellation fee. They lied and charged our accounts fraudulently.

  Customer response

  07/01/2024

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates that the business has not responded to you directly.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  At this time, I have not been contacted by HOTWORX regarding complaint ID ********.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***********************
  

• Initial Complaint

  03/05/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I signed up last February 2023 while starting a new job away from home, I was injured last year and never ended up using it. When I realized would no longer be living near any HOTWORX location, I had cancelled this back in December. Mind you, I put in requests online for confirmation, and no response. I have emailed the ***************************** email address provided online, no answer. I spoke to the manager of my location via text message. Her name was *******, She messaged me about my outstanding fee's, to which I replied I had cancelled months ago. Her response being that they had no record of me, and that I would need to come in office to cancel. I have been paying ***** a month for over a year and never used the membership, which is on me. She stated she was not able to email me/mail me the form to sign again, their policy was in office only. I now live hours away from my nearest location, which I informed her, but she did not care to check/make any exceptions. She informed me I could have a friend/family member come in and cancel for me, but no email. I fail to see how someone going in for me benefits anybody. I then asked for corporate number and her name, which she did provide me with, but she only then offered to waive my cancellation fees if I came in instead of contacting corporate, not after I explained their mistake they had made, but to avoid corporate. The number she gave me states I need to fill out a form that I can not find, the corporate number exts tell you to leave a voicemail but ALL of the hang up before you get the chance. They don't answer their emails. So basically if you move, even after cancelling, you can be charged and punished for not having anybody in that town willing to go in and cancel for you even when you've given this business hundreds of dollars for nothing. This company as a whole has done nothing but ignore me when I've given them a years worth of membership fee's and they've never had to so much as clean up after me.

  Customer response

  03/26/2024

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates that the business has not responded to you directly.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  At this time, I have not been contacted by HOTWORX regarding complaint ID ********.
  
  Regards,
  
  *************************
  

• Initial Complaint

  12/19/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  Hotworx:When I had the first thought of working out in the sauna, about three years ago, I was in absolute amazement. I knew how beneficial that would be for so many. However, I asked the universe to quickly and efficiently give the idea to someone else in a better position to make it happen, faster . At the time I knew I was not in the position to bring this to life-nor did I have, or know the people with the right resources to bring this thing into fruition so I happily gave the idea back to the universe, knowing it would come to past. So when Hotworx was brought to my attention I went and became a member that day, no second thought & I absolutely fell in love with the studio. So, It does honestly sadden me to have to write this review/ I thought so extremely highly of Hotworx & still do. Everybody who knows me knows how much I love and advocate for Hotworx. Over the course of my short membership, *** enrolled 6 people and Ive told at least 100 people or more about it.Since the day I signed up, I have used the studio pretty much everyday. Ive taken an occasional couple to a few days off but I am very, very frequent and most everybody knows me because I am there so often. However, at this particular location in Stockbridge, the owners and women running this location clearly are operating in their ego and not even utilizing the facility to see what it can and will do for their mental, physical and emotional well beings. The levels of unprofessionalism displayed at this studio is absurd. I can literally write a list on Nickis attitude and how condescending she is to guest but that would be a waste of my time with the message I am trying to get across. I understand minor frustration every now and then with your guest, because you may be experiencing a challenging day, as none of us are perfect, but when you continuously go out of your way to try to make a member feel uncomfortable, when all I am doing is showing up everyday for myself and being the best version I can be, while literally not bothering anyone(because I can feel the vibes and energy) then it becomes a bit disheartening. You have to ask yourself if Im failing and refusing to lead myself then how are you able to lead a franchise, an organization and a team? You cannot, its impossible. One must show up for themselves in a manner that would ***** them peace and happiness and hotowrx offers just that so its sad to see the executive team not even realizing that and taking advantage of that. In order to lead a franchise to success one MUST LEAD themselves, but instead of being inspired by a woman like me, you choose to become jealous of another woman choosing to do just that. And it is very obvious and apparent. I would highly suggest that the corporate office come evaluate this location before you ruin your reputation due to the level of unprofessionalism displayed at this location.I have continued to try to contact the corporate number provided on the website. ************** I called several times and no call back. I finally text the number and asked for a point of contact and told ***** what was going on, she ignored my point of contact inquiry and just stated which location I let her know and she went ghost. So I just assume that the company just covers for each other which is sad, we have enough corrupt corporations and organizations out here and I would never expect Hotworx to be one of them. Once I move to another state or location I will most definitely be getting another membership but not for Hotworx, for me because I know the profound benefits working out in a sauna has on my life. This is not fair that Im being treated like this, when Ive been nothing but so supportive of this company. I would appreciate someone to actually care and reach out to me to fix this.*************************

  Customer response

  01/08/2024

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates that the business has not responded to you directly.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  At this time, I have not been contacted by HOTWORX regarding complaint ID ********.
  
  Regards,
  
  *************************
  

• Initial Complaint

  08/01/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Hello, I need your help recover my funds from Hotworx. They had a promotion few months ago and I signed up for it. Next day I called the local gym and asked them what are the next steps. They asked me to come to the local store and sign the paperwork until then nothing starts. They explained me the terms and conditions, which I didnt like, but they said since you didnt sign the paperwork in person I should not worry about it, but now they started charging my account. I called them I am not even a member of your club why would you charge me. and they I cannot help. you will be charged until you come and sign cancellation. I told them I was never signed up as per your employee and now your are telling me few months down the road that I am signed up and you cannot reimburse me. so please help me get my money back Regards *******************

  Customer response

  08/22/2023

  At this time, I have been contacted directly by HOTWORX regarding complaint ID ********, 
  [Your Answer Here]
  
  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************
  

  Customer response

  08/22/2023

  Issue has been resolved, they agreed to refund and remove any recurring charges. They agreed on their mistake. 

*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. ↩