Massage Envy Wiliamsburg VA: New Town Swindlers, Thieves and Liars Williamsburg Virginia

Massage Envy in Williamsburg, Va.

Membership: Not Worth The Money!!!

-NOT Possible to Cancel Membership (except to be permanently disabled in some       way or move 25 miles away from any ME Location)

-Forge Membership documents if they get your credit card info

-Lose paid for services if not used by last day of membership

-NOT allowed to give your prepaid services to who you want. (not within 6 months)

-WON’T work on Chemo Patients

-But wait! There’s more…

My experience with Massage Envy started with someone giving me a gift certificate. I had never had a massage before and hadn’t been in a rush to get one so I put off using it for months. I finally used it because due to my job I was in some serious back pain that affected my ability to work. Thinking a massage would ease the pain and tension in my back muscles I went there to use the gift certificate. Someone from the reception desk talked to me about why I was there and what I wanted worked on.  Due to my pain I felt pretty desperate for relief and she preyed upon that to sell their membership to me. It started then and after to massage when I was a bit more relaxed (although the pain hadn’t left entirely) and feeling sleepy they continued their sales pitch. Not usually one to be sold on expensive and luxurious things like this I feel I was gullible in my weakened state. I foolhardily handed over my credit card and signed a 1 year contract. One of the dumbest things I’ve ever done.

I went again and at some point I felt it wasn’t for me. At around the same time my credit card (tied directly to my bank account) that had been used to sign up with got replaced. Since I didn’t want the membership anymore I didn’t notify Massage Envy of the updated information. In my experience when you can’t be charged for a product or service they cancel your “order”. (I had a similar experience with a type of membership that charged my account monthly. When my card was compromised and I received a new one I forgot to update the info with this company. Due to this oversight they canceled the product/service I had been paying for due to non payment.) Apparently this is not the policy of Massage Envy. They have people who pursue this type of issue. I did receive messages that they were unable to process payment. Since I wasn’t using the service anymore I did not want to pay for it anymore. I didn’t feel the membership price was that much of a discount to make it worth the $59.99 being charged to me every month.  Even though I wasn’t coming in and getting massages they felt they deserved to be paid anyways.

So a few months down the road and they somehow worked hard enough at the issue to suddenly force a charge through of over $356 to my bank account. Understandably upset I contacted Massage Envy in Williamsburg and told them I hadn’t used their services so I didn’t need to pay for their services. They disagreed. I made an appointment with the manager at the time, I believe her name was Chanda or something. When I arrived at the location I witnessed the manager herself selling a membership to a woman. This woman clearly asked “If I ever want to cancel my membership what would I have to do?” The manager said to her, “Oh, just write us a letter and we’ll take care of that for you.”  When she was done with that customer she ushered me into her office. I spoke to her about my concerns and why I didn’t feel it was justified that they had charged my account and had worked to hard to force that payment through. She acted all understanding but it was all just an act.

Because when I asked if I could just go ahead and cancel my membership right then and there she said that wasn’t possible. That there was nothing she could do for me. I could not cancel and I would continue to be charged monthly. (So she lied to the customer she had seen just before saying that a simple letter could cancel such an ironclad contract and she had no real power to help anyone.)  So since I was really disenchanted with the whole company and massage concept all together at this point I asked her to make sure that this membership wouldn’t auto-renew. She said she’d make sure. I also asked if I could at least let my family members used my accrued services. She said yes. But that I would have to pay extra money in order to do that. Making the massage cost $69.99.  I have to say I really don’t understand this policy. Moving on, I went ahead and scheduled an appointment for myself because I was out of options it seemed. I also scheduled one of my services for one of my family members, paying the extra money to do so and double-checking with the employee that my family member wouldn’t owe any money when she came in and they assured me she would not. 

On the day of my family member’s appointment I received a text from her while I was at work. She said the massage was good but that they made her pay for it. I was so upset I called her immediately to find out what was going on. She said that she had to pay for it and she tipped $10.  She isn’t one to question things so she just paid it. Her bills being tight I agreed to call and handle the situation with Massage Envy since it was my membership that was supposed to have paid for her massage. Upon calling Massage Envy the woman on the line said that yes they charged her and not only that, she signed up for the membership. I told her that was all incorrect. The massage was prepaid AND she would NEVER have signed up for the membership considering what I had already been through. I hung up and contacted my sister to verify that she didn’t sign any paperwork and she had not, she had expressly told them that she could not afford and did not want a membership. I got in contact yet again with the Manager and demanded she not let that forged paperwork go through. She said that she would make sure it was taken care of and the employee would be dealt with. 

After this I still made another appointment for myself and for a different family member (paying for the transfer fee) since I still had unused services that I paid for and was continuing to pay for. I told this family member not to bring a credit card inside with her because now I am convinced the company is just a bunch of money hungry thieves with no concern for its clients at all.  At least management, front-end staff and the owners. I personally have nothing bad to say about the massage therapists. I feel bad that they have chosen such a horrible place to share their talents with.

Months later I am at my last 2 services and I decide to book for myself and a family member. I had already given a service to this family member. I didn’t think that a big deal. Apparently Massage Envy does if it hasn’t been more then 6 months since the last time. So my family member offered her appointment to a different family member and I changed the appointment. This person had recently been diagnosed with cancer, was undergoing chemotherapy and really needed some relaxation. This person informed me that she could have a massage but that the massage therapist just needed to be informed. So I called Massage Envy and explained this. I was informed that they will NOT work on people under going chemo. That is their personal policy but according to my family member’s research she is allowed to be massaged. At this point I didn’t feel that anything to do with Massage Envy was going to relax me in anyway after this. To add insult to injury my last 2 appointments were scheduled together on the last day I was able use them before my  cancellation date of my membership. Your accrued services that you pay for can NOT be used after this date. So if you do not use them by then your lose your money.  I called Massage Envy back and told them they could cancel the appointments because I have had nothing but trouble with them and I didn’t like them turning away someone with cancer.

That a person undergoing chemo could in fact have a massage. The girl on the phone seemed genuinely surprised by that. I’m not surprised that she didn’t know. She isn’t a massage therapist yet she is handling appointments and such for them. I doubt she knew anything about massages outside of what the company’s own personal policies was.  I acknowledge to her that I understand that I will lose those two services because of the end date of my membership. She says “We never want you to lose services.” But doesn’t offer to extend them past the end date. Or offer any other solutions to make the client (me in this case) happy. Very bad customer service I feel in this case. I don’t see why the services I already paid for couldn’t be used later in the month. But I knew they wouldn’t have offered anything. I knew I would lose when I called. I just thought I’d make them aware. I told her not to take any of it personally. Because she was just an employee holding up the policies of the company she works for. Hopefully she has found a new job with a new company. One that has policies worth upholding.

I work in the beauty/service industry. I work at a locally owned business that holds itself to some of the highest standards in the industry.  I hold myself to even higher standards. When my clients mention to me wanting to find a place to have a massage, or to gift a massage, or even mention Massage Envy directly. I tell them my story. My clients know and trust me. I’ve no reason to lie or swindle them. I care for them and do not want them to suffer through the same awful situation I dealt with at the hands of that company.  I believe the clients and others who I have told will not be using the services at Massage Envy. Or at the least, they will pay only in cash to avoid the falsification of membership contracts like my family went through. Word of mouth is strong in a town like Williamsburg, Va. I am making this story heard. A new company has opened in town that provides massages. I offer them as an alternative to people just to avoid them going to Massage Envy. If you have read this, please, do not give your credit card to Massage Envy. I even ask that you please consider other options for your massage needs entirely. Just avoid the hassle and waste of money at the totally not relaxing place that is Massage Envy.