Did you like the alliteration there? I was going to name this, “Curves, How I Hate Thee, Let Me Count The Ways” but “Crazy Curves Character” is just so much more fun.
So in January, my friend Jackie decided to join Curves. When she signed up, they pressured her (hard) to give them three names of three other ladies they could call to tell them the GREAT news about how WONDERFUL Curves is. Also, they told her if she did supply the three names, she would get a free book. She folded, and gave them my name. They called and told me that Jackie had told them to call me (okay, fine, I guess in a way she did) and then proceeded to put the screws on me about joining Curves. I told them I might come in. They wanted a date. I gave them one. They wanted a time. My gosh, just leave me alone already! I gave them one.
HINT: I hate confrontation. Like most people hate the flu and massive traffic jams, I hate confrontation. I will be in one if I absolutely have to, but I’ll do a whole lot before I get to the “absolutely have to” stage. Up to and including telling people that I’ll go to a gym on a certain day and a certain time. After the Curves lady let me off the phone, I called Jackie. “JACKIE!!!! How could you give them my name??!” After profuse apologies and explanation, she said, “But you don’t actually need to go to Curves, which is one of the reasons that I gave them your name. What if I had given them the name of a really heavy-set person, and that really hurt their feelings? I could never do that. So I gave them yours.”
“Well, I’m going to go on Friday with you.”
“Are you serious?? Why?! You were supposed to tell them no!!” Thus says the woman who is (if possible) even worse with confrontation than I am.
So long story short, I actually signed up for Curves with the intention to exercise with Jackie X amount of times per week (I think we were going for three at the beginning, although that number changed multiple times.) We never did very well with our goal because either I was sick or she was sick, and I’m REALLY not a morning person–7:00, 7:30 is okay, 5:45 is not. I tried going once by myself because Jackie was sick, and that was just about the worst experience ever. Nothing like going around the same machines twice, staring across the room at other people that you don’t know, have no breath to talk to anyway, but feel the social obligation to at least chat about the superficial things in life. I left, came home, called Jackie, and told her never again. A vow I actually managed to keep, imagine that. 
But then Jackie got the brilliant idea that she ought to move across the country (BAD Jackie!!) and leave me all alone. Yes, in case you were wondering, it IS all about me. There wasn’t anyway I was going to do the Curves by myself, so I called at the beginning of July to cancel my membership.
“There’s a $50 fee for cancelling, and it takes 30 days to put the cancellation into place. You have to come in to sign the paperwork.”
I was a bit twerked about the $50 fee, but whatever. I went in to sign the paperwork.
“Oh no, we don’t have anything to sign. You have to send us a letter.”
Now you’re just getting ridiculous. I smiled, held my tongue, went home, and sent them a polite cancellation notice. My membership was charged on the 10th of the month, and because of their shenanigans, I didn’t send it out the cancellation letter until the 12th of the month. Technically, I should have been charged another month ($30) AND the cancellation fee ($50) but I figured it was so close, and it was their fault I sent it when I did, that they surely wouldn’t do it.
August 10th rolls around. $30 fee taken out. No cancellation fee though. September 10th rolls around. $30 out, $50 stayed. I usually don’t complain about not having money taken out, but this was obviously a problem. I called Curves and explained to the lady who answered what happened. She pulled out my chart.
“Oh, we tried to call you multiple times, but we never got an answer. I tried lots of times myself. I never wrote it down when I tried to call, but I know I did.” Bull crap, plain and simple. I have a cell phone only (no landline) and my phone tells me when I missed a call, what the number is of who called, etc, and there was no way that some mysterious phone number kept showing up as a missed call. I get very few phone calls, and I would have called the number back if this was the case. And since I have voice mail she should have left me a message anyway. I knew she was lying to me, and that made me mad. She kept going.
“When you cancel, you have to come in and sign a cancellation contract. And you have to pay us $50.”
I about choked. I explained (nicely, although VERY firmly) that I had TRIED to cancel in person, but they wouldn’t let me! And why on earth would I write them a check for $50 to cancel? They took money out of my checking account each month quite regularly, so why not take out the $50 instead of $30?
“Oh, we can only take out the $30 by law. We cannot withdraw anything other than that amount.” And this would have been very nice to tell me when I tried to call and cancel originally.
She promised me that she would call her supervisor and then call me right back. She called me back a couple of hours later.
“My boss offered that if you come in and sign the cancellation form in person, then we’ll just consider each other even.”
I was mad at this point, truly I was. First off, this $50 fee is fine. Whatever. If I wanted to cancel my cell phone contract, I would have to pay $150. I understand fees. I do NOT understand the 30 day part. By putting the cancellation fee with this clause, they are guaranteeing themselves that you’ll pay A) this month’s fee, B) next month’s fee, and C) the cancellation fee. Before you can quit, you have to pay them $140. Nice for them, bad for you.
So when I got mad, I’m quite afraid I got rude. Not screaming, but certainly not on my best behavior.
“As I see it, you guys owe ME money. I cancelled, and yet you still took out TWO months of membership fees. Those fees come to $60. I owe you $50 for cancelling. So although it’s nice of your boss to consider us “even” I quite frankly don’t. You owe me $10. And I am NOT coming into Curves.” The only way I will ever step foot inside of Curves again is if a large pile of gold is sitting in the middle of the building with my name on it, and that is the only way to get to it. Even then, I would probably promise someone a portion of the gold if they would just retrieve it for me. I’m that anti-Curves by this point.
She tried to push me, tried to get me to come in, tried all sorts of things, and I told her not a chance on this green earth. I finally told her, “Forget the $10. I hate Curves and will never come back, but whatever. But I absolutely refuse to step inside of Curves again. End of discussion. I sent you a letter, EXACTLY like I was told to do, and I refuse to redo what I did right in the first place, all because you guys can’t get your act together.” Yeah, I was a little upset.
She agreed, and hung up. I lost my $10, I hate Curves with a passion, but at least I won the (tiny) battle of going back there again.
The cherry on the top? The woman called me from her home a few hours later. “Hi, this is Melanie! I’m the one from Curves this morning. I know you were upset, and I’m sorry about that. I was calling because I have a home-based business that I really think you would be interested in! If you have time, I would like to tell you about it!” My jaw hit the floor. This lady was clinically insane. I agreed to let her call me on Friday to give me more info, then hung up. I promptly went into my address book in my cell phone and saved her home phone number as “DO NOT ANSWER!” She has since called me twice and sent me info in the mail on her business. (You sign up, and you only have to sign up 9 other people! Buy $700 worth of product for $350! YUCK!)
I live in a city that the State Mental Hospital is located in (no joke.) So you have to wonder: Am I dealing with a former psych patient here?? ::gulp::
Hava, the Curves Hater
I agree with you I will never set foot in a curves again. I signed up for l year, during that year I was saying I will go next week, I will go next week, the year was over I had attended sessions about 3 times. After that year, I still kept saying, I am going to go and I am going to go. After 2 years I attended a total of 6 times (waste of money, my bad). I had to go in and sign a cancellation sheet. Curves still wanted a 30 day cancellation notice. When the lady, Stacy, called me I asked her if there was any way they would waive the 30 day cancellation seeing that I paid for 2 years and attended less than 6 years. She said, “NO”. I asked if there was someone that I could talk to other than her she said, “no”. I asked her for a coperate number, she said, “there is none this is a private owned spa and the owner will not talk to you”. “I will not give you her number, How would you like if it if people had your home number and started calling you all of the time”. I asked her to just call her and ask her and have her or some else call me. She said, “you signed a contract” and proceeded to quote the date that it was signed, 2006!!!! and I went less than 10 times. I said to her that is my point you got money from me for nothing for over 2 years the least you could do is ask that the 30 day policy be waivered. Needless there was a battle of wills, with her asking me if I just wanted her to send the balance to the credit bureau. I will tell everybody that I know and I will tell them to tell their friends that curves is not customer friendly when it comes to customer service issues. If any one asks me what I think of curves, they will get an earful.
Debby
Michigan
Hello.
My name is Olga and I live in Texas. I too joined Curves and now I am in the same situation as you. Let me tell you about my problem. I joined Curves in 08-07-2006. I agreed to the bank draft of $42.20 every month. I went to Curves three times a week for the whole month of August, September,October and two weeks for the month of November. On December of 2006 my husband and I went to Curves to cancel my membership. The owner of this Curves explain to me that I had a year contract and I needed to give her the rest of the nine month left in the contract, I told her that at the moment I did not have over three hundred dollars, to go ahead and keep sending the draft to the bank (she did) after the conversation we left. Two days ago I notice that she still taking money from my account. I called and told them that I will like copies of everything I signed. I asked the crook last night why she still taking my money, as far I know the contract was for twelve months. Let me tell you something about this woman she has the nerve to tell me that the laws in Texas alowes her to keep taking my money, because of the contract about ending and continuing until I give her a thirty day notice of me not wanting to re-new the contract. I asked her about the thirty days notice and she told me that I need to write a letter of termination. It does not matter if I was there last December and canceled in person, she also told me that she informed me of the thirty days notice.
Do you really think I would let you keep taking my money because I refuse to write you a letter, are you crazy, if I knew that you were going to steal my money for the last four month I would have cancel the draft. Does anyone knows anything about contracts and cancellations policies? Are you force to finish a contract? I don’t mind paying a penalty but she already had twelve months of $42.20 and she said she can continue doing because of the state of Texas said she can do it. I called the Curves International and they don’t have a cancellation policy. I was under the impression that if you sign a contract and break the contract you have to pay penalties and losses. I also called several Curves around the USA and they told me that if someone cancel they have to pay a $60.00 penalty. These Curves are supposed to run the same way, however, you get all kinds of answer from all of them. One thing that they will not discuss is cancellation policies. A lady from one of the Curves in Austin told me that there is a cancellation policy, but they will not give to you. If you can help me or maybe someone with the same problem. I am writing to the BBB and also to the Secretary of State. I was told by a friend that is there a contract a cancellation policy follows, a contract is a promise and the cancellation is the punishment you face when the promise is broken.
Thank you.
Olga
Hi fellow Curves Hater !!
Let em start by saying : I glad to see they s*ck around the world : I’m writing from Montreal , Canada
Where to begin , I’ll keep it short . I had emergency surgery , I was not able to go – I paid off my contract . My husband thought it would be thoughtful to sign me up for an xmas gift … NOT !!! I called right away , to cancel , they are charging me 3 month penalty – plus the lovely cancellation fee . !!! !#$%!$#% . As long as they were getting their $$$ , they are all smiles and we are “family ” . The minute someone wants out – they turn into cult members and you have to freaking buy your way out !! Sighhhhhh . Its just to bad because I enjoyed going , it is just not possible any longer and now I have this stupid blk cloud hanging over my head .
I just want out
Hollie Jean
I am so happy to hear that I am not the only person that HATES Curves. But I don’t share the same story as you all do… I actually work there and I HATE IT! That is all they care about is the money. We have to call people all the time and I freaking hate it because I don’t want to bug people like that. In my opinion, bugging people to death isn’t a good way to get people to join. And how they charge you money to cancel? Absolutely rediculous! I have to go into work today and I’m going to quit because I do not want anything to do with that place and it’s money-sucking ways! I mean, the manager even has me going around town passing out free thirty minute workout things just to get people to join and I’m not going to do it. I’m just going to hide them all somewhere and tell her that I passed them out. She wants me to go around to like, grocery stores and doctors offices and places like that to pass these things out. I do not want to bug people while they are doing minding their own business. If someone wants to join, then they would either call the place or go there. You don’t bug and beg people like that… It’s kind of like harrassment and I do not want anything to do with it. Whew! I feel so much better now that I got that off my chest!
I worked for a Curves, the owner called me one night and said “this is it, we are closing!!” no notice to anyone, she owed money to members and ect.. the sad thing is –she still has one of her Curves still open in a town about 45 miles away from the one she closed- and ripped off her members. I am so ashamed to have worked there, I liked the Curves concept, and the members I loved,.. but sadly the whole thing pretty much stunk!