Complaint Review: Evolutions Body Clinic

This used to be a well-run club and introduced a lot of us to Pilates and yoga for the first time. Now, however, the luster has faded and as Pilates and yoga become more commonplace at any gym, Evolutions has lost its lead in this aspect. And it shows: Most of the quality instructors have left for better clubs and have been replaced by friendly & well-meaning, but seriously incompetent replacements.

The above is merely an observation. My COMPLAINT has to do with their "creative" contract release policy. A major reason many members stay with Evolutions is the comfort they take in the "month-to-month" (the quotes are there deliberately!) contract, thinking as I did that when quality sinks to a certain level, you can simply quit.

WRONG!

While I was prepared to pay off the rest of my last month, or even have to pay through the next month past that if there were a 30-day warning rule, I wasn't prepared for the barrage of "excuses" I received last year that kept my membership current 5 months after I tried to quit.

Here's the set-up:

1. You tell the helpful employee you'd like to end your membership. All smiles, no questions asked, you're told that it will expire at the end of the next month. No problem, etc., you finish out your time there.

2. When your credit card statement shows up the month after you quit [surprise!], Evolutions is still charging you.

3. You contact another friendly girl who apologizes for the error and assures you the matter will be corrected. Until you find out the next month after that that you are still being charged.

4. You contact a third friendly employee...then a fourth...etc. Meanwhile, the months and charges go on

5. You contact MasterCard and have them intervene.

6. You get back some but not all of the overcharges.

Upon talking to other Evolutions "exes", I find that I'm at least one of four people this happened to in '08. Leading me to believe that this wasn't an accidental occurence. I am contemplating starting a Former Evolutions Members 12-step group.

IMHO: Evolutions should focus more on the quality of its services than the quality of the hustle it puts its members through!

Ron
Annapolis, Maryland
U.S.A.