Sun Tan City ripoff! The only way to purchase this package was to give a credit card or checking account number. Lexington Kentucky
I have been to this business before and had bought single packages. No problem. The business was running a special to tan for approximately $19.99 a month. The price is not the importance of this statement.
A person has to buy three months of tanning at least to get that offer. Still no big deal. I offered to pay the total amount of the money upfront in cash which was approximately $60.00. The only way that they would let me purchase this package was to have a credit card or checking account number given to them. There's the problem.
I questioned that if I was paying in cash why I would have also give a credit card or checking account number. The workers after asking the management stated that I had to be in their system. I told them I was already in the system for I purchased single sessions before.
They still would not let me continue without giving my credit card or checking number. How can this be? Why would I have to give any number when I was willing to pay full price upfront?
Please check into this for it sounds really sneaky. Thank you.
Barbara
Lexington, Kentucky
U.S.A.
13 Updates & Rebuttals
Paul
Anaheim,California,
U.S.A.
You know what, forget this tanning thing! You people make the billing so complicated that the whole thing ends up being more trouble than it's worth.
#14Consumer Suggestion
Sat, September 10, 2005
People should just buy the creams or sprays and avoid these scam salons.
What if restaurants did this nonsense? Or gas stations?
Madam, you need to pay for all of your gas that you plan to use this month with a credit card. And then, you can only come in and get that gas on a Tuesday, between the hours of 10 PM and midnight. Then, you must fill at only the odd number pumps if the date is an even number. Plus, your license plate must have
You know what, all people want is a simple tan. They don't need all this tanning-salon drama.
This is like the dumbest thing I ever heard of!
If you expect to stay in business, just figure out a price for your service, already.
If you're even capable of that.
As I guessed, this is fraud. Clearly, the salons expect to bill you for the service, all the while hoping that you'll never come in and use it.
In other words, their intention is to provide as little service as possible for your money.
Clearly a scam mean to cheat the public.
Why am I not surprised?
Michelle
Mesquite,Texas,
U.S.A.
Not a "Scam" but hopes to be one
#14Consumer Suggestion
Sat, September 10, 2005
This is not a scam and is in fact done by most tanning salons. If anyone remembers about 10 years ago tanning salons got a TERRIBLE rep for their high pressure sales, lies (etc) in regards to membership and usage service fees, sanitation, privacy and all other kinds of "not good" stuff. The answer to this was to make the salons more corporate, incorporate standard contacts for everyone (maybe with a few choices but no haggling) buyout the independents (and mush them into chains or close them alltogether) and to ice the cake make the membership appear cheaper. Back in the "day" you bought a certain amount of time and wrote post-dated checks to get the "best price". Nowadays this is how it works (with minor variation). Doing a month to month membership IS the least expensive way to buy a membership - the amount of time doesn't matter BUT the thought process is that the person buys the membership and it autorenews (is that a word?) and HOPEFULLY the buyer will forget to give notice (the bank and the salon will require 30 days written notice to cancel - no exceptions) and get billed over and over again. This is how/why this membership is offered so cheaply. If you want to use cash - you're going to either pay for all the time you want up front (second most expensive - not at the monthly rate) or you can buy "month to month" (about 20 tans at a time) for an incredibly high price. I'm betting that even though the original poster didn't say it she/he probably wanted to pay the month-to-month price and buy 6 or 7 month's worth up front in cash. Believe it or not the salon will make more money if they buy the 3 months because statistically, he/she will go for the 3 and forget to cancel (or assume it is done automacially) and pay for an additional 7 (total of 10 months) before they realize what is going on. Tanning salons, don't deny it - I DO know what I'm talking about.
Paul
Anaheim,California,
U.S.A.
You're right, I don't understand what in the world you have to have an account number for. I see no legitimate purpose for that.
#14Consumer Suggestion
Sat, September 10, 2005
Why does anyone have to show up on the 25th of the month?
Can't I just pay for my full membership right now?
Decide on your price. What is it? Sixty? Seventy? Eighty?
Here, do you have change for a hundred? Now, I'm paid for the next 3 months, right?
That's how health clubs work. You decide on a length of membership and pay for it right then and there.
There's no coming in each month. You are either running the dumbest payment plan known to mankind, or else you are falsely billing people using the account numbers you squeezed out of them.
I suspect the latter of the two.
Rick
Elizabethtown,Kentucky,
U.S.A.
Rebuttal to Paul
#14UPDATE Employee
Fri, September 09, 2005
Paul,
You obviously don't understand what I am trying to say.
A customer who purchase a Club Sun membership can come in and pay cash, as long as they do so the 25th of each month. We still do require that they provide us with either a credit card or checking account number, in case they do not come in and pay.
This type of membership is very commonplace in most tanning salons and health clubs across the US. I'm not sure why you think this is a scam?! It is simply a membership plan that allows the customer to keep tanning without that hassle of remembering to come in and pay.
Sincerely,
Rick Kueber
President
Paul
Anaheim,California,
U.S.A.
Both women tried to pay using cash. According to them, your company turned them both down.
#14Consumer Suggestion
Fri, September 09, 2005
It's pretty clear you're running a scam of some kind. Both of these people like the service and wanted to purchase, but were turned away.
What do you expect us to believe, that they are both mistaken, and that this is simply a misunderstanding?
In this day and age, you should be lucky to have any customers willing to risk skin cancer.
Personally, if I were them, I would try bronzing creams instead. Leave you and your stupid scam out in the cold.
Rick
Elizabethtown,Kentucky,
U.S.A.
The facts
#14UPDATE Employee
Fri, September 09, 2005
Please allow me to respond to the false allegations made against my company.
The $18.88 Club Sun membership plan is a recurring membership plan which in many ways is similar to a health club membership with several consumer friendly polices.
1. The plan is a recurring membership which does require a credit card or checking account to process your monthly automatic payment. However, if you wish you can make a cash payment each month, as long as done so by the 25th (the close of our billing cycle).
2. There is only a one month committent, not 3 as the original poster stated.
3. We do have several other different cash only plans available.
4. We are a very reputable company with very high consumer satifaction rates. For more (correct) information on Sun Tan City, please visit www.suntancity.com
Sincerely,
Rick Kueber
President
Paul
Anaheim,California,
U.S.A.
Scam, scam, scam. Supersize scam. Ultra-mega scam. Not to mention, the most ridiculous thing I've seen in a while.
#14Consumer Suggestion
Mon, September 05, 2005
We don't accept cash, only credit cards or bank accounts?
Customers with cash are turned away?
What's that tell you?
Simple. They plan to deduct money illegally from your account. If you fell for this, close it now, before they get any.
Andrea
Lexington,Kentucky,
U.S.A.
I, too, ran into the same situation
#14Consumer Comment
Mon, September 05, 2005
Is this the Sun Tan City in Tates Creek Shopping Center? If, so, I had the exact same problem with them before. I love the facility and the packages sound awesome. Until...they told me I needed to have a checking account or a credit card. At that moment, I just started to buy star visits instead of the packages. Even buying the individual star visits, they were really pushing the idea that I needed to buy $20 worth of stars (individual visits). Everytime, I told them no and went on just buying $10 worth of visits. But I thought it was very suspicious that they would only allow people who had a credit card or a checking account to purchase packages. I wonder why that is??
Andrea
Lexington,Kentucky,
U.S.A.
I, too, ran into the same situation
#14Consumer Comment
Mon, September 05, 2005
Is this the Sun Tan City in Tates Creek Shopping Center? If, so, I had the exact same problem with them before. I love the facility and the packages sound awesome. Until...they told me I needed to have a checking account or a credit card. At that moment, I just started to buy star visits instead of the packages. Even buying the individual star visits, they were really pushing the idea that I needed to buy $20 worth of stars (individual visits). Everytime, I told them no and went on just buying $10 worth of visits. But I thought it was very suspicious that they would only allow people who had a credit card or a checking account to purchase packages. I wonder why that is??
Andrea
Lexington,Kentucky,
U.S.A.
I, too, ran into the same situation
#14Consumer Comment
Mon, September 05, 2005
Is this the Sun Tan City in Tates Creek Shopping Center? If, so, I had the exact same problem with them before. I love the facility and the packages sound awesome. Until...they told me I needed to have a checking account or a credit card. At that moment, I just started to buy star visits instead of the packages. Even buying the individual star visits, they were really pushing the idea that I needed to buy $20 worth of stars (individual visits). Everytime, I told them no and went on just buying $10 worth of visits. But I thought it was very suspicious that they would only allow people who had a credit card or a checking account to purchase packages. I wonder why that is??
Andrea
Lexington,Kentucky,
U.S.A.
I, too, ran into the same situation
#14Consumer Comment
Mon, September 05, 2005
Is this the Sun Tan City in Tates Creek Shopping Center? If, so, I had the exact same problem with them before. I love the facility and the packages sound awesome. Until...they told me I needed to have a checking account or a credit card. At that moment, I just started to buy star visits instead of the packages. Even buying the individual star visits, they were really pushing the idea that I needed to buy $20 worth of stars (individual visits). Everytime, I told them no and went on just buying $10 worth of visits. But I thought it was very suspicious that they would only allow people who had a credit card or a checking account to purchase packages. I wonder why that is??
Qwerty
Van,British Columbia,
Canada
Don't give out credit card or bank info
#14Consumer Comment
Mon, June 14, 2004
Your suspicions are probably correct. If there's no reasosn to give out credit card or bank info. then don't. The Rip-off reports are full of reports from people who did and then spend months trying to correct some scam pulled by a company that misuses the info.
Qwerty
Van,British Columbia,
Canada
Don't give out credit card or bank info
#14Consumer Comment
Mon, June 14, 2004
Your suspicions are probably correct. If there's no reasosn to give out credit card or bank info. then don't. The Rip-off reports are full of reports from people who did and then spend months trying to correct some scam pulled by a company that misuses the info.