Complaint Review: ABC Financial - Sherwood Arkansas

I have made 5 phone calls to their customer service since late May concerning my cancelled membership and yet they continue to bill my credit card.

I was a member of Escondido Workout on 409 W. Felicita Ave in Escondido, CA, 92025 since January of 2003. I went to the gym one day in late May and it was gone - literally the building was completely empty and a for lease sign on the building. I went to another gym to see if I could find the owner to cancel my membership and the person there told me I could continue going to their gym if I wanted and they would transfer my membership.

I told them no thanks; their gym was 10 miles from my house and was not the kind of facility I would ever want to join. They gave me ABC's phone number (888-827-9262) and said ABC would make sure that the membership was cancelled and not transferred to them. I then called ABC and the person I talked to said they would take care of it.

However, on my next credit card bill, I was billed again by ABC. I called them on 6/15 and the person I spoke with apologized and said it would be taken care of and my June billing would be credited. I asked for a reference or cancellation number to be sure, and she gave me #208358.

Then I received my July billing and I was again billed by ABC. I called ABC on 8/3 and went over the whole situation again with one of their service reps. She said that the only way I could cancel is to go to the club and submit a cancellation directly with them. I tried to explain to her AGAIN that the club doesn't exist anymore, that is why I cancelled. And the previous two times I talked to ABC they said they had taken care of it.

She said she didn't know what to tell me, so I asked to speak to the manager (Margaret). I explained the situation again to Margaret and she said she would take care of it and be sure I was credited for the last billing. But she said she had to email the club to verify it and then she would call me the next day. I asked her how she could contact the club SINCE IT DOESN'T EXIST ANYMORE and she said she had to do some verification but promised to call me back the next day.

She did not call me back. I waited 3 days and then called again on 8/6. I spent considerable time with another representative going over the same old story. She said at one point that my membership agreement stated that if the club transferred my membership to another club within 10 miles, that I had to go to the new club and couldn't cancel. That is totally bogus; I have the contract in front of me and it says no such thing.

In fact, under Membership Cancellation, it says that I agree to give notice at the club of enrollment which as I explained to them several times no longer exists. I asked to speak to Margaret again and the rep said she wasn't available and put me through to her voicemail. I left a detailed voicemail asking why she didn't call me back as promised and to please do so as this is now bordering on fraud in my opinion. She has not returned my call.

To reiterate, I spoke to ABC staff on 3 occasions and was told each time that my membership was cancelled and I would be refunded the June payment. The reason my membership was cancelled was because the club I entered into the agreement with went out of business. I have now left phone messages, sent a fax and an email demanding cancellation and crediting of prior charges and have yet to receive a response.

Wirelessmike

Escondido, California

U.S.A.