In late May I contacted the Middletown, New York location of Woodhouse Day Spas to use a gift certificate that had been given to me by my sister. I am currently in the process of helping to care for an elderly mother, and was so looking forward to all that was promised in the brochure. This spa location is one of a chain of Woodhouse Day Spas, with corporate offices located in Victoria, TX. I waas told that the next week was unavailable due to the fact that they would all be at a one week "convention", so an appointment was made for June 8 at 10:30. When I arrived on that day, there was a sign on the door saying the business was closed, and a phone number to call. And thus began the agony! I had arranged care for my mother for that morning, so not only was I ripped off for the gift card, worth $80.00 but also the $50.00 I paid someone to be with my mother during the time of that appointment.
I called the number, and when I told the person who answered the phone what my problem was she immediately said "Oh, we're not Woodhouse Day Spa". When I told her that in fact she had just answered the phone, she informed me they were "just the answering service". She also told me that no one was available because they were all at a "two week conference". That is when I realized that in fact, the appointment made for me was totally bogus since the person who made it would have known that there would be no one there on June 8. Total fraud!
I was unable to speak to anyone for another week, when I was connected with Laura Flanagan. Speaking with her was like talking to someone who has a prepared script in front of her, almost incapable of saying anything to address my problem. I called several times since she indicated they were "looking into the Middletown NY problem". By the last phone call, she essentially told me they were not going to help me, and that it had been "turned over the the Attorney General in NY."
At that point I registered a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and indicated that I would continue to use every means at my disposal to get the word out there that Woodhouse Day Spa is a disreputable organization who clearly sells their name to shady people and then won't honor just debts. Their response to my report to the Better Business Bureau was to say they they are not responsible for the debts incurred by people with their name on the door and that their legal agreement is an "arms length" agreement.
I want to get the word out there that if you are a customer of Woodhouse Day Spa, and you have a problem or are ripped off by one of their affiliates, you will indeed be held at "arms length" and will receive no satisfaction to a legitimate complaint. Don't be fooled by their pretty words about what they offer. All I received from Woodhouse Day Spa was bitter disappointment, and a financial loss of $130.00 when you count in he money I spent for my mother's care. A repuatable organization of the size of Woodhouse Day Spa would have immediately satisfied their customers, and used their own sizeable legal team to go after the owner of the Middletown Spa to recoup their losses.
If you are looking for a Spa Gift Certificate for a loved one, don't use Woodhouse Day Spa or you may be like me, disgusted and ripped off!!
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