My wife and I have been customers of The Tan Company for more than 5 years and up until this month was happy with this company. My wife and I would tan in the winter for about 2 months prior to and about one month following a warm weather vacation. We had a plan that allowed unlimited tanning during these periods.
On January 4, I visited the store to inform them I would begin tanning in preparation for an upcoming trip in mid-February. I told Ashley, the store employee on duty at that time, that my wife had recently undergone chemotherapy for skin cancer and her doctor informed her she could never use a tanning bed again. I told Ashley she would not be back and requested she permanently cancel her membership.
I was shocked and angry when my February credit card statement arrived and there were charges for two memberships on January 15. I called the store and requested that a credit be issued for the charge for my wife. I was told I would have to come to the store and talk to John to receive a credit. I came to the store on February 26 and asked for John. I was told he is only in on certain days and I would have to come back again. I came back on March 5 and John was there. I explained the situation to him and he proceeded to inform me that the account was not cancelled and if my wife wished to cancel, she would have to personally come in and see him. He said she could use a spray-on tan instead, to which I replied that that was not what she had signed up for and she had no desire to have someone spray orange chemicals on her body, while she is undergoing treatment for skin cancer. After reminding him we were long time good customers and that I had informed Ashley of my wife's cancer condition, his response was the same. I then informed him to permanently cancel my membership as well.
John filled out a document to make both cancellations effective on March 5 and asked me to sign. I told him I would not sign a cancellation for my wife with an effective date of March 5, since I had attempted to cancel her membership on January 4. He tore up the document and filled out a new one with just my name.
When I informed him I would be protesting the unauthorized charge for my wife's membership, he proceeded to tell me there would be an additional $25 charge added to her account for disputing a charge. I discussed his statement with a representative from Visa and was told this policy may be a violation of the merchant services agreement The Tan Company has with its credit card processor.
I contacted my credit card company and disputed not only the January 15 charge, but also the February 15 charge that the representative informed me had been put through by The Tan Company. I was also forced to cancel my credit card in order to prevent any additional unauthorized charges being made to my credit card account. While I have received replacement cards since that time, I had to spend hours on the phone and the internet changing a large number of automatic payment accounts which used this same credit card number.
I am appalled at the way in which The Tan Company would treat a long time regular customer and especially unhappy with their disregard for a medical condition that may have been contributed to by the very service that The Tan Company refused to cancel.
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