California Sun - All Area Locations

Review: I had a frustrating experience tonite. About 3 weeks ago, I had one tan left on my 10 tan package. The desk clerk recognized me from the time that was with my girlfriend when they basically told her that there was nothing that they could do and that she would have to pay $41 for not properly cancelling her monthly agreement". The clerk asked me if I wanted o buy a "fantastic tanning special, 3 tans for $3" to use anytime. I said yes and gave her the $3.25 with tax and planned to come by over the next few weeks to get a tan before my upcoming trip to Hawaii. Last night, after a long workday, I changed my clothes and drove several miles to California Tan and waited in line for 10 minutes expecting to use one of the 3 tans that I paid for two weeks ago. I gave the clerk my CalSun card, she scanned it and then told me, "you don't have any tans left". I suggested that she check again and she asked what kind of program I bought. I told her what the sales clerk originally told me, "that it was a promotion 3 tans for $3 and that I could use them anytime just like my 10 pack of tans". She informed me that I was out of luck and that there was nothing I could do, her hands were tied.This was another example of either straight lying and cheating or extremely poor staff training. At this point, I hope that some CalSun Executive reads this and investigates this poor business behavior. I do plan to inform the other regulatory authorities about my experiences. Additionally, I plan to file a Small Claims Case in Superior Court if I am not given a full refund immediately.The bottom line is, this is no way to run or expand a business and I believe that CalSun's competitors are having a field day in getting former CalSun clients if this kind of service is as common and prevalent as I believe it is.....Just look at the Yelp Reviews.Desired Settlement: Give me a full refund of my "tanning" costs and compensate me for my lost work time and travel expenses. I estimate this to be $825 lost wages plus $22.40 in mileage and $155 in tanning expenses. (3 hours @$275hr labor as expert witness, 40 miles @ $.56/mi, $155 tan) Additionally, I would like Cal Sun to take steps to demonstrate that they are implementing an "honest and ethical" training program to help their employees operate in an fair and professional manner. The public deserves better.

Business

Response:

To Whom It May Concern,

Recently, we obtained a Revdex.com compliant from [redacted] describing an issue with a package that had been purchased within the California Sun Citrus Heights location.

On April 25, 2014, Mr. [redacted] visited one of our salon locations and purchased a package of 3 tanning sessions for just $3. This package is a special that California Sun recently implemented, and allows a customer to tan 3 separate times in our UV tanning equipment for just $3 plus tax. The only stipulation with the package is that the sessions must be used within a 7 day period from the date of purchase. The package did expire on May 1, 2014.

No contact has been made to our guest services department by Mr. [redacted] regarding the issue, so we were simply not aware of his concerns and have not been given the opportunity to provide a solution. Per the complaint, we have taken the liberty to extend the package of 3 sessions to expire on June 1, 2014. Our company would also love the opportunity to correspond further with the customer directly to address any further concerns that he may have.

Review: I tried to cancel my account with California sun, in person, by phone, and also contacted them via email and was not helped. Recently after canceling my account I left the country. 2 years later, or 21 months later I am home to discover they have been taking a payment of $21.00 a month from my account ( approx. 21 months = $441.00)They state that the only way to cancel an account is by written letter of cancelation, yet their web site states nothing about how to cancel. I have recently contacted costumer service, all they will offer is a 3 month refund. I feel this is NOT sufficient. They do not offer a letter, or email, or anything for that matter checking on unused accounts. I didnt not use my account for 21 months. I feel that is neglect, to paying clients.Desired Settlement: I will accept $400.00 USD, as a full refund.

Review: I was required to terminate services by a certain date before the 20th of the month. This was done on the 17th and on the 29th was still charged for a full month. When I called to inquire I was told I would not be refunded. Very upset about this for a 27 dollar charge.Desired Settlement: Full refund

Business

Response:

To Whom It May Concern: On April 8th, California Sun received a Revdex.com complaint from[redacted] regarding her monthly membership. Ms. [redacted]’s complaint was regardingthe charge of $27.45 debited on 03/29/2015, from account number ending in 0757. On 07/28/2014, Ms. [redacted] signed upfor an unlimited tanning membership, in which an amount of $24.95 + tax is tobe withdrawn monthly, with no minimum term, starting August 1, 2014. As withall open ended agreements, our company asks that a written cancellation noticebe submitted 30 days prior to the requested cancellation effective date,however, we do accept cancellations through the 20th of each month.Ms. [redacted] submitted a cancellation on 03/17/15, making the cancellation of hermembership effective April 1, 2015, per her request. We were unable to draft the cardholder’spayment as scheduled on March 1, 2015, resulting in a past due balance of$27.45 accumulating. This total represents the cardholder’s contracted dues of$27.45 per month. The charge of $27.45 that Ms. [redacted] is disputing is anauthorized payment that represents the cardholder’s March membership dues. On April 8, 2015, our corporateoffice received a call from Ms. [redacted] regarding the charge. The Guest Servicesrepresentative that Ms. [redacted] spoke with explained that the charge she wasseeing from March 29, 2015, was simply a resubmit of the March 1stpayment that was unsuccessful. Ms. [redacted] became very agitated and demanded arefund of the $27.45 be processed to her account. The Guest Servicesrepresentative simply explained that a refund could not be submitted, as theMarch payment was part of Ms. [redacted]’s contractual membership dues. Therepresentative did assure Ms. [redacted] that the membership had been canceled andno additional charges would be accessed. Our goal is not to frustrate orupset Ms. [redacted], but to merely protect our business’ policies and proceduresset in place for a reason. As a company, we attempt to be very thorough andhave many preventative systems in place to ensure all of the terms of theagreement are communicated to the guest upon sign up. For example, we have eachcustomer sign and initial the membership agreement to guarantee they are awareof the terms of our cancellation policy as well as the resubmit policy. Please see attached copy of themembership contract, in which cardholder agrees to these specific membershipterms. Tell us why here...

Review: Business practice is very misleading and fraudulent. In order for a customer to cancel his/her membership, California Sun requires a written notification. Verbal or a telephone call will not meet the company "policy". Also, as a customer, you CAN NOT fax your cancellation letter to the corporate office. It's their way of delaying/buy time so you would be obligated to pay more. It has to be mailed to the corporate office in Roseville, CA. AND, it has to be in their office before or by the 20th of the month otherwise you will be charge for potentially 1.5 months (i.e. if you cancel on the 21st of the month). Be ware of this policy. Of course, when you signed up, no one tells you this. They will redirect you to your original contract.Desired Settlement: I would like for my membership to be cancelled on the date of notification by phone. I understand that I already paid for the month and I don't require a refund for the unused dates; however, I should be able to cancel my membership when I call you and not have to wait for another month before it can be cancelled.

Business

Response:

To Whom It May Concern: On July 21st, California Sun received a Revdex.com complaint from [redacted] regarding her monthly membership. On 02/25/2016, Ms. ** signed up for an unlimited tanning membership, in which an amount of $24.95 + tax is to be withdrawn monthly with no minimum term requirement starting March 1, 2016. Since the membership entered into is an open ended agreement, we simply ask that some form of written cancellation notice (it can even be hand written), be delivered to our corporate to discontinue service. We allow the request to be either hand delivered or even mailed to our office to submit the request. Although we request a 30 day written notice, we accept cancellations through the 20th each month to try and accommodate as many requests as possible. Ms. ** contacted our corporate office on July 21, 2016 regarding canceling out her account. The representative simply relayed the cancellation policy to Ms. **, and Ms. ** became very agitated stating she was never provided this policy. In attempt to make sure every guest is aware of all of our policies, we require ever member sign and agree to these terms in writing upon sign up. Our goal is not to frustrate or upset Ms. **, but to merely protect our business’ policies and procedures set in place for a reason. We value each and every guest and want to be sure they are provided the correct information at all times. Please see attached copy of the membership contract, in which cardholder agrees to these specific membership terms. Thank you, [redacted] Membership Services

Review: I was visiting Sacramento for a week and wanted to purchase 3 tans while I was there. The employee stated that it would be better to pay for a week of unlimited tans for $10 instead of buying individual tans. I told her that would be perfect and thanked her for letting me know about the discount. She also sold me a bottle of lotion for $40. My total came out to $91.00 when it should have been approximately $50. I didn't notice until I read the receipt after I left. I went in the next day to ask about it and the employee rang me up wrong and charged me $45 for three tans. I called the corporate number and spoke with [redacted] who was very polite but indicated that they do not give refunds even though it was clearly the employee's mistake for ringing me up wrong. The owner called me to tell me that he would give me a credit to my account but would not refund my money. This employee stole money from me and still refused to refund my money for THEIR MISTAKE. This company is extremely unprofessional and steals money from their customers. DO NOT DO BUSINESS HERE.Desired Settlement: I would like a refund of $35. I do not want a credit to my account because I refuse to do business with companies that bully and steal money from their customers.

Business

Response:

To Whom It May Concern: On March 24th, California Sun received a Revdex.com complaint from [redacted] regarding the packages purchased earlier in the month. On 03/16/15, Ms. [redacted] purchased three sessions in our level 3 tanning bed at $15 each, a bottle of lotion, anddisposable eyewear. The total amount for the transaction that day came to $91.49. Ms. [redacted] was required to sign the receipt acknowledging the charge was authorized and that the sale was final. The customer did utilize one of the tanning sessions that same day. On 03/17/15, Ms. [redacted] purchased a one week pass being offered at just $9.95 for 7 consecutive days of access to our first 2 levels of UV tanning equipment. Ms. [redacted] was also required to sign the receipt that day acknowledging the charge was authorized and that all sales are final. The customer proceeded to utilize the package for the remainder of the week. On 03/19/15, our customer service department received a call from our Natomas salon on Ms. [redacted]’s behalf. They indicated that she did not want the original package of sessions that was purchased on 03/16/15, and wanted to be refunded for all three sessions even though one session had already been redeemed. The representative explained that our company policy indicates that all sales are final the day of purchase. In anattempt to work with Ms. [redacted], our company extended to allow her a store credit of $30 for the two $15 sessions that had not been utilized. Ms. [redacted] did not find this solution agreeable and indicated that she was not going to be in the area. She askedthat we credit her more, as she was not aware that she was utilizing an upgraded tanning bed on 03/16/15. The representative offered to credit her $35 instead of $30, only charging her ($10 the price of a basic level 1 tanning bed) for the single session that was utilized. Ms. [redacted] had also requested that this credit be applied to a gift card for a friend to use, which was also granted. Our goal was not to frustrate or upset Ms. [redacted], but to merely protect our business’ policies and procedures setin place for a reason. As a company, we monitor our employees closely and have many preventative systems in place to ensure employees are not charging customers without their permission. Please see attached copy of the sales receipts, in which cardholder agrees to these specific charges.

Consumer

Response:

I am rejecting this response because:

Review: My husband bought me a gift card(paid cash) for 3 sunless tans which he bought at the Lincoln location in December of 2010. In 2011, I went into the Lincoln location to use my gift card. The employee informed me that the gift card was not on file and that I could not use my gift card. She called the corporate office and after a run around game of phone tag they decided to credit my card 2 sunless tans (1 sunless tan was used on the day they said the card was not on file) and that everything is fine on the card and that I may use it once again. Never used the gift card due to pregnancy so 2 sunless tans should have been on the card. On May 12, 2015 at 12:30pm I asked an employee at the Lincoln location if I would be able to give my husband the gift card to use for the 2 remaining sunless tans. She looked up the gift card and said that "there is no gift card with this number on file" AGAIN she called corporate and they told her that my husband has to open his own account and then I can transfer the 2 remaining tans onto his account but he must be present. Later that day we went in to transfer the sunless to his account, the girl at the desk said that there is no gift card on file, AGAIN she called corporate. They told her that I can transfer the 2 remaining sunless tans from my account to his with a extra charge of $15.00 per tan. A sunless tan cost $17.15, I told them this was their screwup and they should waive the $15.00 per tan transfer charge. Corporate said no. To save time, and about 5 people in line waiting to be helped my husband paid full price to have 1 sunless tan done. Then corporate tells me that I used all of my tans in June of 2011! I admitted to using ONE tan NEVER used all 3. This business is all about the money, and even tho it is not much of a refund, I would hate to see what other shady things this business does. Plus it is the principle that I was screwed. I am not only out of 2 sunless tans, but now $17.15 deducted out of my bank account.Desired Settlement: all I want is the money back from the 2 unused tans, and the tan that was paid for on May 12, 2015. Per tan is $17.00 x 2 = $34.00 + $17.15 out of pocket = $51.15. Nothing states on the gift card that it can't be transferable or of a transfer price.

Business

Response:

To Whom It May Concern: On May 20th, California Sun received a Revdex.com complaint fromAmy [redacted] regarding an issue with a gift card. On 06/13/2011, Ms. [redacted] visitedour Lincolnsalon and presented a gift card to the employee. The associate swiped the giftcard but the system was showing there were no funds available on the gift card.Our company provides gift cards that customers may load with a monetary value;we are unable to directly add sessions to the gift card itself. Since the employee wasn’t havingany luck locating the gift card, they contacted our Guest Services department immediatelyfor further assistance. The Guest Services representative was also unable tolocate the original transaction or find a value for the gift card. To promptlyassist the customer, the representative added one sunless session which, fromthe notes on Ms. [redacted]’s account, we can see was utilized that same day. Therepresentative also informed the employee that they would be looking into the issuefurther. One 06/22/2011 the Guest Servicesrepresentative informed Ms. [redacted] that she was having difficulty locating theoriginal transaction, because Ms. [redacted] did not know the date of the original purchaseand indicated that they paid cash and were not provided a receipt. As a measureof good faith, the representative directly credited Ms. [redacted]’s account withtwo, open-ended sunless sessions that would remain intact until utilized. Pleasenote that a monetary value was never credited to the gift card itself, but toMs. [redacted]’s account in our database. Although our system has the abilityto maintain access to packages purchased several years ago, it only has thecapacity to preserve a history of usage for up to three years. Our recordsindicate that one session was utilized in store from 2011-2012 and the finalunit remaining was utilized on February 28, 2013. On May 12, 2015, Ms. [redacted] calledinto our corporate office and spoke with another representative from our GuestServices department. She indicated that she was looking to transfer one sunlesssession from her account to her husband. The representative did not noticethere were no sessions remaining, she simply stated that there would be a $15fee to transfer a session to another guest. Ms. [redacted] did not say anythingmore during that call. That same day Ms. [redacted] purchased a packette of lotionand utilized an upgraded tanning session that totaled $17.15. When Ms. [redacted] visited the salonwith her husband later that evening, she was informed that there were nosessions remaining on her account, and that all three sessions had beenutilized. Ms. [redacted] expressed her frustration with the situation so theemployee offered to reduce the session cost for Ms. [redacted]’s husband from ourregular rate of $25 to match the $15 she was quoted earlier that day, for themisunderstanding. Our goal is not to frustrate orupset Ms. [redacted], but to merely protect our business’ policies and proceduresset in place for a reason. As a company, we try and provide the best possible customerservice to each and every guest and find a prompt solution to customer issues.We feel that we have done everything within our power to correct any errorswith Ms. [redacted]’s account.

Consumer

Response:

I am rejecting this response because:The statements stated are false. In June of 2011 a California Sun employee ([redacted]) called and left a message stating that everything has been worked out and they have credited me 2 sunless tans.California Sun then stated: "Our records indicate that one session was utilized in store from 2011-2012." that is false because I was pregnant and your advised NOT to use a enclosed spray machine.California Sun then stated: "and the final unit remaining was utilized on February 28, 2013." that is false as well, because I had a c-section and you are advised NOT to use any type of chemical on or around the incision due to the risk of infection. Another statement made by California Sun: "On May 12, 2015, Ms. [redacted] called into our corporate office and spoke with another representative from our Guest Services department. She indicated that she was looking to transfer one sunless session from her account to her husband. The representative did not notice there were no sessions remaining, she simply stated that there would be a $15 fee to transfer a session to another guest. Ms. [redacted] did not say anything more during that call. That same day Ms. [redacted] purchased a packet of lotion and utilized an upgraded tanning session that totaled $17.15." That statement is false. As I walked into California Sun on May 12, 2015 between the hours of 1130am and 1230pm. I spoke with Lindsay who was checking customers into the salon an employee of California Sun, I asked her what I needed to do to be able to have my husband use my 2 remaining sunless tans of my gift card that I presented to her. Lindsay then proceeded to call California Sun's corporate office and spoke with Holly. Holly said that the two remaining sunless tans maybe transferred to another client as long as they have their drivers license, I had to be present and the person receiving the tans must have an account with California Sun. There was no discussion about a $15 transfer fee. California Sun's gift card does not state anything about a "transfer fee". It only states:"Unused value remains on card and cannot be redeemed for cash." Later that evening at 15:00, my husband and myself walked into California Sun and spoke with Katie who then called California Sun corporate office to see what actions needed to be taken to have the 2 remaining sunless tans moved over to my husbands account. That is when corporate stated that it would be $15 per tan per transfer. My husband was getting upset because of the run around again, so he just paid the $15.00 for a 1 time tan since we were leaving the next morning for vacation. (transaction number:[redacted] at 15:43). California Sun also stated: " When Ms. [redacted] visited the salon with her husband later that evening, she was informed that there were no sessions remaining on her account, and that all three sessions had been utilized. Ms. [redacted] expressed her frustration with the situation so the employee offered to reduce the session sot for Ms. [redacted]'s husband form our regular rate of $25 to match the $15 she was quoted earlier that day, for the misunderstanding." This statement was to false because: When Lindsay called corporate and spoke to Holly, Holly verified that there were 2 sessions left and she verified that by using the gift card number [redacted]. I was never quoted "$15" for anything, Holly stated that my husband had to have an account with California Sun as that is per health regulations. That is also why my husband came into California Sun to set up his account so he would be able to use one of the two sunless tanning sessions before we left for vacation the next morning, why would I bring my husband into California Sun after work at 15:00 if this problem was not fixed? California Sun fills their database with false statements. I am now dealing with them on a billing issue in which I called into the corporate office on June 1, 2015 to take care of the billing issue. The girl whom I spoke with was very kind and ready to help me until she asked for my last name and my birthdate related to the account, she then told me she has to place me on hold...when the employee came back to the line she was very course, and rude then asked me "what my problem was?" I explained to her what was going on with the billing and her response back to me was, "i am looking at your account with us, and you have been a problem since 2011. There is nothing I can do about the billing, you did not send your letter of cancelation in time into our corporate office. Your next move will be to rewrite a cancellation letter and resend it to us." I asked her why I was told from a California Sun corporate employee , "as long as the envelope that contained the cancellation letter was postmarked with May 20, 2015 they would cancel my monthly membership with California Sun." Her response back to me was, "there is no way we would have told you that." I asked her if she is telling me I am lying, and he said "yes". Great, so now here I am trying to fix one problem and another problem pops up! California Sun lies and fills their database with false statements. I have screenshots from past customers that have been cheated out of money from California Sun. "The date this all started was December of 2010, when my husband walked into California Sun in Lincoln CA and bought me the gift card for Christmas. When I first tried to use it, corporate tried to tell me that husband must of messed up somehow. Really? As a local police officer for over 20 years you think that he messed up? Not cool! California Sun does not want to "provide the best possible customer service to each and every guest and find a prompt solution to customer issues." They want to wash their hands of the "issue" and act like nothing happened. "to merely protect our business' policies and procedures set in place for a reason." Yes, their policies are only in the best interest for the business, not for the customers. If they are doing this to me, how many other people are they cheating money out of? I will not stand for the bullying that they have started, with not only myself but other customers as well.

Review: I tried to cancel my month to month membership with California Sun Tanning in Elk Grove,CA. They explained to me that it had to be in writing so I mailed them a written consent to cancel my membership. The letter was returned to me stating no such address at which time I called to cancel and so did my roommate. They normally don't except cancellations over the phone or by email but they cancelled my roommates,when I called on the same day he did,they would not except my cancellation over the phone and said they would except an email. I was in the process of playing travel baseball and moving out of state and forgot to email them to try and cancel AGAIN. After I was home for a month I noticed that they had charged my account once again,and realized that I needed to call them once again to clear up this matter and try to get my money refunded since I no longer live there and can not use the membership. They once again told me they can not refund my money that they just charged my account TODAY, they could only except my cancellation, BUT not over the phone,I would have to email them which totally frustrates me. So I promptly emailed them to cancel and I plan to call back when the office manager is in to try and get my money back. I asked to speak to the owner and the girl I talked to said she knows that he wouldn't refund my money. I wonder how on Earth she can read his mind and KNOWS what he would or would not do for his business.Desired Settlement: My resolution would be to get my money back since I can not use the services they provide being that I don't live there anymore and to have my membership promptly cancelled. I am only 18 and my money is very important to me. Every little dime counts.

Business

Response:

TellTo Whom It May Concern: On September 1, 2015, California Sun receiveda Revdex.com complaint from [redacted]regarding his monthly membership. On 06/25/2015, Mr. [redacted] signed up for an unlimitedtanning membership, in which an amount of $24.95 + tax is to be withdrawnmonthly with no minimum term requirement starting July 1, 2015. Since the membership entered intois an open ended agreement, a written cancellation notice must be submitted tothe corporate office either via mail or hand delivery, 30 days prior to therequested cancellation effective date. Per the agreement, our company does notconsent to verbal cancellation requests. A written cancellation was neverreceived, so the membership remained active. On 07/23/2015 Mr. [redacted], called into our corporate office and spoke with a Guest Services representative. Mr. [redacted] hadindicated that he mailed out his cancellation request earlier that month, butthe post office had returned it to him as undeliverable. To attempt toaccommodate Mr. [redacted]’srequest, the representative offered to accept an email for August in lieu ofthe 30 day written notice. On 09/01/2015 Mr. [redacted] called instating that he has tried canceling his account several times but is stillbeing charged. The Guest Services representative explained that we did offer toaccept an email request back in July, but still have yet to receive writtenconsent for cancellation of the account as is required. Mr. [redacted] gave the indication that he hadforgotten to send the email request that was extended, so the representativeprovided another email address to where he could send his request. Shortly after the conversation withMr. [redacted],our company received a phone call from his mother regarding his account. Mr. [redacted]’s motherwas requesting that our company extend him a refund because he has attempted tocancel the account. The representative explained that we have still yet toreceive his written authorization but she insisted that a refund be processedto him for customer satisfaction. The representative did explain that ourcompany has made every attempt to try and assist Mr. [redacted] with submitting his request, andwe are unable to extend refunds for unused months. She was looking to speak with adirect supervisor, who was not available at that moment, so the representativeensured her that she would speak with the supervisor and have someone reach outto her. The representative did call Mr. [redacted] the same day, and left a voicemail indicatingthat per the terms of the membership it wouldn’t be possible for our company toextend a refund for past months. She indicated that we would be happy to acceptthe email request for cancellation, and can add a store credit of what was paidfor the month of September. Our goal is not to frustrate orupset Mr. [redacted],but to merely protect our business’ policies and procedures set in place for areason. As a company, we attempt to be very thorough and have many preventativesystems in place to ensure no requests for cancellation are overlooked. We aresimply unable to submit any changes to Mr. [redacted]’s account until he submits hiswritten authorization. Please see attached copy of themembership contract, in which cardholder agrees to these specific membershipterms.

Review: I sent in a cancellation form in December of 2014. The day I sent in my cancelation paper work she "[redacted]" sold me 5 separate tans since I would no longer be a member. Come to find out I'm still being charged and its for an increased amount at 27.45 dollars a month. My husband called the The corporate office in Roseville as he was the one who found the charges and they told him it was our fault for not hand delivering the cancilation notice and that "they don't mess up". I don't expect a certain levels of intelligence with a company such as California Sun however I do expect a level of ethics. It is unethical to have a person send in a letter of cancilation then tell them they never recived it and they don't mess up. No customer service at all, I have over 50$ worth of tanning left that was purchased separately and you can be sure they will go unused. I felt when I sent the letter in that it was a strange business practice but honestly life is too busy so I didn't give it another thought, but after 4 months of me not going at all and still being charged you think someone on their end who say wait what's going on with this account. It's not a lot of money but it was unfairly taken and that is not something I nor anyone else should put up with.Desired Settlement: I would appreciate a refund in the amount of 109.80 from a monthly debut of 27.45 from January 2015 to present. And my account needs to be closed.

Business

Response:

To Whom It May Concern: On April 3rd, California Sun received a Revdex.com complaint fromTara Leigh [redacted] regarding her monthly membership. On 07/22/2014, Ms. [redacted] signed upfor an unlimited tanning membership, in which an amount of $15.00 + tax is tobe withdrawn monthly with no minimum term requirement starting August 1, 2014. Then,starting January 1, 2015 the rate was to go up to our regular rate of $24.95 +tax per month. Since the membership entered intois an open ended agreement, a written cancellation notice must be submitted tothe corporate office either via mail or hand delivery, 30 days prior to therequested cancellation effective date. A written cancellation was neverreceived, so the membership remained active. On 04/02/2015 Ms. [redacted]’s husband,Joshua, called in to our corporate office and spoke with a Guest Services representativeon her behalf. Mr. [redacted] had indicated that his wife canceled her membership inOctober 2014, but he noticed we have continued to charge her account. The representativeinformed Mr. [redacted] that our records show that our company hadn’t yet received arequest from her. The representative also noted that Ms. [redacted] did continue to utilizethe services through the month of December. Mr. [redacted] then indicated that Ms.[redacted] actually hand delivered her cancellation request to the corporate officedirectly in November 2014. When a cancellation request is hand delivered to ourcorporate office, a confirmation receipt is provided to the guest for theirrecords. The representative asked Mr. [redacted] if Ms. [redacted] still had the receiptand he indicated that they probably do not have it. The Guest Services representativeagain apologized and explained that a cancellation had not been documented asreceived. In an attempt to ensure Ms. [redacted] did not see any further chargesfrom our establishment, the representative offered to accept an email requestfor cancellation, in lieu of a written notice. At this time, Mr. [redacted] becamevery aggravated and communicated that they were looking to be refunded the past4 months of service. The representative informed Mr. [redacted] that our companywould not be able to extend a refund as a cancellation request had not beenreceived, but that we do want to ensure no further charges occur to the account.Mr. [redacted] then told the representative to forget about it and ended the call. Our goal is not to frustrate orupset Ms. [redacted], but to merely protect our business’ policies and proceduresset in place for a reason. As a company, we attempt to be very thorough andhave many preventative systems in place to ensure no requests for cancellationare overlooked. The Guest Services representative even searched through thecancellations filed away from October, November and December to see if an errorhad been made and the cancellation gone unnoticed, but Ms. [redacted]’s request wasno where to be found. Ms. [redacted]’s account has since been set to canceleffective May 1, 2015 upon receipt of her written request on April 8, 2015. Please see attached copy of themembership contract, in which cardholder agrees to these specific membershipterms.

Consumer

Response:

I am rejecting this response because: you are covering up a mistakes made on your end not mine. Your company practices are despicable and I now see why you get such low Revdex.com ratings. I am sorry to have ever done business with you. I hope in the future your company chooses to tell the truth rather then make up stories about what was said and done. keeping money that I have worked hard for because you all didn't "recive" my letter nor trying to come to an agreement truly saddenes me. Obviously customer service isn't your strength.

Review: I never signed up for a membership at this company. Sales Rep misused my information my credit card and identification for her sale purpose. I tried contacting this location and they continuously state that they cant identify who signed me up and wrongfully opened a membership at this particular location. I wanted to file a police report because the girl who did the sign up did it without my consent. I addressed the issue with management and they told me to fill out a paper for cancelation just incase.. so I followed the instructions and they still did not cancel. I am disputing this because I NEVER SIGNED UP FOR MEMBERSHIP. The sales rep. falsely signed me up for a membership I NEVER authorized. If I could get the information for the girl who signed me up I will file a police report. This company is terrible for letting its reps mis use c/c and customer id's to sign them up for memberships they never agreed on.Desired Settlement: I need the company to pull the collections from my credit score. I have a reputable credit I have never been in this type of situation before. California Sun needs to restructure their business. TAKE THIS OF MY CREDIT REPORT I NEVER SIGNED UP and I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW INFORMATION ON THE PERSON WHO SIGNED ME UP FOR MEMBERSHIP BECAUSE I NEVER AUTHORIZED IT AND I WILL FILE A LAWSUIT.

Business

Response:

To Whom It May Concern:

On May 21st, California Sun received a Revdex.com complaint from [redacted] regarding her monthly membership.

On 05/15/2013, Ms. [redacted] signed up for an unlimited tanning membership, in which an amount of $20.00 + tax is to be withdrawn monthly with no minimum term requirement starting June 1, 2013. Ms. [redacted] was required to read over and sign a membership agreement that day, stating the terms of the membership that she was purchasing. Ms. [redacted] did continue to utilize services on the membership through the month of July.

On Septmeber 30th Ms. [redacted] called into our Guest Services department to see why she was being charged for her membership. She said that the day she purchased the package, she provided a card but was told it wouldn’t be charged monthly. Our representative apologized for any miscommunication but explained that she did sign the membership agreement, stating that the membership would be a reoccurring monthly EFT and would continue in an open ended fashion until a written cancellation request was received at our corporate office.

At this time Ms. [redacted] became very aggravated and explained that if our company did not provide her a refund for the unused months she was going to dispute the charges through her bank. The representative explained that we would not be able to extend a refund and advised against disputing the charges as they were authorized the day the membership was purchased and could lead to the amount being sent to collections.

Our cancellation policy does state that in order to cancel this membership a written cancellation notice must be submitted 30 days prior to the requested cancellation effective date. During the conversation on September 30th, the representative offered to accept a faxed cancellation request to terminate Ms. [redacted]’s membership immediately, to ensure no further charges were processed on her account for October 1st.

No cancellation request was received but the membership was terminated on October 11th due to receipt of a chargeback dispute received from the Dispute Resolution Department. Ms. [redacted] disputed four months of membership dues totaling $88.00. A written response and documentation, was submitted to the Dispute Resolution Department by California Sun. Once the dispute has progressed to a certain point, the disputed amount is then submitted to a collections agency. California Sun mailed a notice on 12/6/13 to Ms. [redacted] letting her know that the amount of $113.00 representing disputed membership dues and banking fees accessed to the company would be sent to a collections agency. We do provide the customer a window of 7 days to respond to the notice prior to submitting the amount to collections. Although Ms. [redacted] did call in on 12/28/2013 regarding the notice, she requested a call back from the department supervisor. The department supervisor left her a message on 12/31/2013 but we did not receive a call back. Ms. [redacted] was submitted to collections for the disputed amount and banking fees as the charges were authorized and the membership services were utilized.

Our goal is not to frustrate or upset Ms. [redacted], but to merely protect our business’ policies and procedures set in place for a reason. As a company, we monitor our employees closely and have many preventative systems in place to ensure employees are not charging customers without their permission. For example, we require any customers requesting a membership initial and sign a membership agreement to authorize the reoccurring charges and terms of that package. California Sun also requires customers to present valid ID every time services are purchased or utilized in store.

Please see attached copy of the membership contract, in which cardholder agrees to these specific membership terms.

Consumer

Response:

I am rejecting this response because:

I never signed up for a membership I paid for a lotion and a few days of tanning. I never signed up for a membership. I MADE THAT CLEAR TO THE GIRL at the time of her wanting to sign me up. I told her I do not want a membership!! I wanted to pay in cash at that moment however she asked me if I had tanning lotion to put on, I stated I already put some on right before I came. She stated that I couldnt do that and I had to purchase one from them. That is the only reason I took out my credit card because I did not have enough for the lotion. I even gave a credit card that was due to expire just to make sure she does not sign me up for membership, however it seems that their systme bypasses the expiration date because they continued to bill my credit card that expired months ago. I did not sign the membership agreement and I have a cancelation paper as well as a membership paper that clearly shows I never asked for a membership the girl at the counter signed me up and took what is clearly my signature for the purchase of the lotion and a few days of tan. This company is a joke, trust that I have learned my lesson if its not cash no one should ever give a c/c specially to unprofessional companies such as California Sun. They have employees that are uneducated and fraudsters that take advantage of people. This is a complete fraud act done by the employee at California Sun. I will take the contract I have that is not signed and the cancelation notice with all paperwork and receipt I can find to prove that the employee did a fraudulent membership application.

Business

Response:

To Whom It May Concern:

We appreciate Ms. [redacted]’s response but simply are not able to extend a resolution for the concerns she has brought forth. Ms. [redacted] did sign a membership agreement on May 15, 2013 for the package that was sold to her. Numerous services and member discounts were utilized, including free upgraded sessions that were only included with the membership that was purchased. Ms. [redacted] also even made a prepayment in store on May 28, 2013 to cover the membership dues scheduled to draft on June 1, 2014.

On behalf of California Sun, we sincerely apologize for any miscommunication that occurred with the membership purchase and would be happy to provide any further records collected from Ms. [redacted]’s usage on the membership. We unfortunately cannot verify what information was provided in store that day but can assure Ms. [redacted] that we will take further steps to ensure our staff is properly communicating the terms of the agreement. Due to the fact that we cannot be present, we do require each member to sign the agreement before any reoccurring charges take place.

Our goal is to ensure that each customer is provided the full details of any reoccurring membership transaction. This is why our company does require all of the terms be agreed to on paper. We do value each and ever customer and want to do the best to extend a solution but upon reviewing the services that Ms. [redacted] has utilized and reviewing the agreement we are confident in our position.

Thank you for your response.

Review: I was a regular customer at the Howe Ave location in Sacramento, CA, and I recently received a job offer end of September to transfer to the Orange County office with my job. I had a monthly membership at California Sun and I called to cancel my membership. They said I had to pay the full month of October, even though I was moving October 10th, which I didn't feel was too much of a big deal. But I was a little skeptical when they told me that I had to write a letter to their office to cancel and that I could just do so in person or over the phone. So that same day, I wrote a note saying I would like to cancel my services and mailed it to the address they provided me with. However, after skimming through my November bank statements I noted a monthly charge of $54 for the month of November! So I called there customer service line back and was really appalled at what the manager [redacted] had to say. They claimed they never received my letter and that there is no way that I could be refunded my money even though it was clear I would not be using there services. This is really scary knowing they have my credit card information and continue to make unauthorized charges to my account. I went ahead and cancelled my card immediately, however. It's terrifying a company will take advantage of you in this way, collect money that is unauthorized, and then you confront them about it they basically tell you that there is nothing you can do about it, and that they are keeping your money, without providing ANY services.Desired Settlement: I seek to be refunded the $54 to my account that is rightfully mine, and that no further charges are billed to my account.

Business

Response:

To Whom It May Concern: On November 13, 2015, California Sun received a Revdex.com complaint from [redacted] regarding her monthly membership. On 04/28/2014, Ms. [redacted] signed up for an unlimited tanning membership, in which an amount of $39 + tax is to be withdrawn monthly with no minimum term requirement starting May 1, 2014. Since the membership entered into is an open ended agreement, a written cancellation notice must be submitted to the corporate office either via mail or hand delivery, 30 days prior to the requested cancellation effective date. A written cancellation was never received, so the membership remained active. On 11/13/2015 Ms. [redacted] called in to our corporate office and spoke with a Guest Services representative regarding her account. Ms. [redacted] indicated that she canceled her membership last month, but noticed a charge on November 1st of $42.90, representing the monthly membership dues plus tax. The Guest Services representative apologized and explained that although she could see the policy was provided when Ms. [redacted] called the corporate office on October 1, 2015, a cancellation had not been documented as received. In an attempt to ensure Ms. [redacted] did not see any further charges from our establishment, the representative offered to accept an email request for cancellation, in lieu of a written notice. At this time, Ms. [redacted] became upset and said that she wanted a refund for the month of November. The representative informed Ms. [redacted] that our company would not be able to extend a refund as a cancellation request had not been received, but that we do want to ensure no further charges occur to the account. Ms. [redacted] requested to discuss the account further with a manager. The department supervisor took over the call with Ms. [redacted], who again expressed her frustration that her account had not been canceled. The manager apologized again to Ms. [redacted] and informed her that her request, unfortunately, had not been received. As a company, we do suggest sending the cancellation request via certified mail as well as provide a confirmation call once a cancellation is received, to ensure the customer is aware when it’s delivered. The manager informed Ms. [redacted] that her request simply was never delivered, so it would not be possible for us to extend a refund. The manager did indicate that upon receipt of the email request, we would be sending her written confirmation for her records. She also extended a store credit of the $42.90 that was charged, so Ms. [redacted] would be able to use the amount in store in the future but Ms. [redacted] declined.Our goal is not to frustrate or upset Ms. [redacted], but to merely protect our business’ policies and procedures set in place for a reason. As a company, we attempt to be very thorough and have many preventative systems in place to ensure no requests for are overlooked. The Guest Services representative even searched through the cancellations filed away from November to see if an error had been made and the cancellation had been overlooked somehow, but Ms. [redacted]’s request was no where to be found. Ms. [redacted]’s account has since been set to cancel effective December 1, 2015 upon receipt of her emailed request on November 16, 2015.Please see attached copy of the membership contract, in which cardholder agrees to these specific membership terms.

Review: My credit card was improperly charged, and then the refund was not credited properly to my card. When phoning the office to fix, no help was given.

My account was to be terminated as of August 1st, and I was to be enrolled in the freeze/stay and save program which is billed at $5 per month. My card was improperly charged for full membership dues on August 1st in the amount of $71.07. This charge was incorrect as my account was to be put into freeze status prior to August. After phoning the corporate office, I was told my credit card was to be credited in the amount of $66.07, representing the difference between my monthly charge for full service and the monthly charge for the freeze program. My card was to be then charged the $5 monthly fee starting September 1st.

I was not able to review my account statements until December to verify this was done correctly. Once I reviewed the statements, I noticed that the credit was never applied to my credit card, nor was the $5 monthly fee being charged.

Upon phoning California Sun's corporate office again December 9th, I was told there was nothing that could be done. I was told that the refund I was waiting for on my credit card was coded as a store credit. The person I spoke with previously had incorrectly credited by account as store credit instead of credit card refund. After dealing with this headache, I am terminating my membership with California Sun but demand the refund of the funds the incorrectly charged me without authorization which was paid for services never rendered.Desired Settlement: I am now requesting a refund of the remaining $46.07, which is the original amount charged of $71.07, minus 5 months of payments that should have been charged to be card at $5 each, totaling $25.

Business

Response:

To Whom It May Concern:

On June 28th Ms. [redacted] called into the California Sun corporate office to request a freeze be placed on her account. The representative informed Ms. [redacted] that an email would be sent outlining the terms of our Stay & Save program and as long as a response is received by the 20th of July, the freeze would be processed with an effective date of August 1st. California Sun did not have a logged response therefore the membership remained active.

On August 20th Ms. [redacted] placed another call to the corporate office when she realized that she was charged her full membership dues on August 1st rather than the $5 freeze payment. At this time she was informed that we were unable to process the freeze without her authorization. As a courtesy, the representative offered to backdate the freeze to August 1st. Ms. [redacted] was given the option to receive a refund of the difference in dues or a credit on her account. Based on the notes, Ms. [redacted] requested the store credit. An email was sent (included below) confirming that the freeze had been processed and the credit placed on her account.

From: [redacted] <[email protected]>

To: [redacted] <[email protected]>

Cc:

Date: Tue, 20 Aug 2013 15:56:12 -0700

Subject: California Sun Stay & Save Confirmation

[redacted],

Thank you for being a loyal customer. Per our conversation, I have processed your Stay & Save request and applied a credit of $66.01 to your account. Your $5 Stay & Save dues will draft from that credit but can also be used towards in store purchases. If you have any additional questions or concerns, don't hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Guest Services Representative

California Sun

(916)789-1034

California Sun made every attempt to accommodate Ms. [redacted] in August to freeze her account. An exception was made to backdate Stay & Save and credit the difference in dues and per Ms. [redacted] request, the credit was added to her account. Starting September 1st, the $5 payment for Ms. [redacted] Stay & Save dues has been deducted from her store credit leaving her a remaining credit of $46.07. A cancellation request was received from Ms. [redacted] on December 12, 2013 therefore her membership is set to expire as of December 31, 2013 and no further deductions will be processed. The credit of $46.07 will remain on the account and available for use at her convenience.

Sincerely,

Customer Service

CC: Michael Blore, CEO

</[email protected]></[email protected]>

Consumer

Response:

(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)

I appreciate the response. The details of the response are almost correct until the "note in the system" that I requested a store credit. As stated in my letter sent to both the main office and the owner in December, I requested a credit card refund when it was offered to me in August. That was never taken care of. There was no mention that an email was going to be sent to me. It is not my fault that the representative incorrectly noted that I requested a store credit instead of a credit card refund. As I had initially requested in August, and again in my letter in December and again in my complaint here, I am requesting a credit card refund of the $46.07.

It is unfortunate that there has been such a delay in time to correct this issue, but it never would have been created if the representative would have processed the credit correctly. I will take responsibility for not looking into the matter sooner, but I am a busy person with many responsibilities and assumed that things were taken care of correctly. It is obviously my fault for making that assumption. The only reason I am cancelling with California Sun is because I can no longer spend hours of my days trying to rectify billing issues for a company that I am not a part of. That is not my job.