An Edmonton family says Spa Lady staff used confusing and pushy sales tactics to turn a free trial run into a pair of contracts they didn’t want and the family couldn’t afford.
Fifteen-year-old Sarah Osadolor — a high school track athlete — says she was very excited when someone from the Northgate Mall Spa Lady called to tell her she’d been picked for a free two-week membership at the gym.
“I love to stay to stay fit. I think it’s very important in life,” she said.
When she asked how the trial would work, Sarah said she was told to come in with her mother because she was underaged.
But once they were sitting in the Spa Lady office, Sarah and her mother Mary Osadolor say staff hardly mentioned the free trial offer and concentrated instead on selling them special memberships.
Sarah Osadolor says Spa Lady staff never discussed her free trial until after her mother had signed several contracts.” (CBC)
“They were talking to my mom the whole time,” Sarah said. “She only came because they needed her signature because I was underage. It was just really overwhelming.”
Mary Osadolor says she was was given several papers to sign.
“To me, we were signing all this because of the two weeks free,” she said. “So I was excited, when she told me they were [also] going to offer me the two weeks free, not knowing that I was signing to get in as a member.”
“They never mentioned the two weeks until they got my mother’s signature on paper,” Sarah said.
Family tries to cancel contracts one day later
Spa Lady VP Scott Wildeman agreed to cancel the Osadolors’ contracts after Go Public called. (CBC)
Mary Osadolor said she was asked for her debit card to make two payments of $46.20.
She said she realized at that point she was actually buying two memberships and asked to go away and think about it, but was told they were being offered a one-time special.
She says they were told they’d be charged $200 more per membership if they waited until the next day.
