Chelsea had paid for a lifetime yoga membership with a studio, unaware at the time that lifetime memberships aren’t allowed in BC.
In less than a year, the yoga studio sold to a new owner who had no provisions in place for honouring the existing lifetime memberships.
“No one was taking responsibility,” says Chelsea, “I thought I was out of luck.” She had paid for a service that no one was willing to provide and was disappointed that her method of relaxation had turned into such a headache. “It was very frustrating and no one was acting very yoga-ish about it,” says Chelsea, “I felt very taken advantage of.”
Chelsea tried to cancel the contract, but the previous owner refused to provide a refund. Someone suggested that she call Consumer Protection BC for help. Consumer Protection BC approached the parties involved to try to resolve the matter, and the original yoga studio owner agreed to give Chelsea a $3,000 refund.
With the issue resolved, Chelsea could get back to her yoga practice without the stress of a contract dispute. She urges others to reach out to Consumer Protection BC if they aren’t sure how to solve a problem transaction with a business.
* Names changed to protect the privacy of the individuals involved.
If you feel like something isn’t right, reach out to us
If you walk away from signing a contract or paying for a product or service and something just doesn’t feel right, contact us. We are responsible for overseeing certain consumer protection laws in British Columbia, and we are also a step on your path to a solution. Depending on your concern, another organization may be the ones to speak to; other times, court or legal assistance may be the best solution. Either way, we will do our best to give you the most relevant information.
ADDITIONAL READING:
Charlotte’s story: yoga studio inflexible when it comes to refund
What would you do? A guide to being a savvy consumer: gym memberships
Work out the details of your gym contract before signing!
Joining a gym? Here’s why you should “sweat” your membership, first
Back in December I had purchased a gift card for a yoga studio in Whistler, BC (White Gold Yoga). It was a $50 card purchased as a present for my significant other to go try out the studio for the first time. When he went to the studio to go use it in January, he came to realization that the studio had gone out of business. What are my rights in this scenario? They are not giving me a refund.
Hi Nina, thank you for your question and I apologize for the delay. Unfortunately, when a business closes or goes out of business, there is not much that can be done about amounts owed on a gift card. That said, you may be able to request a charge back from your credit card provider. If you are interested in checking out a blog post with a few options for you in this situation, here is a link. I hope this helps and best of luck.
Nice to meet u