Complaints prompt changes 'At the Beach'\r
Heidi Hemmat Investigative Reporter \r
9:53 PM MST, December 17, 2009\r
DENVER, Colo. - It's the response ""At the Beach"" customers wanted, but never thought they would get.\r
At the Beach's attorney tells FOX 31 News that the company is offering a ""courtesy cancellation"" to any customer who feels they got scammed into signing contract they could not break.\r
""We want to find out if there is a problem and if there is we want to fix it,"" said attorney Richard Ogden.\r
""Through the end of the year (January 2009), we are offering a courtesy cancellation to anyone who believes they were misrepresented in terns of their 6 months or 12 months contract.""\r
The change in policy comes after our investigative report exposed consumer fraud claims made by hundreds of At the Beach customers who say they were scammed by lying salespeople who promised their ""membership could be canceled at anytime,"" but they were really signing a one or two-year contract they could not break.\r
Most of the victims admit they didn't read the agreement, which clearly states it is a contract which cannot be broken unless you move 25 miles away from an ""At the Beach"" location or you can buyout the contract by paying 50-percent of the balance due on your one-year deal.\r
Kevin Lanoha, who is a victim and an attorney, says he had good reason to trust what the salespeople told him, because salespeople aren't legally allowed to lie.\r
""It's called deceptive advertising,"" said Kevin. ""I was angry, frustrated.""\r
Since our report aired, we have taken dozens of additional phone calls from consumers who claim they, too, got duped by deceptive salespeople.\r
More than 100 people have posted the same kind of complaints on our website and through email, and 68 additional consumer fraud complaints have been filed with the Colorado Attorney general.\r
""At the Beach's"" owner, Hoyle Belt, still doesn't believe his employees are doing anything wrong. But the company's attorney says they are concerned enough about the allegations to make it right.\r
The ""Courtesy Cancellation"" policy is effective immediately and will continue through the end of the 2009.\r
Contact the call center at 1-866-690-9080.\r
Ogden says you must be ""current on your contract, and you have to pay for the tans you've used based on a single session rate"" to cancel your membership. \r
Cons: Everything
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