CURVES DISCUSSION: Benefits of a Franchisee Lawsuit?
August 18, 2008
Curves franchise owner positive-healthy asks:
Could anyone give any insight on what would be considered all the legitimate reasons that one might be able to participate in the group lawsuit? I’m not sure it would be appropriate to ask to be included solely based on severe downturns in a club’s membership due to being in a small town or because of paying too high of a purchase price for a resale. I don’t think I can blame it on Curves International that there is such a turnover in membership. Sometimes I think that our biggest threat is a woman’s lack of commitment to her workouts and the belief that she doesn’t deserve to have a membership on a long-term basis. I would appreciate any insight into this matter. Thank you.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? SHARE A COMMENT BELOW.
We closed our club at the end of July. Haven’t heard from CI yet. Only know that they wanted 10K. Like positive-healthy wants to know what would be a legitimate reason to get into a lawsuit. We live about 12 miles from the club that we closed. There were at least 22 to 24 clubs in that corridor from my house to club. Maybe over-saturation would be a good reason. But after so many years of draining the finances, who has the money to go after them.
First off the lawsuit is not about the high member turn over or buying a franchise that was over priced. While I do believe that Curves International is responsible allowing owners to sell clubs at obviously over inflated prices and I will explain that in a little bit.
When you buy a franchise you have the right to expect that franchisors are experts at what they do, are honest, and are out to help the franchisee succeed in business by offering a sound business model. All franchisors have to file what is called a UFCO filling with the federal governments Federal Trade Commission. When buying a franchisee you must be given that document and sign the last page, have it notarized, and mail it back to the franchisor before you can own a franchise. Curves International had to by law follow this procedure. The lawsuit is concerned with Curves International over selling franchises in metro areas and selling territories that could not support a club in the first place. Most if not all owners in metro areas have and are complaining that other Curves are 1.5 to 2 miles apart. Curves has continuously allowed owners to open on their borders rather that in the center of there territories. Curves International had control of where each club opened and by buying a franchise you have a right to expect that the franchisor would protect your territory rights but they obviously did not live up to that. Furthermore they sold franchises which had less than 3500 in population which they knew could not succeed. Therefore one of the main issues of the lawsuit is the over-saturation of the market which was controlled by Curves International. Why did they allow this to happen? The obvious answer is greed.
Another reason for buying a franchise is because of their expertise in that endeavor should you need help or advice in making you business profitable. This franchisor has a responsibility to provide that support/services in a timely manor. If you take the time to talk to the owners, most would agree, that the franchisor has given the franchisee little to none support/services. When ever a problem arose between franchisee concerning transfers, advertising within your protected territory by another franchisee, or any other problem that would arise, Curves International would either never respond or did nothing to correct or address the problems. Most franchisee were lucky to even see an Area Director from Curves International and some owners to this day have never had one step foot in their clubs.
Now as I stated before when buying a franchise you have the right to expect that the franchisor will be honest and truthful when estimating costs and potential profits. On this particular point franchisee should have every expectation that they would be honest as they promoted Curves as a Christian based company with Christian beliefs. Unfortunaly this is not the case with Curves or Gary Heavin. The franchisor filed the UFCO documents with the Federal Trade Commission which by law must state the initial investment costs and the break-even and profitability. But they under-estimated the initial investment costs and made wrongful representations regarding break-even and profitability on the UFCO filling. Now could this have been a mistake? Yes of course it could have been but even when they were questioned about it they refused to correct it. Consequently one can draw the conclusion that it was done intentionally to sell more franchises. Regardless it is fraud and there is no if’s, ands, or buts. It is down right illegal, fraudulent, and not by any means the Christian way.
Now lets go back to the your point that some owners paid too high of a purchase price for a resale. You are absolutely right. Some of the new owners that bought existing clubs did pay way to much for their facility and there is no way they can make a profit as a result. But if you are an owner you know as well as I that in order for you to sell a club you must submit to Curves International the Buy/sell agreement showing the purchase price, as well as the new owners lease agreement, and other documents to get the franchise agreement transferred to the new owners. You as an owner also know that you have to send in monthly projection reports which shows how gross income your club made during that month. Just by looking at those reports required by Curves International one should have been able to tell that those franchisee were not going to make it being sold for those over inflated prices. While Curves International is not legally required to question those sales don’t you think they had a moral responsibility to do so. Come on they themselves are the ones that promote that it is a Christian run business based on Christian beliefs and values. Consequently I defiantly believe they were wrong in allowing those type of sales to go through.
So to sum up the legitimate reasons that one might be able to participate in the group lawsuit one must look at the issues that predominate the litigation against Curves International. Again those are over saturation of the market, lack of support/services, under-estimated initial investment costs and wrongful representations made regarding break-even and profitability. I hope that this has given you an insight into what would be considered the legitimate reasons for participating in the group lawsuit and I would hope that you will consider joining us in that endeavor.
The unhappycurvesownerz
I had previously been approached to join the lawsuit. I had decided not to do so.
I closed a club in a town with a population of 2000 my fault for being so stupid.
I have a second club with a population of 8000. I have been open 5 years.
First two years were great. Now I am losing approx 600 per month.
I just asked about closing procedure for my club and learn they want $10,000 to do so. Two and a half years ago my husband lost his job and income. The curves business would not support us. I left the business and went to work and a few months later my husband and I purchased the company that I was working for. This business is a mfg co and I have no time to put into the Curves. As a result we are down to about 120 members and are losing money and have been for 2 years. They want me to pay them $10,000 to close the doors. If I was not losing my rear I would be happy to keep the club open.
Now I am considering joining the lawsuit.
We just recived information about the class action suit tonight. This whole situation is what we figured. We are actually in the process of either selling our club or shutting it down. 10,000.00 to shut the club down? THATS INSANE! Who has that kind of money lying around? We bought the club on false pretenses from a previous owner who lied about member numbers. Curves did not give us the correct figures or tell us we were overpaying. Go Figure software makes it impossible to go back and look up members. We paid $96,000.00 for our club and are possibly selling it for $35,000.00. We have to incur the rest of the business loan via credit cards. We cannot sell the business or shut it down while the bank still holds the note cause there is a lien on our business assets. Clubs around us have been shutting down everywhere. When we tried to contact our area director, it has been hard to get a response. I have had to write several emails. Lately, since we have been talking about shutting it down, our area director has been telling us that Gary is now letting people out of their agreement and it will be easy to get rid of the equipment. She always dodges the question about how much it costs and says she knows nothing about the process. The last two years have been an absolute nightmare. My husband and I have many times made comments about Gary being this “CHRISTIAN” but then turning around and telling franchisees it’s all on us and before pointing fingers at him, we should point two fingers at ourselves. Anyone that gloats about being a Christian and advertises their religion is not a Christian. The Bible states when you pay homage to God, do it in secret and be humble about your faith. . . We have resorted to putting out own personal monies from our full-time jobs into this albatross. We are VERY interested in this class action suit and would like to know more. There is a sale pending so we would like to know as soon as possible. We always thought there was a case against Curves but did not know how to go about it. Since we bought Curves two years ago, we have lost over $40,000.00. If the choice is get involved in a class action or sell it, I would rather the class action.
I opened my first location over 6 years ago. At that time, there were only about 1200 locations. My territory is very large. Now that the market is COMPLETELY OVERSATURATED, my membership has dropped well over 50%. I also opened another location 4 years ago in a much smaller population and had to close it due to lack of members. I closed the beginning of July and received a letter from CI today. They want me to pay them $28,440.00 for royalties and $14,040.00 for advertising. I DON’T THINK SO!! If I got 1% of my members from their advertising, that’s stretching it! The programs they want us to do are ridiculous and only cost the franchisee more money by having to buy products from Curves. The sad part about that is Curves gets paid for the promotional items and we have to give them away. My AD has been in 1 of my locations once in 6 years. The only time CI ever contacted me was when my projection sheets didn’t get sent in. I know they will try to sue me for closing fees, but I feel I have more to sue them for. My husband has been supporting my franchises the whole time because it never brought in enough to pay all the bills and payroll. The location I closed NEVER turned a profit. We are definitely interested in a class action. Please let us know what we need to do.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know about the lawsuit…we want a part….our population is 3700..just barely over the 3500 minimum. There are two other clubs with in 5 miles and their populations are similar. We have been losing like crazy and want out! But 10000 is CRAZY!!! I’m sure we have paid them that much in those crazy fees over the last 3 years!
I lost my club (had to close it down) when diminishing numbers and rising overheads meant that I was barely break even. When I bought the franchise in 2003, Curves was a hot proposition (or just beginning to be). At that time, you had to have a 30,000 population base to constitute a territory.
The first point is that selling a territory with as few as 3,500 people in them is such a radical departure from the practice of selling them with nearly 10 times that many that it can be said to be bad faith action on the part of Curves. And not in the contemplation of the parties to the earlier franchise agreements.
The second point is that Curves had absolutely no overal quality control program and some Clubs just were not up to the mark. When I looked at other franchises prior to buying Curves, they almost always wanted to meet you. I remember the sales guys for Curves saying to me is that all Curves cared about is whether you had the money. The lack of quality control, the massive overselling of too small territories and the rapid expansion without regard to old or new franchise holders, meant that the brand suffered. And that impacted us all. The first I even met my area director was in 2007, nearly four years after I opened. And the first inspection I had was in 2007.
Also, when I opened in 2003, “selling” was a bad thing — whether it was tee shirts or Curves gear. I remember Gary Heavin saying (at my training) that he was opposed to selling tees and gear to members. That just was not our business. With the oversaturation of the market, Curves began encouraging us to sell, sell, sell. Everything from gear, to tees, to travel service. This was an acknowledgement of declining income.
Despite monumental efforts, my numbers went down from about 550 (at the peak) to fewer than 350. If you begin life with 550 and end it with 350, you are strangled by the fixed costs (rent, utilities). People who bought the smaller territories (generally 2005 and later) had population bases that were untenable from the beginning. Curves had what the contract lawyers and negligence lawyers would call a “duty of care” towards their franchisees. And, from about 2005, that was thrown out the window in order to sell the maximum number of franchises. And, while she would not admit, my area director more or less verified that and told me that the game had become one of “orderly closures”.
If anyone can tell me where to sign up, I would love to join any law suit.
Just curious. What happens if you dont pay the fees you owe from shutting it down? Do they sue you?
Please tell me how I can join this lawsuit. I purchased a resale January 2007. The previous owner lied about the membership, etc. Curves Int. does not help me collect transfer members money. My expenses exceed the income and members cancel weekly. I leased CurvesSmart hoping that it would help us but that has turned out to be a $10,000 nightmare. They will not take it back and the leasing company has already paid CI. No help for the franchisees. their ads have not help me at all. I do local advertising so why do I have to pay CI monthly for advertising. I am sorry I believed in them
Please tell me how I can join this lawsuit. I purchased a resale January 2007. The previous owner lied about the membership, etc. Curves Int. does not help me collect transfer members money. My expenses exceed the income and members cancel weekly. I leased CurvesSmart hoping that it would help us but that has turned out to be a $10,000 nightmare. They will not take it back and the leasing company has already paid CI. No help for the franchisees. their ads have not help me at all. I do local advertising so why do I have to pay CI monthly for advertising. I am sorry I believed in them
Wow, this is amazing. I am glad, in a sad way, that I am not the only one in this situation. Here is my story: I purchased my club about 2 and a half years ago. I always worked full time but I wanted to have a second child and I thought with the promised 300 members I was told the club had, I would be able to quit my job and work 4 hours a day and spend the rest of the time with my kids. My pregnancy was complicated and the day I purchased Curves was the same day I was induced. I was only able to stay home for a week because the club did not have 300 members but instead it had 170 and I could afford any staff so I worked 10 hours a day at the club with my newborn daughter and my mother who worked full time came to the club after her job and worked the remaining 2 hours we were still open. The employees told me the club never had 300 members but all the paperwork that was presented to me had the previous owner earing $8,000-$10,000 a month and showing 300 members. I took a second mortgage on my house, took a cash advance on a credit card and took a note with the previous owner. I was not taking an income from the club, never have, and never will be able too. I now work in New York City which is 50 miles one way from my house and I never see my kids. I have had thousands of dollars taken out of my personal bank account for personal loans taken out to purchase this business. I am in debt up to my eyeballs and there is nothing I can do. Me and my husband both work in Manhattan and we can not work more hours to make ends meet. I don’t even have a personal bank account because I have had so much taken out of it because of leins placed upon me personally I am afraid to open an account. I would love to figure something out. I just wan to close the business and be done. I have not paid the rent in months and will be evicted. What do you gals suggest?
I feel your pain we have all been scammed . this company called curves is like as someone else put it ENRON and it is finally coming out there are so many very sad stories. get in contact with robert Lay as he will help you sift through all the steps needed to get your name on newest lawsuit . also the attorny general also looking onto the scam.these clubs are now being sold for as low as one dollar. most however are closing in record numbers. people are being left with thousands of dollars in credit card debt, as well as credit ruined ,homes being forclosed, and families displaced, one women acuatlly had ar stroke at 46 years old due to stress, even one suicide, so its pretty bad . what ever you do dont give curves another dollar. they have gotton enough of our money. join in on the lawsuit and help stop this thief. restituion is on the way, just follow up and listen to robert , I did its the best news I have heard in a long time when it comes to curves
The problem with this lawsuit is you dont really have a leg to stand on if you are a resale owner like myself. The only part of a lawsuit I can get in on is lack of Corporate help & support. I cant say anything about other Curves being too close to mine because I knew that when I bought it. For people struggling right now financially, how can you manage when you only have them on one count? The attorney wants $4,000 upfront and you have to pay your own way to fly back and forth plus hotels to Waco for depositions. I feel like Curves has me by the cajones no matter what.
I also don’t understand how Curves Corporate legally can charge you a “failure fee” of $10,000 and then turn around and demand you to pay all your back franchise fees and Ad fees for the remainder of your agreement.
If I had known Gary Heavin was an ex con before I bought this gym, I would have NEVER bought it. He claims he and the cult of corporate robots are doing this for God. Since when did God rob from the poor to benefit himself? The bible states you dont announce your religion and what you do in prayer you do in secret. This guy is a real winner. Put Heavin iand all his disciples n jail!
New Jesrey Curves Owner wrote: If I had known Gary Heavin was an ex con before I bought this gym, I would have NEVER bought it.
What was Gary Heavin convicted of? Was it disclosed in your Offering Circular? If it was a felony, it certainly should have been.
UPDATED: I checked out Gary Heavin’s wikipedia bio http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Heavin
It says he went to jail for not paying child support. Is that what you’re referencing?
If so, I don’t think it’s too flattering but it hardly makes him an “ex-con.”
Just saying…
Anyone who spent time in jail, is an ex-con regardless of the crime. Supposedly this is where he “found God” Isnt this where all people claim to “find God”? We heard the stories how he lived in his car, was in jail, was completely broke etc etc. Bottom line is the guy’s a snake. He should be back in jail for what he is doing to franchisees. He doesnt want any responsibility if you fail. He called his workout and phone scripts “fool proof”. Just my humble opinion.
NJCO:
Anyone who spent time in jail, is an ex-con regardless of the crime.
Not true. Many are jailed before they are even charged, while others are held for different conditions, like nonpayment. “Convict” would mean the person was convicted of a crime. Was he actually convicted or was he just remanded to jail until he somehow came up with the money?
I don’t mean to split hairs, but be careful to be accurate. You don’t want to leave yourself for him to claim you slandered him. It’s not slander as long as it’s true, so if he’s been convicted, it’s true.
The Bible is the first refuge of the scoundrel, that’s for sure. Some people use being “born again” as the magic eraser of all past misdeeds. In fact, the worse their past, the better the story of their redemption.
In reading about Gary Heavin’s staunch pro-life stance, it seems ironic that he was in trouble for not paying child support. Perhaps he believes God demands having children, but not supporting them financially. Or perhaps that was a misdeed prior to enlightenment.
I’ve known some very good Christian businesspeople who lived by their true ideals, and I’ve seen many who simply use the Bible as a prop to deceive others. Seems like more and more people are putting Heavin in the latter category.
Couple of questions:
- How to negotiate the $10.000 fee to avoid it?
- Does the UFOC is required for foreign coutnries
- Are contracts legal in USA if not in english?
Thanks,
CJAC
Crying for Justice:
“Unhappy” left a good comment on http://www.FranchisePick.com regarding the $10,000 failure fee:
http://www.franchisepick.com/curves-franchise-owners-share-your-story-here/#comment-47771
So I check my Curves email this morning and find this from the Area Director:
Peace by Justin Pinkerman
There were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
~ The Gospel of Luke 2:8-14 (NIV)
For managers concerned about Wall Street to soldiers patrolling the streets of Baghdad, peace would be a welcome visitor this holiday season. Economic reports showed a loss of 550,000 jobs in November alone. Literally millions of Americans are suffering from layoffs, salary reductions, and a depressed housing market. Thousands more will spend the holidays stationed in the mountain ranges of Afghanistan or deserts of Iraq to protect America.
As leaders, we have the tremendous opportunity to be heralds of peace to our families, friends, and colleagues during this season. However, we won’t convincingly deliver a message of peace if we’re inwardly ruled by fear. Here are four ways to find peace this holiday season:
Let In…
The loved ones in your life. Laugh together, cry together, share stories from the year. Take joy in being with the friends and family who care about you most. Now is not the time to barricade yourself in the office to plan for 2009. Pause, reflect, and be reminded of what matters most on this earth – relationships.
Reach Out…
To those in need. Brooding on our problems sinks us into the ugly muck of self-pity. To counteract self-pity, take intentional steps to bless another person in need this holiday season. Donate toys or food to a local shelter. Visit a shut-in or take flowers to a nearby nursing home.
Strangely enough, you may find that being generous pulls you out of the dreariness of your circumstances. Focusing on another person’s world takes your mind off of whatever may be wrong in your own. Giving our time and resources helps us to regain perspective on the most meaningful pursuit in life – blessing others.
Work Out…
Your body to counteract the nasty holiday habit of overeating. Don’t compound your problems by adding pounds to your waistline. We have enough to fret about without worrying about being overweight.
Toning the body heartens the spirit. Our bodies are holistic – not compartmentalized. Staying in shape (or improving our shape) adds to our self-confidence and strengthens our resolve to deal with the challenges around us.
Look Up…
To heaven. If you’re a person of faith, make time over the holidays to draw from the reservoir of comfort that can be found in belief. Celebrate the traditions of your religion, spend time in prayer, and partake of the hope offered by your faith.
May you have a Wonderful Holiday and a Happy New Year!
She posted the Gospel that was told by Priests on Christmas Day. Now the Area Directors and Regional Directors are quoting scripture!
What happened to not advertising your religion?
In addition, I was also sent a message about the Silver Sneakers promo. See below:
Dear Franchisees,
As you know, the Wellness Program of Silver Sneakers starts January 1, 2009. This will be a great opportunity for you to get new members. To ensure that you understand the program, are prepared and ready for when one of the potential members comes in or calls, please go onto Curves Community and read all the information. It’s under:
Curves Community>Curves Wellness>Reimbursement Programs – Click on Program Details next to Silver Sneakers.
To ensure that you are recording properly in Go Figure, make sure that you are making them a Month to Month Member and that you are choosing Wellness as the source.
Looking forward to working with you all in making 2009 a successful year.
Successful? YEAH RIGHT!
There were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night…
Perhaps Curves Corporate sees themselves as shepherds… after all, one of the shepherds great talents is shearing the sheep. And in the end, it is the sheep who get flocked.
ADMIN,
Someone has posted on unhappy franchisee on another thread that Zarco law firm is not pursuing the case. Is that true? When I spoke to the court clerk, she told me that as of Dec 17 Curves tried to get the case dismissed and the judge said no.
to NJCO,
No It is not true and the suit is still on going and the second wave is still working on getting the required number of litigants to sign on. so if you are a curve so if you are a curves owner who has problems about how curves has been run it’s not to late to join..
PAST AND PRESENT OWNERS,
Don’t forget to send your complaint letters to the BBB in your area as well as waco Tx. and your states attorney general as well as TX. and the FTC. Here are the links that you can go to to file the complaints.
http://www.bbb.org/
http://waco.bbb.org/WWWRoot/SitePage.aspx?site=40&id=ab5100aa-4c5a-4314-8e1b-f5996973f10c
http://www.oag.state.tx.us/consumer/index.shtml
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/index.shtml
I heard once that you had to live or operate a franchise in Texas to be able to join this lawsuit. Is that true? We bought a resale over four years ago and we were awareded the Shining Star designation each of the last four years. This year, the owner of the building we lease from put in their own fitness club, ignored maintenance on our store and conspired to put us out of business. Curves International, of course, responds to this with a demand of the $10,000 early termination fee. On top of that, they are thwarting our efforts to sell our Curves Smart equipment to another club by quoting a $3,000 removal and installation fee by a “certified installer” in order for the remaining warranty to be transferrable.
Where do I sign up?
I am still waiting for someone to give us the information on how we sign up for the lawsuit
Send me an e-mail and I will help you if its not too late. send it unhappyfranchise.com thanks
So many people are simply running out of money, which is due to the current overall economic situation. Everyone is affected. People aren’t buying like they were. If your club is teetering between the black and the red, just blame it on your unhappy childhood or Gary. Some of us take responsibility for our own success and keep going with a positive attitude. Some people just sit on their derrieres and complain to the bbb or anyone else who will listen.
here is that link again
http://www.unhappyfranchisee.com/curves-for-women-business-broker-slams-curves-franchise-and-franchisor/comment-page-3/#comment-9168
For those of you who still own a Curves (whether or not it is making money), remember that posting a negative comment to your local business bureau about Curves will make your own club look bad. Potential members who call the BBB about Curves will hear there are complaints and not want to join. So you are only hurting yourself in the end.
Owner in the Red and Johnnie McDougaid! Your comment illustrates the conflict of interest between those who survive in Curves and those who fail or who are failing. The likelihood of potential members calling the BBB is pretty unlikely, isn’t it?
Citizens are catching on to the fact that the BBB is for the purpose of protecting the reputations of the businessmen and not for protecting the interests of the consumer.
As for lawsuits against Curves. Let the Buyer Beware of throwing more money down a deep hole – perhaps! Unless you have money to lose, remember that the Courts strictly enforce the actual words and terms in the contract you signed and generally rule in a manner to ensure the survival of the Franchisor’s System. If you have the money to make a point out of principle and want to sue and put pressure on the system to bring change that will help others — go for it!
http://thegreatfranchisingrobbery.blogspot.com
So glad I found this site…I am considering buying a re-sale Curves in my hometown. Not so it’s the business for me now. Thanks for all the info
Please notify me via email any and all comments on this blog
BB
For Heaven sakes don’t do it, Read all the comments on
http://www.unhappyfranchisee.com/curves-robert-lays-story/ and you will see why!!!!!!!
BB,
Well BB what have you decided to do? Have you read all the sites and horror stories about Curves and did it affect your decision.
I just recieved an email from another owner who told me that she talked to Zarco and a new group action lawsuit against Curves is starting up soon. We will keep you informed and how to join once we get the final details.
I’m sure everyone saw this.
Curves Loses Stamina, Closing Fitness Clubs
by Richard Gibson
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/110004/curves-loses-stamina-closing-fitness-clubs?mod=career-leadership
If they hadn’t hopefully they will now. Can you believe Curves stating that the closing was intentional and part of the pruning process. Now curves is advertising on coupons for prunes giving a free week at any location.
It is a really cute coupon!! It says something like: “Let us help you move more than your bowels. Join Curves It just goes to show that Curves is really in the toliet!!!!!
I emailed the WSJ Reporter and told him what “Mr. Raymond” is spewing is a bunch of BS! I can’t even believe they are still functioning. You would think after all the banks got caught and the whole Enron thing, that SOMEONE would start looking into their shadyness. I guess when you line the politicos pockets no one bothers you. So much for be a “Christian.”
It’s been a year and a half since we got out of Curves and we have never been so happy! What a freakin mistake.
Great for you Lisa!!!! I just hope other owners will also follow your lead and email the WSJ reporter and tell him to write the real story about curves and not Howie’s and Rayassmonds version.
I wrote the WSJ reporter also, but have not received a response back as of yet. Highly doubt I will, but you never know.
Thanks to that article, CI might be the next one to be “pruned.”
Gee, Me thinks howie already has been pruned and is most defiantly on his way out.
The million dollar question is how long before Howie ends up back in jail????? Maybe sooner than you think!!!!!
It has been rumored (inside CI informant) that CI has and is being audited for insurance fraud. Owners are now receiving letters from Silver sneakers telling them that there records submitted to Curves are not correct. But it appears that the owners have submitted the correct workouts but that Curves may have doctored up the books and submitted more than the owners submitted. Of course Howie is claiming that it’s the owners who falsified the books. This may put all of the wellness program into jeopardy and if it does and CI loses this wellness program Curves will certainly be a thing of the past as most of the remaining clubs depend on the wellness payments to stay open.
Many owners are receiving nasty and accusatory letters from Health Ways , Silver “Sneakier stating that
“your reporting practices resemble the fraudulent reporting of some Curves” and basically stop it or we’ll drop you…While some have no return address, no phone number or any information some have had a return address which is the same as the HealthWays address. Many owners are getting upset as they have not over reported workouts but someone is…..
Well, well, well could it be that Howie is the up to his old fraudulent ways. Somewhere the workouts are being over reported and it has been reported that Curves International has been in the process of being audited and maybe blaming the franchise owners for the mistakes but it is more likely that Howie is forging the books for added income. This fraudulent reporting could be the end of the wellness program for all Curves franchisee and would surly be the final blow to Curves.
I closed down 2 Curves Resale Franchises in 2007, with total losses exceeding $300K. Please tell me how to join a class action lawsuit.
Gene,
Keep coming to unhappyfranchisee and when we recieve notice about the future class action lawsuit we will post it here at once. You can also contact admin at email to unhappyfranchisee@gmail.com and they will forward your contact info to me and I will contact you about all future lawsuits.
Gene,
send an email to unhappyfranchisee@gmail.com reqesting it be forwarded to me and I will send you the list of lawyers who are handleing many cases against CI some on contengency and they will be happy to review your case to see if their is a possible lawsuit you can file.
Gene,
send an email to admin reqesting it be forwarded to me and I will send you the list of lawyers who are handleing many cases against CI some on contengency and they will be happy to review your case to see if their is a possible lawsuit you can file.
Hey Gene, unhappy must feel that you have problems following directions since he posted the exact same thing three times in a row.
Or maybe unhappy doesn’t like the fact that I posted something earlier, so he is trying to push it down the page.
All will be so much better when he gets the private Yahoo group set up (wasn’t that supposed to happen already), so that way you won’t have to worry about someone questioning his posts (because I’m sure that they will be deleted).
Gene
Don’t even try to carry on a conversation with such an assh–e. as jd. He has never owned a Curves, tells nothing but lies and tries to put every owner down as if they are the reason they failed. It is obvious that he is pro Howie and yet still tries to deny that he is. He has absolutely no business sense and never will. Most of us on this board just ignore him and don’t even read his posts. That makes him very mad and it shows as he than attacks more but who cares his opinion is worthless. We all consider him a sick joke and by not responding he throws his tantrum and tries to say all the advice we give is incorrect. We have all found if we just ignore his posts he disappears for awhile and than like a bad apple comes back. Obviously he has way too much time on his hands and is probably an unemployed garbage collector who’s wife left him high and dry and he tries to make everyone around him as miserable I he is. “Why even respond to such idiotic posts from someone who knows nothing about what the Curves owners have had to go through with Howie’s unethical, immoral and sometimes illegal business tactics. He really should do due diligence on his own life or maybe look in a mirror and realize what a despicable person he has become. We all feel sorry for him and hope some day he will grow up but until then just ignore him!!!!!
PAST AND PRESENT OWNERS,
Don’t forget to send your complaint letters to the BBB in your area as well as Waco TX and your states attorney general as well as TX. and the FTC. Here are the links that you can go to to file the complaints.
http://www.bbb.org/
http://waco.bbb.org/WWWRoot/SitePage.aspx?site=40&id=ab5100aa-4c5a-4314-8e1b-f5996973f10c
http://www.oag.state.tx.us/consumer/index.shtml
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/index.shtml
We keep hearing rumors that Curves is selling out to Diversified… Can anyone confirm this or is it just wishfull thinking??????
Selling out to Diversified is wishful thinking?
You obviously aren’t familiar with Diversified or Roger Wittenberns and never talked to anyone whose chain was bought out by DHF. Plus, Diversified wouldn’t have the juice to take on Curves. Their chains only have 10 or 20 units each that they can get for free. Big time chains like The Zoo (10 maybe) or The Blitz (1 location). Small time bottomfeeders.
It won’t be long before curves is a small time bottomfeeder.
my comment sounded kind of rude to you unhappy. didn’t mean it to, sorry. it’s just that next to Roger Wittenberns, Gary Heavin has low self esteem. His braggingly has pictures of his expensive cars, boats and garish house posted on his website. He makes heavin look downright classy.
anon.
no offense taken and I didn’t see it as rude or out of line. Glad to have you post !!!!!
Just closed my Curves after 7 years. I was curious, has anyone been sued by CI for the remainder of their agreement and the 10k closing fee? I would really be interested in finding out. I ‘ve tried to work with Curves and McCord to sell it or give it away for the last two years without any luck. I finally tossed in the towel, that’s all I have left the money is gone!
This is a reply for Freckles. I broke my contract after two and a half years of losing
thousands of dollars. I lost over $8,000 the first six months after being told
this franchise was showing a profit of $10,000 a year. Ha Ha but the joke is
on me now. They CI gave me the “golden opportunity” of paying the $10,000 to
get rid of them. However, I chose not to comply. Well, now I received a letter
suing me for $25,000. I got the letters on Tuesday and they want my decision
by Friday. That’s giving me alot of time to seek advice of a lawyer. I should have
read the contract better. They really cover all bases. Every little avenue is covered. Has anyone beat their lawsuit? Does everyone just pay the $10,000?
What has happened with previous closed curves? They must have lawsuits
pending everywhere. Does anyone have any advice?
Sad in WV-Closed Curves Dec. 31, 2009
Debbie,
CI are a bunch of crooks. The red flag should have been for all of us that they claim to do this in the name of God. LOL! Who are they kidding? My husband and I lost so much money and had so much debt after 2.5 years that the only way out was to follow Chapter 7 bankruptcy back in 2009. If you file bankruptcy, they cannot sue you. If you choose not to pay what they want, they will put a lien on your property. If you dont own property like my usband and I, they can put it on future property. Gary Heavin is all about money between corning franchisees with scare tactics or having his cronies do his dirty work. They give you that quick deadline so you can’t contact an attorney. That’s their game to cause fear and back you into a corner. Take your time and call an attorney. Don’t pay them a dime. If you have a ton of debt like we did, Chapter 7 may be your best bet. I can’t even understand how CI is still open. There was an article recently where I think it was the president of the corporation said they were making money and having franchisees shut down territories was part of their plan or something to that nature. I forgot the exact article. Ask someone on here. In any case, life is too short. Do not live your life by what CI wants. You take your time and make the decision that is best for you. Best of luck.
Here’s the article Former Owner is referring to:
CURVES Franchise Owners React to Comments That They’re Being “Pruned”
CI has a Facebook page now LOL – A lot of people still drinkin the Heavin Koolaid.
If you file bankruptcy on your Curves, what happens to the workout equipment and the Curves Smart? Did you just leave everything in the facility or were you required to liquidate the Curves assets during the bankruptcy?
We left EVERYTHING in the facility. We were advised to by our attorney. Our attorney told the landlord, do what you want with it. The place has since emptied so I am assuming he tossed it or sold it. My hunch is tossed it.
The fact that CI wants you to sell it or give it to a women’s prison is the dumbest thing ever.
Former Owner — were you a Curves Smart facility? If so, did you just leave the Curves Smart computers attached to the machines and the Kiosk as well? Also, did you have all 13 of the machines and the stepper? It was my understanding that the additional 5 machines and the stepper are yours once you purchased them, that only the original 8 machines belonged to the “franchise” aka Curves. Could you not try to salvage those other 6 pieces and recoup a little bit of money or did you just not want to mess with it and just be done? Also, when you say you left EVERYTHING, did that include all your supplies and such or just the equipment?
I am struggling with the idea of just closing the doors, although my attorney has recommended I do that and file chapter 7 bankruptcy. My heart says I should try to sell the club and not let the current members down, but my husband says I need to do something NOW and it looks like it could be several months, a lot of paperwork and a lot of additional expense if I sell. Did you consider trying to sell?
Also, did you pay back the prepaid members? I want to be able to do that and my attorney says that I have to, so…….any input and guidance you can provide will be greatly appreciated! Thanks and God Bless!
I’ll help any way I can. No, I did not have Curves Smart. No, I did not have to pay back prepaid members because your attorney can list them in the bankruptcy. That’s what we did. Yes, we left everything – computers, stereo, equipment and so on. I did not have the stepper. We tried to sell. I had a woman that my attorney labeled a “tire kicker.” She was one of those push/pull type people. She kept us on the line for 9 months until finally we basically told her we were done waiting and we were going to do what was best for us. CI wanted us to either just give it away or sell it for a penny. NO WAY! I wasn’t going to incur lawyer fees so they could keep getting tehre franchise fee. I know you feel bad but I agree with your husband. Seriously, get out NOW! Chapter 7 is the only way. It frees you from all debts and responsibility from Curves. Let them suffer as you have. Like I said a while ago, how this friggin guy isn’t in jail is beyond me. The Feds need to look into them as they did with “Enron.” In terms of supplies, the woman I had running the place as my manager stole them (paper towls, toilet paper, etc). She’s a whole other story. You will never sell the Curves and it will cost you more money. Just cut your losses and move on. Stop putting your life on hold for a company who doesn’t care about you. As long as THEY are making money, to hell with the owners. I am telling you, please file Chapter 7. Give yourself a fresh start. Credit is easy to rebuild. You are a better person than CI. Just my opinion.
I have read each and everyone of the above sad stories, and I am also experiencing the threats, and bully type tactics of CI.
I have written to the Law Firm who is taking the group action, but before I go any further was hoping to hear from others that have experienced already what I might expect from going down this path.
If anyone can help me with some feedback that would be great.
My heart goes out to all of you, and for those of you that are free from the nightmare, get on with your lives, as I remember the happier me prior to purchasing my Curves.
I wish you all the best…
I’ve posted the CURVES International 2010 Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD)
While you can read them in the litigation section, tomorrow I’ll post a table showing the amounts of the group action settlements as reported. As of the date of the FDD filing, there were 40 settlements determined and 81 plaintiff groups remaining. There are also other settlements apart from the group action.
please include me in the group Curves Franchise Lawsuite and keep me posted through my e-mail Thank You
The results for 46 group action plaintiffs is listed in the 2010 FDD, with 81 actions still pending.
As I read it, of the 46, 17 got nothing and 29 received cash settlements from CI.
Total Settlements: $240,400
Highest Settlement: $25,000
Lowest Settlement: $1,000
Average Settlement: $8,290
Median Settlement: $5,500
Does anyone know what the actual attorneys fees & costs borne by these franchisees are? How many of these franchisees even recovered the costs of their participation in the lawsuit, much less their time and aggravation?
See the list of individual settlements listed in the FDD here:
CURVES Franchise Lawsuit Settlements
Reactions?
PLEASE if you are trying to decide whether to keep pouring money into a losing business or to try and get out and take the chance of being sued by CI, and their $10,000. threats……please please don’t keep draining your pocketbooks, things ARE NOT going to get better no matter how hard you work, believe me I know what I’m talking about.
GET OUT of your franchise agreement, hire a good franchise attorney and GET OUT. The class action suit I can’t speak to, but I would assume it will take a long time and a great deal of money to win. On an individual basis, you have the advantage of being able to act much more quickly and possibly avoid the $10K ‘failure fee’. I was threatened by CI with ‘future royalties’, a ridiculous some of money (nearly $100K) because I didn’t follow their ridiculous closing procedures like donating the equipment to a woman’s prison and giving my member file to Curves (that’s a breach of confidentiality by the way).
We talked to various local lawyers who were no help at all, but then we WENT TO A FRANCHISE ATTORNEY. That’s my best advice, ladies, find an attorney who SPECIALIZES in franchise law, it’s easy to do, use the internet, and tell them about your franchise agreement. Remember that you probably signed a personal guarantee as part of your franchise document, that in itself will limit your options (i.e., you can’t just declare business bankruptcy and think Curves can’t come after you). They can still come after you personally!
BUT….if you state your case clearly and show that you did everything you could to save your business, and you are BROKE, you can clearly show that with your P&Ls and use a franchise attorney to spell it out to CI, and you CAN get your life back (and you DON’T have to pay those future royalties they threaten you with if you STAND UP to them!)
GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF YOU, my heart goes out to you I KNOW what it’s like.
We filed personal and business bankruptcy BECAUSE OF the personal guarantee. If you file bankruptcy, you must file two suits – one personal and one business.
To Former NJ owner (and anyone else interested):
It’s so sad to hear you had to declare bankruptcy. I know how that feels….we looked into it, too. We were lucky to AVOID going that route. That’s what my post was all about.
And yes, certainly filing business bankruptcy alone will not get you out of trouble if Curves threatens you with a huge lawsuit. You’ll have to go the personal bankruptcy route as well, as you saw yourself.
But by the same token, I don’t think you need to necessarily put in for bankruptcy if you FIGHT BACK, with a good attorney, as we did. It’s a little scarier, yes, but you DO have a chance. Don’t let Curves intimidate you! There ARE laws in this country, and Curves is not as blameless as they want you to believe. If you feel you haven’t been trained properly, if you feel you’ve been misled, if you feel your cost estimates fell far short of the mark (due diligence aside, CI KNOWS better…they do know what works in terms of a monthly budget and what doesn’t….and approving a new franchise who has NOTHING in her budget for say, local advertising, or liability insurance, or even Curves PROMOTIONAL items, is LYING, plain and simple), then you have a legal case.
What I’m trying to do here is to give those who are still struggling with the ‘what to do’ question, that are losing money month after month and want OUT… some HOPE that there ARE options other than bankruptcy. Curves likes to think they’ve covered all the bases legally, but there are franchise laws about inducement, about lack of training and support, about misleading potential franchisees, even about suing and confidentiality and what constitutes a legal franchise document and what doesn’t. The laws vary from state to state so I recommend you look for a good franchise specialist in your particular state. These laws can help you if you get a good attorney who specializes in franchise law and knows your particular state. Do a search on the web for franchise attorney – your state name. It’s a very simple way to get started. And yes, lawyers cost money. But you’re going to have to pay one way or the other, anyway. Either a bankruptcy attorney (or file yourself, I understand it can be done for as little as $300.) or some sort of payment to Curves…the question is, who would you rather pay? And will you let Curves just get away with their threats, scot-free? Or will you at least TRY to fight back?
This intimidation factor that CI perpetuates is something that is very powerful, and unfortunately those who settle cannot talk about Curves in any detrimental way whatsoever. Curves COUNTS on that when they settle. So what you get are just a bunch of vague warnings and few specifics when you really need facts. And I’m just as guilty as everyone else. I will not be able to speak out once my situation is legally resolved due to the gag clauses inherent in any release agreement. And since I hope that will be soon I have to apologize in advance to anyone who hopes for a response from me. All I can say I’m saying herein. I give the unhappy franchisee all the credit in the world for having the guts to keep his website going; and I wish I had his nerve, to be honest. But I don’t.
But I had to speak out one more time while I still could! Because more and more women are losing their businesses, their financial futures, and their dreams. You may have stopped Curves from getting its ‘future royalties’ from you (by declaring bankruptcy or whatever), but you can bet if someone else comes along and wants to buy a club in that same territory (naively not knowing the pitfalls no matter how much due diligence they do, because again, gag clauses prevent the full true stories from being told), Curves will do this again. They will tell themselves ‘maybe the population will change’ or maybe the new person will do something different to turn things around….but the end result will be the same.
Because the business has changed and Curves refuses to change with it.
The economy may be bad, but that’s not all of it, and we all know it. The
problem is, getting new members by badgering your existing members to give out phone numbers for their friends is…..well let’s face it, it’s pretty LAME.
Not to mention a breach of confidentiality and privacy we’re all so aware of in this day and age. Relying on word of mouth doesn’t work anymore. And being unwilling to change your workout (by adding an additional, aerobic area where you could have treadmills and exercise bikes, for instance – this doesn’t have to interfere with the original ‘circuit’ but could be an addendum to it), thinking you have to ‘re-invent the wheel’ with the Curves diet instead of partnering with someone who has done it for 20 years (say, Weight Watchers for example? Why the antipathy between the 2 companies? I don’t get it), and all the other innovations that were proposed by my fellow franchisees as well as myself (and were ignored or given a line about how they’d ‘look into it’), while still ripping off your existing franchises to the tune of hundreds of dollars every month with little to no real support (I once asked my Area director for sales help and she told me to wear one of those ‘sandwich boards’ and parade up and down in front of my club with it on. You know, like they wore during the depression-’work will for 5 cents an hour’?) Gimme a BREAK!
And as more and more clubs are closing around the world, you have an extra ‘mountain to climb’ when trying to work your franchise, it’s the ‘reputation’ factor kicking in. Many would-be members see and hear about Curves’ clubs closing, and they get nervous — will your club be next? Will they be ripped off?
Doesn’t matter if you swear up and down you won’t do it, they are protected, etc. Doesn’t even matter if you stop taking prepays. The horror stories are our there, the empty clubs are still sitting there, and it affects memberships.
Women TALK (DUH! Curves should know that better than anyone!)
Bottom line is I think more and more clubs will continue to close, the economy notwithstanding, because of all the reasons we all know so well having had clubs ourselves…the lack of flexibility on Curves’ part, etc. CurvesSmart is great but it’s underpublicized and quirky and there is not nearly enough proper training. Most of the corporate people I dealt with knew very little about its operation. That’s not good.
There are so many things that could be done to improve, but CI just doesn’t want to listen, they take a defensive attitude and use threats and intimidation tactics to keep the franchises in line (how many of you were told about the $795. ‘maximum royalty fee’ invoked should you fail to submit your projection sheet on time?) There are so many examples, so many horror stories.
And bottom line? Curves gets to cover it all up, and look like they are just victims of a few disgruntled ‘sore loser’ franchisees, and say it’s the economy, because the FAILED FRANCHISEES WHO SETTLED AREN’T TALKING.
They can’t talk – it would open them up to a lawsuit (it’s right in the Mutual Release included in every franchise document-Exhibit F) and held out as a ‘reward’ if you keep your mouth shut and go away forever.
So I got involved on this website, and I wish I could say I will continue to be involved and to share my experience in hopes that it will help someone else, but I can’t. Because as much as I want to help, I will in all probability soon be under a gag clause as well. And that, as they say, is that. No matter what name I use to post with.
I hope I’ve helped someone. I pray for everyone who had the misfortune to get into this business as I did. And as more and more Curves’ close, I have a bad feeling that the stories will get more and more desperate. The few clubs remaining standing when the music stops….will they succeed by being able to become independents with their existing clientele because CI will go under? Or will they be even worse off than those who are in the process of closing (or have already closed) now? Who knows. But I think it’s a safe bet that Curves won’t be around 5 years from now….at least not in the US. Not unless they make some very severe changes in their business and their ATTITUDE. (less defensive! And less ‘know it all’!)
GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
Jane
Would someone please send me the name of the many law firm against Curvers. Is it still Zarco. Thanks and good luck
When we bought a franchise in 2003, there were a few thousand clubs and the closest club was over 5 miles away. You had to have 30,000 or more in population to constitute a “territory”. It does not take many brain cells to realize that when Curves started selling “territories” with as few as 5,000 total population, that a) such territories were not large enough to support a club or b) that existing clubs would suffer member and revenue losses. We went from a purist apporach to selling everything Curves could throw at us (even an overpriced travel service) in order to shore up corporate and club revenues. What was “contemplated by the parties” in contract terms at the time we signed our franchise agreement and what transpired thereafter, were at odds. Also, there was absolutely no quality control and some clubs were little more than slums. This caused a tarnishing of the Curves brand and I had some people tell me that Curves was the “trailer park of gyms”. As the person who sold me the franchise said, they don’t care anything about you or what your are like or what your skills are if you have the money to buy. I was four years into my franchise before I even saw an area director. By that time, we had gone from having one or two other clubs in the area to having six. My membership numbers had peaked at around 600 and, by 2006, were at 300 and falling. My experience with other owners was that some were reasonable business people, but many were naive and had no experience in business. I will never forget my training in Waco. The guy sitting next to me was a chicken farmer whose mother in law had bought him a franchise. As my salesman had said, Curves did not care if you had the money. This guy was a train wreck waiting to happen. By the time I got out of the franchise, three of the six clubs in the area had closed. The Curves disaster is down to corporate greed, lack of quality control and a very poorly run infrastructure. We had briefly looked at Ladies Workout Express and they insisted that we go to their headquarters for a meet and greet session. Lack of care in chosing franchisees impacted the brand. I have no moved back to the Southeast. My local Curves has tacky and cheap paneling that is peeling off the walls, ancient and poorly maintained equipment and (horror or horrors) plastic flowers in plastic vases. The owner is fat, complaining and has the energy of a slug. Am I a member? You answer that one.
I am in Canada, I owned two franchises. I started a new franchise 2006 population <3500, closed Aug 2010,lost savings, incurred debt, this was a retirement project!!!
Bought a resale 2006, paid too much as many of you did, not as many members as indicated,trying to sell, no one will buy a business that is at a loss each month. I have never taken any money from either club, only poured cash in!
I am planning on walking away if not sold by March 31,2011.(huge debt load owing on both clubs)
So much for retirement, my husband and I are both looking for jobs and haven't
ruled out bankrupcy.
My club failures are because the territory is too small, I trusted Curves and ASSUMED they had a formula for determining population needed for a club to be viable and profitable – you are complaining about 300 members, I have 88!!!! Please advise if there is a Canadian lawyer involved in this law suit and contact info,
Thanks to everyone for sharing, its nice to know your not the only one drawn into the web of deceit.
We bought our club in early 2004, at the peek of the high price club sales. We were never visited by an Area Director and received little if any support, or encouragement from Curves International. I feel that Curves International contributed significantly to the failure of our club because of their LACK of Advertising. I know that I and ‘many’ others paid our monthly Advertising fee, and yet we seldom if ever saw a Curves Ad while we were covered up with Weight Watchers and 24-Hour Fitness Ad’s. I now believe the push for on-line software is a grab for ‘your’ data, after they have that, they can directly market to ‘your’ customers and pay you nothing for direct sales to your customer base. THEN they won’t need any of us franchisees at all – they’ll have the customer base and we will be discarded… I would be interested in hearing the details of a class-action law suit against Curves International, especially if we can subpoena their Advertising spending Income / Expense data…
WHAT do we do? I am stalling to hear about what I should do regarding the latest email from CI as follows:
“Thank you for the email. Your information was presented to the committee. Congratulations on successful submission of the closing requirements. You are on the final requirement-the minimum monetary payment. The committee has evaluated your documents and compliance and reduced your financial obligation from the remaining terms of your franchise agreement to $2,500. This payment is due in full by December 20, 2010 and can be made via money order or cashier’s check. I have included the address to mail a payment below. If payment isn’t received by that date, the closing will be turned over to our legal department to handle and possible legal action taken. Thank you.”
.
I am reluctant to pay anything to CI -because- they are a large part of the reason we failed.
Will someone please post the names of the Law Firms that are accepting new cases against CI.
I have been told that some of the outrageous prices we re-sale buyers paid for our ‘used’ clubs can be recovered from CI, because they knew we were being substantially over charged. They knew we were buying a dream that could not possibly be accomplished.
Please tell me who / how to contact the proper attorney and also please tell me not to pay any more fees to CI.
Should I even respond to the above demanding email ???
P. S. I have sent my contact information to unhappyfranchisee@gmail.com and an waiting to be contacted – hopefully before my 12-20-2010 email deadline.
Thanks,
Paul
HI, Thelma,
I am sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I was finally able to visit with the committee and here is their offer. We will accept a down payment of $250 leaving a balance due of $3,000 for the Settlement Fee. We will put the $3,000 balance on an interest promissory note for six months with payments of $500 a month. Please respond by December 15, 2010 with your intentions regarding this offer. If there is no response the closing will be turned over to our Legal department to handle. Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Our direction is always clear when we follow our principles.
“Dear Curves owner:
“Thank you for closing your club honorably and not joining any anti-Christian lawsuit against us. After speaking to the committee, we have decided on an equitable solution for us. Since we refuse to accept that any Curves owners have no money left and believe instead that owners are closing their clubs simply to hoard profits and cut off Curves from royalties to which it is fully entitled, we will accept a $250 down payment, leaving a balance due of $3,000 for the settlement fee.
“If funds are still a problem – again, due to your incompetence, not ours – please send us an arm and a leg as a down payment. We will collect the remaing limbs and your first-born child within six months to settle the debt.
“Please respond by Dec. 15, 2010 with your intentions regarding this offer. If there is no response the closing will be turned over to our legal department to handle. Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you soon.”
I have keyless entry and according to the email from CI dated 3/2/11 I must be “compliant” by May 31 or be sued. I am closing my club effective that date. Shame on CI for having blinders on. Keyless entry is WONDERFUL and my girls LOVE it. Did I say my girls love it???
However, I won’t be a pretzel for CI. I only had three more months before my franchise ran out, and the CI lawyers did not give me any leeway. It’s be compliant (i.e. the system goes) or we sue.
Hmmm.
Very Christian and charitable, right?
Any other keyless folks out there.
Is a class action lawsuit going on? If so I need in. Curves ruined my life. Very long story. I paid over $50,000 fro my club from a EMPLOYEE of Curves and was told that there were over 300 members but there was actually only a little over 100. Two years later I closed it because I was loosing too much money every month. I tryed to sell it for $10,000 but I was honest with people about the membership issue. My club should have NEVER been resold. I was flat up lied to. The hardships my family went through were huge. It has been 4 years since I closed it and the financial problems from the club are still present.
Please help!!
The owner of our club has been trying to sell our club for a couple of years. Her Franchise ran out and then gave her an extension in order for her to try to get it sold. A new member decided to buy it in November….Curves held it up until December then started strong arming her to do the Curves Complete..the reinvention of Curves..what a joke…$299 to non members for a 3 month program..nothing new…diet, exercise program and movitation…duh, that’s what Curves has been about since its inception…the $299 does not get you a membership, that’s extra, after the 3 months..the prospective owner knew nothing about this Curves Complete Crap. The kept calling her and telling her the club would grow with this program….it’s been advertised since Dec. and we have not gotten a call or walk in wanting to do it. She told them she would not be a participating club…she then recieved a document that required her signature, bottom line a guarantee that she will not close the club and if she does, they will come after her personal accounts. She is not buying the club, but is now stuck with a year’s lease on the property. The present owner is also upset because she now, thanks to Curves, does not have a buyer. Gary Haven gives Born Again Christians a bad name!!! I have been an owner, and got out, without too much hassle, I have been a member since 2003 and am angry that they would threaten, bully and make it so difficult for this woman to buy our Curves. I imagine it will be closed soon..Thanks Curves International for all of your help. (sarcasm)
Why does everyone always bring up Gary’s religious beliefs? Don’t you know these have nothing to do with business.