I have been a longtime European Wax Center customer and previously purchased my wax passes through…read morea Downtown Los Angeles location. After moving to San Bernardino, I used my remaining services at the Renaissance Marketplace location in Rialto.
When my wax pass ended, I was offered a new promotional wax pass. Due to unexpected expenses from my move and family wedding events, I decided I could not financially commit to the program and canceled it within the timeframe I was instructed to follow.
Despite canceling within the required period and receiving confirmation by text that the membership would be canceled, I was charged again the following month. I contacted the location multiple times and was repeatedly told that a manager would contact me. Unfortunately, I never received a call or follow-up. Because the issue remained unresolved and the charges continued, I ultimately had to dispute the charges through my bank.
Several months later, after my financial situation improved, I scheduled a waxing appointment online. My appointment was confirmed without issue. On the day of the appointment, I arrived early and asked whether there was any availability before my scheduled time. After reviewing my account, the receptionist informed me that the location could not service me because there was a hold on my account due to the previous dispute.
I was then told I would need to pay both a cancellation fee and a dispute fee before receiving services. When I explained that I had canceled my wax pass within the required timeframe, the receptionist reviewed the account and acknowledged that I had, in fact, canceled correctly. She agreed the cancellation fee should not apply but stated that a dispute fee remained and that only a manager could address it.
Once again, I was told a manager would contact me. Once again, I never received a call.
My frustration is not with the estheticians, the cleanliness of the facility, or the front desk staff, who were courteous throughout the interaction. My concern is with the lack of communication, lack of follow-through, and apparent disconnect between customer service, corporate systems, and the individual franchise location.
What disappointed me most was that my appointment was allowed to be booked and confirmed despite the account hold. No one contacted me beforehand to explain there was an issue. Had I arrived at my scheduled appointment time instead of early, I would have wasted even more of my day only to be turned away.
I understand businesses have policies regarding disputes. However, when a customer follows the cancellation guidelines, receives confirmation that a membership is canceled, is charged anyway, and cannot get a manager to return multiple requests for contact, it creates a very poor customer experience.
European Wax Center offers a great service, but the wax pass cancellation process, communication between corporate and franchise locations, and customer issue resolution process need significant improvement. Unfortunately, this experience has left such a bad impression that I will likely seek services elsewhere in the future.
