More than 1,000 people
bought a Groupon for Bikram Yoga classes in Pittsford. They spent $20 for 10 classes.
When customers showed up, they learned they must take the classes for 10 consecutive days. They could not go to 10 classes at their convenience. The fine print on the Groupon said nothing about this restriction.
Customers were not happy. Not many people have time to attend yoga classes 10 days in a row.
I stopped by the studio on Tuesday to confirm the customer complaints and get a response. I read a sign explaining that anyone using a Groupon must attend classes 10 consecutive days.
I identified myself to a man at the desk and asked him about the Groupon terms and the customer complaints. He asked me to leave. I also left a message on the studio’s voicemail.
I emailed Groupon to find out if this is okay. Can a business add a restriction or change the terms after the Groupon is sold?
I received this email:
Hi Rachel-
I work with Julie in Groupon's PR department and she sent along your inquiry. I've looked into this and it seems as though the in-studio signs are misleading. While they do have signs posted about the Groupon deal that recommend that purchasers use their Groupon classes in 10 consecutive days for best results, this is NOT required. We've chatted with the business owner and are going to make sure that these signs are adjusted to avoid any further confusion with customers.
Anyone who purchased this deal has until the expiration date -- 2/22/2012 -- to experience their 10 classes at their convenience.
Please let us know if you have any other questions. Thanks for bringing this to our attention!
Kelsey
I thought the problem was resolved. But Wednesday night and into Thursday, I heard from people who said the studio told them Channel 13 was wrong and the consecutive-classes rule was still in effect.
I called Bikram and left another message on Thursday. I also emailed Groupon again. This was the response:
Hi Rachel -
We followed up again first thing this morning. All studio signs have been removed as of last night, but it seems there was a lag in communication with staff about the "requirement" vs. "recommendation" issue. I've seen several Bikram studios offer specials for 10 days of consecutive yoga for special pricing as "intro" student packages, so I am thinking this might be the case here - the staff not being fully aware of the difference.
The owner has ensured us that all staff are being fully re-trained on the Groupon deal/messaging.
We are happy to work directly with any customers you are in contact with to rectify any issues with their deal or redemption. Please relay this info to anyone as well. Let me know if you have any other questions here and again, we appreciate you bringing this to our attention!
Thanks,
Kelsey
The moral of the story here may be “buyer beware.” If a deal sounds too good to be true, call ahead to the business and make sure there are no restriction or rules not spelled out in the deal. Fortunately, Groupon offers refunds.
