Bella Michelle Day Spa Deceptive Practices/Upselling/No Possibility of Refunds Clearwater Florida

My daughter booked a massage for herself and a facial myself and for a neighbor of ours. 

Upon arrival we had to fill out quite a bit of paperwork - which we later found out was more to protect the spa from any complaints about treatments received and to ensure that no matter the circumstances you could absolutely not get a refund. The massage and facial were fine.

I was interested in continuing to get further facials and to get my daughter set up for a package to help with weight loss (as a side-note, she lost no weight). 

The problems started with the upselling tactics of the Spa Owner... she pushed her packages with the deal of buy 10 get one free, even before I had completed my other facial packages. All in all I ended up spending over $20,000 in packages... being convinced each time that it was what I needed, as this one package alone would not help me and I should continue my treatments. 

It was the last upsell of a package that led me to finally saying enough is enough. I was given a dollar amount of $3,000+ and was shocked to get to the counter and find out that my credit card had been charged $5418.75. Under the belief that I had established a rapport with the owner and not wishing to embarrass her, I did not argue further about this, as there was another client in the waiting area. 

I called the following day and expressed my frustration at feeling that I had been deceived/lied to by the owner and that this was not the amount she had told me. The owner left exactly one voice-mail on my daughters cell phone and no further attempts were made to contact me. 

I filed disputes with my credit card company and the Better Business Bureau, all for naught, as the spa came back with stating that all the paperwork I and my daughter had signed initially absolved them of any and all obligations to me - that I, in having signed had done so in the knowledge that all sales are final and there are no refunds. 

I was willing to lose the money I had spent on previous spa treatments (that had not been completed), however this final amount of $5418.75 was for a future package with treatment that had not yet begun and for which we had not yet made appointments for. 

I find this to be a terrible business practice. If I pay for anything else, anywhere else and never receive what I pay for I should, and do get a refund (plain and simple). 

The spa says that I can come back for treatments and they have no animosity towards me. There is no way that after all this back and forth and my lack of trust in the spa that I would ever feel comfortable returning to get work done on my face, especially in light of the paperwork that I signed pretty much stating that no matter what happens to my face I have no recourse, because I signed that away as well.

I find that the spa got enough of my money with the $15,000+ I already paid that one would certainly think that they would refund me the $5418.75 I paid (again for future un-started treatments). 

I would caution anyone going to this spa to be very aware of what they are signing, to be careful about the upselling/packages, to be aware that gratuity and spa fees are part of the charges (gratuity ahead of time, no less) and that there are also fees if using a credit card to pay.