CURVES franchise owners don’t get a helping hand when they fail. No thank you card or best wishes. Just legal threats and a demand for tens of thousands of dollars.
Curves has new ownership, but not much has changed in the lack-of-compassion department.
Curves franchise owners who are unable to save their failing clubs (more than half of Curves clubs have failed) still should not expect a helping hand from Curves International.
They shouldn’t expect a nice letter thanking them for building the Curves brand, for paying years of royalties, for enabling Gary Heavin to strut like an altruistic peacock on national TV and cash out with an untold fortune.
What they can expect is a legal demand for the future royalties they would have had to pay if they hadn’t run out of money and could stay open to the end of their contract.
And they can expect Curves International to tell them they don’t actually own the equipment they paid for, and they should return it.
aussie z wrote:
Well I closed my club at the end of June, 4 years prior to the end of my agreement.
I did everything that CI wanted me to do in regards to closing.
I did not give them my equipment or CS [Curves Smart]I figured that I paid good money for it so I will do what I want with it.
I received a letter of demand for $64,000 to be paid within 7 days (what a joke).
I asked them to review this amount as I had no money, I then got another email telling me the figure was now $17,000, again I explained that I had no money and then a month later I got a letter delivered to my home signed by a person I have never heard of in the 6 years I have been dealing with Curves (must be from the new people who have taken over) telling me that I owe $64,000 again.
I sent an email to this person and have not heard anything since, it has now been a month since I received that letter.
I know that this will not be the last I hear from them but they will not be getting a red cent out of me. The restraints they put on you regarding getting rid of the equipment is ridiculous, there is no brand name on the equipment so what right do they have?
If they want my CS they can pay me the $12,000 I paid for it. I will not let CI bully me into anything and I will help anyone else who is being bullied by them. They need to be stopped.
In Australia we have gone from over 400 clubs in 2006 to 283 in 2012 with still many in the process of closing. I think that Curves has run its course over here and I would encourage any owner who has a profitable club to try and get rid of it before its too late. CI are putting to much emphasis on Curves Complete, I personally think it is a rip off. None of the members I had would have been able to afford the $199-$299.
I am so stressless since closing my club BUT I do miss my incredible members everyday.
ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE CURVES FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY AND CURVE INTERNATIONAL? SHARE A COMMENT BELOW.
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As I posted earlier, we closed July 31. What a relief! We had 2 1/2 years left on the franchise agree. They based their monetary demand on past collections. I previously stated they want 20k. It's more like 22k. We have a pending email from them wanting some more info, like what happened to the machines, etc. They stated they are willing to offer us a reduced settlement. That is to be seen.
Did they withhold Wellness monies from anyone else that has closed? They withheld our June & July payments. That can be their reduced settlement!
Good luck everyone. I log on to this site periodically to check out what is going on. So keep me posted.
Connie, did you use an attorney or just by yourself?
I've had my club for almost 3 years and I've worked a second job the entire time just to make ends meet! My area has taken a pretty hard hit and has the highest unemployment rate in my state. I have been getting by but keep sinking farther into the deep dark debt whole. I contacted my area director several times for help and was promised visits along with weekly conference calls. After probably the 5th cancelled visit and a number of unanswered emails and messages she shows up only to go over my profit/LOSS and doesn't know how to help me. So she recently told CI I was considering closing. I got an email closing packet and have been trying to put my ducks in a row. They are wanting $33,320.00 if I close... meaning I will be contacting a bankruptcy attorney. Any advice on how to proceed with closing and selling merchandise, equipment, signage, etc Or any advice on making this a smooth transition would be greatly appreciated!!
Dear Michelle, I am so sorry for the over- whelming stress you are under, you are not alone. I recently read a post under curves about an owner who had claimed business bankruptcy, and she said its not as bad as you think, and she is happy to be relieved of her debt. Of course its not right, none of it is, but you need relief...have you checked into bankruptcy?
Hope: I have handled this all myself. No attorney involved.
Today we received an offer from curves to settle for $4,000 less what they us from Wellness!
Ladies, try getting them to settle. I am sure they don't want another lawsuit.
Carole
We donated our equipment to a nonprofit organization that works with mentally & physically challenged folks. Our members are allowed to workout there for $10.00 a month.
If you have a recycling place in your area they might take the machines. We have one here and they would have picked them up and paid us money.
The products, etc we sold to another Curves.
Please let me know if you have other questions.
I think we all should speak our minds at the regionals coming up in Nov. Instead of us listening to what Curves Corp has to say we should all speak up and tell them how We their " money makers" feel !!! With all the struggles we are all having and all the closing one has to wonder if its more beneficial to Curves to sue the franchisees for defaulting on their contracts, or to help keep open the existing franchisees?? It seems to me their making more money off the closing franchisees. Nothing the new owner are doing is working!! Anything that helps my curves bring in more members is done by me and my partner. Last year September was our best mth for signups , this year NOTHING..Hope to see some incourageing info at Regionals not very optimistic but hopefully some of us owners will step up and open our mouths instead of letting our hard work go down the toilet .
Trying Hard, I agree that its probably more profitable for corp if we default...I have thought for awhile that if you arent one of the top clubs you are not valued and its better you are pruned and they get their money anyway. I think they want the cream of the crop and when that is accomplished they will somewhere down the road sell us to another company where they make another profit. They cant turn us over if too many of us are mediocre or worse, they need us to be polished so they can market us for their next profit and move on to their next venture.
I hear what you are saying about speaking up at the meeting, however I think its very unlikely, they usually do not allow anyone to say anything, that is how they run the action group meetings, they make it known that it is all to focus on the positive, no complaining. I agree that a united front needs to be demonstrated, and that we all should come together, Im just not sure how to make that happen. So many are so beaten down, stressed out and barely functional that we dont have the strength to fight, which is what they want of course....and you are right that we shouldnt just let it all go down the toilet...its overwhelming..
I closed my club September 20. What a nightmare this has been. My lease ran out and I couldn't get another building... why? I lost my house - it was either that or pay my $3000 a month rent to keep the club open and escape the oppression from CI. I truly believe that this franchisor oppresses us. It seems for every women that gets help, CI and NCP is tearing another woman down (an owner). This doesn't make sense. If I could have gotten a building I wouldn't have closed. My "letter" says I owe about 29,000. I was so stressed, broken, maybe is the better word. I have so much relief now, even though I have to deal with Oppression from them. They even wanted me to keep my business phone and transfer all calls to them. How on earth is that even possible? No business - no phone. I'm in all anything that can help this company stop killing people. OH - I forgot how CI wouldn't let us collect service fees in Jan for Curves Complete. It was like "okay, where's our revenue".....
"CURVES Franchise: Curves Still Bullying Failed Franchise Owners" Not just failed franchise owners....my club is doing as good as can be expected from a brand that has abandoned it's loyal core members! During the November Regionals Monty Sharma stated that women just don't think about Curves when they are choosing a gym.....rule one of brand recognition, ADVERTISE!!!!! I'm tired of being bullied, some days I feel like a fly caught in a spider web. I think at the very least our loyal customer base who still LOVE THEIR CURVES should start a letter writing campaign to CI. They are unhappy too! What would happen to this brand if they all started opting out of their local Curves? Yes, it would hurt me but in the end, it might just free me of this nightmare!