Comments on: HAS CURVES FOR WOMEN ABANDONED ITS FRANCHISE OWNERS?

By: Gary

Gary — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:39:47 +0000

Belinda,

You’re contemplating closing your business and throwing in the towel! You have a huge liability and exposure on the remaining term of your lease. We’ll show you how to negotiate full closure of your business and limit your risk and exposure, or we can do it for you. We know many creative ways to help you come out a winner and, yes, you’ll be left standing on your own two feet. You’ve heard of the nightmare stories, where tenants are required to continue to pay rent, even when they’re not occupying the space. For one club owner in Sacramento, California, we were able to eliminate $90,000 of exposure, thus allowing the club owner to exit with dignity and without filing for bankruptcy. Don’t be fooled by your landlord; let us put our 30 years of experience to work for you.

Give us a call today at 1-925-672-4800 for a free 15-minute consultation.

Sincerely,

Gary

By: Janice Kaya

Janice Kaya — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:07:54 +0000

I am a resale. My complaints are:
1. Curves is an accomplice in Fraud. In 2004, when I paid almost $200,000 for a resale, Curves REQUIRED a form from the original owner indicating the number of active members and then they approved the sale. That form had fraudelent information showing 100 MORE members than actually were in the system. Curves easily could have determined the FRAUD by looking at the Projection Report!

2. Curves provides no or little assistance to new owner. Numerous letters pleading for assitance, sales training, etc. to Corporate and the Area Director went unheeded. Meetings would be held by the AD for which I NEVER received an invite! Corporate NEVER responded to any of my calls or letters!

3. Curves only focus is to get their money! Curves provided NO training nor any information to new or potential owners in 2004! I found out what a Projection Report was after Corp over-charged me the first month and they charged me for the Original Owner…How can a potentil buyer know what questions to ask when we have no idea what is IN the system?

4. Curves’ advertising is sorely lacking. Over the past five years, Curves did not do national campaigns. Compared to other large franhise organization like SubWay, etc. Curves’ advertising was sub-grade.

My story is that I, too, am closing my club after spending all of my money (retirement, home equity, savings and credit) and having no pension, I will never be able to retire. I also spent 3 months working with a buyer and thousands of dollars on legal fees and for rent, payroll and CURVES fees during that period, only to have the buyer cancel the deal on the last day! Then to have Curves RECOMMEND I try to Sell my club indicates that they NEVER read any of my emails or info I provided in numerous forms.

To ask for $10,000 to close the club is Salt in the Wound! -Janice Kaya, Owner of Redford, MI Curves!

By: phil

phil — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:55:52 +0000

Curves wont be around in a few years in the capacity they are in today.
The writing is on the wall.
Franchises have gone away and this one will too.
Look at TCBY, Roy Rogers, and plenty of other franchises. They were at one point everywhere, but no hard to be found.

Curves got greedy and Gary is being sued left and right because he felt he was untouchable and he isnt.

They are a disgrace.

By: susan

susan — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 19:51:33 +0000

Did you know that Curves now allows you to transfer your location from one town to another? They did in upstate SC. Let’s all give them a call and ask for this same privilege. What’s good for one should be good for another.

By: Michelle Latondress

Michelle Latondress — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 19:11:08 +0000

we lost 300,000 altogether. (remortgage/Mom-in-laws money, and our own…) where is a class action lawsuit or any lawsuit that can also represent us or what legal firm should i call? I live in Freeland Michigan and our Curves was in carson City michigan….

By: Wipedout

Wipedout — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 03:58:31 +0000

Congrats, South Africa. You live in a country with few Curves, and the Curves fad is brand new there. Here in the states, Curves oversaturated the market and it’s a dying fad, especially in this economy.

BTW, there are no longer 10,000 Curves. It’s more like 7,000, with an average of two or three closing every day.

By: Sean Kelly

Sean Kelly — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:54:11 +0000

CURVES: A Happy Franchisee Speaks Out
http://www.unhappyfranchisee.com/curves-happy-franchise-owner-speaks-out/

Comment posted on UnhappyFranchisee.com for discussion

By: CURVES: A Happy Franchisee Speaks Out | Unhappy Franchisee

CURVES: A Happy Franchisee Speaks Out | Unhappy Franchisee — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:51:59 +0000

[...] happy Curves for Women franchise owner from South Africa posted this comment on a Curves franchise post on Franchise Pick: This is about the fourth time I have started to write my comments – too [...]

By: HAPPY CURVES OWNER

HAPPY CURVES OWNER — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 07:44:38 +0000

This is about the fourth time I have started to write my comments – too much to say!! The Franchise Fee is most reasonable. The training and marketing support is excellent. The Royalty fee is capped (which I am pretty sure is not normal practice) We, in South Africa, know exactly where and how our marketing contribution is being spent. Our Regional Directors are available and helpful. This could be because we in South Africa only have a few Clubs in comparison to the USA. If there are some 10000 Clubs in the USA then it seems to me that perhaps 10% are unhappy and failing – What about the other 9000? I am truly sad that your business are not succeeding but to blame Curves Internation and, in particular, Gary and Diane Heavin is ludicrous. YOU bought a business OPPORTUNITY, They did not become your Managing Directors!! it is up to you to run your own business and make it work. If there are too many Clubs, too close together, why did you purchase your area? Operating a Curves Club IS hard work, the members have no idea how ‘high maintenance’ they are or the value they receive.
Come on guys, Don’t make the name or Curves and those of us who have also ‘bought in’ suffer by running Curves down. It could have been any business plan that does not ‘make it’ – It’s NOT because it is CURVES. Gary’s past, which he has been open and honest about, has nothing whatsoever to do with your business. Regarding the food products. This is great advertising – EVERy supermarket that carries the Curves Products is advertising for YOU in YOUR area. You are in the Fitness and Health Industry – reccommend the Curves Products – don’t try and make a few e4xtra cents by stocking the product. If you don’t sell it before the expiry date you have lost your money!
LOOK AT THE SILVER LINING, NOT AT THE CLOUD. Search your heart you may find that your venture was under capitalised or that you didn’t do things the Curves Way. If, sadly, you have lost your club, don’t throw good money after bad by making some lawyers more wealthy. In most law suits, the only one to benefit is the lawyer. At our Clu8bs we are promoting the HEALTH aspect more than the weight aspect and the testimonies our Members have a proving that Curves giver you the Power to Amaze Yourself. I AM NOT A CURVES EMPLOYEE!!!

By: So sad

So sad — Fri, 29 May 2009 22:51:38 +0000

So sad…I hear ya…Advice, honestly-if you have the means to lose it, then let it go…Curves Corp is Crazy, insestutious (sp), and off the charts when it comes to being unprofessional and dishonest. Truth is, none of us would be here if we would have went to the stupid Club Camp first. As soon as I saw the out of shape, fake, quote unquote trainers with feather boas and purple cowboy hat surrounding me screaming Ya Hoooo-I knew I / Curves was doomed

Sadly, I sat there tortured by prayers, a business model based on “Keeping the Promise” puke, and dated old Christian inspirational videos so I would cry and give Gary all my money no matter whet.

A training. I’m laughing, we had two twenty minute spins on the circuirt, and it was little about the machines and more about guest production…Again, dated and unsophisicated sales model…

What about sitting on the floor making posters and spirit sitcks and cheers, puke…I 47, not 14…I don’t even have words to decribe how sad I was to learn that Gary was the Wizard of OZ and that the fate of Curves is in his hands…

Such a great product that won’t be around because of greed and religion. I mean how many Training Camps-Pep Rally’s have I been to where they refer to Heathens…Pray for me-(like put your head down)-it’s time to pray… Hand out scripture as business model… Provide flawed business computer programs Go figure, Flawed Curves Smart equipment… Unfit Trainers and Speakers (Too scary)…A weight mangement book that is complicated and poorly laid out…A Curve’s web site where you give them your customers and they give you nothing… And avoid all questions about the buisness’s future…oh, and herd you in a room to buy all their dated crap and ship it home yourself…

Sad, Scary, and I’m Still shaking…

I wish they would sell Curves to Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig at this point and breath some new life into it… I couldn’t agree more with comments above, the Curve Owner is Gary’s target market and they could give a #@!%#$$$ about the women we struggle to keep the doors open for…

Again, Sad I feel so sorry for you guys that work hard and can’t make it!!!!