Scammed

A little over a year ago, I purchased a Living Social deal (same kind of thing as Groupon) to The Homestead in Hot Springs VA. It was supposed to be for our anniversary. I didn't read it as closely as I should have. Fine print is such a nuisance.

I thought the deal had a year expiration like all the other deals I had purchased previously. So once our anniversary came and went without us finding the time to go, I tried to find it on my account listing. It had disappeared. I contacted the administrators and they said it had a 3 month expiration. But that The Homestead would honor the original amount I paid up to 2015.

I was bummed we missed the deal, but was glad the money would not go to waste. Now a year later, we decided to use the credit. However when I called today, I was in for a surprise. They would let me use the money, but only as a room upgrade. So, I could spend the regular room price with them, and they'd upgrade me to a suite. Great deal, huh?

NOT! I was furious. It makes zero sense to me how you can give a business money and they can basically steal it from you. So annoying. And once I started looking closer to the fine print, I saw that within the original deal of the three months, they had blocked out all the weekends. So if we had wanted to use it, we would have had to go during the week.

I did go ahead and book the room because the money was going to be lost nonetheless. I let the person I spoke with know that I was coming under duress and would more than likely not enjoy the stay with  such a shady business. Amazingly enough, she knocked off a few dollars from the room cost. But I still got the same upgrade. That let me know they are the crooks I was accusing them of!

I have heard great things about The Homestead. I'm sure it's a lovely facility. It definitely looks that way on their website. But everything in their spa is double the price of what we charge at my spa. And I guarantee it is NOT twice the quality. I will not be wasting another penny outside of the room costs at their facility, you can bet your heiney on that one. If I have to go to a grocery store and bring food in, I will. I will not go to their over priced restaurants and patronize their thievery!

The moral of this story is this. Please read the fine print of any transaction you make. It's small for a reason.  If a business has to have fine print, it lets you know they have something to hide. And please before you throw your hard earned money out the window in going to The Homestead, realize they are more than willing to steal your money!