Oasis Day Spa

My stepson bought six gift certificates (order #201643) for $720. They were for the women in our family so they can go to the Oasis spa for Mother’s day and receive services, particularly a social group manicure/pedicure, and spa packages they had there in the past. But, when the women tried to set up their appointments they found things have materially and substantially changed. For example, due to staffing shortages only two staff that can do nails at a time. 

After my stepdaughter called twice, and I called four times (5/23/2016, 5/24, 5/25 and 5/26), Brenda the owner did get in touch with me. The result is Oasis is unable to give services that women in our family have received in the past. They are also unwilling to give a refund of any kind. She stated a no refund policy on the website that I imagine is there, but was unable to find after scrutiny. I do now see a link to a refund policy on the actual gift certificates (after purchase).

Brenda also said (to paraphrase) it was either too complicated or the mechanics did not exist to give a refund so we can go somewhere else. I’m not sure I followed the line of reasoning here, but that was my attempt to communicate it. 

When I said I would be forced to contact the BBB, Yelp, and consider small claims court, she said this was OK, the no refund policy was clear on the website and her attorneys had thoroughly reviewed it.  

Very relaxing.. I have been going here over 15 years. I am very pleased with their quality of products, ambience , cleanliness
& professionalism. I would absolutely recommend !

Massage & facial excellent. Lunch order was screwed up. Mani/pedi was horrible. The girl was nosey, hurt me, polish was so sloppy, I had to do it myself. When I went to pay, they would not accept the Christmas gift certificate my husband gave me without charging me more as prices had changed in January. I feel this is very unprofessional!

Upon arrival we were checked in at the front desk and taken to the locker room, given lockers and directions to the water room.  We were told that our technicians would come find us.  We used the hot tub and it was pleasant enough (I am 5'3" and it was a bit of a challenge to get in and out of the way it was set up, but nothing major.)
At the appointed time our technicians came to get us for the body polish and massage.  I was assigned to Lucy and my mother went with Sarah.  We were both quite happy with the polish and massage and thought that Lucy and Sarah provided wonderful service.  I can't speak more for Sarah, but Lucy was very calming, checking to make sure the pressure was not too much or too little, giving directions or asking a couple of questions, but mostly it was a quiet, wonderfully relaxing experience.  And if she worked somewhere else I would go back to her in a heart beat.
After the massage, Lucy gave me instructions on where to go to wait for my pedicure.  My mother and I found the waiting area for the nail services and waited.  The nail tech assigned to my mother came out to get her and introduced herself (Angela)  then turned back to tell me that I could come along too.  We proceeded to the nail room and my mother selected her polish and began her service.  My tech told me to go ahead and pick a color and come on over...so I did.  My mother was seated across the room (even though that she told them that this was a mother/daughter day out when the appointment was booked. There was one other client/tech in the room, so I would have hoped they would have situated us closer together.)  My nail tech never introduced herself to me (I found out at the point we paid that her name is Randi) and she in fact said very little to me, which is fine; I don't mind making small talk or not, either way works.  The tech next to me and her client were the most obnoxious people I have ever had the misfortune of sitting next to in a nail salon (I have been in restaurants where people were equally obnoxious, but at least they could blame it on too much liquor.)  I know the client will do what she will, but I would have expected the tech to speak more softly and not be as offensive as she was.  Deanna (the nail tech) carried on about the Madonna concert and how wonderful Madonna is and how no one should have expected her to not have gun violence in her show regardless of what had happened in Colorado recently.  She lambasted political candidates without regard to the fact that those around her may have supported some of those candidates.  She also was quiet offensive in talking about homosexuals in very stereotypical terms.  I was shocked.  She had no idea what my sexual orientation might be and I am sure that she would laugh off what she said as only joking and that she didn't mean anything by it...but I was appalled.  My nail tech, Randi, did talk off and on with Deanna and her client, but was not offensive in what she was saying.  My main complaint about Randi is that the pedicure was supposed to be 55 minutes and I think that she was finished with my service in just about 30 minutes.  I was finished before my mother or the other client even though I was the last one started. 
When we paid (well, when my mother paid) I told the young ladies at the front desk my concerns over what was said by the nail tech, that my pedicure was very short, and that my nail tech never even introduced herself.  The ladies at the front desk were very apologetic and asked me to fill out a survey which I did.  Once we got to the car my mother realized that she had been charged $40 more than the price listed online.  I went back into the salon to talk to the staff to get it straightened out before we left.  After 20 minutes or so my mother came back in from the car.  Both ladies at the front desk had called their manager (who turns out to actually be the owner) and we were finally told that when the appointment was confirmed my mother had upgraded the pedicure to the "Lavender pedicure."  When the staff person called to confirm our appointment which was made for a specific package she was asked if she wanted the lavender pedicure, but she thought that she was being asked if that was the scent we wanted...nothing was said about the fact that it was an upgrade and would cost more.  And then the fact that I didn't even get a basic pedicure service I told them that it was ridiculous that she was being charged more for what was an awful experience.  Again, both ladies agreed, but it was clear that they have no power in the process and Brenda (owner/manager) had no intention of coming out of her office to talk to us.  We were told that we would be contacted the next day or the day after and that they were sure the problem would be resolved.  We have heard nothing from them and my mother has called two different times and still has not had her calls returned.  Our next steps will be to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and the credit card company.
It started out pretty good, but has turned into a truly nightmarish experience.