Visited True Spa for the 2nd time and got a decent massage, my friendly therapist must’ve been their only saving grace. I haven’t read the previous reviews, if I’d read them I’d've never signed up 2 months ago.

I waited a MONTH to get this appointment. It just so happened that I was free on a weekday and they answered their phone after THREE days of calling and me phoning True Yoga at Raffles City to tell them, “your branch is not answering the phone.” Last month when I tried to book, I was put on the waiting list and nobody ever called me back. They kept saying they would call a week before the appointment to confirm but the confirmation never came. The consultant gave me her handphone number but she has NEVER answered the phone in her life. I brought all my documents (spa contract, receipts, etc) today because I planned to go directly to CASE if they did not give me the slot I requested.

I don’t think it is unreasonable to say True Spa’s the lousiest excuse for a Spa I’ve ever been to. I’ve been to the Aspara chain, St Regis, etc. But never have my towels smelt of renovation(which they’re undergoing) and I’ve never had problems making a booking at other spas. Previously when I tried to book they said they were full, I thought that was fine. Then they told me their Couples’ Rooms were undergoing refurbishment and I had to wait. So I waited.

The consultant had the cheek to tell me that I had to book 3 weeks in advance for the Couples’ Room. So I went and booked 3 weeks in advance, but they said they could not confirm because “the next month’s booking slots have not opened.” But they STILL could not confirm anything even just 5 days prior to the timing booked! (I had been calling them DAILY) They claimed they were “upgrading the computer system.” I think someone who’d never used a computer before would’ve probably been able to allocate slots MUCH faster using pen and paper! Each time I called they’d say it would be known the next day. Eventually I asked whether they had slots the next day and they gave me a slot which I took. (If I hadn’t taken it, God knows how long I’d have to wait)

Mind you, it wasn’t always like this. Before I joined True Spa and bought the package , they would always say I was free to come ANY TIME for my complimentary massage. I was informed by my consultant that they had 4 Couples Rooms (”so we never have a shortage!”) and 15 other treatment rooms (”see, because we want our members to have enough slots, we work 365 days a year just call us to book and we will answer”) when I signed up. But those things never happened, and the consultant (at least he was polite and seemed willing to help enough) left, so they gave me this other lady who I have only spoken to ONCE in my life, when she called to say “there are no slots for you, you should book 3 weeks in advance.”

So sometimes I really wonder if True Spa can be brought to CASE. In their defense, they can say they’re just full. But I also think that since so many people have so many complaints, what True Spa is doing can be considered more or less equivalent to cheating individual consumers of their money since we aren’t allowed to use what we’ve paid for. It’s as good as them running away with people’s money, for what good is a spa package that cannot be used? Even if they say it is simply because they have difficulties, fact remains that they never conveyed any issues to members. Imagine, if a bank employee or lawyer takes your money then refuses to answer the phone, says you can’t make an appointment to withdraw it, and you don’t ever get to use the services, isn’t that enough to give you the impression he ran away with your money?

What’s the difference between being there and avoiding your customers, and taking their money and running? None to the consumer, as far as they’re concerned. How are they supposed to know you haven’t fled the country? The only thing True Spa hasn’t done is shut down their main office, because it sure seems like they’ve shut down their phones and computers. (because even if those things are there, the staff aren’t confirming bookings on them, and apparently they think phones are ringing accessories not meant to be answered)

I wouldn’t be surprised if one day we find that the 16th floor of Ngee Ann City has become a blank space and everything’s disappeared. If a company, spa or organization can’t even guarantee they’re not cheating customers of their money, then what credibility do they have left? There’s no guarantee they won’t just disappear or close down. For goodness sake, even spas in the heartlands ANSWER their phones and confirm bookings! True Spa can’t even compare to your neighbourhood spa (which would probably not give you the impression you’re being cheated), much less compete with the likes of The Aspara, The Asian Spa, or St Regis’ Remede Spa (which only ask for a credit card guarantee, and don’t get you to pay beforehand- the prices aren’t really worth the difference either for the rubbish you get at True Spa); because no matter how good your therapists or rooms are, everything’s trash if you can’t provide decent service by answering your phone, treating people right, and letting them BOOK slots for treatments they have already paid for. (a joke: the consultant I spoke to had never heard of St Regis, and said “you think their service will be better than ours?” my reply: “they’re a 6-star spa with prices DOUBLE what you’re offering me, and that’s with an invitation card. what d’you think?”)

Oh but for first-timers who got invited for the complimentary massage? Don’t worry, they’ll definitely be around for you! After all, how can True Spa deny another poor gullible person (like me, and so many others) the opportunity to buy a package (read: be cheated), try to make a booking (read: make them distressed and frustrated), tell them there’s no slots (read: pretend they didn’t cheat their money and make it look legitimate), make them book 3 weeks in advance and not confirm (let them wait, hopefully they’ll forget about the money they lost) then finally give them a booking (so they don’t go to CASE or take legal action) and let the cycle start all over again?

Cheers to waiting another 3 weeks for my next appointment, and for the whole process to repeat itself. So if you’re looking to be distressed, angered, stood up, given a massage, and then to go through the whole thing all over again (ie. cheated) I’d say True Spa’s the place for you. Then again, I think no one’s that dumb.

p.s. i take down EVERY single time i called, the names of who i spoke to, etc. In case anyone wants to go to CASE (i probably will eventually) or if anyone wants to file a suit and needs more evidence. it’d be great if someone could record their phone calls, which i think everyone should really do.