Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/06/2025

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I had an 80 minute massage scheduled. I arrived and proceeded to wait 20 minutes past my scheduled time. Once back in the room, the therapist was unfriendly and unprofessional. She left the room and came back 10 minutes later with a strong stench of marijuana. The massage itself was very poor quality. Multiple times I had the therapists finger nails going into my skin and I had to ask her to stop. It was the opposite of the relaxation I was hoping for. After the massage I asked to speak to a manager and none was available, so I paid and left. A couple days later I reached out to a manager on their website and one contacted me promptly. The manager Max called and I explained my issues. He was dismissive and then became angry and started yelling at me claiming I was trying to scam him because I paid for the service. Instead of taking my complaints seriously he started yelling at me saying I shouldve got up and left and he wont do anything to resolve the issue. He claimed that because the person working at HIS establishment is an independent contractor that he cant do anything for me. Absolutely ridiculous display and clear lack of any understanding of customer service. Ive been to this location several times and never had an issue. I dont understand how a customer calls you with a complaint and your immediate reaction is to yell at them and blame them for the issue. Max needs to learn customer service skills and how to run his business and manage the people he brings into his establishment to offer service. This man should not be managing a business.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/06/2025

  This customer received an excellent service, paid, and even left a good tip. May be he is going thru personal finance issues, that's why he is asking for a refund after receiving a full service - taking away from hard work of my therapist. He expects that we refund the full amount based on his bogus complaint. He used cussed words at me. He is the one agitated and yelling at me. His complaint has no merit and we cannot issue a refund after full service is rendered and tips are paid. The therapist cannot afford to lose money like that on a bogus complaint, unless he returns the 80 minutes of my therapist time. If he had asked to stop the service in-between and got up and left, I'd have not charged him, but he DID receive a full service and left a generous tip. I gave him example - you goto a restaurant, eat the full dinner and then say the food was not good, give me my money back, is that fair? Or buy a bunny from *******, keep the bunny (not return it) and then goto customer service and ask for refund. **************** doesn't work like that. He things all he has to do is complaint and we'd return his money. Sorry cannot. And plz do not use cuss words at us, just because we are business owners doesn't mean you disrespect us.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/06/2025

  Max here you go making more assumptions and accusations. I explained I was put in a very strange situation. You had no manager on site to address issues and I left the MINIMUM tip because I felt uncomfortable saying zero tip in front of your other customers. You are correct though I shouldve walked out but the way you handled this and the way you immediately assumed I was trying to get something for free is absurd. Look at your records, my wife and I have been there dozens of times to multiple locations. Not once have I had an issue like this. But you immediately blame the customer. Youre a poor businessman Max. If you wouldve apologized to me and spoken like a man I wouldve left it at that. Maybe even offered a gift card for partial refund and I wouldve scheduled another massage. But now youve lost a good paying customer of several years because youre classless and dont know how to provide customer service. You had a therapist who was high and doing drugs on your premises provide service to a customer and your excuse is that shes an independent contractor. Get your business in order Max. You pass the buck instead of ******* up and taking responsibility. 
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/07/2025

   
  Complaint: 23293732
  
  I am rejecting this response because:   Date Sent: 5/6/2025 5:07:08 PM
  Max here you go making more assumptions and accusations. I explained I was put in a very strange situation. You had no manager on site to address issues and I left the MINIMUM tip because I felt uncomfortable saying zero tip in front of your other customers. You are correct though I shouldve walked out but the way you handled this and the way you immediately assumed I was trying to get something for free is absurd. Look at your records, my wife and I have been there dozens of times to multiple locations. Not once have I had an issue like this. But you immediately blame the customer. Youre a poor businessman Max. If you wouldve apologized to me and spoken like a man I wouldve left it at that. Maybe even offered a gift card for partial refund and I wouldve scheduled another massage. But now youve lost a good paying customer of several years because youre classless and dont know how to provide customer service. You had a therapist who was high and doing drugs on your premises provide service to a customer and your excuse is that shes an independent contractor. Get your business in order Max. You pass the buck instead of ******* up and taking responsibility. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* *****

  Business Response

  Date: 05/07/2025

  We apologize our solution is not acceptable to you. We dealt with you in the politest way possible. As I said earlier many times, our business guidelines do not allow us to process refunds after full service is taken, and paid for including tips. You mentioned that you have been many times to J Sterling's before, so we appreciate that, but that still does not allow us to take away from hard working therapist and refund you. It's a two way street - you have been to us many times because we provide a great service at the lowest price in town. So if this one time it did not go exactly as you wanted, you should take it in stride. I goto many restaurants, I am usually happy. But this one time the dish that they served was not exacctly to my liking. But I ate the whole dish. Now I am not going to goto the manager and ask for my money back, that would look ridiculous, similar to this situation with you. As you mentioned "you should have so and so" that's all very good thinking. If you had done that, we would not have had this situation. In other words, if you had not taken full service and tips were not provided, we would have not charged you or refunded your money. But after 80 minutes of nonstop working on you, the therapist cannot afford to lose out on her hard work. The poor therapist also need to put food on the table. She is a human. Please understand the therapist cannot toil for free. Hope this helps. If you would like discuss further, feel free to call me or email me. I am here to help you within the humane guidelines.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/07/2025

  Hi, I want my original complaint to remain on the BBB website along with the owners response which I find insulting and unacceptable. As I mentioned the owners response which has zero issue with someone working at his establishment and providing service while stoned and making the customer wait while they smoke weed in their car. Judging from the other complaint on the BBB site and other review sites this is not uncommon for this company. You cant just take zero accountability for someone working at your business because theyre operating as an independent contractor. The man got immediately defensive when I was being polite and bringing issues to his attention. Then he insults me by insinuating Im trying to scam him or Im having financial problems when Ive been to this place dozens of times without issue. Its just a really sad state of things that people like this are in business. But Im ok with the case being closed I just want the complaint to remain viewable. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/06/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  12/06/2023 $25 automatic charge although called to cancel due to a death .The business stated the would cancel the appointment. No verbiage was communicated that there would be a fee involved when I spoke to *******.The manager contacted me and was extremely insensitive and immature through the email and text messages I tried to communicate this professionally but it was dismissed.It is tasteless and classless and no business should be able to speak to their loyal guests this way.