FULSHEAR, Texas - A Fulshear couple says they got a lot more than they bargained for when a trip to a Katy spa ended in the hospital.
This Valentine’s Day, Wendy Ward bought her husband, Dan Ahearn, a hot stone couples massage at All is Well Massage and Spa.
However, Ahearn says when it came time for the hot stones, the massage took a painful turn.
“It was my first time, so I’m not sure what they were supposed to feel like,” Ahearn said.
“He just said it started really burning, and he felt like he had some blisters coming out,” Ward said.
At the time of the massage, Ahearn didn’t say anything because he thought the pain was normal for the stones. He also says the masseuse never asked if he was uncomfortable.
It wasn’t until the parking lot when he asked his wife to look at his back.
“So I lifted up his shirt, and I saw all these sores and I went, 'Wow...this is not good,'” Ward said.
“I had first-, second- and third-degree burns,” Ahearn said. “There were six spots on my back.”
The couple immediately went into the spa to let them know about the burns and then went to the hospital.
Medical records document the injuries that add up to approximately $1,500.
“When the bills started rolling in, that’s when we decided we better talk to somebody, because this is a lot of money that’s taking away from the kids.”
The couple says they’ve been trying to get All is Well Massage and Spa’s insurance to cover the medical bill. It’s been four months, and the couple is still out of pocket.
The spa released the following statement:
“Our business has always been customer focused and we are guided by our values and passions to provide a quality service to our community. In addition to providing quality service to our clients, we have very stringent policies and procedures in place to ensure we are adhering to a safe and secure environment for the client and the therapists. All clients are given an intake form prior to any treatment so that our staff can determine if there are any potential risks. We also require all clients to review a list of any potential contraindications due to existing health issues that would indicate a type of therapy may not be suitable for them. The client must provide a signed release of liability prior to any services being rendered. The release of liability is for any harm that may have unintentionally occurred during a treatment.
"We disagree that we were negligent in any manner with the client that is claiming harm. We have successfully provided top notch service to over 8,000 clients since we opened our door to the community in last September and have ample reviews on Google, Yelp, Facebook supporting how we run our business.
"We are concerned about our client who is claiming we did something wrong. We would not be in the service industry if our goal was to provide subpar service. We are in communication with the client and are working through the proper channels to make sure this matter is handled in a fair and professional manner.”