CRANK Indoor Climbing — Attraction in Brisbane City

I won’t be mentioning names but I would like to express my disappointment in Crank. Before I became a member of Crank I was told numerous times by an employee that I could enter into a 12-month contract and be able to cancel it anytime without fee as long as I gave 4 weeks notice. I love the employees that work inside the facility whom I have face-to-face interactions with, they are part of the reason that persuaded me to sign up. My issue, however, lies with Crank management. Sometime into my contract I decided to cancel my membership so being within my rights I contacted Crank to arrange for this. When I spoke with the employee who told me I could cancel at anytime he did not express any issues and said it would be fine. A while later, after no contact from Crank at all, I noticed that after the 4 week notice period I was still paying for membership. I then made contact with Crank again to see why this was happening and was told by Crank management that because I entered into a 12-month contract I could not cancel it. I completely understood that this was the case, however, when I told them that one of their employees told me I could cancel at anytime they put the blame on me. They said it was my fault for not reading the contract and would cancel my membership “as a favour”. There is legal basis for a consumer having every right to rely on what an employee has told them, but because Crank management is appalling and don’t know this they did not apologise or own up to their mistake. Calling it a favour for me exemplifies their selfish behaviour as they are trying to get me to show gratitude towards them when I've acted within my rights the whole time. I was merely asking for a refund of the money that I had overpaid, but it took over a month for that to be arranged. I am not angry with the employee as he told me what he thought to be the truth at the time, the issue lies with Crank management for not teaching their employee’s the correct methods. It is their responsibility.

It’s been a disappointing 2 and a half months since I first cancelled my membership with Crank where I was being mucked about and money coming out of my bank account. I even spoke with a woman who claimed to be calling from customer service yet was consistently interrupting me when I spoke and was not even listening to my side of the story. I even told her I still own rock climbing shoes and would happily go back, but after this incident there’s no chance I’ll be giving Crank anymore business. Any friends I have still with membership will be told to leave and others will be recommended not to go here. Crank management is absolutely atrocious and I hope you learn to listen to your consumers and put their interests ahead of yours. Additionally, Crank management realised they’re in the wrong since they are giving me a refund, however they are still terming it "as a favour" so next time don't be so selfish, own up and apologise for...

If anyone else has a similar story as me, or issues with subscription services with proof of correspondence (emails, etc), I suggest you spend just an hour lodging a claim aswell. Especially if it includes misleading verbal information, or misleading conduct in any way.

My story: I was told misleading information regarding subscriptions at the time of signup.

I was told specifically that I can cancel within one week after asking the staff multiple times and very clearly verifying whether it's true.

In the end there was a 14-day cancellation notice.

The owner basically told me his staff must have told me the same thing, and implied that I was lying or making up this story.

Which is just crazy to me, because why wouldn't I just buy the one day pass then.

I specifically asked for the one-week to bring in a friend, the staff told me I could save something like 9 or 10$ total after the signup fee and one week's charge, and we had a long conversation about it where I verified multiple times that I could cancel BEFORE the next charge.

I didn't even ask for a refund of the second week's charge at this point, I simply asked for the membership to be terminated immediately, and the owner declined, pushing the blame to their third party payment processor debit success. This is a weak attempt at deflecting the issue and making their hands seem like they are tied, but in reality it is just straight up lying, as far as I know. Debit success doesn't monitor subscription terms??

I disputed the claims, blocked their charges on my credit card, and have filed a formal dispute with fair trading with my story, as well as signed up as a possible testimony for a court trial.

Mind you, I didn't even ask for a refund, and was prepared to forfeit the extra 33$ I was charged, because it's an insignificant amount, but they intend to continue charging me and rack up fees and late fees until they can send it to debt collection. Hence I have filed this...

Crank is still a great place for indoor climbing: it's spacious, has friendly staff, and offers a wide variety of ever-changing lead climbing paths of varying difficulty. However, while I used to rate the establishment 5 stars, I can't help but feel it's currently experiencing 'SHRINKFLATION.' The entry fee has increased, yet the overall value seems to be decreasing gradually. Some climbs have been removed without notification, and features that used to be available for non-members are now exclusive to members. For instance, as a non-member, I used to pay $16 for my kid to enter and we could use hang boards near the bouldering area. But despite a $2 increase to $18 after COVID pandemic, the hang boards are now only in the 'members only' area. Initially, I accepted this change, but recently, another climb—the rope net—was permanently removed without prior notice. When I asked the staff, they confirmed it was gone for good. Additionally, there are safety concerns - as some staff members don't seem to take loose pieces on climb routes too seriously. Despite notifying them, they often brush it off with a 'can't be bothered look', claiming it'll be fixed later rather than treating it as an immediate safety hazard.

It pains me to write this review. My kids grew up climbing and playing in CRANK from toddlers' age. It's always a great time every time we go. We love the place and still do, but recent business practices and lack of communication have bogged down its...