The NOW Massage Midtown Raleigh — Attraction in Raleigh

I’m beyond frustrated with the poor customer service I received at The NOW Massage Midtown Raleigh. My husband and I booked a massage for 11 am, but due to an unexpected work call the day of, we needed to reschedule. We called 2hrs ahead of our appointment to ask if we can reschedule (not cancel) to 11:30am. Instead of offering any flexibility or solutions, we were met with a hard "no" and told that our request would be treated as a cancellation.

I explicitly stated that we did not want to cancel but simply needed a reschedule— the front desk assistant told me she'd call me back. Before I even got a chance to discuss this further, I saw credit card charge notifications on my phone go through— BEFORE I received a call back. When they finally called, I was told by the “general manager” that my request was considered a cancellation (with no consent or discussion on alternative options).

Had I known they would cancel and charge me $100+ for the appointment without my approval, we would have found a way to make it work. Life happens—we obviously wouldn’t be willing to spend $$ to get a massage if we weren’t committed to the experience. But the lack of transparency and unwillingness to accommodate a change + eagerness to cancel our appointment without our consent was disrespectful and so low. If you're looking for a business that values customer service and respects your human-ness look...

I came for a couples massage which was specified when booking and again the day before when they called to confirm. No one informed me they don’t actually do couples massages. They just can give us both an individual appointment at the same time. Since we found that out upon arrival, we figured we would still just get our massages and now we know for next time. I was very specific at ordering a deep tissue massage for my partner, but just a relaxation massage for myself. I have an autoimmune disease and lots of inflammation and tenderness so I did not want anything therapeutic or with too much pressure. the therapist that I was paired with gave a deep tissue massage. By 6 hours after the massage I felt bruised badly and very tender. It is now 3 days later and my upper back, neck, and chest are still extremely sore and painful. Definitely not the experience I was hoping for. I feel bad even leaving the review because she was lovely and accommodating, the space was clean and relaxing and my partner’s massage was excellent. But, this is my honest experience and it should not...

I paid $220 for an 80-minute “full-body” massage, and it was one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had. First red flag: there are no proper rooms, just flimsy hanging sheets separating each client — zero privacy or relaxation.

Second, I was assigned a male masseuse without being asked if I was okay with that. No heads-up, no consent.

The massage itself was wildly inappropriate and unbalanced. Nearly 20 minutes were spent on my bare glutes — without any warning or permission — which made me feel incredibly uncomfortable. I’ve had plenty of massages before where glutes were worked on through a sheet, with consent and professionalism. This was not that.

On top of that, my arms, shoulders, and feet were completely neglected. For a full-body massage, that’s just unacceptable. He also dug his elbows so hard into my back and legs that my preexisting injuries felt worse afterward. It honestly felt like he didn’t understand basic anatomy or how muscle tension works.

Save your money, your safety, and your comfort. There are much better and more respectful massage...