P90-X: Coach RJ Gets Burned!

Intro Comments:  Those that know my work, know one thing--I tell the TRUTH about health and fitness--period.  A person's health is far too important.  I refuse to lie to them or not get to the point.  With every fiber in my being, I tell people the bottom line so they can get busy with the business of being well!  The story below is not fabricated or enhanced--it's simply the way it happened and my professional interpretation of why it is wrong and how it can hurt a person's dreams for getting control of their fitness.

I conducted an experiment the last couple of months.  I stopped thinking like a professional corporate Wellcoach at times and started thinking like an average health consumer.  I wanted to explore what a non-wellness professional goes through  when shopping, trying to lose weight, and purchasing fitness equipment.  It was an amazing "education" to say the least. 

Even I have been frustrated with the enormous amount of misinformation and outright "duping" of the American health consumer at the supermarket, book store, TV, on the web, and in fitness establishments.  No wonder people give up sometimes!

On the fitness equipment end of my explorations, I've been watching the cool P90-X infomercials for years.  I liked their simplicity and straight forward approach.  This program basically uses body weight, dumbbells, and a pull up bar along with what appears to be some great workout programming.  So, in late 2007, I dropped $225 and ordered the DVDs and pull up bar.  My experience with P90-X as a consumer had the opposite effect I had hoped for--they made my blood boil when I realized they burned me with deception!  When I called to complain, they completely blew me off with their scripted response and refused to listen to the real "voice of the customer," so, would YOU like to listen?  Read on!

*I did not tell them I was a corporate Wellcoach, give them my educational background, or ask for their sponsorship in exchange for my web recommendation.  I truly wanted to find out what the average person goes through when ordering their products.

Placing My Order:  This is where the problem started.  As soon as the operator picked up the phone, she launched into this scripted non-stop manifesto which only briefly allowed me to sputter what amounted to a one-word reply here and there.  This went on and on and on...there was an intense amount of "rapid-fire pressure" for me to be up sold on as much product as possible--I hate that!  I merely wanted the DVDs and the cool pull up bar that mounts in a doorway--nothing more.  No matter how many times I repeated this, the operator kept hitting me with the barrage of verbiage that put me in a state of dizzied confusion.  It got to the point where I almost hung up and said the hell with it!  But thinking of my experiment, I wanted to see the whole process through from ordering to workouts...I stayed the course.  We got into heated words over the P90-X vitamin supplements which I did not ask for or need.  They claim to give you "one month for free."  I specifically told the operator, "I do NOT want to pay for any vitamins.  I only want the DVDs and pull up bar!"  I made her repeat back to me that I was not being charged for extra vitamins.  FINALLY, after what seemed like an eternity of painful leg intervals, the order was finalized for what I thought was DVDs and the pull up bar...two charge card statements later, I realized there was yet more to the story and "the more" part was MORE MONEY on my charge card!

VitaHoax:  The "second" month's supply of vitamins arrived a few weeks after the first order which included the "free" vitamins.  Sure enough--when I checked my Visa card--they charged me for another batch and the shipping!  I gathered my records and proceeded with what "I thought" would be a simple call to customer service to correct the bogus charges.

Customer Service--or Lack Thereof!  As with the order, the so-called customer service operator also launched into a manifesto of the legalese variety.  Again, I did not tell them who I was professionally.  I was just Joe Consumer as far as they knew.  I carefully explained all the above about how I specifically told the operator I did NOT want any extra vitamins, etc.  After bantering back and forth with my blood pressure rising, I started to faintly understand what she was saying between scripted legalese.  There is some sort of "clause" in all the verbal assault when you place the order that says if you don't return the vitamins within 30 days, then you get charged for another two months of vitamins.  Remember--I specifically told the operator at the time of ordering that I did NOT want the damn vitamins!  My complaint call occurred "after 30 days" of the original order, so they would not budge.  All this to no avail, I finally told them who I was and that since they refused to listen to my customer voice and lack of satisfaction, that I would tell others the story on my website, blog, e-News, and with personal contacts.  The "TRUTH" must be told!

• Despite the heated ending to this conversation, P90-X never tried to contact me to work things out, and you guessed, I received ANOTHER charge just the other day for MORE vitamins that I did not authorize or want or need!  I have already returned the first vitamins that I was charged for, but do you think they returned my money?  NO!  They have now ripped me off for $58.63 worth of vitamins I did not want plus hours of my precious time that I could have spent helping others be well!!!

Psych Evaluation by a Professional Wellcoach:  Here's my interpretation as a Corporate Wellcoach that really cares about people.  I work with people that many times have "decades" of failure with their health and bodies.  Some of these people come to me completely shattered in terms of health and vigor.  I feel like I'm the final stop to them completely losing control of their health.  It scares the hell out of them--and me.  I take my job seriously!  This is a very critical time for them to get some traction without any BS!  The last thing I want is for them to have another failure or to get burned in ANY way.  A person at this point can be very fragile.  Sure, I tell the truth and keep it straight up, but I also nurture and get them going properly before it's too late. 

So, here's my concern with P90-X after my experience.  I'm very upset that a person, and especially one overweight or obese, might be thinking of P90-X as a lightening rod of change.  They could be desperately reaching out for that one thing that can save them--the simple truth and basic no BS workouts.  What are they going to feel like if they get burned like I did?  The economy is getting bad, money is tight, healthcare costs are going out of sight, and people don't need to be getting burned over misleading health and fitness product sales.  I think the inventor of P90-X has great ideas and programming from what I've seen, but he lost touch with his business and how it deals with real people!  We don't need anymore high-pressure sales in health and fitness and nutrition!  I'm sick of all the hype! 

So how does Coach RJ feel about P90-X after what I went through?  I am so upset about the whole situation that I have not even opened the DVDs or installed the pull bar!  I can't even bear to look at the stuff yet.  That bothers me because I know if others get burned, they might also become disillusioned.  The difference between me and them is that I'm Ron Jones.  I know how to workout without a DVD set from P90-X, and I know how to be healthy without their damn vitamins.  But what about others?  Just another disappointment or failure?  I hope not...but probably so.

Quote Me!  If I ever launch anything nationally with infomercial or product sales through business arrangement with a marketing firm, I promise never to lose touch with real people and their feelings, and their important need to connect with the truth.  There is no rip offs with my business from my Dynamic Warm-Up to my corporate consulting.  I charge for what I'm worth, and I deliver.  I'll leave the hype, confusion, and high-pressure "up sales" with the others.

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(Updated 1.30.08)

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