A distraught widow has blasted a massage chain for refusing to transfer $1,700 worth of prepaid services purchased by her late husband after he died suddenly at just 52.
Walter William Clark III, known to friends and family as Bill, suffered a fatal heart attack on March 3 while on vacation with his wife, Chelsey Clark.
‘We were traveling trying to get out of the cold winter weather,’ said Chelsey. ‘I woke up because the light was still on, and he was on the couch gone.’
The Kansas couple, longtime members of Hand and Stone Massage and Facial Spa in Leawood, had built up 23 prepaid massage credits on Bill’s account that were worth about $1,700.
But after his death, Chelsey said the franchise owner refused to transfer the credits into her name, leaving her stunned as she navigated life without her husband.
According to Hand and Stone’s membership terms, services are ‘non-transferable and non-refundable,’ though the policy does not appear to address what happens when a customer dies.
The company does allow limited transfers of up to three service credits within a 12-month period for a fee, but Chelsey said she was unable to move the 23 credits on her husband’s account.
The terms also state that unused services can expire and are non-refundable after a membership ends.
Chelsey Clark has blasted their local Hand and Stone Spa location for refusing to transfer $1,700 worth of prepaid services purchased by her late husband after he died unexpectedly
Walter William Clark III, known to friends and family as Bill, suffered a fatal heart attack on March 3 while on vacation with his wife, Chelsey Clark
Chelsey, who returned home alone after the trip, said she had been met with compassion from most businesses while handling her husband’s affairs, but not the spa.
‘Everybody from his employer [and] my employer has been so great and just sensitive and accommodating,’ she told FOX4. ‘His gym membership that I had to cancel, they were very sensitive to the situation.
‘[With] everything that you hold into your body when you go through something so traumatic, I think massage is going to be a part of that recovery and healing process,’ she said.
At one point, she was told the issue was due to system limitations, and at another that it was company policy, she said. The company’s website does not outline what happens to unused credits when a customer dies.
Chelsey added that other Hand and Stone locations she had contacted indicated they would have handled the situation differently.
As a franchise, individual locations are independently owned, meaning policies can vary.
The Leawood branch where the couple held their membership was responsible for approving the transfer.
However after she spoke with local outlet FOX4 and it began investigating the dispute, the branch ultimately backtracked and decided to transfer the full $1,700 worth of credits to Chelsey’s account.
Chelsey, who returned home alone after the trip, said she had been met with compassion from most businesses while handling her husband’s affairs, but not the spa
Bill, who was born and raised in Olathe, Kansas, loved adventure and felt most at home in the water, his wife said
Bill, who was born and raised in Olathe, Kansas, loved adventure and felt most at home in the water, his wife said.
He was remembered by loved ones for his sharp humor and adventurous spirit, with friends saying he had a way of making anyone laugh and feel instantly at ease.
The Kansas native built a career in cybersecurity but was happiest exploring the world, particularly underwater as a passionate diver.
He and Chelsey had moved to Conifer, Colorado, where they embraced the outdoors and planned for the future together.
Above all, he was a devoted father to his two sons and a husband Chelsey described as her ‘home’ and ‘best friend.’
‘I never imagined I would have to write something like this,’ she wrote in a tribute. ‘He was my husband. My home. My person. My best friend.’
She added: ‘Some people search their entire lives for a love like ours and never find it. We did. We found it, we built it, and we lived it fully but it didn’t last nearly long enough.’
Bill is survived by his wife, his two sons, and a large extended family.
Daily Mail has contacted the Hand and Stone Spa Leawood location for further comment.
