Customer Complaints Mounting Against North Texas Social Media Star
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Customers of a North Texas social media star are sharing stories of how they say they got swindled.
Some people claim they never got what they paid for and some customers say Dawn is only issuing partial refunds, even asking some people to sign non-disclosure agreements to receive their refund.
Those who follow Brittany Dawn on Instagram, know the the fitness and lifestyle coach lives well.
Pictures show Dawn traveling to Hawaii, driving a Range Rover and showcasing a new, chic home in Dallas.
The images represent a life Dawn curated while selling customized workout and diets to her fan base.
"She gets to do all these lavish things because of our money that's providing her with her lifestyle," said Melina Brunson, a customer from Allen.
A new mom at the time, Brunson paid $250 for a tailored fitness plan. She said she quickly discovered that plan wasn't tailored at all.
"You have taken our money and not actually provided us with what you said you were selling us," Brunson said.
Rachael Strode, who lives in Austin, said she also received a generic program.
She said Dawn rarely answered her questions, even after told the Instagram influencer she struggled with the workouts.
Strode said at the time, she was battling the early stages of an autoimmune disease, which she disclosed to the trainer.
"I would get really generic responses like, 'You're doing great, keep it up girl!'" Strode said.
One customer named Julianne remembered receiving a diet plan high in protein, even after she informed Dawn she was sensitive to protein.
"I was like, 'C'mon, this is a really high amount of protein,'" Julianne recalled in a video she posted to YouTube.
Last week in a tearful video, Dawn apologized to her fans.
"I'm sorry for anyone that feels hurt or scammed by anything of this nature," Dawn said. "That was never my intention."
Many customers report Dawn is now issuing partial refunds.
After paying more than $140, one woman said she was only offered $36.25.
In another instance, Dawn requested a customer sign a non-disclosure agreement in order to receive a refund, according to emails provided to the Ones for Justice.
Brunson turned down her own 20 percent refund, saying customers deserve more.
More than 4,000 people have joined a Facebook group that addresses complaints about her business, Brittany Dawn Fitness.
Dawn did not respond to our latest request for comment.
She did send an email on Monday evening addressing our initial story:
"I am respectfully declining to appear on camera for an interview, but can certainly provide a response that is lock-step with the actions we are taking to respond to the concerns by the dissatisfied customers of Brittany Dawn Fitness:
Brittany Dawn Fitness has and will continue to acknowledge the concerns and questions of our customers through direct conversations with each of them. I have set up a monitored customer service email where I have been able to accept and rectify more than half of the complaints through make-goods, refunds, and plans extensions, depending on each specific situation. Brittany Dawn Fitness and each of our stakeholders hope to positively move forward by working to put communication and quality fitness plan execution policies firmly in place so this will never happen again."
