If you are considering The Wave of Clearwater for yourself or someone you love, please read this…read morebefore giving them your money.
My daughter agreed to a 30-day treatment program at an uninsured, "reduced" cost of $30,000. She paid $15,000 upfront. The Wave's average daily rate was approximately $1,800.
She remained at the facility for approximately a day and a half before discharging herself.
This was in April. It is now September, and after countless emails, phone calls, and attempts to reach multiple people at The Wave, she is STILL waiting for the refund they agreed to pay.
The Wave retained $5,000 of her $15,000 payment for essentially one day of treatment and agreed to refund the remaining $10,000.
$5,000 for approximately a day and a half at the facility, and five months later they still have another $10,000 of her money.
Even more troubling, this isn't a dispute over whether a refund is owed. The Wave required my daughter to sign a written Release so the refund could be issued. She signed it in JULY. They have the signed Release. They agreed to the refund. Yet they still have not paid her.
I even contacted Chris Fox, CEO of The Wave International. He initially responded and assured me that he would follow up. He never did, despite subsequent emails.
The contrast between the enrollment process and trying to obtain a refund is remarkable. When they are trying to enroll someone and collect payment, communication is not a problem. Once they have your money, getting meaningful assistance is another story entirely.
Unanswered emails, calls lead to Admissions, where the person answering the phone tells me they can send a message but cannot transfer me to anyone who can actually address the outstanding refund. I have repeatedly asked to speak with someone who has authority to resolve this. Instead, I get another offer to "send a message."
The confusion within the organization is equally concerning. I emailed Kristen Hancock, whom I understood to be the Director of Admissions. When I later called the telephone number listed in Kristen's own email signature as her cell phone number, the call was answered by Jacinta in Admissions. I was then told Kristen was now simply "working at the facility." No one seems able to explain who is responsible for actually issuing the refund.
Families seeking treatment for a loved one are often making decisions during an incredibly vulnerable and stressful time. Before handing The Wave thousands of dollars, I strongly recommend asking, in writing, exactly what happens to your money if treatment does not work out, who controls refunds, how quickly refunds must be issued, and what recourse you have if they simply don't pay.
Our experience getting money BACK from The Wave has been dramatically different from their responsiveness when they were trying to get my daughter IN the door.
We have a signed agreement. The Wave has had the Release they required since July. At this point, we are not asking them to decide whether to issue a refund.
We are asking them to honor the agreement they already made and return the $10,000 they agreed to refund.
