Choose ANY gym BUT Bally Total Fitness
Written: Aug 17 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: exercise classes were good, gym kept fairly clean
Cons: No "no cell-phone" rule enforced, old often broken equipment, no spray to wipe machines
The Bottom Line: Choose any other gym in town but this one. If it's the only option, don't commit to any contracts - do a monthly membership. Check with the BBB first.
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| tjslove's Full Review: Bally Total Fitness |
The gym itself: We were members at the gym in New Rochelle, NY. Main issues: first gym I've been to that doesn't provide cleaning solution ANYWHERE to clean SWEAT off machines (GROSS!), members allowed on workout floor with cell phones (IMO a gym is no place to be on your cell phone esp. if you are reclining on the leg extension machine that I am waiting to use), weight room rules nonexistent/not enforced - it was not unusual to find twelve 45 pound weights stacked on the leg press machine before I went to use it, high pressure sales tactics, intentionally tedious cancellation process, poor customer service, the scale in the ladies locker room is probably STILL broken - that's effective, no free weights under 15 pounds available for general use.
Our experience: hubby and I joined Bally's shortly after we moved - it was the most convenient gym for us. Granted, we previously belonged to a Gold's Gym and it was the best experience we'd ever had - Gold's is a franchise which pretty much guarantees you the best service - we'd have joined a Gold's even if it was farther but there wasn't one. So we got talked into the 3 year contract (be warned Bally's sales people are very pushy and they only tell you about their premium plans, in our experience the staffer wouldn't share all the plan options that were available until I asked him directly "don't you have a month by month plan?", etc., etc.) Anyway, we took the 3 year...we thought we'd be living in the area for a while saving for a home. The 3 year basically comes down to a loan from the gym that you are paying back over a 3 year time period - translation: it goes on your credit report as a loan. Who needs that from a gym? This is why they can make it so difficult for you to cancel, because at the time of contract signing you basically agreed to take this loan from Bally's that you are repaying over 3 years whether you like the gym or not! Sort of like repaying a student loan at a school you eventually dropped out of - you still have to repay the loans you took.
Our situation changed and we ended up buying a new home that was +25 miles away from the nearest Bally's after 6 months. Moving 25 miles away is one of the few ways to get out of the contract. This was great, but to cancel you have to send them a letter with all sorts of proof of your new address which I did. Well two letters and two months later - Bally's was still deducting funds from hubby's account until (AHA!) we decided to close it. Then the collection agency threats started coming in.
Anyway at this point Bally's has accepted the fact that we have moved and our account is closed but they are still demanding money from us when they owe US money for the dues they collected two months after we had moved outside of the area. I think it is especially nice how each time we speak with the stellar customer service staff they threaten collection agency action to scare us when clearly our account is in dispute with them.
I have never had to file a complaint with the BBB in my life, but today I did, because I don't know how else to settle this without them marring our credit. All this for signing up with a gym because health and fitness is an important aspect of our lifestyles. They have a nice little complaint history going with the BBB too.
And of course there are loads of complaints about them on the Internet on websites like Complaints.com
Anyway, sorry and good luck if you choose Bally's. We are never going back and we are telling as many people as we can how much they stink. I will not be surprised when they go out of business.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
tjslove
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Reviews written: 1
Trusted by: 0 members
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