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Bally Total Fitness

Bally • Sales Practices, Contracts • The 12-Day Rule • "Lifetime" Contracts • Moved Away • Maintenance • Child Care • Opening Late • Headphone Policy --- News • Bally's Customers Hope To Exercise Their Rights

We get so many complaints about Bally Total Fitness, it's a workout just to sort through them. Maybe the most important thing to know about all health clubs is that the contracts are legally binding. If you want to cancel your membership, you must do it in the manner specified in the contract -- in writing, via certified mail, usually. Otherwise you end up like Kathleen (below).

Kathleen of Waterford, MI (8/4/05):
In April of 1990, I went to the Waterford Balley's (which at that time was called Vic Tanney) with my sister-in-law to see what it was like. The girl that met with us talked me into joining. After I filled all the paperwork out, she told me that I needed to bring back a cancelled check to verify my checking account. She also informed me that if I wanted to cancel that I should contact them within 4 days. The following day I called and cancelled the membership. I was then under the impression that everything was taken care of.

Now 15 years later, as I am trying to get my finances in order to buy a house, I find out that I was turned over to a collection agency and I owe over $1100.00 to Balley�s. 15 years later!

Tony of San Diego, CA September 13, 2008

Tony of San Diego CA (09/13/08)
3/16/2005 entered into a 1 yr contract with Bally's in Charlotte, NC while temporarily residing in that location as my mother was on her death bed. My mother passed away 4/23/2005 and after the funeral, I returned to my residence in Hampton, VA where I have life time access to military gym facilities as I am a retired Marine. No military gyms existed in Charlotte, NC.

After a couple of stressful years went by while I was getting over the death of a parent and a divorce coupled with calls from the collection dept of Bally's, I looked at my credit card statement and begin to question the length of my contract. At this point, I had moved several time and misplaced the contract. I contact Bally's and requested a copy of the contract and immediately realized that it had a address in Venice, Ca where I never lived or even visited. I also noted the following: Contract Period = 36 months vice 12 months Auto Payment Plan Signature = Is not my signature Previous membership information has a name of Alexandra. I do not know a Alexandra.

Contract Signature is not my signature. I have made numerous attempts to have this contract cancelled. Intial attempt was to send a letter with a copy of my drivers license and 5 signatures to Bally's. I was told that the signature matched mine but I do not believe that a professional took a look at it because it is clearly not my signature. It appears that they refuse to look at other errors on the contract. I think the representative took advantage of me as he knew that I was going to leave the area and that I was under lots of stress at the time and was unlikely to notice the fraud for quite some time.

30 day late on my credit report. Over charged approximately 1,500.

Greta of Bronx, NY September 12, 2008

Greta of Bronx NY (09/12/08)
When I upgraded my membership to the Platinum I was told that the lesser membership wold be cancelled. 4 months later I notice on my credit card statements that I have been charged every month for both memberships. I thought a simple phone call would clear things up and the money would be refunded but after being on hold for 15 minutes a representative told me that having 2 memberships is perfectly acceptable and that's why the first one wasn't cancelled. I'm sure that even the mechanical sounding rep on the phone knew this was ludicrous.

After two phone reps were unhelpful I wrote an email and this rep was able to solve my problem. We'll see; I've yet to receive the refund. Also, the club's sauna on 50th Street and Broadway is co-ed yet everyone is obligated to wear a towel or a bathing suit. For this reason I have not used the sauna. Not because I'm ashamed of my body but because as a young female I don't want to sit in a hot enclosed room in only a towel with several men... also only in towels.

Martha of Derry, NH September 12, 2008

Martha of Derry NH (09/12/08)
Yhe air conditioner in the aerobics room at Bally's has not functioned for the entire summer to the point were we have had club members almost pass out from the excessive heat in the room. I did measure the temperature in the room and it has been as high as 80 degrees. On numerous occasions I notified club managers that the temperature was way too hot for people to exercies in. At that point I even cited the CDC guidelines for heat exaustion/heat strike . I also warned them that Bally's is putting th emembers at risk by holding classes in a room they know is too hot to exercies in.

They have had one excuse after another as to why they cannot or will not fix the air conditioning system. The regional club manager's respons was yay this has been going on all summer I have also complained on numerous occasions to Bally direct through their customer service number. Just yesterday the temperature in the room was again 80 degrees. I again for the at least the 50 th time reported it to club management to club management-their response : the part for the AC is on order. An excuse I have heard ALL SUMMER. I demanded that they get some large fans for the aerobis room if they could not or would not fix the AC. Their response I bought these fans ( 17 inch diamter fans) myself.

Bally's certaintly has enough revenue to buy large fans to at least keep the room below 80 for people to exercise in. I did call the Board of HEalth and they told me they do not have regulatory control over health clubs. Who does regualte health clubs? I'm at my wits end with this problem. HELP!

Due to the situation above we have had at least two club members almost pass out. One girl alost hit her head on the dumbell rack in the aerobis room. Somebody IS going to suffer from Bally's negligence with respect to the AC.

Alfredo of Lakewood, CA September 12, 2008

Alfredo of Lakewood CA (09/12/08)
I applied for membership for Bally Total Fitness and the membership was decucted from my debit card with my permission. Hence , I got the membership card which I inserted to a machine everytime I go the facility. My estime was that I have use the card not more than a month. Unfortunately I have to out of the country since my father got ill in the Philippines. I havent use the card since then so I havent been there in their facilities when I got back from a long vacation.

I never got a letter form Bally to cancel my membership thinking it is automatic cancelled if I dont informed then. I think more than a year had passed when I got a bill that I owed them 1,610.70. Why will I pay them when I did not use their facility. It is now handled by a collecting agency. Please help me resolve this matter. Thank you very much.

This resulted on a very negative date on my credit which gave me a hard time to get credit.

Alfredo of Kakewood, CA September 12, 2008

Alfredo of Kakewood CA (09/12/08)
I applied for membership for Bally Total Fitness and the membership was decucted from my debit card with my permission. Hence , I got the membership card which I inserted to a machine everytime I go the facility. My estime was that I have use the card not more than a month. Unfortunately I have to out of the country since my father got ill in the Philippines. I havent use the card since then so I havent been there in their facilities when I got back from a long vacation.

I never got a letter form Bally to cancel my membership thinking it is automatic cancelled if I dont informed then. I think more than a year had passed when I got a bill that I owed them 1,610.70. Why will I pay them. I when I did not use their facility. It is now handled by a collecting agency. Please help me resolve this matter. Thank you very much.

This resulted on a very negative date on my credit which gave me a hard time to get credit.

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