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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!

Jen of 5085 Wellington Park Circ, FL September 5, 2008

Jen of 5085 Wellington Park Circ FL (09/05/08)
I'm writing this complaint to warn others about Bally's Total Fitness and their unfair policies regarding cancellation. There is some fault on my part as a consumer since I should have realized exactly how difficult and impossible it would be for me to cancel the contract, but, having been a member of other gyms in the past, I made the assumption that I would be able to cancel the contract with a fee like almost every other gym in the nation, but this is not the case. Also, I never would have expected how truly difficult it would be cancel. The representatives at the gym selling the membership will not emphasize their cancellation policies so watch out...they have their own best interests in mind and not the customers.

The purpose for me writing this complaint is to warn people not to make the same mistakes I made and to warn others that as far as customer service, it is terrible when working with the corporate office, which you will have to do with almost every complaint you may have about the gym. The only options to cancel are to move 25 miles away from a Bally's facility or to have a doctors note stating an injury. Other than that, you are bound to the contract and they will not negotiate with you for ANY reason! Considering their policy of setting their membership period at 36 months, this is an unfair policy for consumers since the option of cancelling a contract due to unforeseen life or financial events, like I experienced myself, is not available.

Now I'm bound to paying 1200 over the next three years instead of using that money elsewhere where my family needs it. I guess I will now have to budget for a gym membership on top of food, gas and other necessities! Keep in mind, I didn't expect to get out of my contract without paying any type of penalty, but I was expecting to be able to cancel it with a negotiated fee. The customer service department at Bally's Total Fitness will not be willing to consider it.

In all, Bally's needs to revise their cancellation policies for their consumers. They are too stringent and unfair to their customers. Once my contract is up, I will never be a customer of Bally's again and I have warned all my family and friends about joining their gym. Their facilties and programs are good, but without being able to provide good service to their customers, Bally's is not worth joining. There are other comparable gyms available that provide better customer service. So unless you don't mind being bound to a contract for 3 years that will literally require injury or possibly moving to another city or state to get out of, then Bally's Total Fitness is not the gym for you.

I'm bound to paying off my contract at approximately 1,200 over 36 months.

Ofelia of Boring, OR August 31, 2008

Ofelia of Boring OR (08/31/08)
I joined this gym about four months ago with my younger siblings, brother 15years old and sister 16 years old alnog with my friend who was 17 at the time. i moved out to the dalles and my friend to eagle creek. i sent in my proof that i moved my address change paper the post office sent me. paid 50. i thought that i had cancelled. i faxed in the papers and everything. but i got calls saying that i needed to pay.

i call and find out that my proof wasn't sufficient, and that i couldn't cancel the entire membership. that i could cancel my part and my friends but not my siblings because they had not relocated. Well they aren't old enough to move so this means that i have to pay for a service that i do not use. they don't even drive how are they going to go and workout? i think that this is rediculous.

The guy that i talked to told me that i wanted to cancel the contract that if i moved i would need to show proof and just cancel. he didn't tell me anything else. They didn't sign the contract i did how am i going to cancel it for them?

Lolita of Atlanta, GA August 27, 2008

Lolita of Atlanta GA (08/27/08)
My sister and I went into a Bally Total Fitness thats located in Georgia Southlake area because we had won a 2 weeks free try out. Now they have a collection agency calling me saying that I owe like 2000.00 and this was like 4 or 5 years ago and I never joined nor did I ago back for the free 2 week try out so how do I owe them and I never joined

Dana of Dana Point, CA August 26, 2008

Dana of Dana Point CA (08/26/08)
I had been a memeber at this Bally's and needed to cancel because I had moved more than 20 miles away from my gym. It is in my contract that I am specifically with that and that it is nontransferable. So I went in and spoke to a manager and showed them proof that I had moved and they said it would cost 50 also to cancel the contract. Fine, I paid the 50 and the membership fee for that month thinking we were done with it. Well they continued to try and charge my debit card which I immediately called my debit card company and disputed it.

I thought we were done there until a couple weeks ago I received a received a bill from a collections agency for the outstanding amount of my contract. It is only 108 but I think fraud, no matter the amount, should never be tolerated. They are completely unethical, I am waiting for the class-action lawsuit because I will surely be on the bandwagon.

Time, angst, either I pay the 108 or screw up my credit...still deciding.

Dana of Dana Point, CA August 26, 2008

Dana of Dana Point CA (08/26/08)
I had been a memeber at this Bally's and needed to cancel because I had moved more than 20 miles away from my gym. It is in my contract that I am specifically with that and that it is nontransferable. So I went in and spoke to a manager and showed them proof that I had moved and they said it would cost 50 also to cancel the contract. Fine, I paid the 50 and the membership fee for that month thinking we were done with it.

Well they continued to try and charge my debit card which I immediately called my debit card company and disputed it. I thought we were done there until a couple weeks ago I received a received a bill from a collections agency for the outstanding amount of my contract. It is only 108 but I think fraud, no matter the amount, should never be tolerated. They are completely unethical, I am waiting for the class-action lawsuit because I will surely be on the bandwagon.

Time, angst, either I pay the 108 or screw up my credit...still deciding.

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