Complain about a product or service

Gold's Gym

Karyn of Bethlehem, AL July 2, 2009

My husband and I were members for 2 years. We were only presented with the automatic payment by credit card, otherwise you could not get a membership. We had to pay 160 for initial membership and 60/month. When we moved, we went to cancel the membership. They told us that they canceled it out of the computer. I asked if there was something we needed to sign, and they said no. We had to wait 30 days, and they continued to withdraw from our credit card for 2 cycles. I called and asked why they were still taking out money when we cancelled the membership. Then the associate said we had to send a letter to the corporate office to cancel the membership.

We sent the letter certified mail with our cancellation notice. They then charged us another month while waiting for the confirmation for corporate. After that charge, I called my credit card company to tell them that the charge was not legitimate. I told them what I was going thru and they said they couldn't do anything. They had the right to keep charging me. I asked if I could cancel the card so they couldn't charge me anymore. He told me that the charge would still go thru on the card even though it was cancelled and they could report me to the credit bureau.

I was furious after that conversation. I then got a letter from corporate saying that I needed proof that I had moved and needed a managers signature on a document and a statement saying that I am cancelling and why. During that time, I was charged for another month. I sent in those documents and they charged me two more months before it was canceled. I was furious. In total, we were charged 9 months more than we should have been charged (480). I contacted the BBB about it while I was waiting for our membership to end. I ended up getting 5 months back.

Brian of roanoke, VA June 27, 2009

The owner of Golds gym North Roanoke Virginia and abc financial are equally fraudulent..on top of lieing and treating their loyal customers like left out garbage they refused to let me cancel my contract as agreed upon. This has been an ongoing issue havent been resolved.

Susan of Reno, NV June 26, 2009

I have been a member in good standing at Golds Gym since October 2005. I decided this month to cancel my membership as I have not been using it regularly and my husband just lost his job. I was told that because I signed my cancellation paperwork on 6/23/09 and my monthly automatic billing occurs on the 15th of each month that I would be charged for membership until 8/14/09.

My contract clearly states that I am obligated to give 30 days notice which I am agreeable to. Nowhere in my contract does it state that they have the right to charge for an additional month if the billing cycle is less than 30 days away. I was threatened with additional fees including late charges and interest and told the matter would go to collections if I did not pay.

Pekka of Suwanee, GA June 5, 2009

I have been a member at this gym for several years, paying a monthly fee. In September 2008 I took advantage of a special, and paid a year's membership in full. I filled out all the forms to cancel the bank drafts, mailed them, etc. Apparently the Gym forgot to confirm this with ABC Financial. ABC kept drafting the fee until I got really upset and said over the phone that this has to stop. Then I received notices of late payments. It took me three months to finally get it cleared out (but I never got the extra money back). Then the gym changed ownership. From somewhere (old files) they found my account information and started drafting my account again! I contacted both ABC and gym management (while blocking any further drafts) in March 2009 and was told it's going to be OK. However, I started receiving letters showing increasing balance owed with all kinds of late fees etc. I finally found out that I supposedly had signed a new contract in February 2009. At my request, ABC mailed me a copy; it had a forged signature. I sent a copy of the forged document, with a note explaining that's not my signature, to both ABC and the club (certified mail), along with a copy of the agreement that showed I'm paid in full for through October. I have now talked with both ABC and gym management several times. The people I dealt with were polite. At ABC they say they can't do anything, this is a club thing. At the club they say not to worry, they'll fix this - they just have to do it through "corporate". There is something fishy going on with all these arrangements; seems all too convenient for the club. Who is ABC Financial anyway? Is it just a company owned by Golds so that the independent franchises can keep on bouncing responsibility from one place to another? I take it very seriously when someone starts taking money out of my account - using a fraudulent document - and then starts sending threatening letters when I put a stop to it. Somebody on this site already mentioned a class action lawsuit. Maybe it is getting to be time. Only about 45 taken from my account (unauthorized). However, the claim is now that I owe almost 200. My concern is that it will soon show up on my credit reports.

Louise of davidsonville, MD June 12, 2009

The gym opened 2 years ago. My husband signed us both up. They advertised that they would have a large swimming pool, large screen t.v. viewing room to exercize in.... To date, the pool is not complete, the room that was supposed to have the large screen t.v. is not present, the place does not use A.C., but placed a few fans throughout the gym... there is not enough fresh air circulating. No one will put us in touch with the owner and I've heard from other members that the owner threatens the workers that if they touch the thermostat they will be fired.

My husband hasn't used the gym in over a year. We are writing to cancel his membership since they haven't opened the pool that they said would be ready summer of 08, then postponed to summer of 09 and is still no where near ready...I have contacted the health dept. about the heat and condition in the gym but they said that it is not under their jurisdiction so I believe the only way to prove a point is with our feet (cancel memberships).... I would like the owner to put the AC on!

Carina of West Valley City, UT May 27, 2009

In November I signed up for a trainer but two days later I told Kyle that I wanted to cancel. He said he would handle it for me and let me know what my cancellation fee would be. I sent a letter to the address I found online since Kyle said he couldn't give me a copy of my contract because he had already sent it in(what a lame excuse). Kyle started ignoring my husband and I and our calls and text messages. I thought it was all done because I didn't hear back anything and had stopped using the trainers(the trainer had told us to speak to Kyle about it).

In January I get a letter saying I owe nearly 600. I called the number on the letter and was given another number to call about the cancellation. After a few calls(leaving messages as noone answered) I finally got through to someone named Keisha and she told me to resend a cancellation letter (I had asked Melissa at the first number to send me a copy of the contract and hadn't received it as of when I spoke to Keisha). So I wrote up a new cancellation letter and a lengthy complaint letter and send it off. I keep calling back the 2nd number. I was given to check on the status of the cancellation. meanwhile Mr. Anderson is calling me about the past due amounts.

I finally get through the 2nd number in April only to be told that since March the Utah accounts have been handled by another company. I am given another number at which I left several messages on the answering machine and once with the receptionist Alli. I never received a call back. A few weeks ago another person named Mr. Dexter contacted me about this same situation. I told him what has happened(as I've told Melissa, Keisha, and Mr. Anderson already) and he tells me he needs me to send copies of the letters I have sent so I send them to the email address he provides.

I sent it 2 more times because according to Andrew they haven't received them. I finally get a response saying I need to send them proof they received it (apparently no one informed me in all this process that the letters needed to be signature certified). So I email them back last week telling them how 1) I was not informed by any of the many people I spoke to that they needed to be certified (the letters) and 2) that I haven't even received any services and how i would be expect to pay over 1500 (they have accrued more months fees during the past months that they have been giving me the runaround) and not get any services.

I got emailed back today after resending the same email 3 times, their response-"We have told you we need proof that you sent your notice. Without the proof there is nothing we can do." Okay so what am I supposed to do now? Pay 1500 so that next month they can say they didn't get my cancellation and I don't get any services?

Matthew of Kennesaw, GA May 26, 2009

Renewed Golds Gym of Acwoth GA membership in Jan 2009. (3yrs for 297). Now am being billed an "enhancement fee" of 39.95/yr per my contract. I was never informed of this fee. I am out of town..but was able to view a scanned image of my "alleged" agreement. Everywhere my signature is supposed to be, it simply states "phone". That's it..no signature from me ANYWHERE nor my initials.

Further they are assessing me a "late fee" of 5 because I'm late. I explained that this was the first notification that any fee was due. She put me on hold and came back later to confirm this would have been my first notification! So why the late fee? I asked. "Because it's late" she replied! She went on to tell me that I should have been made aware via the contract which again does not have my signature ANYWHERE.

This is a scam. A bunch of people will pay the 40-45 and just decide to avoid the hassle altogether. Very disappointing. Can't anything be done? No enhancements have been made to this club. It is worse since they relocated (Machines still have gum stuck to them, tv's are not functioning) Nor was I informed or agreed to pay this fee

Myra of Long Beach, CA May 7, 2009

I was "authorized" by Gold's Gym of Oxnard, CA to cancel my membership since I moved out of the county- to Long Beach. I was assured that as soon as I sent a request letter along with my utility bills, they would cancel the membership. I've contacted them 5 times already, and they keep charging me. I sent the letter w/ delivery confirmation, they confirmed receipt of the letter, still my account is being deducted for monthly feed.

This has happened to my husband with the same company in the past. They are very unhelpful, rude, and refuse to provide any adequate customer service. Doing my research, I see this is a pattern with this company, and I don't understand why they are allowed to continue with these unfair business practices. I just want to be treated fairly with respect, and honesty. I feel nickled and dimed. This has caused undue stress and worry for myself and family. It takes time to follow up on these people, have to call and fax, then have to deal with rude employees in their "Corporate Office" who seem to take more pleasure in seeing customers suffer, instead of trying to fix problems. They never return phone calls. It needs to be stopped. I still have to be reimbursed for these monthly fees- they even threaten to take you to collections.

Cecilia of Pulaski, WI May 19, 2009

I fulfilled my 12 month contract with Golds Gym in Olathe Kansas in December 2008. Informed them of my desire to discontinue membership since I moved to Wisconsin in December. I have faxed copies of my lease as well as a letter stating this in January yet they continued to debit my account once again I faxed everything to them and I received a past due notice yesterday of 40.43. They won't refund my money even though they have been well aware that I moved 12 hours away from the gym.

Medha of Rockville, MD May 11, 2009

I and my husband joined the gym in Jan'09. Only my husbad went to join, the salesperson convinced me that if I joined with him, I would effectively have to pay 5 a month for my membership. That was an unbelievable offer and I asked how he would do it. He said that a lot of people join and he can enroll them under my "Refer a Friend" so I can get the discounts every month.

It's May now, I never received any discounts, I am paying 40 a month and no one would listen. The guy doesn't have any answer, he blames it on the company saying that they are slow in processing. I know it is never going to happen. And I can hardly afford the monthly dues. Just want to warn everyone that please watch out for people making such false promises, you will be paying through your nose.