Complain about a product or service

Gold's Gym

Marissa of Reno, NV September 2, 2006

Gold's Gym, in my opinion, simply wants you to sign up in their gym, take your initiation fee, take your credit card number, and after the initiation fee and the locked in your 12-month membership fees, they can easily trash you. Especially if you are a Senior member and would not look good in their TV ads. Their customer service, or lack thereof, is very poor; the facilities were only clean initially; thereafter, machines were not maintained properly, TV connections missing in machines, and locker rooms lack sanitation.

In this particular gym, the recumbent bikes in the women's workout room smelled of stale urine. Ugh!!!! After so many problems with the manager and some of the staff, I canceled my membership and requested refund of the remaining two months. I never received a refund and never considered the numerous, valid reasons why I had to cancel earlier. They are just money-grabbers!!! Customer service is an alien word to this Club. I have been a member of one other single health club for over 20 years; never have I been treated so badly at any facility until I joined Gold's Gym.

I forfeited the enrollment fee of 299.95 and 59.94--a two-month fee. The way I was treated so badly left me discouraged and distraught and hesitate to join another health club again.

Darrell of Ft. Myers, FL August 14, 2006

I am a Florida licensed correspondent mortgage lender with approximately 35 employees. I wanted to offer my employees an opportunity to go to the gym as a company benefit. Unfortunately, my secretary contacted Gold's Gym.

We were told that they would be happy to offer the company membership, then I learned they went to each individual employee and had them sign a 1-year contract. One of my employees did not have a credit card to give them so the gym representative told him that he would not be obligated until he gave them a card number. The employee did not give them a card number and has never been to the gym but now they are threatening him with a collection agency.

They constantly charge dues against the employees' credit cards and apply my company check to future dates. What was intended to be a nice thing for my employees has turned into a nightmare for us all. My employees, needless to say, are not happy about this. I asked if I could get my employees out of the agreement  and the manager responded, "There is no way in hell they are getting out of a year contract".

Harry of Tallahassee, FL July 24, 2006

When I was signing my contract they told me I could cancel any time.  I signed the documents believing the Golds' sales manger words but when I tried to cancel they told me that I have the contract till OCT 2007, and no matter what, I need to pay till that date.  I am paying them 43 every month without using my membership.

Marjorie of Snellville, GA July 21, 2006

We received a collections notice stating we owed Gold's Gym money. Our contract was paid in full for the twelve month period March 2005-March 2006 and was automatically deducted from our bank account monthly through March 2006. After our contract was not renewed, the deductions stopped. Now they are saying we rolled over to a month-to-month contract and have sent our accounts to collections. We did not authorize a month to month rollover and did not renew any contract.

Total monetary amount Gold's Gym says we owe is 297.00.

Amanda of Carrollton, TX June 21, 2006

The Gold's Gym Customer Service Center should be renamed because they offer no service whatsoever. While trying to cancel my membership I was kept on hold for over two hours. This is the worst service I have ever received in my life. I cannot recommend Gold's Gym to anyone.

Shannon of Round Rock, TX June 19, 2006

My husband and I both got a membership when we moved to Austin 7 years ago. I canceled mine over a year ago because I got tired of how I was being treated and no one seem to want to help me anytime I asked. I also got a cheaper better gym to go to. When my account was canceled they also canceled my husbands by mistake so they said. So after they re-instated him the first did not have his name spelled right and so they could never find him in the system then we went to cancel a month ago and they were caught still taking the bank draft out. When I called them on it they still did not have his name spelled correctly for the past 6 years and they had our address from 3 years ago. Then their excuse for not canceling the account correctly was a computer glitch. I am so tired of dealing with them and I would never recommend them to anyone.

Khalid of Jacksonville, FL June 19, 2006

When I attempted to cancel my membership with Gold's Gym I had an extremely difficult time. I was not under contract, however I was forced to pay for months of service, which I did not even use. I faxed another cancellation notice. I tried to verify that my cancelation notice was received (4 Hours after I had sent it), and was told to call back later. When I asked to speak with a Supervisor I was forwarded to voicemail, and no one ever returned my phone call.

This has taken up much of my time. I simply want to cancel my membership, and prevent them from deducting money from my account.

Ruth of Roseville, MN June 18, 2006

Gold's has an outrageous contract to begin with. It states that no verbal agreements count as being part of the contract, and it also states that no one can get out of the year's contract unless they are permanently and totally disabled, or move at least 25 miles away. In either case, proof on paper must be provided. Also, the contract automatically renews at the end of a year. The contract must be voided within 30 days of signing, but the character telling you about it says that it has to be voided 30 days before the first charge date a month into the official membership, and then gives a free trial more than 30 days long. They tell many lies, all in the name of getting a person to sign the contract, and then act like they said nothing. I asked wait a minute, where does it say I can cancel any time for a free refund in this contract? and he shook his head and said never mind that, just listen to me. The manager there, Dave Castor, says that everything between the Gold's Gym employee and the potential customer is just personal, and doesn't represent Gold's Gym in any way.

I went through a lot of stress getting this resolved, but since I WROTE DOWN in the contract that I could get a full refund and terminate at any time before the date the guy gave me, I got this resolved. Otherwise I wouldn't have. These people are like a concrete wall. If you have a similar experience, Please: file your complaint with the BBB, AND your state's Attorney General's Office. They need all the complaints they can get before they can help everyone on a larger scale.

Theresa of Alexandria, VA April 26, 2006

Went in for a 1 week free trial. Was sent a bill in the mail from "Conexion" saying they would charge my credit card monthly for a membership. I NEVER signed anything, requested a membership, or gave them any payment information. My name was on a false account with someone else's credit card. This other person had been using the membership in my name. No one has returned my calls or emails and all have beenvery rude and unprofessional. It has been 1 month since I have been contacting them and still nothing.

Heather of Falls Church, VA April 26, 2006

I joined Gold's in October because it was closer to my home - even though I belonged to another gym. It was cheaper but a bit too far for my morning workouts after moving. Gold's opens at 5 - sometimes - 3 times in the last 2 months they have opened late and not just a few minutes - around 6AM leaving its members standing around wondering what they pay for. They are over priced and I would rather go to a lesser known gym that is of the same quality but at least when you get up at 4:30AM to work out they are open. NEVER AGAIN

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