Gold's Gym

Review: I was not sent my contract when signing, was also not provided the "full" agreement when signing. I look at my bank account this month and saw that there was an extra 39.99 charge. I was told that this is a yearly membership fee... What do I pay 24.99 a month for? The person I talked to on the phone said that this was also to lock in your price for the next 12 months... A) my contract is up in October (they charge everyone this on Feb 16 regardless of when you sign your contract) and B) What if there is NO price change or the price increase is less than $40 total. I'm not given an option to pay an additional fee to lock in the price. C) if I decide to not renew my contract will they reimburse me the paid monies for a 12 month duration of a price lockin? That would mean I would be owed 13.32 left on my "price lockin". This does not seem right and when I went to complain there were several other folks standing in line to complain about the same thing.Desired Settlement: refund myself and all the others complaining about this erroneous charge their 39.99.

Business

Response:

This is an account of events associated with complaint #[redacted] lodged by [redacted]This member signed up for a membership with our facility on October 13, 2015. [redacted] states in hercomplaint that she did not receive her “full contract”. When someone signs up in the facility they areprovided with a copy of the agreement signed, and the system automatically emails them a copy of theagreement signed. For her to say that she received nothing, or at least not the “full” agreement just isn’tpossible. She provided us with her email address when she signed up, and therefore, she was sent acopy of everything,[redacted] is also complaining about not knowing what the Annual Rate Guarantee is. She signed next to theline that explains what the ARG is, therefore, she is acknowledging that she’s read and understands it,[redacted] called the gym on 2/17/16 to find out what the charge was for and it was again explained to her.She states in her complaint that she called in to see what the charge was for, but then also states thatwhen she came in to complain, other people were “standing in line to complain about the same thing”.[redacted] never came in to the gym to complain, and we never had a line of people complaining about this.She was not wrongfully charged for the Annual Rate Guarantee, and therefore, will not be refunded. I’veattached her contract that was signed by her that outlines all of the policies and charges.

Review: I paid my membership in full in April and told them I wanted to cancel membership. My membership did not run out until August and contract was up in August. They failed to give me any paper work regarding cancelation. Guy behind the counter said it was all taken care of. September rolls around and they stick more charges on my card. I go back to the gym and talk to the same guy and he said he didn't know why they charged me because the computer shows my account inactive. I told him I wanted something to show this contract is done. That's when they gave me paper for cancellation of membership. I filled it out and they are still charging my credit card. I called the main office in Reno and the lady there got smart with me on the phone. Her name was [redacted] and refused to give me her last name. The guy I talked to in the Staunton gym no longer works there. He quit just recently. People behind the counter not doing there job properly. When I went in to cancel in April, they should have given me paper work to fill out if that is what I needed to do instead of them telling me it was taken care of.Desired Settlement: To give me back the money for the past two months they have charged me for a new contract I did not authorize

Business

Response:

To Whom it May Concern:I have attached the member's membership contract that states all cancellations must be in writing. I have also attached the notes from our billing software from the conversations with the member. Once we received the cancellation request, we made note in the billing system to cancel the membership as of 10/30/2013 due to the 30 policy that is also noted in the cancellation policy on the membership contract.With that being said, we do not feel that a refund is warranted.Please contact me if you have further question at [redacted].Sincerely,[redacted]

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.They said in there notes that I never received a contract. I did not say that. I know I signed a 2 year contract. That is why I went in April to Pay in full for the remaining balance of the membership and cancel any further membership. I told [redacted], the employee behind the counter that I wanted to cancel my membership. He typed something in the computer and said everything was all taking care of. The only proof that I have is that my husband was with me when I went in to cancel. Why didn't he give me the proper form to fill out for cancellation? I had even talked to him when they took out the first payment and said he did not know why they are charging me because it shows my account as inactive. Wasn't until I started talking to managers that I learned there was a form to fill out. [redacted] even tried to reassure me that I did not have to fill out anything and thats when I said I needed something to make sure that the membership would definantly end. Then some lady working with him pulled out the form and had me sign it. Why should I have to pay because people working at the gym don't know how to do their job? Why would I let my contract renew when if they check their records it will show I haven't used the gym for probably over a year? Im sorry but I just don't have Money to give away like that.

Review: I signed up on June 25th or June 26th and upon signing up was told I could cancel at any time but when I went to cancel I was informed I had to move at least 35 miles from the gym. I called the guy who signed me up and was basically told I'm out of luck. I was never given a copy of contract and when signing up he went over main points but was misleading to get me to sign up.Desired Settlement: I want out of my contract. I am willing to pay my cancellation fee but am blown away by the disrespect and how I was mislead.

Business

Response:

[redacted] signed a 24 month agreement in June 2015, per the agreement he may cancel due to medical (Doctor's note needed), Military (Orders needed), or move more than 35 miles from club (proof needed per agreemant). Our billing company spoke with [redacted] twice explaining our cancellation policy. The policy was explained at the point of sales as well. As shown on the attached agreement, [redacted] singed the agreement right under the cancellation policy.

Review: I signed up for the membership with the intention to transfer my original membership from [redacted] to this location. I came in and talked to a [redacted] and he assured me that it was no problem at all. I paid 35.00 that night and left with my transfer papers to take to Willow lawn. Little did I know, what this particular [redacted] failed to tell me, was that you are not allowed to transfer a membership if you have not been with the original gym for more than 120 days. Then I was signed up for two gym memberships... The [redacted] at the [redacted] put my account on hold for the next few months but I feel like the membership should not have been valid in the first place because I signed up under false pretenses. Here we are four months later and I have moved and the [redacted] location is not convenient for me at all anymore. I am also upset that this account is in collections for close to $150 when I have never even stepped foot in the gym to work out. I feel as thought they are already on top considering I don't even know what the $35 I paid for in the first place was for. Its not right that I should have to pay all this money when I was falsely informed by a "[redacted]".Desired Settlement: I want them to accept the $35 they came out on top, cancel my account and drop the collection balance.

Business

Response:

[redacted] came into Gold's Gym Arboretum inquiring about joining our club. She purchased a single membership from our "[redacted], and she agreed to the terms of our transfer policy, which would allow the said member to join with $0 Enrollment and a monthly rate of 34.99 for 24 months. Since [redacted] was a member of another franchise ([redacted]) she would not be billed with our franchise until [redacted] were in receipt of 4 monthly payments or surpassing 120 days. [redacted] instructed [redacted] to take the transfer paperwork to [redacted] so everyone would be in proper communication regards to joining.

Review: I signed up for a gym membership and personal training. I was told by the company that if I moved more then 30 miles away from the gym that I could cancel my membership with a 50 dollar fee. Due to family circumstances, I have since moved more tan 50 miles away. I notified the gym and given supporting documents, and its been more than 3 months and nothing as been done. I have stopped by and tried to speak with the [redacted] but he is alway "with a client" or "not available".

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates that the business has not responded to you directly. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]At this time, I have not been contacted by Gold's Gym regarding complaint ID[redacted].Regards,[redacted]

Review: I have an issue with this company's business practices. On 09/03/15 I requested to remove my daughter from my account since she's moved back to college. At that time I was told that there is a fee to remove someone from the contract. I reminded the rep that there was no mention of a fee when I added my daughter, that when I added her, I even told them it would be temporary since she would be going back to school. The rep then stepped over into the managers office and after a brief discussion came back and said if I could provide a copy of a bill or lease showing my daughter at her new address the fee would be waived. I told them I would bring it the following week.On 09/10/15 I brought in a copy of my daughters lease showing her new address. I was told that they would take care of removing her from the account and they would waive the cancellation fee. Today 10/09/15 I noticed on my credit card statement that I was charged a $50 fee by Gold Gym on 09/15/15. I immediately called in to find out why I was charged a fee as I had provided the document they asked for. The gentlemen who answered put me on hold to go talk to the manager and after a few minutes came back on and said the fee would be charged. I requested to speak to the manager since this was not correct according to the previous agreement. The gentlemen advised the manager did not want to speak to me and said I could call the billing department if I wished to dispute. Issue 1) When I added my daughter, why was there no mention of a fee when I specifically said she would only be on temporarily until she went back to school? Issue 2) Why did they say they would waive the fee and then not do it?Issue 3) Why would a manager refuse to speak to me?Desired Settlement: The $50 fee needs to be refunded as per the agreement. I would also like an apology from Gold Gym for lying to me, not following through to make sure the fee was not charged, and the flat out refusal of the manager to take my call.

Review: I joined Gold's gym in 2009. I then moved out of state and was no longer near a Gold's gym. I cancelled my membership since I could no longer use the gym. I am being billed $744 dollars on my credit report for my cancelled membership. I have tried to contact the collections agency and they have no record they can find of my account. I have called the location I purchased my membership at and they said they had two accounts for me, one was cancelled and the other had a balance of around $500 dollars. I asked what the charges where that added up to $500 dollars and they could not tell me. I was given the number to a lady in billing who I called. She stated she would call me back with 72 hours. I have never heard back and I have not been able to get her back on the phone since. I want this removed from my credit since I cancelled my membership as their computer shows and they cannot explain the chargesDesired Settlement: I want item removed from my credit report asap

Business

Response:

To Whom This May Concern,

We do have a [redacted] in our billing system which shows a past due balance. We do not have any record of a notice being given to our billing company at the time, which should have been sent certified letter to [redacted] stated to our billing company that she had not submitted anything in writing. She did not have proof of move or a copy of any letter to cancel. I have attached notes of the conversation that [redacted] had with our current billing company and old notes that indicate no written notice given to [redacted]. Second half of the notes are from [redacted]. Once we have proof of a termination request, and proof of her relocation, we would be more than happy to assist [redacted]. Any questions, comments or concerns may be directed to Health Club Billing at [redacted]. Thank you for your time.

Best in health,

Review: My contract is not being cancelled despite I did what I was suppose to do to cancel it, my account is still been charged monthly. I went to Gold's Gym the one at [redacted] in June 2013 to register for membership and I was given the contract agreement and it states on it that I can cancel it within 3 days so the next day I went back there with my letter of cancellation and gave it to the [redacted] and he said okay that my membership will be cancelled, so my $60 registration fee was refunded back to me, but to surprise my account was charged again in July. I called them and they refunded it back, but again I was charged in August I called them but they told me I cannot cancel my contract unless I move away where they do not have Gold's Gym. So please help me to talk to them because I already did what was written in the agreement about how to make a cancellation. I am tired of calling them. My account has been charged the September fee again. Payment is by [redacted] card.Desired Settlement: My account should be refunded back what was charged in August and September.

Business

Response:

Spoke with [redacted]. from the business; he states there was a lack of communication concerning this cancellation. The letter of cancellation did not reach the 3rd party billing company when the customer filed her request for cancellation. The concern has since been address and the account will be cancelled and a refund check issued within 5 business days.

Review: I called [redacted] in March 2014 to cancel my membership. They referred me to Taft services. I emailed Taft a few times and have talked on the phone several times with their staff. They have always left me hanging with the call. Either someone will call me back and I wait then no one calls back at all. I have been bounced back and forth by them. I have been forthcoming in March of my desire to cancel since I have not used their gym in over a year. They went around in NOT heeding my request, and have continued to draw money from my credit card. My credit card expiration date have changed and yet they have still managed to continue to charge the monthly membership to my account without my permission to use the newly issued credit card/new date. [redacted] is no help either. Both parties want to confuse you. The last time I believe August/September I contacted Taft services I was already cancelled and was very glad. On this same day [redacted] said I can come in and fill up paper, because they said they changed their cancellation process. (Wow, I thought after so many months later they now say I can come in when I offered to come in to [redacted] in March to cancel, yet was told to call TAFT). But since I contacted Taft this particular day recently and they said I can cancel, I went with it. Its now October and they are now still sending me bills and threatening me with lawsuit. I want Taft Services to return money that legitimately belonged to me for the months of April onward. They need to stop the rip off that they victimize their members with. I read in ripoff report website exactly what they did to others, they are doing to me. [redacted] is also under millions of dollar lawsuit in Ventura county because of this practice. The motto apparently for [redacted] is "when youre in, you're in" you cant get out, or they make it extremely hard for you to get out holds true. Look up [redacted] scam online.Please stop Taft LLC from taking money from honest people.Desired Settlement: Return the amount they have drafted from my credit card since April of this year.

Business

Response:

Taft Services, LLC serves as agent for [redacted] to handle their membership billing. In this capacity Taft also processes membership cancellations for the facility in accordance with the procedures established by the facility. The complainant contacted Taft in March and was advised via a return telephone call and voicemail left at both the home and work number that anyone within the member services area of Taft could instruct her as to the cancellation process. On May 30th the complainant called Taft and was advised of the cancellation process to which she responded with the attached written request. [redacted] requires a 30 Day notice to cancel and any payments due within that 30 day notice period are required to be paid. The final payment was processed on June 2nd and subsequently charge backed by the complainant. It was then resubmitted for payment on the 20th day of June and cleared. A $25 charge back fee assessed against [redacted] in conjunction with the charge back of the complainant’s June payment has since been referred to a third party collection agency. In the interest of resolving this matter, I have today removed the account from the third party collection agency and closed it.

Thank you,

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's offer. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID[redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved. If the company does not perform as promised I can get back to you at: [redacted]

Regards,

Review: I called to cancel a gym membership through Gold's Gym in January of 2014. I was told over the phone that I could not cancel verbally, that I had to physically come down to the office to cancel face-to-face. I was unable to do so due to my schedule with work/travel. I thought it was reasonable to cancel over the phone, but apparently the contract I signed (unknowingly) requires it face-to-face. I understand doing things by the book for important business affairs, but we're talking about a gym membership. Since they would not allow me to cancel my gym membership over the phone, I told my bank to block any ACH request from Gold's Gym in January. Well, I called to follow-up today to make sure it was cancelled. Apparently, I've been charged for the last three months and the membership wasn't closed. All I want to do is cancel this membership. I spoke w/ the account manager [redacted]. She was not willing to to cancel the membership for me and would continue to charge me for the account including a penalty for not giving them a 30-day notice?? Is this really the way to do business or treat someone who had been a member for over five years? I offered to pay two months worth of fees to get this resolved and not waste both parties time, but the best she could do is have me pay $90 to cancel the membership. She wouldn't even budge on $30. So, I'm requesting that you guys take a look at this. Is it reasonable to pay over $150 plus having the account go to collections for a membership I thought was cancelled in January? All I want is this issue be resolved and that I don't have to pay en exorbitant amount of money just to close out a gym membership. Really, it's just a gym membership.Desired Settlement: I originally asked from [redacted], the account manager of Gold's Gym in Pittsburgh, PA that I would pay $60 (two months worth of gym membership) to close out the membership and call it a day. She would not do that. Since I have to go through this extra work with you guys and the Attorney General, I would like to owe nothing to these people. This has been such a crazy ordeal. All I want is to close the membership out and it has just snowballed. Thanks

Business

Response:

11 April 2014

To Whom it May Concern,

The following is a statement concerning the Revdex.com complaint [redacted], submitted by Wesley [redacted].

On 8 April 2014, I received a phone call from Mr. [redacted] regarding his membership cancellation. He told me that he had called in January to cancel, but upon being informed that he needed to provide documentation of cancellation request—either coming to the gym to sign a form or sending a signed letter via certified mail—he instead decided to block the charges from Gold’s through his bank.

I informed Mr. [redacted] that his membership had never been cancelled, as we had not received documentation of cancellation. He became angry and was very rude to me over the phone. He said "It’s just a gym membership; it shouldn’t be so difficult to cancel!" I explained that the cancellation policy described above was in the contract that he signed, and that he was provided a copy of, and that our salesmen specifically go over with every new member. His response was that he didn’t read the contract and it shouldn’t be held against him since no one ever verbally explained it to him. I informed him that our salespeople always explain those terms in the contract and that since he had been told the same terms over the phone when he called in January, he clearly understood them. It was his decision not to comply. He reiterated that yes, he had been told these terms in January but it was too much work to do in order to cancel a gym membership.

This cancellation policy is described in every Gold’s Gym membership contract. It is important that we receive signed confirmation that a member wants to cancel. If we terminate a membership without member consent, we are in breach of our end of the contract (unless a member has otherwise broken Gold’s Gym rules).

I explained the reasons for the cancellation policy to Mr. [redacted] and he said again, "It’s just a gym membership! You’re going to hear from my damn lawyer!" He then terminated the call. I received a second call from Mr. [redacted] later in the day. During that call, we tried to work out terms of payment. I presented him with his total bill, which is currently 119.96 for missed dues of 29.99 from January through April. I said, "I see that you haven’t been using the gym, so as a courtesy I will take away April’s dues and I will also not charge a further month’s dues, though I am supposed to do so according to the 30-days-notice policy for cancellation. The total will be 89.97." The 30-days-notice policy is also detailed in the contract. I felt this solution was very reasonable considering that the total Mr. [redacted] should have to pay Gold’s Gym by the terms of his contract is 149.95. He refused, saying he would pay no more than two months worth of dues, or 59.98. When I said I couldn’t accept that and that I had already taken away more than enough of the dues he was obligated to pay, Mr. [redacted] said he would call the Revdex.com and terminated the call.

Mr. [redacted] is bound by his contract to pay 149.95 in order to cancel his membership. He could have cancelled with no charge had he followed the directions given to him in January. As a courtesy I offered to lessen his bill to 89.97. That is the best I can do for Mr. [redacted].

Thank you,

Back Office Manager

Consumer

Response:

Review: They are refusing to let us out of an agreement for 2 years unless we provide documentation of a health concern. This information should be private. ;m not asking for a refund of the 8 months that this membership was not used, only to cancel it now with no further obligation.Desired Settlement: Cancel the membership and settle with all fees collected to date.

Business

Response:

This is 100% done and resolved with the client. I was not able to process this with the website.Thanks!

Review: In July of 2013 I signed a two year contract with golds gym set to expire on July 2015. Unfortunately during most of the contract, I was unable to use the facility due to a workers comp injury. In consideration of HIPPA, I will not go into any detail. However in April of 2015 when I was advised to ease back into my normal activities, I call the gym and met with the Accounts Manager. I told her that swimming was recommended. She advised me that the gym does not offer swimming courses but recommended that I meet with a trainer before coming back to exercise at their facility. After a month of waiting to hear back from a trainer, I finally spoke with a gentleman and explain to him the situation. He advised me that he only engage in personal training services. It was made clear to me that his services were for hire in contrary to what the manager had told me he was not willing to give me a reason tation back into the gym so that I could use and have knowledge of certain equipment and not reinjure myself. When I call back to speak to the general manager, I was advised that she was on leave. The customer service agent to answer the phone refused to allow me to speak to the Accounts Manager and insisted that he could handle it as the assistant manager. When he looked into the system, he advised me that my membership has expired because my contract was up. I asked him if there was anything I needed to do to solidify this matter and he advised me that the contract has been expired and that I was no longer a member of Gold's Gym. During the week of February 8th 2016 I received a demand letter in the amount of $385 with an offer to settle for $180. Eye contact at the gym about this matter and was advised that the contract was automatically rolled over similar to that of a house or an apartment lease that rolls over from month to month after expiration. I told the accounts manager that I thought this was unethical business acumen and that I wanted to file a complaint in house.Desired Settlement: I should not be required to pay for 6 months of non usage of a gym. Gold's Gym did not offer the swimming class that I need it. Because I did not want to sign up for personal training they basically disregarded me as a member. They have left me with no other alternative but to seek assistance from your organization.

Business

Response:

After careful review of Ms. [redacted] account, we found the following:She joined Gold’s Gym Fredericksburg June 15, 2012, [redacted] is a [redacted] of her membership agreement. She signed or initialed all sections, but in particular the auto renewal, which she disputes.She requested and was approved for numerous freezes of her membership account. Each freeze allowed the member to place the account on hold without payment for several months. While the member is not responsible for payments during the freeze time, she is ultimately responsible for the number of payments she signed for when her membership agreement was signed; thus her term date was extended to match the number of months frozen. Here is a timeline of events:On September 15, 2012, her account was frozen for two months. On February 13, 2013, her account was frozen again, upon her request, and back-dated from August 2012 through January 2013. She received a credit on her account.On December 13, 2013, she attempted to cancel her account, but after reviewing the cancellation policy with our billing department, she was unable to cancel.On February 19, 2014 her account was frozen again, upon her request, and back-dated from February 14, 2014 through April 14, 2014.On April 15, 2014, she requested her freeze be extended to July 14, 2014.On December 1, 2014, she requested her 3rd back-dated freeze, from July 14, 2014 through November 14, 2014.On February 4, 2015, she requested her account be frozen from March 6, 2015 through April 5, 2015.She did not pay her account from April 6, 2015 forward. Due to non-payment her account was turned over to the gym’s attorney to discuss and reconcile her past due account.On February 16, 2016, she attempted to cancel her membership through our billing company without payment and without supporting documentation as per her membership agreement.In addition to working extensively with her throughout the freeze process, we have offered her complimentary personal training (up to 2 sessions) in the pool. She failed to appear for her first session. We have this documented via e-mail. When she finally did meet with the trainer manager, he offered her our paid one-on-one personal training options, and she declined. She stated we do not offer pool related classes, however we have numerous pool classes on schedule in the morning and the evening. We have made every attempt to assist this member meet her fitness goals in a safe and professional way.Because of the status of her account, she has been referred to the gym’s attorney to discuss and reconcile her membership payments. However, she has refused to do so; despite the attorney’s office willingness to work with her.

Review: I signed up for two year contract with 3 months free. When they gave me the contract to sign it was for 27 months. I told him that was not the deal he had presented as the 3 months were part of the contract period. He said he had to put "continuing" on the contract so that the monthly price would not increase if I wanted to continue. He finally talked me into signing. The contract was to end Aug 31, 2013 and in mid July 2013 I filled out a form at the front desk of Golds that I was not going to continue past Aug 2013 and that auto billing of my credit card should stop. The Golds rep took the paper and looked it over and verified on the computer my contract ended in Aug 2013. The card billing continued even after I called Golds and they said it would be taken care of. I contacted my credit card co and disputed charges for Sep to Nov. They notified Golds and received no response, but no further billing was attempted. Problem resolved or so I thought. In Jan 2014 I received a letter from a collection agency, [redacted], that I owed over $249.99 to Golds. I called Golds and was told no manager was available and they couldn't help me. They gave me a number for Golds billing Dept that turned out to be [redacted] number. They just gave me the runaround. I filed a complaint with the State Attorneys Office. As yet no resolution. This Evening Friday Jan 31, 2014 at 7:36 pm I received a call on my home phone from someone who said he was an attorney for Golds Gym and that they would take legal action against me if I did not pay immediately. I advised him that I had no idea who he was and not to call me again. I also advised him that I had filed a complaint with the Va State Attorney Generals office and he could contact them.

I completed my 2 year membership, actually 27 months. All payments were on time. I gave more than 30 days notice and handed it directly to one of their employees who verified it. Golds apparently makes a habit of this "The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office has filed a $75 million civil action against Gold’s Gym of [redacted], alleging the business is illegally profiting off members by making it nearly impossible to get out of gym contracts.

[redacted]Desired Settlement: Written letters submitted to me, all three credit monitoring bureaus, and The Attorney Generals office. Since they have seen fit to harass me at home rather than correcting the over-site on their part; I feel I should be compensated for the extreme duress they have caused by harassment and possible damage to my credit rating.

Business

Response:

Good morning,

A written letter was delivered today via [redacted] to [redacted]; he and I have since spoken by telephone in depth relative to the points of his complaint and the responses in my letter. I suggested to [redacted] that notification to the credit bureaus is actually unnecessary because no information, adverse or otherwise, has been reported. Because nothing has been submitted to date, notification at this point might serve to do more harm than good with regard to placement in his permanent credit history with the three major credit reporting companies. [redacted] has been provided my direct dial telephone number and I have indicated a willingness to speak with anyone from a regulatory agency regarding the manner in which [redacted] handled his account and/or our business relationship with Gold’s Gym – Arboretum.

If there are any further questions please do not hesitate to contact me directly.

Sincerely,

T - [redacted]

C - [redacted]

Toll Free: [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

[redacted] of [redacted] has provided removal of all charges and cancellation of my membership with golds gym retroactive to Aug31, 2013. He also informed me no notice had been filed with the credit bureaus and it is unwise to contact them at this point. These are acceptable to me. His office, [redacted] only had the inaccurate and false information provided by Golds Gym Arboretum. The lack of response to my initial call he said he would address. I can understand oversights.

I still have a major problem with Golds Gym Arboretum. [redacted] actions at this stage could not alleviate the stress, fear, and frustration that Golds Gyms gross negligence had caused me. I had a false entry on my credit report years ago from a closed credit card of a business that had been closed several years when a telemarketer charged that closed account and listed it as delinquent. That prevented me from obtaining a loan. It took over 6 months and the [redacted] getting involved to remove it.

At 2:15 Feb 7, 2014 I received a call from [redacted] (sp?) who works for the owner of Golds Gym Arboretum. She asked if I was satisfied with [redacted]) handling of the situation. I told her he handled his end. After reading the complaint he realized the fault was not with me and rescinded the charges, canceling the membership. I also imformed her I was totally dissatisfied with the way Golds maligned me. I feel I was libeled and the stress and anxiety this caused was unnecessary and damaging. Golds on the other hand did nothing that a competent business should have done initially to correct the matter. They then refused to correspond with me or [redacted]. Then after the collection letter arrived they still either disconnected when I asked for a manager or just said he wasn't in. For billing dept they gave me [redacted] number. They initiated no attempt to correct this matter and then blocked all attempts I made. Golds Gym Corp said they have no control over franchises. When I called the Ventura County DA dept that filed a class action again a Golds Gym said they had the same type of avoidance from Golds.

I feel the fine print and continuing should be illegal and removed from all contracts. Especially as it is not prominently featured in their ads which go through the US Mail. This is out right deception designed to initiate this type of "extortion". If it is advertised as 24 months membership then it should end in 24 months and not be a "fine print" lifetime commitment.

If it happened to me; what will stop it from happening to another unsuspecting citizen?

At this point I believe Golds Gym Arboretum did willfully initiate this matter and purposely avoided any attempts at resolutions. I believe further investigation and even litigation may be necessary as much as I would rather avoid it. I do no-one harm and just ask the same. It is a pity that is not true of corporate America.

Regards,

Review: I visited Gold's Gym on 6 September 2011 to check out the facility. A member of staff showed me around and pressured me to take advantage of a membership special that would only be available that day. She assured me that I could pay that day, but if I changed my mind, I could cancel the contract for a full refund. This is also what the contract states, so I paid the $50 enrollment fee and first month's dues ($39.99) for a total of $89.99. I decided to cancel the contract and join a different gym, so I followed the instructions on the contract: "You the buyer may cancel this agreement by midnight of Gold's Gym's third business day after the date of this agreement...such cancellation must be in writing, sent certified mail." I followed the instructions and sent the cancellation in writing by certified mail, postmarked before midnight on the third day after the contract was signed. The contract states that I would be entitled to a full refund within 30 days. When I didn't hear anything back after a few weeks, I called to check on the status. I was told that they had no way of knowing what the status was. I asked to speak to a [redacted]. They instead took my name and number and promised a [redacted] would call me back. I didn't hear back, so I called again. And again I was told someone would have to call me back. This happened a few times. Someone finally called me back, but they repeated what I was told at first: they couldn't tell me anything about the refund. This time I asked who I could contact who COULD tell me about the refund. She said that their accountant handled it and she couldn't divulge the name or contact information for the accountant. She told me there was nothing I could do. This seems like a serious breach of contract, but it's not enough money to seek legal action.Desired Settlement: I would really like the money back, as promised in the contract. But an apology and the assurance that they wouldn't give anyone else the run-around would also be nice!

Business

Response:

[redacted]

Review: I held a month to month membership with their gym and have twice attempted to cancel it. They will not allow cancellations via email or their website and instead require a signed form. I delivered this form in June and when I was billed on July 1 I phoned and they explained that the next month's fees were still due however they had no record of the signed membership form which I delivered to their employee Mary. I delivered another form immediately after that at the beginning of July and was again billed in August. I phoned twice and was told that [redacted] was the only staff member who could help me but he was not in. Again, I phoned and this time spoke to Nikki who stated that they were not going to recognize the June form since they could not find it and were instead considering the form that I dropped off in July to cancel my membership effective August 1. Today, $39.99 was charged to my debit card. I phoned and spoke to Nick who rudely advised me that this was an "annual membership fee to keep dues low." I explained that the difficulties I have had with their staff in trying to repeatedly cancel this membership and that I had been advised that my membership would be terminated effective August 1. I requested that the $39.99 annual fee be returned as my membership is cancelled, explained that I am unsatisfied with his staff's handling of my cancellation request as it has required so many follow calls, and he refused the refund or to allow me to speak to anyone else on their management staff regarding the issue.Desired Settlement: I am seeking a refund for the $39.99 "annual fee" which I do not believe I should owe as I have been trying earnestly for two months to cancel the membership.

Business

Response:

We received three letters the other day; [redacted]. [redacted] wanted to let you know we are refunding the member the $39.99 we charged them. Is there anything else we need to do on our end?

Review: False practices

Yes I came and signed up I never attended I was informed it was a 30 day trial and I can cancelle at any time with in my 30 days I contacted jym and I was told to contact Jessica she informed me I will have to pay 60$ you all have been drafting my account charging me overdraft fees money I didn't have I never used the service and no longer live in Richmond va it was a false service I was lied to and now I'm stuck with overdraft fees and now a membership I wanted cancelledDesired Settlement: I would like my membership cancelled like I was told I can cancelled anytime and money back for overdraft fees since I was lied to

Business

Response:

Business

Response:

The member's request has been fulfilled. The overdue balance was removed and the account has been cancelled out. Thank you.

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's offer. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved. If the company does not perform as promised I can get back to you at: [redacted].

Regards,

Review: When signing up for a contract I was told that at any time I could change my $29.99/month contract to a $9.99 basic package at any time. I was also told that I would simply just have to pay a $75 fee in order to cancel. My financial situation became difficult a few months ago and I attempted to cancel my contract but was told the only way out was to move somewhere 30 miles outside of a Golds Gym (nowhere) or die.

Now, of course I understand that this was in the contract I signed. However, I was told something entirely different by one of their employees. She also never informed me of the $40 charge that they draft from your account twice a year for "equipment." No one ever informed me of it- they simply just drafted my account without warning, overdrafting the account.

When I called to complain about the associate that lied to me upon signing up for a membership, they did absolutely nothing to resolve the issue- not for me or the employee. She is still working there selling contracts.

I then went online to write a complaint about the gym only to find that this is a national problem. I don't understand how a company that clearly trains their employees to be deceptive is still in business. The complaints are innumerable and their 1 star reviews on every single website reflect this same issue.

I no longer use my gym due to resentment and I can't even pay a fee to cancel the monthly draft. In addition to that I am moving to a new city in a month and would like to join a different gym that is independently owned and not in my current city. However, there is another Golds Gym in the next city over, about a 40 minute drive away. Because of this ridiculous contractual agreement, I won't be able to cancel because it is within 30 miles of where I will be living.Desired Settlement: It would be nice to have my contract cancelled, but this complaint is primarily in hopes that the business will be punished for their deception, or forced to change their practices.

Business

Response:

I have responded to [redacted] and cancelled his gym membership with no further billing on his behalf.

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's offer. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved. If the company does not perform as promised I can get back to you at: [redacted].

Regards,

Review: I joined Gold's Gym [redacted] on 03/09/2012. I was aware at the time that I was entering into a two year contract. The contract expired on 04/19/2019. As that gym was no longer serving my needs very well I decided to cancel my membership. I had been a member of Gold's a few years previously, and when I had cancelled at the end of that initial contract I had to physically go to the gym and cancel in person. Shortly after this latest contract expired I thought I knew the drill and went to the [redacted] gym to cancel my membership. I was told I couldn't do that. I was handed a tiny scrip of paper with a phone number on it and told I had to call that number. I don't know what happened to that scrap of paper because I never saw it again. As it happened, the debit card that was being used to pay my membership was replaced by my bank so the card number they had became invalid. So I just let it be, figuring that by no longer paying dues I was no longer a member, my contract had expired and that was that.

Not so. Later this summer I started getting calls on my home phone, these were recorded messages instructing me to call the billing company Gold's Gym uses. I was offended by the insulting lack of customer care, that they refused to even have a person call me, that they were putting so many layers of obstruction between me and the end of a contract. On the one hand they wanted to speak with me to get updated billing details, on the other they refused to put a human on the case. My landline then stopped working, for quite a long time, and I had forgotten all about Gold's Gym when out of the blue (for me) I received a letter from a collections agency demanding $304.91 in unpaid dues.

I would like to stress that at no point has any one from Gold's Gym made any attempt to contact me about my membership, the only contact that have attempted is to dial my number with a recorded message instructing me to call their billing agency.

The collections agency is now calling me. I spoke with them last week and they told me that under the terms of my contract with Gold's Gym, membership can only be terminated by sending a certified letter to Gold's Gym's corporate head office. I have never heard to such a thing as a contract that can be legally binding in perpetuity once its term has expired.

I called Gold's Gym at [redacted] and asked to speak with the manager. The person who answered the phone asked for my name and whether I was returning a call from them. I said no and also asked for the manager's name. She said his name was [redacted] and that she couldn't give me his last name ('personal details' she called it), and then told me he was in a meeting. I then asked to be put through to membership and was put on hold for so long I gave up. I called Gold's Gym corporate HQ and was told they couldn't help me as the Richmond gyms are a franchise and they had nothing to do with them.

I did manage to dig out my copy of the contract and it does indeed say that you have to write a letter to the gym you signed up with in order to officially close the contract. However, when I initially tried to cancel my membership by personally going to the gym, they did not tell me that, they said I had to call the number on the scrap of paper they gave me. I must also point out that at NO POINT when I joined the gym was this detail in the contract explained. The man I spoke with from the collections agency said I had to write to corporate HQ, also not true. So it seems that none of them know the correct procedure either. Furthermore I don't know who to write to because the gym won't give the full name of the manager. The worst part is my credit rating being negatively impacted by this.Desired Settlement: Agree that my membership is terminated as of the expiry date on the contract (04/19/2014); discontinue efforts to collect money from me; ensure that collection efforts do not get reported to credit rating agencies.

Business

Response:

[redacted]' account has been resolved and notified that I had her account pulled out of our billing company's system and balance removed from First Credit Collection Agency as well.

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's offer. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved. If the company does not perform as promised I can get back to you at: [redacted]

Regards,

Review: I cancelled my membership in July of 2015 and was refunded for 2 months, but I just review my [redacted] checking account and discovered the club has been billing me for monthly fees upto and including January 2016. The charges have been processed as follows -

9/23/2015 charged $37.99

10/23/2015 charged $37.99

11/24/2015 charged $37.99

12/23/2015 charged $37.99

1/16/2016 charged $29.00

[redacted] my sales rep confirmed the cancellation and did refund the charge and fees for 7/2015 and 8/2015

I've recontacted [redacted] and the club manager [redacted].Desired Settlement: The club has to refund all these bogos charges totalling $180.96 and stop charging me immediately.

Business

Response:

Hi [redacted]-

Review: In July of last year, we resolved a personal training dispute by abandoning the contract and crediting the +$200 balance to my membership account.

From August, 2014 through January, 2015, Golds deducted my $19.99 membership fee from that balance. In January, 2015, they the deducted the $29.00 annual facilities charge from the remaining balance, leaving a $51.06 credit.

Then, on Feb. 20, 2015, they hit my credit card for $30.49 without any reason or explanation. I complained at the front desk and, for the following three months, they deducted the monthly fee from the remaining balance ($81.55 after the Feb. charge).

Beginning on April 2, 2015, while the account still had a $41.57 balance, they resumed hitting my credit card. Most recently, they hit the card for $19.99 on Sept. 2, leaving me with a net balance (still) of +$41.57.

I have complained to the front desk, the manager, and the bookkeeper, but have obtained neither an explanation nor a cessation of these billings for money I do not owe.Desired Settlement: Deduct the membership charge for the next two months from the outstanding balance. For the third month, charge the credit card for $18.40. Thereafter, resuming the normal billing against the credit card.

In the meantime, explain the Feb. 2015 charge, explain why they have continued to bill my card for money I do not owe them, and install a dispute procedure that provides a complete and reasoned response to complaints, instead of the current practice of smiling and continuing an incorrect billing practice.

Business

Response:

Revdex.com spoke with the general manager, Thomas [redacted], who stated that there was an issue with the billing of the account, and confirmed that there was a remaining credit on the customer's account from a previous credit of $200 on 7/29/14. He stated that there was a glitch in the system, which he apologized for, and also stated that unfortunately front desk personnel does not have the account information and is not able to answer questions about billing. He also stated that an additional credit was added to the account for the charge that was made in error, and that the current credit on the account is $60.57, and that the customer will not be charged for membership dues until January 2016.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved. If the company does not perform as promised I can get back to you at: [email protected].

Thank you for your kind help.Regards,