Complain about a product or service

New York Sports Club

Sarah of East Sandwich , MA October 20, 2009

My daughter joined the NY Sports Club on West 16th Street in Manhattan two years ago. She hurt her shoulder and put her membership on hold and I paid 15 a month for a year. Then when she went back to cancel her her membership, she was told that the months she was on hold did not count for the 2 year contract that she has unknowingly signed.

Then they automatically renewed her membership. This is the sort form of two years of lies, broken promises and money paid for no services. I have been paying money to them for over 2 years and have gotten no services. Now there is a huge cancellation fee! I just want to get out of any and all agreements with them. Bottom line here is that the managers at NYSC have perverse sales incentives.

Rebecca of Old Greenwich, CT September 12, 2009

I recently began receiving harassing phone calls from a collections agency representing New York Sports Club. Due to a medical condition, I cancelled my membership. The manager agreed to switch me to 15 fee amonth based on contract. Two months later the fee was hiked back up. I called visa and put a reverse charge on their charges.

They actually owe me money from personal training sessions that I bought and never used. Need counsel on how to handle this unjustice. Primarily harassment from the collections agency. Can I hire a collections agency to collect my credit from them?

Bert of New York, NY September 4, 2009

I stoped in ask about the price and was offered two weeks free, and told that all I had to do was cancel at the end of the two weeks, when I went back to cancel I was told that I had to call the main office to cancel. when I got the right phone number from the web site and called I was told it would cost 150 dollars to cancel. I was billed for 86 dollars and told it would cost 150 dollars to cancel the membership

Alex of New York, NY August 20, 2009

I had an experience with NYSC very similar to the other complaints on this page, at a branch in Brooklyn. After ending my membership, I was billed for three additional months. It was due to a clerical error on their part. (A staff member spelled my name wrong on the cancellation order.) The staff at the Cobble Hill, Brooklyn branch told me over the phone (in at least three separate telephone conversations) that they would get me a refund, but they did nothing.

Each time I called, I had to explain the situation over again. I finally had to call the parent company's headquarters, and fax them all the information to get a refund. The woman in the central office never received my fax, so I had to make additional copies and mail them directly to her. The whole process took about six months, and I finally got a refund of about 150. I've read many accounts of people losing a lot more money and never getting it back at all. Their contracts are confusing and full of fine print designed to deceive customers.

Martha of staten island, NY July 2, 2009

Currently unemployed,I froze my membership and they charge me 94. This lady who I spoke (nicole s, very rude) the first time didnt freze my account and now they charged me 94 the only money Im receiving for the unemployment insurance i cried I ask for help she said they can not put my money back instead she offered me to freeze my account...i said y want to cancel and she said u need to pay 150 ..I can not get rid of this gymm they are very nice when u open an account but when u want to leave there are many tricks,,,PLEASE HELP ME I NEED MY MONEY BACK Ps. i asked twice over the phone and in person to cancel or freze my account

Christian of NY, NY June 19, 2009

Currently unemployed, froze membership and 15.00 fee. Gym charged me full rate and refuse to refund unless I cancel my account.

Michael of Cos Cob, CT May 29, 2009

Like others, NYSC continued to bill me after I canceled my membership. After reading about the Consumer Reports findings that 38% of those polled had at least one problem with canceling memberships and that Town Sports International was the second worst perpetrator, I've come to the conclusion that this is completely intentional. I went in to NYSC to cancel and the manager, Oza told me I needed a written letter to cancel. I went home, printed and signed the letter and handed it to her. She said that's all I needed to do and that she would take care of the rest. I, like others, had the membership on auto-pay and since I wasn't making any new charges on the acct, I didn't see the charges until 10 months later. When I called customer service they said I needed to show a receipt (which in itself is ridiculous). I was never given one. The lady then said that the contract I signed said that in order to be sure you get canceled, you should send a registered letter to the parent company. I suppose I don't have to say how ridiculous that it. They can see that I moved from the area and that I hadn't used my gym membership in that time, but they don't care. Someone should class action these people. 800 lost.

jonathan of Brooklyn, NY May 26, 2009

Watch out for Town Sports clubs, including NYSC. I had a horrible experience. Member through my wife's employer, at a good monthly rate. When she left her job, my club manager told me my membership was cancelled and I was no longer allowed to work out at the club, unless I rejoined and paid an initiation fee and much higher monthly rate. Not very customer friendly, but fair enough.

16 months later, realized they had never stopped billing our CC (granted, should have been checking, CC was on auto-pay). I can only guess the club manager was trying to trick me into switching to a higher-priced membership, maybe one for which he would get a commission. After multiple conversations with customer service and CEO's office, they would not refund the 16 months of fees - despite the fact that they confirmed that i had not been to the club a single time in those 16 months - b/c I did not send a certified letter to cancel membership. This is the behavior they endorse from their managers? Over 750 of erroneous charges

Otis of Oakland, NJ May 7, 2009

I walked into NYSC and there was no one their taking membership I.D.'s so I walked into the locker room and started changing. Shorty after a maintanence working comes running in telling me that I need to show my I.D. when I come in the gym. I am at this point half naked and responded I would have shown my I.D. but there was no one there. He states that she was bending down. He ends up calling me a clown! I speak to management and they didnt care. The customer is not #1 in NYSC! Take your business elsewhere! Maybe this is why the company is trading like a penny stock (3.37). There are so many gyms out there!

Eric of New York, NY April 12, 2009

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