Complain about a product or service

New York Sports Club

Leonid of Brooklyn, NY February 3, 2010

About year ago I signed for "temporary" membership (that's what I was told then)with trail period by the end of which I should decide if I want continue or not. I decided not, then I notified my local NYSC rep (same who signed me in. He told me that my temporary membership is terminated. Almost year later I received phone call from AMEX they told me that NYSC demand past due payment, that's how I found out that all this time, and this is 9 month, I've being charged for 80+ monthly.

I explained my situation to AMEX and ask them to recover as much as possible and they did - for last two month. Then I received call from NYSC with demand for money, when I tried to explain what's happened person on the other end hang up on me without a saying a word.

After a month I received another call this time from collection agency, they provide me with "my" account number and phone number to contact my creditor. I called them and told my story, as a result-I've being told that I do not own to NYSC anything and when I asked for reference number she said that she was sending e-mail to collection agency as we speak.

Next week I received call from collection agency again, they do not get any email, I called NYSC - they told me email was sent, in a month I've got another call from collectors...this time I've got know that my membership was"Gold". Tomorrow I have to call NYSC again. Stress, nervous break down, sleepless nights, 700+ wasted money.

Marek of Brooklyn, NY February 3, 2010

I have experienced a very humiliated incident thanks to one of their "top" employees, David S (membership consultant at the Brooklyn Belt location). I just signed up for an annual membership at the Staten Island location since my office just moved there. I live in Sea Gate area of Brooklyn, however I decided to give NYSC a try after 5yr relationship with Equinox, which unfortunately does not have a club in Staten Island. I thought it will be convenient for me to use the Staten Island club after work and use the Brooklyn Belt whenever I can work out together with my live-in girlfriend.

With that in mind we went to the club asking to try the facility before we commit to a contract as I wanted to get my girlfriend a membership there. However we were met with appalling unprofessionalism of Mr. S who flat-out said that we either commit to the membership on the spot or I pay 15 guest fee to use the facility!! The horrible attitude and sarcasm he displayed while interacting with us made me decide to cancel my brand new membership and never ever do business with this company. I’d rather belong to 2 different other gyms than subject myself to this kind of a treatment.

Just seeing Mr. S laughing at us as we were on our way out made me realize that this company rightfully deserves all those negative write-ups especially after he ridiculed me with an accusation of getting a cheaper rate in Staten Island so I can use the Brooklyn location, which is allowed in off-peak hours regardless of his nasty comments.

Needles to say I also tried to get in touch with a district manager, Frank P, who I left a message asking to get back to me to resolve the problem since the general manager of the club was unavailable and Mr. S said he was in charge of the facility at that moment. Now I understand why NYSC have a horrible reputation all over the Internet! I have been a member of 4 different gyms in my life, I am also a certified personal trainer and find those business practices as very unprofessional and deceptive at the least. I am not going to buy the membership just because I want to give a facility a try and possibly not being ever able to get out of it! I promise to make every effort to let everyone out there know how we were mistreated by Mr. S and very possibly NYSC in whole. Thank you

Katherine of Albuquerque, NM January 6, 2010

I joined NYSC Montclair in January 2009 for several reasons. First, it was close to work. Second, it seemed like a pretty good facility. Third, I needed to get in shape.

I signed a contract that had some rather ridiculous stipulations regarding cancellation, but thought it would be a good reason to get me to the gym. The contract was for a year-long membership. One of the stipulations in the contract is that you cannot cancel your contract without proof that you've moved out of the area of a NYSC. The proof has to be a lease and/or a utilities bill.

A friend of mine from work was going to the gym as well, but moved out of range in March. She brought her new lease to the gym and was told her membership would last another month because she hadn't given 30 days notice. Moreover, the next time she spoke to them, they had absolutely no record of her bringing in the lease. I should have known there would be trouble then.

In June 2009 I moved to my parents' house in Albuquerque, NM. That is 2700 miles out of range of any NYSC, including the Boston and Washington DC branches. Also, because I'm taking care of my parents' house and my dad still pays the utilities, I have neither a lease nor a utilities bill. Thinking that NYSC might contain thinking individuals who would be more interested in customer service than in mucking things up, I asked what I could do. They told me nothing.

Nevertheless, in September, when I was fully moved in and had changed all of my mailing and billing addresses, I sent the NYSC Montclair, as well as the NYSC Headquarters in New York City, a copy of my driver's license, the post office confirmation of my new address, a copy of a bank statement, and a credit card statement -- all FEDERALLY-RECOGNIZED PROOF of my new residency. I didn't hear back from them and was still charged on my credit card.

I registered a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. (Apparently, I was not the first, either.) Unsurprisingly, the Better Business Bureau did not hear back from NYSC Montclair, and recommended that I take legal action. I have declined payment on the credit card charges from NYSC, but those have been denied because I can't get in touch with NYSC Montclair. Now I've found out that they are continuing to charge me the monthly fee, even though the contract has expired.

I tried to call their 800 number (1-800-666 -- perhaps the 666 should tip you off that they're cursed), but got a recording that their customer service team was out of the office for lunch. So I wrote an email. I also started a blog. I have been paying 73/month since June for no reason. I was unemployed and this has not helped my credit card bills.

Meredith of New York, NY January 5, 2010

I signed up for a one year contract in March 2003. In 2008 I moved to West Harlem and in January 2009 I canceled my contract by certified mail, return receipt requested. Nonetheless, NYSC continues to charge me my monthly fee of 91. I contacted my credit card company and disputed the charge but NYSC continued to charge me. Now they've reported me to a debt collector and are attempting to collect what they allege to be past owed dues. They are trying to turn this into a lifetime contract - non-cancellable! This is a violation of NY Bus Law Art 30, sec. 623 which provides that these types of contracts cannot go for longer than 36 months. It's been 6 years!

craig of Brooklyn, NY December 10, 2009

The managers at this club has given me the run around for over 2 years to get my account credited properly. I've been living overseas for the past 3 years and put a hold on my account - I've tried with corporate and with the club for the past 2 years to get credit, Nothing done except being lied to and given lip service repeatedly.

A member paying full price for 10 years to be treated this way is beyond comprehension. I will make sure that the 2.5 million people that live in Brooklyn know about how you treat a customer. No credits given - 79.00 x 36 months! minus the 15.00 service fee.

Leonard of New York, NY December 10, 2009

My daughter goes to a school nearby and she along with others were pulled aside and told that if they only pay the joining fee there account would be frozen and they would only have to pay 15 a month. However, what she was not told was the account used for the joining fee would be billed again the next month. She was encouraged to freeze her account in order to pay just 15 a month.

I spoke with my bank rep which called NYSC on Court Street and they revealed that the account can only be frozen for about 4 month; after that they would charge the regular monthly fee to the credit card. My bank rep was told; even if I close that card they could still bill my bank account because the charge to the card was as if the card was a credit card as opposed to a debit card.

Oh, and of course the cancellation fee would cost 150. Even though I am not an attorney or claim to be one, this sounds like unfair business practice. I think they mainly prey on the young.

Nick of New York, NY December 8, 2009

My company has a corporate account with nysc. I went in asking to sign up and mentioned that my company received a discount. The nysc representative confirmed we had an account and I proceeded to sign up with her. I later found out that to sign up with my corporate account I need to do so with my HR department and I cannot directly go to the nysc to receive the benefits. Even though I explained to the nysc representative that I wanted to sign up with my corporate account, this request was completely disregarded and I was given a contract that committed me as a regular gold member. I thought I was receiving a discount because I was being charged 10 less than what other nysc locations charge, but in reality, this gym location charged 10 less to all joining members and I wasnt receiving any company discount.

Why would you give me a regular contract if I asked to be signed up through my company? When I called member services, they had the contract that I signed to fall back on. It doesnt matter what the representative told me, only that I signed a contract. How was I supposed to tell that the contract I was signing was a regular membership versus a corporate one? Ive never signed a corporate one, and this is the first time I've ever worked with a company that offers this deal with a gym.

When I asked if I could just simply change the contract to the one it was supposed to be, the member services person told me that I had to wait until my 1 yr contract ended. She admitted there was probably some miscommunication and gave me an extra month free.

Although this case is not so severe as others, I feel as though I was misled. And even when member services recognized the room for error on their part, they couldn't give me the service I wanted but rather extended the service I didnt want. I came into the gym, asked for a certain membership type, was given a different one and when the error was recognized, I was still forced to stay in the wrong membership type. I know I'm supposed to read the contract, and I did very well, but how was I supposed to know that I was being given one memebership and not the other. I dont know what a corporate one looks like vs. a regular one. I thought the rate I was being told to pay had incorporated the company discount. Especially since the rate I was paying at this gym was less than it is at other gyms.

I think the only reason they have the 150 cancellation fee is because nysc knows they are going to screw you over some way and that you will most certainly want to cancel as a result. A gym should guarantee satisfaction - not charge you to cancel in the event of dissatisfaction. Does a gym exist that doesn't screw you over?

Steven of kinnelon, NJ December 6, 2009

I recently (3 months ago) moved from another gym to NYSC. I only use the pool and I was given a promise that Two of the four lanes would be open for member swimming at all times. A month into the membership, they began closing three lanes for various functions but I was given the promise that one lane owould ALWAYS be available for members. Now the "NEW" policy is that on weekends the WHOLE pool may be closed for various functions. All along they keep spewing the corporate policy of total availability...

Chris of New York, NY December 5, 2009

We need to band together! I cancelled my membership in writing and got an email receipt from the manager a day later saying that I was cancelled. 3 Months later I checked my credit card statement and found that I was still being charged, for a total cost of 300. I've had numerous other problems with them in the past totally over 500 in false charges.

I've been exchanging emails with customer support and they refuse to issue me a refund. They claim that I came back in after I cancelled my membership and spoke with a manager to renew my contract. Further, they claim that I have been using my membership frequently at multiple locations since then. Complete lies. I am a Full Time MBA. I havent had the chance to go to the gym in almost 4 months. Or at least the energy to.

Anyhow, I've emailed the company with the following threats: 1) Contacting the Better Business Bureau 2) Taking them to small claims court since they have no proof that i reinstated my account 3) contacting news agencies which i have already done 4) posting on every available review site my story 5) Denying charges on my Credit Card 6) Im going to check facebook and start a group.

The more publicity they get, the less sales they will make. In a bad economy such as this one they have no pricing power and fewer members. Now is the time to kick them while they are down. We can win this!

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.

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