Gold's Gym Reviews

So after being pushed around to different member services people, i finally got someone to cancel the membership and put in for a refund. well the refund never happened and now a different person in member services says that they will not give a refund since i didnt cancel in three days of signing. Well how am I supposed to know in three days that i dont like it if the gym is not even open? We were promised alot of stuff at the gym that never came. They talked it up on paper but it was not everything they said it would be when it opened 4 months late. I never used the gym so I feel that I am entitled to a full refund.

I can't believe how the business manipulated and abused me. I really can't afford to pay $40/mo till October (already paid two more months after submitting cancellation), and the corporate office never receives any calls.

After bringing a doctors note to the gym and letting them know abou this they still refused to let me cancel. I thought that was absoulutely crazy because i guess they need to see you practically dying in the hospital in order to cancel your membership. I had to get a second doctors opinion to finally get them to cancel my membership without any fees. They had tricked us in the beginning by telling me and my husband that it was ok to cancel any time at all.

they made additional charges to my account after I had moved away. Rounding up to $800 worth for a whole year. I tried to fight it, they had sent out a collection aganency to collect it. I just ended up paying them so this matter would not go no further. I will never go back that gym again. I had joined a gym where I was paying "by the month" and cancel at any time by coming into their facility, speaking to a rep. upfront, and canceling right there if I chose to do so (which I did after 2-years of using their facility). I never received a bill from this one particular facility and enjoyed the benefits they offered. They offered MORE than Gold's gym had for the same price.

Finally after 2 weeks we got a call back and they stated that in the contract it says they can change that policy. Anyway, you don't have to look very long on the internet to find a lot of complaints about Golds Gym. As soon as my contract is, yes I plan on completing my end of the bargain, we're changing gyms and sending a certified letter telling them so. I hear it's nearly impossible to cancel your membership.

At the END OF MY CONTRACT I informed them they were no longer allowed to automatically deduct from my checking account. I was informed by them that they would continue to deduct payment until I informed them in writing at least thirty days ahead of time that I was terminating membership.They(Golds) claim (and it says on their contract) that the contract does not expire and they may continue to charge people for their membership even though they havent used the facilities in months and have notified them that you are not renewing your contract. We are paying in advance for use of the gym so why do we have to continue paying when we arent using it and no longer belong.

I obliged, and after the tour, I was more ready to sign up as soon as possible. My friends spoke so highly of the gym that I couldn't wait. When it came time to talk business, that's when it changed. Jeremy presented me with three different options of membership, and I was under the impression that these were the only three. The first was over a thousand dollars, the second was over three hundred, and the third was one hundred and sixty-eight dollars.

I earn a modest living and my ONLY option was the one hundred sixty-eight dollar package. I grudgingly agreed, even though all my friends had told me that they paid one hundred and eighteen for their initial membership. I assumed that the price had gone up since then. Jeremy then introduced me to Amy, a personal trainer, while I wondered why I was meeting her at all. We set up a meeting for later that week, but as I said earlier, I don't have time in the day. I walked out with a sense of accomplishment, but as I got to my car with no membership, and one hundred and sixty-eight dollars missing, I wondered what had just happened. I came back later that week and was told that Jeremy was sick, but he was the ONLY one that could grant me membership.

Then I was told that I still owed one hundred and eighteen dollars. This was a shock to me, because I simply couldn't afford it. I had already given them one hundred and sixty-eight dollars, with no receipt! I called back later that week to speak with the store manager, Julie. It was very difficult to reach her, but she was very understanding on the phone. She agreed to help me, but it would have to be at a time when she, Jeremy, and myself were all present. She told me she would set a meeting and call me back, I never received a phone call.

As I said, I earn a modest wage, and one hundred and sixty eight dollars can make or break me. I've felt the effects of losing money, but I still don't have a membership. I only wanted to work out late at night, and now I've all but given up on my money. I think I was treated unfairly. Why would they take my money and run as if to say, "Ha ha, gotcha!" when as a business, they could make more off of me in the long run by charging me monthly and providing good service. Why wasn't I told about any of the other membership options? Why wasn't I important enough for Julie to call back? Why wasn't I told about the WHOLE deal before I signed up?

My son is on a fixed income of under $1000 per month; his care requires much expense and I (his mother and my account) can no longer put up with the injustice.

One day when he went to get it, it was gone. We were then told that Gold's Gym Corporate took over the franchise and that the regional manager Tim, gave away the equipment to another member!! While I was at work, my fiance went to this gym and confronted this Tim. His attitude was very much, oh well tough luck, the bars are gone.

He told us it was Gold's Gym Corporate policy not to allow personal equipment. We explained that we had been given permission and asked to be reimbursed. He said Gold's would never reimburse us but we could call Mike, the member he gave the equipment to. My fiance called him and explained the mistake and asked for his equipment but the man hung up and wouldn't answer. He also took other people's equipment with Tim's permission. Those other people contacted Mike and were treated the same.

I contacted Tim and told him Mike would not give us the equipment and since he as the manager would do NOTHING, I would call the police and tell them he and Mike stole them. We have witnesses who saw all of this happen. At that point Mike called him and threaten to sue for giving out his phone number and only then did Tim agree to have Gold's pay for the equipment. The check was delivered along with a cancellation letter and a prorated refund for the enrollment fee.

He told us it would be ok for us to cancel our membership after 6 months or if we wanted, we could tranfer it. He also told me to put down that I was 18, that it wouldn't make a difference, even though I was under age and had no parent or guardian present.

When my fiance went to cancel, because we were moving, they told us that we had been signed up for a 2-year membership and we would have to pay the full amount. We had no choice so they withdrew around $1500 from my fiances account. That was $1500 we didnt have, so we now owe the bank this money.

Charges being piled on each month. My son is in Korea and it is still very hard to even communicate with him. By the time I can, the charges will have doubled again.

As explained to me by the Gold’s sales representative, Chad Kies, this deposit helped Gold’s Gym secure some of the initial capital to open the gym and in return I was able to contract a LIFETIME rate – one that I was GUARANTEED would never increase. A win-win situation for both parties. Since 1991, Gold’s Gym has increased its rates periodically but, as expected, my rates stayed at the locked-in rate of $29 per person as initially contracted. On two occasions, during such rate hikes, my rate was erroneously increased but the matter was quickly resolved as Gold’s Gym acknowledged the error, agreed my rate should never increase and corrected my rate back to the $29 per person as stated in my contract.

On January 20th, 2006, during a routine audit of my online banking, I noticed that Gold’s Gym had withdrawn $39 for my January membership fees vs. the contracted amount of $29. This was done without any prior notice from Gold’s Gym having been received, without my knowledge and without any written consent on my part. Please note that nowhere in my contract is it stated that Gold's Gym has the right to deduct any amounts other than contracted, especially without any prior knowledge or written consent.

I immediately contacted Frank Patinelli at the 20-Mall location and was informed that Gold’s Gym had initiated an across the board increase for all members, regardless of the contracted plan originally purchased. Mr. Patinelli stated that Gold’s Gym had mailed letters to its members but I informed him I had not received any such notice. I then requested he fax me a copy of this letter for my review.

Upon receipt of and my perusal of this letter, I was surprised to find two things: 1)The letter was dated November 29, 2005 2)The letter made no mention of the increase affecting those contracted under the “Charter Membership” lifetime plan. First, in regards to the date of the letter: Per paragraph #12 of the Gold’s Gym contract it states that Gold’s Gym must submit, upon a minimum of 60 days, written notice to members of such increases. Not only did I, along with many other Charter Members, NOT receive any such notice, but my rate was increased on January of 2006, thereby not meeting the 60 requirement notice. In addition to the minimum 60 days notice, members also have “14 days (from the postmarked date of such notice) which to notify Gold’s Gym of their intent to cancel”.

Although the membership I purchased under contract guaranteed against such increases, Gold’s did not meet the basic requirements they set forth for any members under contract with them. As a result any member who had an increase to their rates prior to a minimum of 74 days, (60 days minimum notice plus 14 days to respond), has had their rates increased illegally. Secondly, the letter DOES NOT state the increase applies to all members, regardless of the contract purchased and I have not spoken to one Charter Member who received this letter. This further lends to the belief that either Gold’s Gym did not intend to apply this increase to its Charter Members as done historically or that Gold’s Gym tried to pull a fast one of the very members who formed the foundation for their existence.

I believe that Gold's Gym must adhere to the contract I purchased and that over the years, by their actions, have reinforced the fact that my rates were never to be increased.

I personally know of three members who have decided to register a complaint with our local health department as well as to no longer come to this center. One of the main problems aside from the negative attitude that your staff members have is that the dressing rooms are dirty and unsafe. I am afraid to go barefoot in this area for fear that I might catch a fungus. I will not even shower or dress in this area since that would mean having to touch the faucets and feel the slime which is present in that area.

I spoke with the manager in charge on 1/11/06 and she stated that she would have the facility cleaned and the problem resolved by the time I came in at 5:30 am. To my dismay the place was filthier than it had been the day before. One other problem is that the facilities operating hours are from 5:00am to 10:00pm but over this last few days I have arrived to find my fellow workout buddies waiting outdoors for your staff to arrive. This is just plain wrong.

She set up an appointment for us to see a trainer and he told us that we had to pay thirty dollars a session on top of what we are already paying for a membership. I explained to him that Amanda told us that the personal trainer was already included and he told us it wasn’t. I called (NFFS) National Fitness Financial Systems (the company that drafts my account) to cancel my membership and they said that I was in this contract for two years and I explained to them that Amanda told me that I could cancel at anytime. NFFS refused to cancel my contract and brought to my attention that it states on the contract that you have to cancel at any time prior to midnight of the third day after the date of this contract.

I didn’t cancel because my appointment with the personal trainer was about one week after I signed the contract. I confronted Amanda about the situation and she tells me that I misunderstood her. My mother was there as a witness and the both of us can’t be lying about what Amanda told us. She proceeded to call her manager who to my surprise believed his associate over me. I called my mother and put her on speaker phone to let her tell J.J. what Amanda said and he still refused to believe me.

I do not like deception. J.J. told me that I was the first person to ever complain about Amanda and that he personally trained her and he knows she wouldn't deceive me or anyone being that, according to J.J. she doesn't receive commission off of signing people up. I want out of this contract and so does my mother because Amanda lied. A source who doesn't want to be identified but works along with Amanda told me that Amanda has not only done this to me....but several others.

In August I was billed. I called and told them I wasn't going since my membership ran out. That's when I was told that I had to 'request' to cancel two months in advance. I just settled with them today, to get them off my back and cut my losses, but ended up paying for three months membership that was never used. Something should definitely be done about this practice of theirs.

I was given the gift membership by a friend who knew I couldn't afford it on my own as I live on a small disability pension. He was horrified that his gift to me ended up this way.

She stated that they had received it but since I didn't send it certified mail it was not done properly. I explained to her that I wasn't told that it had to be certified. I asked her why I wasn't contacted immediately to let me know that it wasn't accepted. She stated that it wasn't their responsibility to contact me with this info. Please think twice before signing a contract with this Gold's Gym or any of them from what I have read in these complaints.

We returned 3 hours later to cancel our membership. We were told that we could only cancel with the manager who signed us up and needed to contact him the next day. I contacted him the following day and, after trying to get us to keep our membership, he agreed to cancel our membership. However, he would not refund us any part of our deposit or the money that we advaced on the membership.

He stated that the contract was clear, NO REFUNDS. I said that I did not feel it was fair to keep the entire amount of money since it was never disclosed to us that we would not receive a refund if we put additional money down. In addition, we had never used the facility. He said that if we had paid the entire $2000.00, walked out and walked back in 5 minutes later to cancel, the same rule would apply and we would be out the entire amount. I asked to speak to another manager and was referred to the District Manager, Rob Lambert.

On my first attempt to contact Mr. Lambert, he assured me that he would call me back to discuss the matter. I have since left 2 messages and have not received any calls back.

What the contract says is AFTER the contract initial monthly payments, this contract will be extended on a month to month basis. Thirty day written notice is required to cancel without incurring additional libility of one months dues. This says after the contract, not before your contract ends you need to give a thriry day notice. If that is what they mean then they need to make it clear. I thought I had done everything right and they tell me I did not, it's not their fault the contract is not clear.

I also tried to give a written notice that Richard would not take he said he did not need it so I have kept it along with what happened, I am sure they will try to say that I can't cancel because I did not give them a written notice. I have closed my checking account so they can not get the last month, I was a hassle but I held up my end of the contract and all they are after is a few more dollars. After telling my story I have heard many more about Gold's Gym even the lady at the bank had a bad time with them.

I called the fitness director at Gold's Gym in Canton to tell him I was moving. I called several times and left several messages and I never heard back from him. I assumed everything was taken care of or that I would hear from him shortly to tell me whatever I needed to do. I was obviously very naive and didn't understand how this whole thing worked. These fitness directors at Golds Gyms want you to feel all cozy and warm when they are signing you up and want you to think they are your "go-to" person. I didn't realize that he was just a salesman and once I signed this thing he wouldn't even remember my name.