GoodLife Fitness
Reviews and Complaints

Goodlife couldn't care less about the cleanliness of its shower areas or about ensuring that they are properly stocked with soap. Bring your own soap and shampoo, because you can't rely on Goodlife to supply it.

I had the same problem. I had a 6 month free trial and gave one of the reps my banking information so that the company can have a hassle free sign up if I chose to continue on after 6 months of free trial. Well the rep automatically signed me up for a membership and withdrew money from my account. Pissed me off! These reps are hungry money and will talk you into anything to get money or banking information from you. Its hard not to trust somebody in a suit.

I had a membership with this corrupted company in Winnipeg in 2003 and they tried to do the same to my mother and I but we closed out those accounts and we got a notification from them months after we cancelled and phoned the place in Toronto and after they did an investigation they found out the ###s who ran the branch in Winnipeg were idiots who had not sent in our cancellation forms and had just left our account open as an active member. Well the problem was correccted. I hoped you placed a stop payment on your cheque that they did not receive.

doesn't a caregiver have a maximum of 5 children they are allowed to care for at one time? we go to the ymca in guelph, GREAT childcare and activities there. they even have swim lessons, and I know there is a discount for people who are on assistance. good luck!

Good Life has taken over a gym that I use to be a member of, years ago. I have cancelled that membership, however for a reason unknown to me it remained active for years after. Good life has been taking money out of my account monthly and when I phoned to cancell AGAIN they still charged me for the entire month ( I have called on the 2-end of the month) I was told that there is NOTHING that they could do since they do not have proof of the first cancellation. I guess if they have access to your bank accont it is legal to take your money out for months, and it is also ok and legal to keep your membership active even aftery you have advised them to cancell.
F.Y.I If you call the head office to complain it dosen't really matter because nobody cares and people talk over you and don't listen and refuse to give out information (your information) claiming that it is for security reasons. You as a member do not have any security because they will take your money when ever they want. They make unrealistic demends like ask you to provide written proof of cancellation from 12 years ago. UNREALISTIC! They refused to conect me to anyone above them. I guess they are God only after a screaming session did I finally get the name and adress I was looking for.
Buyer be ware! Good Life is not professional and twists the truth to their advantage. DISCUSTING!
NEVER EVER EVER JOIN GOOD LIFE!

Here's one for youe. I tore the patella tendon, LCL and MCL in my knee June 7 2008, after surgery I put my membership on hold. I saw someone during the week of june 15 – 21; hold should have been in place until Dec. 15 (at least). The following month I noticed they were still taking payments out of my account. After making 2 more trips, to clear the situation they finally put it on hold but did not issue a refund. My girl friend saw someone in Dec. to extend hold so it should have been in place till June (at least). I again noticed that at that time they kept billing me. After again makin a trip (the 4th about this same issue including my girl friends) it was again place on hold but again no refund, plus this time they also accured an count billing me for the time they couldn't charge me for over $250. They did wavie that but really thats not the point, I shouldn't have been charged anyway. So on to July, same issue but this time is better I again accured at $250 account with them, plus no refund from the previous issues. Remember I tore my patella, LCL and MCL year minimum recovery. The way they decided to deal with my$336.95 refund was subtract the amount accured, not refund the $80 they cost me for July and give me 5 months free (which if your doing the math I had already paid for.
So to sum it up.
Refund for membership and bank fees expected for period between June 15 through Dec. 31
Any bank fees from Dec. through to June.
7 visits, in person to Goodlife clubs.
7 phone calls
countless explanations about issue
3 doctors notes
1 bank charge for banking records
$336.95 never refunded

I signed up knowing that I had to cancel within the ten days with the sales rep and I tried several days before, several times a day to reach him to know avail. I now have to go through providing documentation of my medical reasons to cancel and if the doctors note isn't satisfactory they won't let me out. All because the sales manager refused to contact me or speak to me when I called, went there in person etc. I am more than upset and would NEVER recommend Goodlife to anyone.

I don't understand you people! All these problems would not be an issue in the first place if... if... YOU READ THE CONTRACT! All of your responsibilities as a member are outlined on it! And when you break the agreement it's all of a sudden GoodLife's fault? Are you kidding me? I understand that if.. if the was an error made on behalf of the company, then yes this would definitely need to be corrected. But if you agree to a Personal Training package... it state on the flipping contract that the session if after 10 days or so many session the remaining sessions can not be cancelled or refunded. I would know this why? Because unlike so many other people- I know better to read this before agreeing to things? You people that are wining about the mistake that you made and blaming this company are selfish and disgusting. This is why they have contracts and it gives them the power to stand behind them.

So in closing... people- please for the love of god- READ THE CONTRACT (as you are given a copy of it- HELLO) READ IT BEFORE YOU ARE LOCKED INTO IT. Locked into it? What do you mean? YOU HAVE 10 DAYS TO READ THE STUPID THING OVER. In this time period you have the option (BY LAW :O) to cancel.

It would save so much grief if you people would open your eyes. I don't know about you- but my parents told me to never put my name on something unless I had a complete understanding of what I was signing to. Maybe the next time you want to better yourself in the form of Personal Training- read the damn paper and see what is involved. Shocking right?

It takes two to tango! This could happen anywhere, obviously he was not committed to his family and was easily seduced. He could have said no, woman say no all the time. Woman need to stop blaming other woman for their husband/boyfriends bad behaviour.

I trust my husband

His email address is patch@goodlifefitness.com
You're welcome ;)

I would crtainly write to the Owner of the club in a non-emotional style letter explaining all of the facts. And I would send out the letter to him every 3 weeks. I'm sure he works out of head office so I would just find that address and his name is everywhere and just send it to him directly. Maybe you can even send a couple where someone would have to sign for it so at least you have proof that he got it.

I got really mad a Esso one day after my brand new car (500klms) got scratched up heavily while going through one of their car washes. So I called customer service. they did nothing. So I mailed the CEO of Esso. Within a couple of weeks or maybe even sooner I received a response from someone who he had delegated to look after the problem. They ended up paying me more than a fair sum of money to fix the damage. Granted I sent him photos and a quote of how much the repair would cost.

See, the problem is that most companies count on is that most people do not bother to go above anyone's head. Most people are to scared to bother the 'big guy' at the head of the table so most keep banging their heads against customer service or management. Honestly, if the top guys knew what really went on in the clubs and how some of the members were treated then they would definitely do something but they also don't have time to look after everything. Something's gotta give when a company gets that big. As long as customers are willing to due a bit of due diligence - like you have - which will show the 'big guy' you tried to sort things out with his management team, then the 'big guy' will be willing to work with you.

This usually works. It takes a bit of time/research mind you but it is worth it. I wish you luck and hope things all work out for you. You've been through enough.

I agree with you 100%. I was hoping that you might have some suggestions to help me out just because you were at one point "behind enemy lines". Me and my husband paid for $5000 worth of personal training sessions and have yet to get one (7 months later). Every trainer we book with ends up quitting before the initial sessions. We are desperately trying to get our money back but we aren't having any luck. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! please!

I agree with you. GoodLife is extremely unprofessional. I was a member of the gym for 3 years. I used to pay for the whole year using my credit card. I paid $900 in the first year along with $100 as initiation fee. I went to another GoodLife club to renew my membership and they charged me $680 for the year. I paid $680 once again at the same club the following year. This year, the management at the club has changed and I have never seen managers that are so unprofessional.

They refused to accept yearly payment. they wanted only pre-authorized payments and they also increased my fees. they told me that the fees are locked in only if I make pre-authorized payments. Since I was not making pre-authorized payments I had to pay the latest fees.

I also signed up for 3 personal training sessions. i wanted to take 6 more sessions but the personal trainer said that they only have packages for 72 sessions or 100 sessions. If I had that kind of money I would have joined a better fitness club. Are they out of their mind? How many people can afford 72 or 100 sessions?

The only reason that I stayed with club was because of the instructors. I like the instructors at that club and I do a lot of classes. So this is important to me. I just hope that they get rid of the managers.

I've had a great experience at Goodlife fitness and I believe it's Patch Evans not Patch adams. I asked the right questions and clearly knew what i was signing for.

I go to Bowmanville Goodlife gym. I do enjoy the gym but I am baffled to see cleaners cleaning during members' hours. It is very disturbing to hear the vacuum cleaners going while you are working out, and breathing the cleaning/chemicals vapours as they clean around you. I hate it. How are they allowing this? I've never seen this in any other goodlife gyms. I wrote to the manager of that gym about this and she just brushed me off.

I am distressed to read some of the complaints on the board. I know when I was there and someone was being creepy it was dealt with immediately and the person was banned from the club. I find all the staff at Nature Parkway to be friendly and helpful and all the machines and the bathrooms (men's room i can speak to) are clean and well maintained. I would have no issue recommending the gym to anyone. The prices are clearly laid out the trainers are flexible. As a matter of fact although we have been personally happy with all our three trainers two of them were dismissed by GL for various quality issues and we found the subsequent trainers to be always better than the last. Amanda is excellent and we will continue to be satisfied with the facilities until experience proves otherwise. So balance our experience with those of others before deciding to join up.

Al Rae
Goodlife Member
Nature Parkway
Winnipeg

i was also terminated without cause, however i knew exactly what the cause was and brought it up during the termination. i just moved to ottawa and was moving in to my new apartment after i was excited to get a new job as a personal trainer as that is what i went to school for. i needed to attend more classes that goodlife deemed nesssesary even though i just completed a college degree and all credentials before hand. i went to all of them, after three months my grandmother passed away, her burial was that week, on a wednesday also the day i was to attend another teadious class that was called "bootcamp". let me remind you that all other classes that i took for goodlife when i was there, a grade three could pass with honours, which for 90 percent of our trainers were the only credentials they had to there name but were named our best trainers because they were able to sell some poor person two years of personal training when they had no clue what they were doing. anyway i did not attend the bootcamp because i had to leave for the burial service however my manager was not in for me to tell so i left her an email about a family emergency. two days later after our group meeting on the friday she terminated me without cause. i have about a hundred other stories about how this gym was digusting but the stories above explain some of the exact things i went through. however i do have a funny story my girlfriend was started to attend the gym when i got the job and when i was terminated do you think she could terminate her contract. nope absoloutely not she had to go to the executive director and as she was in law at this time she had to threaten to sue before she was released and it took her three months of them withdrawing money by the time she was relased she sent goodlife a bill for the money they had taken and they had one week to pay back in full or would be sent to collections pending an investigation. so keep fighting if you are stuck in contract.
while i worked at goodlife i felt like i had to have no soul to work there.
i was supposed to be happy doing what i love but yet a lost sleep every night.
most trainers there had to say they just wanted money and were hired but were as smart as a stump when it came to personal training or nutrition.
they even tried selling me personal training by someone that couldnt tie there shoes and i felt pressure cause every other trainer had a trainer. my fitness manager called me in for a meeting because of this and said i wasnt being a team member so she being an "elite trainer" (she thought a squat was a bicept curl... just stupid) tried to sell me training in the meeting, how bad do u have to be to put your own employees in a high pressure situation to sell them something i did not want. now all i said was honestly i dont want training so after the next 30 minutes of selling me she asked why i dont. i simply said, "well i would totally get training from someone just no one that works here other than myself. she asked why. i said: "there is no one here that even compares me i also have more education and probably positive experience than everone here put together even if they have been doing it for twenty years, why would i buy something that doesnt work properly.that would be like you buying a brand new car off the lot and they forgot to put an engine in it, looks good on the outside but the inside has no brain." at that point she was looking for a reason to fire me. and all the clients that i had that loved me and said i have started to change there life were given to different employees and i was told that once im terminated i was never aloud to talk with them again. i only talked to one he quit the gym and said it was the worst money and most stressfull time hes ever had. now how does that make me feel to know that i could have changed someones life but instead i could have possibly made it worse by just getting terminated. dont work for the gym, dont go to the gym, unless your prepared to give your soul away or have it taken from you.

Reading all accounts, it seems you have to be a ruthless individual in order to be hired by GoodLife, at any location. Seems they have a set of rules of what an employee should be, the first being, again, ruthless. At our club, the manager is afraid of the maintenance staff, so he lets him do anything or nothing as he pleases - watches tv, equipment is not cleaned, towels are unclean but of course, they take your money right on time.

I was also a previous trainer at the quispamsis club over a year ago. The fitness manager ALSO had a problem with me, and I had to leave because of how difficult she was to deal with. She was horrendus but she had big "assets" and the club manager was afraid of her. To date she has gone through 13 trainers because they cant stand her past 2 weeks! Literally! She didnt have the credentials, along with a lot of the trainers they have hired there. The hiring standards are BOGUS! Before i was hired i had to go around cleaning equipment and do the fit fix thing with people in the mornings and evenings EVEN THOUGH i had completed all my courses and training over the past months, yet they hired TWO trainers who HADNT EVEN TAKEN THE CANFIT PRO COURSE! and one of them WAS THE FITNESS MANAGER! She had a business degree...and a high metabolism, because she couldnt do a proper bicep curl if it was her life on the line.

Also the club employees to members are awful! They are horrid to call on the phone because you get hung up on if you ask the wrong question. This is no joke. This has happened to many members. The machines are ALWAYS broken and if you call the main line in Ontario, they say "oh well we shall pass this on to the manager and he will look into it" Pretty much saying, we are looking the other way now, not out problem. And the reply by the manager is that the parts for the machines need to be ordered. Too bad they do not put in the machine part orders WHEN the machine breaks, it usually takes about 6 weeks to get a machine running again. The prices are ALSO rediculous for students and different members. It is literally the worst run company to work for AND to be a member of. the manager at the time when I worked there had said "it doesnt matter what they are looking to achieve, get them to sign a year contract for training, YOU will get the comission, and we can exceed our monthly goal!" LITERALLY! There is NO compassion or empathy what so ever with the employees in the club, and NONE when you call the main offices. They are so "safe" behind the telephone emails and contracts. Well working there has taught me a lot, and by visiting other gyms in different cities, and speaking to other goodlife members across canada...they ALLL say VERY similar stories...especially the employees/previous employees.

Also they have 9 "pilate" machines in the back corner of the gym, moved everything around so they can store these, collecting dust, each at the cost of 4, 985 PLUS TAXES each! and they whine when someone asks to use a towel for the spin class...I am SERIOUSLY considering putting an ad in the local paper to get mroe people to speak out about this corporation. Its unbelievable. The kids camp, by the way, a friend emailed them a year ago wondering where the money goes, and where this camp is, why it is NOT advertised anywhere else other than the balloons and name tags...they didnt give her an answer. They beat around the bush and said "we assure you, it is a good cause for good deserving people"

DO NOT JOIN GOODLIFE FITNESS! YMCA is the BEST run and most personal, health oriented club for ALL ages. It is amazing. That is just an option for thos who cannot find a gym if there is a YM-YWCA near you, go to it! SO much cheaper and the staff are more than likely KIND! If not, go to ANY other gym than a GoodLife Fitness club. It will safe you a LOT of money, Grief, and Late nights. Good luck everyone! And boy, was I glad to find this "forum"

Did the present fitness manager or past fitness manager react like a big baby? Was it the present or past fitness manager that works out at another fitness club? Was it the present fitness manager that fired you or the general manager? I am having a little trouble following your train of thought. Wouldd you recommend any personal trainers at that club with integrity or character? Would you recommend a gym in Fredericton for accessing personal training? Thanks.

Well then can you recommend a gym for someone who is interested in getting in shape and working with a good personal trainer? I've never worked out a day in my life and would need some honest coaching.

They did the same here in Calgary too. Me and my husband bought into the sessions ($5000!) and were passed back and forth between personal trainers. After 7 months we have yet to have a session. All the trainers quit before the first sessions ( i think the count is 3 or 4 trainers who have quit). Now we are stuck trying to sell them with Goodlife now telling us that there is an "expiry date" on the sessions and after a year we get nothing and they get our $5000! You go from being a client to just a number. Goodlife is definitely in it for the money with no concern for their "clients" aka paying customers

I am a member of the Goodlife/Nubody's club, Portland Street, Dartmouth NS. The Nubodys chain was bought out by Goodlife in the summer. I had left Nubodys because my favorite trainer was escorted out of the building. This man was able to improve my health dramatically and helped my wife rehab from a WHEELCHAIR or WALKER due to a 15 year balance disorder to running on the treadmill, doing travelling lunges and STANDING ON A STABILITY BALL. I refused to go to a gym that treated its employees that way. It is my firm belief that the fact that this man was an African Nova Scotian, played a major part in his dismisal.
When Goodlife bought the chain I returned to my old gym and found the same staff there. The trainer who had helped my wife and myself so much had taken a full time job as a Fire Fighter just prior to his fireing - imagine that, you would not want a hansome black fire fighter on staff at a gym, it might look too good. He was now working out at the gym and ocasionally give advise to people when they asked for it.
I had mistakenly thought that Goodlife was a good company to work for and would run a good gym - NOT SO. Today the gentleman who was fired as a trainer was asked to leave again - THIS TIME FOR HELPING HIS AUNT USE THE EQUIPMENT PROPERLY. Not only does this gym fire people for being exceptional trainers, they kick out members for helping their relatives.
Can you say "lawsuit on grounds of racial discrimination"?

I've been a member at Toronto's Bloor Park club for many years. When I joined, it was owned by Sports Clubs of Canada. Then Bally took it over and things deteriorated somewhat. Little did we know how bad things could get until Goodlife took it over. It's stunning how they allow things to go on forever with no attention. Example - the ladies' washroom needed to be retiled for close to a year and was actually completely closed for a number of days ("you can use the washroom in the mall downstairs'!). For weeks prior to them finally getting the work done there was one proper cubicle and one toilet surrounded by a tarp - clearly not enough for upwards of 40 women if there's a class on! Equipment takes a very long time to be repaired as well and cleaning staff has had hours reduction. The only thing they have going for them is location (can't do much about that fortunately). Would be nice if a quality organization were to purchase but it would cost a lot to bring it back up to standard.

My husband had a year membership with Goodlife fitness as far back as 2005! Well, it is now July 2011 and I just found out that Goodlife fitness is STILL withdrawing $35.00 monthly from our bank account! My husband hasn't been to that fitness centre since 2007! This means we have lost thousands of dollars! I called the Goodlife fitness club to complain and they told me, "Sorry, we can't do anything because your husband signed the contract and the contract makes it clear that you need to cancel your membership." Well, I am thinking to take legal action because if the contract was just for one year, then they should have automatically cancelled the payments for us! I want my money back!

THE BANK DID NOT CHARGE ME THE SCAMERS AT GOODLIFE FITNESS KEEP SENDING ME BILLS IN THE MAIL. (AFTER MY BANK PLACED A STOP WITH NO PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY SAY IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIMEWITH THAT GYM)
I CANCELED THE MEMBERSHIP 4 TIMES!
I HAVE FINALLY HAD THE ACCOUNT CANCELED ON DEC 18TH AFTER TRYING TO CANCEL IT SINCE JUNE. I HIGHLY RECOMEND ANOTHER GYM...MISS An Avid Goodlife lover! WORKS THERE AND WANTS YOU TO SIGN ON SO LATER SHE CAN RIP YOU OFF!

I signed up at goodlife fitness, my membership term expired and I stayed on. In June 2009 I called to cancel my membership the manager at Deerfoot Meadows did tell me no problem your membership is canceled.
A few months later looking at my bank statement I realized I was still paying for the membership. I called back to cancel again the lady said in September it was canceled.
I decided to put a stop payment on my bank account just incase. Today I received a bill for $95.89 for an outstanding balance on an account I cancelled 2 times or so I was told.
Goodlife fitness took money from my account for months with out my permission I did not cancel my membership before the term expired but actually over a year later!

Why didn't you go in with your bank statment and have it refunded? They do offer that option... In my opinion, as soon as I saw the first charge, I would be on the phone... One payment I can see, especially if there wasn't 10 business days to stop it, but 2? After doing a 10 day cancellation? I highly doubt it.