LA Fitness International’s earns a 2.7-star rating from 403 reviews, showing that the majority of gym-goers are somewhat satisfied with fitness experience.
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misleading, deceptive, hassle, harassment
I am writing to register a formal complaint against several LA Fitness business practices encountered during my membership period. These include misleading terms, out-right lies, harassment, and inappropriate uses of personal data.
1. Free Trial Pass: When I arrived at a Tucson LA Fitness gym to use the free pass I’d printed from the website, I was required to sit with a sales representative for an “orientation” first. Before the representative would tell me anything about the gym, he tried to collect considerable personal information about me: name, date of birth, address, weight, age, health information. He also insisted that I sign a “release of liability” before he would give me a tour of the gym.
I refused to give the personal information, explaining that I knew nothing about the gym and was uncomfortable sharing this data until I knew more. I protested about the “release of liability” but was eventually coerced into signing it in order to find out any information about the gym.
The “Free Trial Pass” proved to be nothing more than an opportunity for the gym to give a lengthy sales pitch and collect personal data about me.
2. Membership Initiation: When I signed up for the membership, I was promised two “perks” that proved to be deceptive.
a. Free 2-week Pass for my son: On the first day that I arrived with my son to use this pass, I was told, “Actually, passes aren’t issued to children under the age of 18.” I responded that it was a condition of my membership initiation. I was told, “It is not possible.” My son was allowed to use the gym that day only.
b. Two free 60 minute sessions with a Trainer: These turned out to be sales pitches rather than training sessions. The person giving the “training” again tried to collect personal data, requiring me to stand on a scale. If this information were useful for training, I would have been more comfortable. I was uncomfortable because the information was only used to tailor the sales pitch. The actual training consisted of lifting a couple of free weights for about 10 minutes, with no commentary about proper form or purpose of the particular exercise.
3. Billing: Two family members and two friends joined the gym within a month of my initiation. For some reason, our records were linked in a way that could never be untangled. Under my account were listed my husband and one of my friends. My friends husband was listed separately on his own account. My son was listed under a third person. This meant that our credit card and payment information was scattered across all these accounts in the same way. So, I was billed for the friend listed on my account. And my son’s bill was sent to the third person. After several attempts to remedy this, the bills were eventually charged to the correct credit cards, but the record structure could not be altered.
4. Change of Payment: For about two weeks, I received calls from all over the country by people claiming to work for LA Fitness and asking me for new credit card information. Several times I told the callers, I will address this situation with my local gym because I am not willing to give credit card information over the phone. I asked them to please not call again.
The last person to call me identified herself as “from LA Fitness.” She said she had my account information in front of her. She asked if I’d recently had my credit card lost or stolen. I indicated that I would not reveal personal financial information over the phone and that I would sort out the issue with my local gym. I indicated that I’d been called several times about this and it was starting to feel like harassment. I asked her to please stop calling. She became belligerent and threatening. She said the calls would continue until the issue was resolved. After explaining repeating that I would not give her any credit card information over the phone, I eventually became exasperated and said, “Aright, I will resolve this issue right now. Please cancel my membership.” She refused. I repeated, “Please stop calling me, please cancel my membership.” And she continued threatening, “ The calls will not stop and you cannot cancel your membership over the phone.” Finally, I said, “I would like to file a formal complaint about this phone call, please tell me your name.” She immediately hung up on me.
Because this seemed so much like fraud or attempted identity theft, I sifted through my caller ID, found the phone number from which I’d been called: [protected]. Calling it, I repeated my request to know her name. She identified herself as “Keri” at a gym in California, but refused to give a last name. I asked to speak to her manager. She replied that she was the manager. I asked for the name of a supervisor, and she gave me the name of “Scott Legg.”
I went to my local gym to ask about all this. I sorted out the confusion about my credit card. The woman at my local gym explained that the LA Fitness computer system presents employees with the same call list and account information. Since they make calls from the same list, they cannot tell if a particular customer is receiving numerous calls at the same time.
5. Membership cancellation: The only way to cancel a membership, according to several employees and managers, is to go in person to a local gym, request a printed form, and mail it to a corporate office elsewhere. If the form is post-marked less than 20 days before the next billing cycle, the customer will be charged for another full month.
I was advised to send it registered mail. Apparently, it is common for LA Fitness to dispute the receipt of cancellation requests. By using registered mail, I would have proof that I’d sent it in.
In my opinion, going to the local gym and asking to cancel should be sufficient.
After all these difficulties, we decided to cancel our memberships with LA Fitness. The manner in which LA Fitness conducts business includes several practices which are deceptive, coercive, harassing, hassling, and uncomfortable, and in some cases cannot be distinguished from potential fraud. I felt that the company was primarily interested in extracting every possible dollar from me, and not very interested in providing me with a positive service. We would prefer to work with a company that conducts itself with integrity and that offers services that can be identified with accurate names.
membership cancellation
I went into the LA Fitness (Seattle /Aurora location) to cancel my membership in late September. They said they could not cancel it at that moment, but that I would have to submit a cancellation form (which they gave me) to their head office by snail mail. I objected and asked why I could not cancel immediately in person. They said it was their policy. I sent in the form and received no confirmation. When my Master Card bill arrived, I noticed that there was another charge dated October 4th. I decided to let it go, thinking that it took awhile to process the cancellation. In November, I checked my Master Card account online and saw that they had charged me again in November. I called the local office to complain and they said my cancellation had been post marked in mid October and because of some 20 day rule I was charged in November, but would not be charged again. On November 10th, I received an email stating that my cancellation had been received on November 5th. This time I called the head office and was told that my cancellation letter had been post marked on November 5th, the approximate day of my phone call to the local office. I told the rep that was a lie. She said they had a copy of my postmarked envelope and asked if I had sent my cancellation letter certified to prove that I had sent it in earlier. I said no, but if they could send me a copy of the postmarked envelope I would not contest the charge. She said she could not do that. I said that I would refuse to pay the charge and would file a complaint with M/C.
LA Fitness tells you the "ONLY" way you can cancel your membership is for you to physically go into the gym and they will print off cancellation forms, which you will have to mail out yourself. I sent my cancellations forms almost 2 weeks prior to having them take out the monthly gym fees. I felt this gave them enough time to cancel at its entirety BUT that didn't happen. I was so aggravated with the run arounds. I finally was able to get names/emails/numbers of individuals at LA Fitness headquarters who can make sure your membership is cancelled. I do have to say "Orlando Gonzalez" was extremely professional and very cordial. He immediately reassured my memberships would be cancelled AND he would make sure I was reimbursed for the monthly fee they had just taken out. Here is the information: Orlando Gonzalez [protected] orlandgog@lafitness.com and Aylin Medina (pronounced Eileen) [protected] aylinm@lafitness.com
I was a member of an LA Fitness in NJ for about a year. I have no complaints about the club itself. The facilites were always reasonably clean, the machines in working order and there were enough of them. I didn't take any classes or use a trainer. A gym is a gym. Some are a little nicer than others but you get what you pay for.
My complaint is about their cancellation policy. I understand that they want to make it as hard as possible so that they keep collecting your money. At their low membership fees that is a big part of how they make money. So, I am willing to jump through a few hoops to cancel in order to save a few bucks on fees. However the lengths they go to are almost comical.
First you have to download the form to cancel. Ok, not too bad. However their system doesn't support Mac! I had to go find another computer to print it out. Fill it out, as instructed and send it in. As the web site suggested I sent it registered/signature required. Knowing how they work I would have done this anyway. Well, two months later I get a call from them saying my credit card had expired and they needed it up dated because I owed them two months membership. I told them that I had cancelled. The woman on the phone tried everything she could think of to explain why it hadn't been processed;
- It may have gotten lost in the mail. I told her I had a reciept. Incredibly she reiterated that it might have gotten lost in the mail. I explained I had a reciept. She stammered that she meant it might have gotten lost in their internal mail. I explaind that that was not my problem. They had signed for it. As far as I was concerned they had it.
- Maybe I sent it the wrong way. You have to fill out the form fold it over and tape it shut. She explained that I must have put it in an envelop. If you do that apparently the monkeys that handle their mail are not able to sort it. I assured her, that knowing how they work, I had followed instructions to the letter.
She said I needed to show them the receipt. Unfortunately it was in my office so I had to wait until the next day. I call back and get some guy. he pulls up the account and notes that the account was cancelled as of yesterday. I still want credit. He says I'll have to bring in the reciept. I tell him there is not an LA Fitness near where I am. I don't have time to do that. Why can't I give him the tracking number and he can look on the USPS web site? Oh, we don't have internet access here. Oh thats right, the internet hasn't reached Irvine CA yet! According to him they can only access the LA Fitness web site. Then whats the point of the computer on everyone's desk? Ok, I'll email it. Oh we don't have email. Very retro they are. Lets try some 20th century technology: I'll fax it. He says I can't fax anything outside of the 714 area code. It takes a second to process this. I say, very slowly, I am faxing it to you. He says I know, but our fax is only local and will only accept faxes from 714! I asked if he understood how the phone system worked. Silence. Finally he transfered me to someone else. They finally took care of it. Of course I'll be checking my bills.
So, as far as gyms go it isn't bad but be prepared to fight them if you want to cancel.
One last thing: negotiate if you do sign up. I got them down from the $150 or so "initiation" fee to $110. My buddy went in a week later and simply said I'm not paying it and got them down to $60.00 and a reduced monthly. I think mine was $25 as was his.
I totally agree, my family and I have been with LA Fitness for the pass 2 months and we agree that the gym (facility ways) its great, the trainers are great, but the administration its TERRIBLE, they tell you one thing and after you sing up they come with something else, we specific ASKED if we can cancel the training at any time, the reason why its because one of us have a mental issues and he may need to get out from that agreement, beside that I told the Manager the same day that we sing up, my wife run out of job and we just want to try, at this point the Manager said to us ( sure you can try and see, and if you don't like it you can cancel at any time ) .
Today after almost 2 months we never got our diet change (they suppose change it after 2 week and then after 1 month) we also suppose to get a monthly assessment (check our weight, and measurements, ect.) and that never happened ...at this point we are F#@#@#@#...they take no time to take our money ($320 monthly) we ask to cancel the training and they said NO YOU CAN'T ...they are sooo sneaky and they lie to you just to get you in, after your are in, they don't care, they also try to take more money that they what suppose to take, also the told us that the monthly payment its $89 Dollars and after a month they come up and charge us $101 Dollars ...this its really stressful...we jut try to get healthy and take out some stress by going to the gym, now all this its killing us ...
i have been in the same situation, i cancelled my training member ship two months ago and still LA fitness is deducting the amount $240 from my account, and i have the cancelation confirmation email . when i informed at the my local GYM they said there is some changes in job and they don't know who is doing what at the corporate office and i have to wait for a week or so. Now today i see there is another deduction from my acct for $240. I don't understand how can these people suck the money and sleep peacefully . The best thing to do specially from LA fitness point is do not join the gym or else make the payment in cash or month to month else even if your dead LA fitness will charge you for working out at there GYM. LA fitness management sucks, i guess some [censored]ess monkeys are sitting at financial dept
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The law firm of Berger & Montague, P.C., located in Philadelphia PA, is currently prosecuting a class action suit against L.A. Fitness International LLC in federal court. The suit alleges that L.A. Fitness’ cancellation procedures for its monthly membership agreements are unfair and deceptive because members are charged additional monthly dues even after they have attempted to cancel their memberships. L.A. Fitness denies these allegations. We are currently gathering facts in support of these claims. If you have any information concerning L.A. Fitness’ cancellation procedures or practices, please contact Kim Walker toll free at [protected] or [protected], or by e-mail: info@bm.net. For more information about this case, visit our website www.bergermontague.com.
Berger & Montague, P.C., attorneys are licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania, and some of our attorneys are licensed to practice in additional jurisdictions, including New York, Florida, Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland, Washington, D.C., California and Connecticut. Our firm litigates cases in state and federal courts throughout the United States. On occasions where the firm practices in jurisdictions in which one of our attorneys is not licensed, we associate with that court on a "for that case only" basis and/or associate with locally licensed counsel.
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This very thing happened to me last year. I cancelled my membership, and a month later was charged again. This happened for months, and when I contacted them about reimbursing me for the charges, they said that there was no way to check whether or not I had been using the club in the months after I had cancelled. I asked how that was even possible, technology being as advanced as it is, and their response was that when they log in to check your account, it registers as if I had checked in. I asked to speak to a supervisor, and the gal (who was actually pretty understanding) said that it's not possible to speak to a supervisor. That, in fact, if I attempted to contact the corporate office, that my call would be routed back to my home gym. Additionally, I wasn't even a member of LA Fitness. Originally, the gym was a Pure Fitness, and it was bought out by LA. So, they didn't even give us a contract to read, it was just taken over by them. One day I came in, and it was a completely different gym. They only asked if I wanted to continue to be a member. My trainer was still there, so I stayed. He left LA shortly thereafter, and I followed him to 24-hour, which is when I decided to cancel. I'm not sure how LA can get away with such sneaky business practices.
Always read LA Fitness contact in detail. I opt for the personal training sessions with them. The sales guy said that you can cancel/hold the account any time, but now I hear that I have to continue for the entire one year term. If I cancel I have to pay the 50% of the remaining session fees which would be in thousands. Again if I hold, I can do it for couple of months, but the contract end date would be extended accordingly. So there is no cancelation without huge cancelation fees, which they will not tell you anytime. Read the contract many times and don’t do the mistake I have made in a hurry. Getting good shape is every body’s dream, but I don’t like the fact that some people are using this normal spirit to do nasty money making business.
Same issue here...they say no contract and no cancellation fee when you sign up but in reality there is a fee because they will charge you for about 3 months of membership after you cancelled because apparently thats " How long it takes to processes the paper work". Its a lie and they should be sued for it.
I totally agree. I came into the club and spoke with 3 membership employees and specifically asked for help in 1) deciphering my contract and and 2) making sure I paid via Mastercard my last payment for a trainer package. All 3 of these guys confirmed that I was indeed finished paying this off. I confirmed several times with them that I would not be billed in November for this payment. And they all answered "yes." NOT one of them said I needed the 'cancellation' confirmation form off their computer NOR that I had to mail it in certified mail to the company. IF they had I would certainly had done that. When I saw another charge in November I came in upset that this had happened and then and only then did the person at the front desk tell me that I had to have this 'Cancellation' confirmation form from them and he said "I suggest you send it certified mail. " I later found out it HAD TO be mailed Certified mail. When I called the main LA fitness office and explained what had happened, they assured me that the manager, Jeremiah Johnson, the trainer membership manager would give me an refund. When I finally was able to get a hold of him and told him what happened, it basically called me a liar, that I hadn't talked to anyone because "they would surely have told me what I needed to do to cancel the membership." Finally, after trying to get a word in, he basically talked at me for 3 minutes, I came to find out that because I didn't specifically mention the 'magic word' "cancellation" the membership guys were under no obligation to tell me I need their special form to cancel and how to do it. Avoid this LA Fitness, and definitely avoid Jeremiah Johnson, he is a scammer and a con artist. I had thought about renewing with my trainer at LA Fitness, but after this, no way!
Pls correct the typo error in my last posting.
I submitted the letter to David in AUGUST 2008 and not 2009.
Y
personnel
I have never met a ruder bunch of people in my entire life at a health club. The snotty girl at the front desk gave me a face when I presented her with a free pass and barked at me "I need a license". I was standing there with my 3 year old and it was a very cold day out, but I went back to my car to get my license. When I came back she smirked at me again and said "if you want to use the kids club it's $3.00" (that information would have been helpful when I went out to the car earlier). The girls watching the children seemed inattentive. One of which was very unfriendly to both myself and my child. I mentioned to the manager that the front desk girl was very unfriendly. As I walked out she approached me as if she was ready to fight me and said in a very, almost angry voice "I'm sorry if you thought I was [protected]@!" I would not join that club if someone put a gun to my head! There are a lot better options in that neighborhood...and for what they're asking for a membership they need to work on people skills.
I have been a member of LA Fitness for past 2 years. my primary location is located in Houston, TX and i have never had any complaints, the people who work there are very nice and friendly, no matter how long we stay, even if ts past closing time.. im visiting my family in Connecticut, and i thought it would be a good idea to go to Newington, CT location. big mistake! i have never meet more rude people in my life! the moment we walked into the building the girl at the font desk did not want to scan my card, not to mention she didnt even greet us. it was the worst customer service i have ever encountered. 10 minutes before closing time the girl at the front desk turned off the lights! while i was changing! when i asked the girl at the desk why she turned off the lights she rudely answered its automatic and that they do that in all the locations! are you serious?! i can assure you i am never going back there again and same goes for my family! its crazy that a company like LA fitness would allow such behavior!
I totally agree with you Mary! Just tonight, 9-25-09 when I was leaving the LA Fitness I go to, unfortunately, the girl at the front desk turned the lights out in the showers when we were in the showers because she wants to go! Everytime she works till closing she's very rude to all of us turning the lights out because she 'doesn't get paid past 10:00pm!' as she rudely reminded me tonight in front of three other members. She had reemed out a new member, I had just talked to the guy, from India going to a bible college nearby very nice person, minutes earlier telling him this girl is very rude and will get angry if we are not out exactly at 10:00pm. Low and behold she showed how RUDE she REALLY CAN BE! She was verbally hostile to the poor guy, telling him that we are supposed to be OUT at 10pm! NOT 10:05, NOT 10:10, 10:00! We could all hear her very angry remarks. The man is VERY humble and seemed almost apologetic and very meek when being reprimanded for nothing! I then walked out, ready to leave, as she stood outside the mens lockerroom, and told her she had best watch how she talks to people. She became verbally argumentative and hostile saying 'We don't get paid after 10pm!' I said, that's not my problem. I pay your payroll. Then she started arguing with me angrily saying, 'No you don't!' which I couldn't even believe she said that let alone started arguing with me! I said, 'See, now you're arguing with me, ' where she replied, 'Iif you don't like it call my manager! I said, 'I'll be calling someone but it won't be your manager.' The other members heard the whole thing. The man that was talked to in a hostile way turned around looking at me smiling. He heard the whole conversation. I will NOT be talked to like that or EVER be treated like that by some smart mouth young girl that just wants to get out and drink and have sex with me on a Friday night! She is very rude everytime she's on duty turning out the lights either before or exactly at 10pm and talks nasty to people because SHE wants to go out and party! She's a college girl who could care less about us and who's only goal is to party! It's too late on a Friday to call the headquarters of LA Fitness but I WILL be calling them Monday! I figure if she's telling me to talk to her manager he's part of this nastiness also! The person I believe is the manager walks around the gym eyeing up women then approaching any of them that he thinks is good looking trying to hit on them one way or the other. He never talks to male members, only female. He uses it for a 'pickup' spot as do other personal trainers. One of them has a relationship with one and they moved in together... Most of the peronal trainers stand around eyeing up women the entire time they are on the floor either acting like they are training people or just standing around. All they do is stare at women. Some of the trainers are very lacidazical seemingly uncaring about their job doing it like a robot half asleep, one in particular is a blonde overweight personal trainer. I heard in the past, last year I guess, some of them were fired for calling members fat to their faces...? Who in the world would say degrading things like that, at least if they are professional, to a persons face who is trying their best to get in shape? That's humiliating, degrading and very hurtful to someone that I'm sure already feels bad enough about their self image and that is WHY they are there in the FIRST place! One person who was working there cleaning told me the one personal trainer who sits near the door is having sex with two women that go there. Some sort of love triangle going on. I was ALWAYS told and taught NOT to have relationships with people you work with, not saying it doesn't happen but this place is used for a pickup joint for the STAFF and MANAGER! This same person said there are other things going on like that also. He just mentioned that one. This person that mentioned this is also a homosexual. I have nothing against them, I don't approve of them whatsoever but I have nothing against this man or any of the many that go there but there is another that works at the front desk. Several times, lately, I've seen both of them waiting till members leave then locking the door behind them and doing who knows WHAT in the gym with no one around! One Saturday I left and noticed them staying there. I had to get some things at two stores nearby and noticed, almost an hour or so later, they were still there... I realize people workout after hours that are employed there, they can anyway, but the way they both acted when I was walking out was like they were surprised I was stil there, the one, it shocked him as he turned around and I was trying to walk past him out the door like I scared him like he thought everyone was out because they were going to do things... Personally, it's disgusting to me and an abuse of privileges. If you are going to do those sorts of things, homosexual acts, then go it in the privacy, not in a public gym everyone else has to use. I can't imagine that these actions are approved of by the management of LA Fitness either! This girl, I spoke about above, one time was standing with the blonde, Lori, who is at the front desk all the time during the day. I'm not sure her role there but one time, not long ago, I was on my way walking toward the door to leave and saw a man who has had unfortunate things happen to him, lost his car, his job, rides a bike and isn't apparantly up to their standards of what they must think a human being should be as they were talking about him after he walked past them. I could see them get close together and say things then laugh after he walked past. They were talking downgradingly about this poor man. He needs friends NOT people talking nasty behind his back ESPECIALLY the STAFF! As I walked past them Lori said, as they were giggling about him, 'What, we didn't do anything!' in a joking manner, referring to making fun of the poor man that had just walked past. Then as I was walking through the parking lot right after the overweight blonde personal trainer was behind me. I made a comment about the man how he brings in gallons of water, not making fun of him at all but just commenting that he can get water out of the water fountain as he rides bike and it's a burden hauling a gallon jug of water there. The blonde personal trainer said, 'Yeh, he's strange!'... I wasn't saying that, I was only commenting on an obvious thing he could correct as anyone else would when they see something someone is doing which they could make easier for themselves. The staff is very nasty there and seem to think they can say and do whatever they feel like and it's always hurtful conduct! Again, I WILL be reporting the entire club to the headquarters Monday... Oh, before I finish they also have issues with the lockerroom bathrooms/showers and pool areas. They put smooth tile in the entire areas then when it gets wet, which it is wet all the time obviously, you can slip and fall! I've seen so many people fall on that. They put these holey mats down all over the place just wide enough to walk on because of that which hurt your feet. Instead of roughing up the tiles or putting rougher tiles in they do something like this. Again, I've seen numerous people slip and fall around a corner near the jacuzzi/pool area right in front of my face. There is a handicapped woman that goes there, unfortunately, and she can't drive over these mats. They get caught up in her electric wheelchair. She said one time it actually ruined it. She had to buy another wheel chair which they cost ALOT of money! It is like a wheel chair that a quadrapalegic would use. She is not totally handicapped but has trouble walking. I told her she should complain. She said, 'What good would it do?!' I feel her pain... It's terrible to see a club that's SOLE business is it's MEMBERS to ABUSE and have a CARELESS attitude TOWARD THEM! I worked customer service for years in my life, previously, and saw the same attitude in many of the reps I had to, unfortunately, work around and handle the poor customers they talked nasty too when they called back very upset then to report it to the supervisor who in turn did the SAME THING to customers! See, this is WHY I am going above the manager as it's obvious, when she said to call her manager, they BOTH talk nasty about members and run them down behind their backs! I will copy this c0mment I just typed and put it on a word document and print it out for future reference.
membership scam
I understand it's your job to persuade me to keep my membership, but when I tell you I am in financial turmoil and cannot afford my membership, how can you justify using the line, "Oh, so you're going to risk your health and wellness because you don't have money?" YES, ***. Of course, you can't cancel your membership at the club, you have to send letters to corporate headquarters and make sure you do it 20+ days before your next billing cycle, or you will be billed again. I'm canceling my membership because I can't afford your service, [censored], not because I want three more months to think about it while you charge me. Once I get confirmation of my cancellation, I learn that it will not be fully closed down until December, and here I am in September trying to close my account. Thanks, I get to enjoy three more months of not using your gym while you charge the [censored] out of me. Thanks LA Fitness, I feel great about my body.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
This gym (LA Fitness) put my signature on a contract I never agreed to and stole money from me. They do deserve to be sued and shut down so they don't do it to others.
This is the wrost gym. they are full of ### and they are stealing from everyone we should sue them and Lisa at customer service is a horrible manager has no patience and doesn't let anyone speak HORRIBLE GYM AND THE WOST SERVICE
fraud and cheating
I was a member of LA Fitness, North Brunswick, NJ. After joining my college I requested that my membership be canceled, I was told that I have to send a letter to the corporate office for cancellation and this facility cannot cancel it.
I send a letter for cancellation of my membership on 08/08/08 and till today (10/19/08) my membership has not been canceled and I have been charged though I have not used the club since September.
On follow up the corporate office I was told in September that I will not be charged but again I have been billed in October.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
I, like many others on this website, signed up for a membership at LA Fitness. Of course, included with the membership was a free hour training session with a 'Pro Results' trainer. By the end of the training session I was sat down at a desk and shown how much more weight I could lose and healther I could become with my trainer by my side. I fell for the bait hook, line and sinker.
I was a little apprehensive about the amount but was told I could cancel, downgrade or upgrade at anytime just like my LA Fitness membership. That eased my apprehension so I signed up. When I asked about other options 3 weeks later they had offered to 'freeze' my agreement with Pro Results since it was within one month and restructure my agreement.
Within 3 days I had been double charged for the training. I was told i would get a credit back, but they charged me again! When I went into the gym to get this cleared up I was told it wouldn't be able to be taken care of until Monday. I said fine as it was the weekend and I understood the office was not open on the weekend. I said I had been rethinking my training membership due to this mix up and wanted to cancel the Pro Results program but wanted to stay on with LA Fitness.
All of the sudden it was impossible to cancel the contract. Although I was told that it was a month to month agreement. I asked about the fact that they had changed my agreement just a few days before and that was fine because it was within a month. Now that I wanted to cancel I was told there was a 3 day cancellation policy. I was in no way informed of this before. I would not have signed up for the training.
Now it was also going to take at least 7-15 days to get my money back for the double charges that a few minutes before would only take until Monday! What the heck are they trying to pull. Needless to say I told them I no longer wanted my LA Fitness membership either and they told me I would have to send a letter to request this. I have sent the letter, and have sent it registered mail but I have a feeling I will hear from them again! I WILL MAKE SURE TO LET EVERYONE I CAN NOT TO JOIN LA FITNESS OR PRO RESULTS!
I have seen a lot of turn over in the training staff there in the short time I belonged to the gym. there were also 2 training sessions I had scheduled where the trainer did not show up. I was not compensated for this in anyway. Not only did they not take the training seriously the 'TRAINER MANAGERS' talked badly about the lower trainers, especially those that all of a sudden decided to leave the company. Boy, that is classy!
I guess I would leave too if they were only paying me $6 a session! I sure wish I knew this website existed before I ever walked into LA Fitness! I should have known not to sign when they did not provide anything in writing and the only price list they had to show was a grid that they wrote out on scratch paper! They definitely know who to put out there to get you to sign up. Definitely smooth operators!
I was scammed by one of their employees Darren S. In north Brunswick NJ...took $1500 from me and gave me a Fake receipt for personal training. Apparently he scammed lots of people before me! He stopped showing up at the gym a week later! Nobody could do anything for me! I was robbed blind and their reply was "oh well...he did it to lots of other folks"! Very upset and disappointed! I cannot afford a lawyer! To think I was so ready to get back in shape after surgeries and the fact that I gave him my savings just so he can rob me is JUST SAD! There is nothing I can do about it! STAY AWAY FROM LA FITNESS...THEY DON'T CARE!
Renton, WA
LA FITNESS - IS A SCAM AND CHEATER
I signed up for become membership on March 21, 2010 roll in under my friend account. They give me 1 hour free with personal trainer. The guy was good, but at the end of section, he asked if I interesting to join personal trainer. I said I don't know, I have to think about it. He told me " Why don't you sign this page, go home and think about it, if you intersting, call me back and I will have all the document ready to process, if not, don't worry about it, this is wash out. This will be easier for you, if you intereting, you don't have to come back, just call" but then I said " No, I don't want to sign for anything, if I sign, which mean I accept your service"? he said " NO, I don't have your credit card, I can't process it. Just help to make the process go faster if you decided to join> I was so naive and sign the page, thinking he doesn't have my card.
I didn't call him back at all and wasn't intereting on personal trainer. Out of blue, on March, my friend told me that " LA withdraw $186 on the month of March, and $132 on the month of April " for personal trainner service? They withdraw money from my friend account? What the heck? Without neither of us approval? I came to the branch at Renton, Landing in Washington and the greet my Sam ( Manager for personal training) was told by him " there is nothing he can do, nothing he can do..and he didn't even want to talk to us" he wanted us to leave because he doesn't want to listen any of us explaination". He even lie to my friend and said that he even talk to me and I accept the service?
I ended up talk to one of employee there, she said " that's so wrong, totally wrong what they did" if you guys decided to sue them... I would recomended. Finally the general manager step up and send my request in for cancer the personal trainer service... and we are still waiting to see if they would reservse that amount or not? We don't know yet
LA fitness is scam and cheater ! becareful, they will trap you if you want to join their personal traniner!
The trainers at LA Fitness are great. Read your contracts anytime you sign anything with any company. All pro-results training programs are contracts with terms from 3 months - 12 months. Only within your recission period clearly stated on agreement can your training be cancelled and refunded.
fraud, fraud, fraud
About a year ago i walked into LA Fitness, wanted to get a feel for what the gym was like, but was unable to walk out, because the *** sales reps kept persuading to sign up and wouldnt let me walk out, i told them i would think about it..but no way out, finally had to swear to one of the reps to f**k off... unbelievable.. I guess thats what you get when your dealing with a bunch of illegal wetbacks..Consumers beware they will rip you off... canceling is no easy task either goodluck...work out at home you will be much more happier.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
I am a member of the LaFitness in Texas as well, and the staff there is just trying to sell you a personal trainer membership instead of trying to help the members who are paying already with their fitness goals. They look like a bunch of telemarketers with more desks than workout machines. It is so damn annoying to see these bunch of personal triners chatting around with nothing to do and you can't even get help or you are going to be annoyed for days or months about buying into their personal training session b.s. and end up spending thousands of dollars. I can't wait to cancel and get the hell out of this place.
misleading/scam
Hello, my name is Harishma Dhanak. On 03/31/08, I signed an agreement with Joe T. for LAFITNESS in Alsip, IL for personal training. I had said that I do not want to be in any contracts and that's why I'm not interested in Bally's. He said it is NOT a contract but a agreement and that you can "get out of it" anytime. I'm not getting the results after meeting...
Read full review of LA Fitness International and 11 commentsbad service
LA. Fitness is having thefts that are taking place inside its own premises and is not informing its costumers what is going on. Management does not provide any assistance as to whom you need to contact, file a complaint or get help. You have to do your own research.
The thief waits for someone to get-in with a bag that contains valuables or looks for the right opportunity. Then waits for the right time to open your lock, if no valuable is found inside the locker or gym bag, then he obtains the car keys and goes to your car to search it. The thief steals whatever is in your car and takes off with your keys and all that is attached (car, etc).
The car, house, office, and others, have to be re-keyed. The car in itself could exceed $800.00 to be re-keyed if equipped with newly introduced electronic keys.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
overcharges
LA Fitness is a horrible company! I had stopped regularly going to LA Fitness for about a year because I was seeing a personal trainer at a private gym. I continued to stay a members just in case i decided to pop in, which very rarely happend. I received a phone call from Joseph Perez from their corporate office informing me that my credit card had been expired at I was several months past due. He told me that I was paying for mine and my ex-boyfriends account. I told him I was only responsible for mine and that I was no longer with myt boyfriend. He said that was fine and would charge me for just my account. I said I would pay that and wanted my account frozen. He told me to go ahead and give him a check over the phone and to call back two days later to have my account frozen. I called back and he said it would cost $25.00 to have my account frozen and I went ahead and paid the amount. I reviewed my statement online and had found that they had charged $113.32 twice on July 23, $25.00 on the July 24, and then $29.44 twice on July 28. I called Mr. Perez and told him about the overcharges and he gave me another number where they would help me. I called and spoke to another lady who I failed to get her name. I told her about the overcharges and she said she would have to speak to Mr. Perez and would call me back. Several days passed and my account showed no refunds. I called Mr. Perez about 6 times in the span of 2 weeks, I've left messges and he has not returned any of my calls. I finally reached a point where I was going to try and speak to someone else. You have to wonder when a companies website does not provide the number to their head office. I tried another number to their Irvine location where I had to explain my situation again. She gave me the number to "Corporate" which was [protected]. I waited over 15 mins to actually speak to someone. She was completely rude and when I kept asking for her name she would say, "Let me review your account first." She finally told me her name was Jill, she said give her a second to review it then hung-up on me. I called back again, and waited again, and finally spoke to Alisha Lovato who was a lot more polite. I explained the situation again and of course she said she would try to fix it and call me back in two days...of course. I told her that I wanted to cancel my account as well cause I didn't want to have anything to do with LA Fitness after this. She did say that she would atleast refund me the $25 dollars to freeze my accout since I wasn't going to be freezing it. The funny thing was I had asked Joseph to cancel it first, and he had said that there was a cancelation fee, but Alisha said it would not cost me anything to cancel my account. Weird. Ahhhh now I can only sit and wait to see if she will acutally call me back.
Not very happy with LA FItness taticus on getting you to join then upsale. Now understand why during the sales pitch my questions were vaguly answered or put off till I talk to a trainer. After joining two days ago I just got back from my one hour with a trainner (Salesperson). After showing me a couple pieces of equipment it was back to the sales desk where I was told it would be a lot more money to get what I was looking for. Then as I balked at this a second person started working on me. And when I didn't sign up for the extra the second person got up and said my hour with a personel trainer was over and I left with no idea of what I should be doing or an outline for diet considerations as per the original sales pitch
total disregard for my fiance
8/11/08 Dear Sir or Madam: Unfortunately, I have found it necessary to contact your office to inform you of a business that apparently has very little regard for its customers, along with the fact that they have broken the law. On May 27th, 2008, I was participating in a water aerobics class sponsored by L.A. Fitness, located at 10180 West Forest Hill...
Read full review of LA Fitness International and 5 commentsjacuzzi is always out of order
I've been a member for two years now and every now then their jacuzzi is out of order. I have arthritis and lower back problems which is why I joined to the gym to begin with, they try fixing it and it goes out again. I was told they run the jacuzzi all day long. Which I feel is unnecessary, since they do close at night. Should someone be able to turn it off at and maybe it wouldn't break down as often.
Three of the pools in Portland, OR have broken heaters. It's rediculous. Three!
locker room robbery
Beware of being robbed. My Locker was broken into in a matter of minutes after I went to the pool. The door to the locker was forced opened and my wallet was stolen. Three other guys lockers were broken into at the same time. This had to be a team job and no one from LA Fitness saw or heard anything! There were at least 5 LA Fitness employees at the from...
Read full review of LA Fitness International and 6 commentsunethical practice
LA Fitness - It's always overbooked and can not get the court time, can not get on the machines, and locker rooms are small. I had membership for several years and I wanted to freeze the membership to avoid paying the initiation fee, again. LA Fitness is charging me $25 per 3 months and if I unfreeze before three months is up. They will charge me to unfreeze the membership. So, I am cancelling my membership and I going to send email to all my friends to follow me and cancel the membership with LA fitness. One word to describe them, "thieves".
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
Depending on your monthly dues amount, it may or may not behoove you to freeze...for the most part, if you were to not be able to use the gym for 3 months, unless your dues are $8.33 per month, which is highly unlikely, you will save $.
You are not "charged" to unfreeze...by paying $25, you may be frozen UP TO 3 billing cycles. Should you decide to end the freeze and begin using the club prior to the freeze ending date, then that billing cycle would be pro-rated.
total scam
La Fitness is a sub-standard gym. They don't care about the customer and they make it difficult to cancel your membership even if you have frozen your account. They require you to send cancellation via certified mail and if you're lucky they may stop billing your account after 2 more months. Their desk staff is rude and ill-trained and they only pay their fitness instructors $12 a class. Typical corporate money-grubbing rip-off artists. Do yourself a favour and join a family owned and operated gym that actually cares about their staff and their clients.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
I was scammed into a personal training program at L.A. Fitness in Hopkins MN.
The VP Daniel Knowles told me “I have a lot on my plate and lots of things to do.” When I spoke with him regarding my situation.
I also found out that the training manager Brett - the one responsible for my scam was terminated from the company because of his lack of integrity. I am sure there are many others out there that were scammed by Brett and other staff at L.A. Fitness.
I recommend a memebership at Lifetime - more expensive but the customer service is worth the extra $$$
I lost a lot of money. I was willing to work with them to find a resolution instead of asking for my $ back but they did not go out of their way to even care about my situation.
BE AWARE of LA FITNESS —— PAY MORE $$$ AND STAY AWAY FROM THIS CHEAP HEALTH CLUB.
Sincerely,
Natalia Spinelli
[protected]
the cheat lie and steal. go to the better business bureau, it has heped get me out of the training however they told the BBB that they cancelled my regular membership at the same time. If they dont resolve this I'm off to the attorney general. they need to learn that they can't treat consumers this way
they take advantage of people!
Hey.I got scamed as well.I'm trying to cancel my membership now for almost 6 months and they used my credit card without me knowing it, because I slided it once when I signed up. Don't ever DO THAT!
I'm going to the media now, because i do have great contacts to the media.I'm working for a PR guy that discovered a huge scam in 1989 when the city of Los Angeles was manipulating the parking meters. The city ended up paying over 15 million dollars back! If we all stand up together we can make a change.
If you like to be part of this story send me your email address and I will keep you up to date!
man la fitnesss is a hoe.. so damn gay.. never get ur membership over there. i guartattee u they will steal ur money..
La fitness rob at broad day lite!
The worst business practice in civil society.
store manager luis was extremely disrespectful
Luis which is the manager at the la fitness in Miami gardens, Florida was rude and disrespectful. I enter the gym on a Sunday 7/6/08 and was asked to take a photo. I simply asked why and he looked me in my face and demanded I take a photo. I told him I was not his child and said he did not care. He had a problem with explaining the new procedure to a paying customer. I was extremely displeased today. I immediately terminated my contract along with two other friends and decided to take our business elsewhere.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
That was not nice for him to say that, but people tend to have bad and good days. Perfect example myself overweight, depressed and unsatifited about my self a gentleman named Jamal approached me at a gas station and offered me a free pass to come enjoy a healthier life style. Sure I thought to my self. When I arrived there Jamal who is the manager there took care of me like he really wanted me to make a change in my life .Showed me what i really have to do to achieve my goals, diets, exercise and bring down the body fat. thanks to Jamal i
can live and feel more comfortable about my self.
La fitness in poway san diego has a bad management. The manager Alex cadavid is very uneducated and disrepectfull. The trainners ran the store and safety level is non existant. Equeppments are old and most of the time are down. Best to tray another gym.
Fraudsters
When you sign up for LA fitness they pride themselves at advertising how flexible your membership is. If you want to stop coming all you have to do is say so, we will freeze your account and it will be there for you when you are ready to return. The membership is on a month by month basis and you can cancel anytime. Yada, yada, yada. I am sure many current...
Read full review of LA Fitness International and 1 commentjust horrible
LA fitness - Langhorne pa is absolutely disgusting. The machines and bathrooms are not kept clean.
The members themselves are disgusting pigs who can't wipe the equipment down after using it. I'm would be afraid to catch diseases if I used their facility.
Their personal training staff is the worst. Most do not even have their certificate - just ask for proof. And if they do it's because thy sat through a 1 day class. They are more interested in getting a date than actually helping clients. And it's a nightmare to cancel. They will bill you until you cancel your credit card.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
scam and lies
My company had a corporate membership with LA Fitness and signing up with them has been the worst thing that I've ever done. I signed up with their personal training and when I did, I specifically asked about their cancellation policy. The person who signed me up named Preston said that I could cancel at any time but that I would still have to pay for the month and forfeit any training sessions.
So I started training with my old trainer after being dissatisfied with their trainers and tried to cancel my training sessions with L.A. Fitness. It was only then that I was told about a 50% buyout. I was also told that my gym would honor what they had told me. Well honor is the last thing that L. A. Fitness knows how to do! They have yet to return my calls regarding this. The regional VP is supposed to get back to me and he still hasn't either!
Does anyone know who I can write to to make a formal complaint against them?
This happened to me as well! I realize the 50% buyout is in the fine print of the contract, but the salesman rushed me through the process so quickly I didn't get a chance to read it. I also asked them specifically what would happen if I needed to cancel. He told me I could cancel with "no problem". My foot. Having to pay 50% unused sessions is a pretty big "problem".
I heard that L.A. Fitness went through some really difficult times in early 2008 (top management out of touch, no communication, personal training changes, billing screw-ups), but I went to the Akers Mill location - joined, my trainer is Preston (same Preston, I don't know)... He is awesome and has really helped me to get the results that I want.
He has helped me out, by not charging me, the few times that I had to cancel our sessons- even at the last minute (I'm not sure that I would have even done that for me)-
He is an educated, trained professional trainer who also has great people skills - I will re-up when my contract ends.
Cancelled but they kept billing
I phoned LA Fitness to cancel my wifes membership that had gone unused for quite some time. I was told I had to come into the gym to cancel. We drove to the gym where we were told we needed a form filled out and sent to their corporate office. We were provided with the form and membership number. Friends and family have told me stories about quitting gym...
Read full review of LA Fitness International and 4 commentscanceling membership
Been trying for a month to cancel membership, which, oddly, one can not do by phone or walking into a local fitness centre (Note: I had no problems writing a check and signing up by walking in). As a member of the military who recently received orders, I went to my "club" in Doral, FL as instructed, picked up cancellation form, and was told to mail it to LA Fitness HQ. Desk attendant said that the postmarked date on envelope would be used to prorate. A month later, my membership fee is still being withdrawn from my account. I called LA Fitness HQ, explained process I'd been through, then received a "we see no signs of cancellation" response and an "if it were me I would have..." lecture that included instructions on walking in to a nearby club, asking for a cancellation form, ensuring the desk attendant makes a note on your account (confirm with your own eyes), fill out paper form, and send it via certified mail to LA Fitness HQ followed by weekly phone call check-ups. What a work-out. While talking to LA Fitness HQ Phone Witch, I was trying to perfect a new stretch where I reached through the phone and gripped her belligerent neck. My advice: do push-ups or join the military if you want to get fit; otherwise, walk into LA Fitness, bend over, and touch your toes.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
The reason that I want to cansel my membership is because I don't use it anymore, I have lots of outside activities so please cansel my membership as soon as posible thanyou verymuch.
sincerely Fabian P Bartolon.
LA Fitness International Reviews 0
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About LA Fitness International
One of the key features of LA Fitness is its state-of-the-art facilities that are equipped with the latest fitness equipment and amenities. From cardio machines and weight training equipment to swimming pools and basketball courts, LA Fitness has everything you need to achieve your fitness goals.
In addition to its impressive facilities, LA Fitness also offers a wide range of fitness classes that cater to different fitness levels and interests. Whether you're into yoga, cycling, or high-intensity interval training, you'll find a class that suits your needs at LA Fitness.
Another great thing about LA Fitness is its knowledgeable and friendly staff. The trainers and instructors at LA Fitness are highly qualified and experienced, and they are always ready to help you with your fitness journey. Whether you need help with your workout routine or advice on nutrition, the staff at LA Fitness is always there to assist you.
LA Fitness also offers a range of membership options to suit different budgets and needs. Whether you're looking for a basic gym membership or a more comprehensive package that includes personal training and other perks, you'll find a membership plan that works for you at LA Fitness.
Overall, LA Fitness is a top-notch fitness center chain that offers everything you need to achieve your fitness goals. With its impressive facilities, wide range of classes, knowledgeable staff, and flexible membership options, LA Fitness is the perfect place to start your fitness journey.
Overview of LA Fitness International complaint handling
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LA Fitness International Contacts
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LA Fitness International phone numbers+1 (949) 255-7330+1 (949) 255-7330Click up if you have successfully reached LA Fitness International by calling +1 (949) 255-7330 phone number 0 0 users reported that they have successfully reached LA Fitness International by calling +1 (949) 255-7330 phone number Click down if you have unsuccessfully reached LA Fitness International by calling +1 (949) 255-7330 phone number 0 0 users reported that they have UNsuccessfully reached LA Fitness International by calling +1 (949) 255-7330 phone number+1 (949) 255-7200+1 (949) 255-7200Click up if you have successfully reached LA Fitness International by calling +1 (949) 255-7200 phone number 0 0 users reported that they have successfully reached LA Fitness International by calling +1 (949) 255-7200 phone number Click down if you have unsuccessfully reached LA Fitness International by calling +1 (949) 255-7200 phone number 0 0 users reported that they have UNsuccessfully reached LA Fitness International by calling +1 (949) 255-7200 phone number+1 (310) 844-0653+1 (310) 844-0653Click up if you have successfully reached LA Fitness International by calling +1 (310) 844-0653 phone number 0 0 users reported that they have successfully reached LA Fitness International by calling +1 (310) 844-0653 phone number Click down if you have unsuccessfully reached LA Fitness International by calling +1 (310) 844-0653 phone number 0 0 users reported that they have UNsuccessfully reached LA Fitness International by calling +1 (310) 844-0653 phone number+1 (951) 579-4183+1 (951) 579-4183Click up if you have successfully reached LA Fitness International by calling +1 (951) 579-4183 phone number 0 0 users reported that they have successfully reached LA Fitness International by calling +1 (951) 579-4183 phone number Click down if you have unsuccessfully reached LA Fitness International by calling +1 (951) 579-4183 phone number 0 0 users reported that they have UNsuccessfully reached LA Fitness International by calling +1 (951) 579-4183 phone number+1 (310) 827-0904+1 (310) 827-0904Click up if you have successfully reached LA Fitness International by calling +1 (310) 827-0904 phone number 0 0 users reported that they have successfully reached LA Fitness International by calling +1 (310) 827-0904 phone number Click down if you have unsuccessfully reached LA Fitness International by calling +1 (310) 827-0904 phone number 0 0 users reported that they have UNsuccessfully reached LA Fitness International by calling +1 (310) 827-0904 phone number+1 (562) 924-1514+1 (562) 924-1514Click up if you have successfully reached LA Fitness International by calling +1 (562) 924-1514 phone number 0 0 users reported that they have successfully reached LA Fitness International by calling +1 (562) 924-1514 phone number Click down if you have unsuccessfully reached LA Fitness International by calling +1 (562) 924-1514 phone number 0 0 users reported that they have UNsuccessfully reached LA Fitness International by calling +1 (562) 924-1514 phone number
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LA Fitness International emailscontact@fitnessintl.com100%Confidence score: 100%Supportmediarelations@lafitness.com97%Confidence score: 97%Communication
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LA Fitness International addressPO Box 54170, Irvine, California, 92619, United States
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LA Fitness International social media
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Checked and verified by Stan This contact information is personally checked and verified by the ComplaintsBoard representative. Learn moreJul 23, 2024
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how can I get in touch with you? I am a former Ballyfitness member. Thanks for being honest.
How can I get in touch with you? I need information on one of the sales reps and ilegit action during transfer from Ballyfitness. Thanks for being honest.
I totally agree. I unforunatly work for LA, and I HATE this corporation to my bones. I wish I could change everything and make them realize that the customer is the person who needs to be treated royally, and who is always right. I HATE the manipulative, sneaky, grimy things they do in the sales dept. to get ppl to buy training. I love my profession, I love my clients and they love me, but if i had a way of getting out of LA fitness, i wouldnt even look back if it were on fire. Read my post please~