YMCA
Reviews and Complaints

Hello sir/madam,

I am a member at mill creek ymca and tonight I had an issue that could have been avoided if the life guards would have not allowed walkers to take up the one lap lane that was available during the busiest time (6:45-7:30pm). Two women were allowed to walk the lane when the life guards could see that I had my swim suit on and put my cap and goggles at the lane. These women took up both sides walking side by side. They were very rude about being in the lane and sharing with others after another swimmer joined me. This could have been avoided if no one other than swimmers were allowed in the only lap lane available for swimming.

I am very disappointed in the entire experience; however, it was the first time this has happened in the years i've been a member. I'm just saying something now so it won't happen again in the future.

Please let me know it won't happen again.

Thank you!
Sherry

Hello, tonight we (4 people) had a plan to register our self as a new member in ymca located in (Green dale family branch, worcester ma) , but the shift supervisor his name is (Tony) had poor customer service he was giving us attitude and denied of giving us tour of ymca because I reject to give him 20$ and he was stuck in his phone too, I don't know 20$ is just for giving tour ? It pissed me off, I don't mind for 20$, but the behavior, stacking in his phone, not responding to the customer is not good at all, and after this I never recommend ymca to no one, I had a ymca membership before located in (Main st, worcester ma) and I brought most of my friends there, and tonight I brought my co-workers with me to apply for new membership, they all were disappointed...

I'm father of one or student in YMCA /West Roxbury.
I don't know if you going to take this is serious or not, but this Director always picks on my daughter and my daughter scurried fir her name. And I think all kids get diarrhea, she said my daughter can't attend the school for 24 hours. Because she has a diarrhea she can't go to school tomorrow. She panished my dyand we went to pick her up she was sitting alone not even having her lunch. Not the first time, she always said things to my daughter and my wife things not spouse to say it .please, do something or please send us the rules and regulations to know more. Because her excuse is the rules.
Thank you

I just joined the gym with my mother and it's not like it's cheap compared to competitors out there but I understand that because the pool and classes they offer. We go to the ymca in Pennsylvania Allentown on 15th st. So some of the machines are out of order, ceiling right above the pool is leaking some type of water into the pool, downstairs workout room I was told by staff has a leaking ceiling problem from some times smells awful. In the women's locker room the sink handles are even broken I mean it's terrible quality something needs to be done. People are trying to go work out and have a good time but there are so many problems that are just demotativing and makes anyone want to cancel a membership right away and I've only been there a week.

In December 2016 a sign was posted informing the Prescott, AZ YMCA members that an adult swim conditioning class was to begin 2/1/17. I was appalled by this since the adult lap swim schedule is extremely stingy at this YMCA. The hours and availability of swim lanes is already unacceptable in my view. I asked the clerk at the front desk about it and she assured me it would be in the 'Deep Water' section of the aquatic center. I was relieved since the lap pool schedule has a very narrow window for full time working people as it is. Since I have been at this "Y" there has always been 6 lanes available Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 5pm - 6:30pm. Other than that, its very limited with 3 lanes open here and there and never during the AFTER business hours. Now the lap swimming schedule for the after work crowd has been diminished by 4 lanes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday leaving 2 lanes for approximately 15 usual members. I called to complain and the aquatics manager was rude. She said the notice has been up since December and I should have said something. Keep in mind that I mentioned it to the clerk the FIRST day I saw the notice and was told it was in a different section - I had nothing to worry about. NOT TRUE. I have been a regular swimmer since I was 25 years old. I'm 58 years old now. I feel that keeping the full time workers from their workouts is completely unacceptable. As a fitness center they should be aware that working a fulltime desk job requires a minimum of a one hour workout daily. The aquatics manager didn't think this at all. She seemed cavalier in her thinking towards working people and their tight schedules such as mine. She said she's sticking with the new program and this will be indefinitely. I called the Director to complain and he has not taken the time to get back to me. Prescott, Arizona is known for a friendly and family oriented atmosphere. The YMCA is a Christian organization. This Prescott YMCA has proven itself to be neither friendly or Christian. Taking away someone fitness routine is downright awful and can cause physical consequences to the person/s that are affected.

My name is Andrew Welch, I have been going to the YMCA since I was young. It seems things at our local gym are changing for the worst. I have seen lower and lower numbers each year at the YMCA. Last year, they had a scholarship program for families that were in the poverty range. We received a discounted rate for our family due to our limited income which we appreciated very much. We work full time, just get paid low wages. This year they told me in December that my membership was up for renewal. They told me I would have to fill out a new scholarship application. So I did, according to their directions. That when the endless hassling starting. First, they wanted last years taxes, so I took them in 2015 taxes. I won't file 2016 until April 15, 2017. They said they wanted 2016 taxes. I said I won't file for another 4 months. However, the income has only changed maybe 500 to 800 dollars for the entire year. They said to bad, so sad, we cannot help you. The YMCA used to be a community place, a safe place for kids, a place where one to go to exercise and do activities. Now it seems they have lost all touch with the community. Now they operate like a government bureaucracy with months of waiting and endless forms. It's a sad day for the YMCA in Idaho Falls.

On 1/30/17at 8:36 pm. I called the Alameda YMCA. A Mrs. Jill Johnson answered the phone. I asked her if the rates at the YMCA had increased. She asked me for my name and I told her it was Jose Maldonado. She stated my address as 2601 Nuestra Castillo Ct. #1201 San Jose California. I told her that was the wrong apartment number. She said, “Oh I've been on my 13th hour and yes that's what I meant". She then asked me what she could do to help me. I told her that I noticed that my rates had increased and I was not aware of the increase. She stated that letters were sent out in November last year. I told her that my account was just reactivated around November and I was told that my account would be $69 for another year. She said, “Yes you have the financial assistance rate”. Well I have thrown out my W-2's. Can you believe that? I said, “Excuse me”. After her mocking response I told her, “You know what then I just want to cancel my membership”. She replied, “Well you're not the primary account holder Jessica is”. (My wife). I said, “No problem I can get her”. I called my wife Jessica and put the phone on speaker. Jessica said hello and told the lady on the phone Jill Johnson that she wanted to cancel her membership. Mrs. Johnson said, “Well you have to send me an email if you want to cancel your account. Grab something to write with. Jessica said, “Ok give me a minute I'm going to get a pen”. There was no response. Jessica got a pen in approximately 10 seconds and asked for Mrs. Johnson email.
Mrs. Johnson spelled out her email. Jill.[protected]@ymcasv.org. Jessica read the email back to Mrs. Johnson. Jessica then asked why she didn't receive a notice of some kind. Mrs. Johnson repeated her earlier statement, “Well I've thrown away my W-2's before”, as she laughed on the phone. I walked over to the phone and asked, “I don't see why you have to keep repeating that as if it means that we received the letter and were lying. You already told me it was the wrong apartment”. She mumbled something I couldn't make out I said, “What”? She replied, “I'm not going to argue”. I said, “I said no one is arguing. I want the account cancelled and I want to be reimbursed for the rest of the balance”. Mrs. Johnson stated, “I'm not going to do that.” Jessica said, “Cancel my account”. Mrs. Johnson stated after a pause over 7 seconds, “You know if you cancel your account now and if you try to reinstate it at a later date you will not get the financial aid discount”. I told her, “Don't worry we won't be coming back”. Mrs. Johnson rudely hung up the phone.

End of conversation……..

I have attached my email to Jill Johnson notifying her of my family membership cancellation on 1/30/17. In closing never in my life would I have thought to be spoken to in the despicable way that I was spoken to today. As a youngster I have always admired the YMCA and than later as a Veteran. This is not the first time I have had an issue with unprofessional discriminatory staff at this location. I do hope you look into this matter. Thank you.
Jessica Maldonado/Jose Maldonado
[protected]

To who it may concern:

Hi my name is Thanh I'm from round rock Texas, my son and daughter was in the YMCA after school care, for about two year now and never had any problem, my son learn a lot and he love his teacher at the y, but the problem is we had to pull both kids out of the y cause the price went up to a ridiculous amount, my son is 5 and he ask me how come he isn't going to school, I told him we can't afford for him to go there anymore, the point of this letter is to tell y'all that everything has happen in the week before Christmas, where my son told his teacher to have a good Christmas, but he doesn't know that he can't go back to school, why dose the y have to do everything at the last minute and not help people that really do need it like me and my kids, I'm so heart broken for my son he really miss his school and it will cost me and my struggling family around 766 a month for both kids, I wish the board see how much it makes one or even more kids out there get lost in money or love, thanks again for the support in the past, appreciate by the Phung family from Round Rock Texas

I have never taken the time to write a complaint, but I am so annoyed how the YMCA handled my situation. I submitted a cancellation form 6 days before I needed my account cancelled and because 4 of the 6 days were not business days the Y is going to charge my account again. I told them I'm a single mom and can't afford it any longer, there reply was I'm suppose to give them 5 business days not four so their purposely holding my paperwork to be charged again. An establishment that always says they work with people so everyone is able to live a healthy lifestyle. They also call themselves Christians... makes me think they are just out for the money. I'm very disappointed how they handled it and will never refer anyone there. I attend the Hernando county branch and I just don't want my card charged again when I will not be attending because I can't afford it. The worst part is I've been going to the gym for 3 years and have referred several friends there.

The Y was a better place before the new director. Discrimination, disrespect, awful leadership, you name it...
The new director doesn't know what is going on or how to lead, lost many members, workers from wheeler Y. The place is so sad and everyone is stressed out. She makes decisions by herself without approving anything with her team managers. The Y is in legal court issues because of things that happened while she started working there.
You should investigate ASAP!

My Name is Sal Volpe&i had a Situation where an Employee by the Name of Lisa had (Purposely) Engaged me about an issue of Coming to the Wheeler Ymca more often than I do at the Downtown Hartford Ymca on Sat Dec 17th, 2016.Needless to say her "False Pretenses/Insinuation to the fact that she's Trying to Force me Out of going Here Unless I Transfer my Membership Dues to this Ymca instead of Downtown Hartford Ymca where I Feel more comfortable at! She has Threatened me (if I Dont Comply) with her that I'll Face Quote:Further Problems from her? This is VERY UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT FROM Her&She's Intentionally Discriminating against me Based on My Physical&Chronic Health conditions by (SINGLING ME) Out! I STRONGLY Urge People who Are Listening/Seeing this to Have Second Thoughts about joining this Ymca in Plainville CT! Due to Discriminatory&Disrespectful Conduct by Lisa of Membership sales. This is 100% TRUE&i Can Attest to This!

Please accept this letter as a response to the email from David Kirsch to Pompey Hawkins dated 11/07/16. We respectfully request your assistance in an attempt to resolve the conflict concerning the denial of equal opportunities for our family.

In sum, my coaching refund was delayed and our family refund was denied by David Kirsch, Zach Carr, and/or Meghan Gass. On 10/26/16, Zach emailed to me, in part, “…You would have already received $25 for coaching so this would be for your team members only….” On 11/07/16, David Kirsch emailed to me, in part, “…With that, we are following along with the scenario that Zach laid out to you in honoring the coaches discount but not adding an additional refund on top of that as the coaches discount is larger than the refund we decided upon….”

The YMCA proposed this family refund to everyone “because our children are not receiving equal opportunities to play like other children and our parents are not receiving the full value of their money’s worth like other parents, which are both based on conditions beyond our control and/or other parents’ and players’ unsportsmanlike conduct.” My argument is that the $25 coaching refund is for all volunteer soccer coaches, but the $15 family refund is for all our team’s players. I am equally entitled to my coaching refund, like our other parents/coaches that received both refunds. My wife and son are equally entitled to our family refund, like all our other team’s players have received family refunds.

In conclusion, we are respectfully requesting our equal right to our family refund. On 10/26/16, I emailed to Zach, in part, “…So, is my son entitled to his family refund, like all other members?...” On 10/31/16, I emailed to David, in part, “…So, is my wife entitled to her family refund, like all other members?...”

In closing, we are respectfully requesting your executive assistance to equally refund to our family, like all other members, our $15.

I am copying the email sent to President and CEO of Greater Houston YMCA:

My children attend after school care with the YMCA at their elementary school. About two weeks ago, a staff member, "Mr. Duey" (sp?), hurt both of children, physically and mentally/emotionally.

I picked my kids up from YMCA at their school, only to find a thick scratch mark on the back of my son's, who is 6, neck. I immediately brought him back inside and told Sandrell Jackson, an after school director, who confronted Mr Duey. He said it was an accident. I told her that I understand accidents happen, but he should never be touching my child at all, for any reason. She agreed and said she would get him some "sensitivity training."

As we drove home, I started to question my 6 and 4 y.o. (who is in PreK, also attending after school YMCA) about Mr. Duey. The things they told me SICKENED me. For example, my 4 year old said "Mr. Duey called me an idiot." Both of my children said he told them he hates them and he has hated them since the first day of school, AND that they're bad kids.

I called Sandrell Jackson immediately, who was also disgusted. While she was on the phone with me, she also heard my children crying, saying "we're bad" and "Mr. Duey hates us because we're bad." Her response could have fooled me because it sounded as if she hurt for them. She had me ask them what else he had said to them. My four year old responded with some of the previously mentioned comments. She assured me that he would be immediately removed from the premises, especially since there were still children waiting for their parents to pick them up, and told me she would make sure the situation was "handled." She also told me that her supervisor was at a funeral so it may be a couple days before she got back to me to let me know it had been "handled." My understanding was that he would be fired.

Never heard back.

Fast forward to today - school was out for staff development and my children attended the Harriet Foster YMCA's "camp, " which is basically daycare. This evening, my children were telling me about their day when they mentioned that MR. DUEY WAS ONE OF THE TEACHER'S WATCHING THEM... Seriously? I consider this grown man's behavior toward my children abuse, as did Sandrell Jackson when I spoke to her. I'm totally disgusted that the YMCA, who is supposed to be a family-oriented program, would allow this man to a) be around my children; and b) continue to work at and represent the YMCA.

On july 11th at roughly 3:00 pm, my uncle and i entered the ymca at the south shore quincy branch. Upon entering the branch, i handed a woman named heather working at the front desk my card. When she received my card she scanned it, looked at the screen and asked me what my name was. When i told her she allowed me to pass through. After i passed through my uncle gave heather his card. Once she received the card, she scanned it and then informed us that the card wasn't working. She tried multiple times without any success.

Afterwards she directed me towards a woman with a name ending in "udy" working with her across the front desk. I could not see her full name because she was using her cardigan to partially shield it from view. This woman then scanned my card and told me that it did not work. I asked her why it did not work and told her that their office is the one that gave us those cards. She refused to answer my question and then kept repeating to me that the card did not work and was not going to work. I then asked her if she could check the id on the card and print out another card to try . She refused to do this and then opened a drawer on her desk and threw my uncles card in there. I asked her why she did this and she refused to answer my question. She then asked me to give her my card. I gave it to her and she scanned it. Once she scanned my card, she told me that the my name did not match the name on the card. To me this was very bizarre because heather the woman working beside her had just scanned my card and told me that i was perfectly fine.

I then asked her to give me my card back and she refused to do so. When i asked her why, she told me that the card did not belong to me. I asked to speak to the supervisor and she told me that she was the supervisor. I then reiterated to her that heather had just scanned my card and cleared me to go. She then started getting extremely angry and began yelling at me in front of everyone. I asked her why she was yelling, and then asked her if she could give me back the card she threw in her desk and the card that she threw in the trash. She refused to do this and demanded that i leave. I tried again, telling her that i have been to this ymca multiple times with no issues and found it very bizarre that i was having issues.

She proceeded to yell at me and threatened me saying that if i did not leave immediately there would be serious issues. Once she said this i asked her if i could receive her contact info so that i could reach her in the future for further questions. She refused to give me any type of contact info and then threatened to call the authorities. Afterwards, i left that ymca and never returned. It is my suggestion that no member ever go to this ymca ever again unless this woman is removed from her position because this type of abuse will continue.

Wednesday, June 29, 2016 aprox 6:30 pm would have been my second day of my three month fitness training at the YWCA in Brown Deer, Wisconsin. I paid $172 on Monday and your company withdraw $172 out of my checking account. As I was coming in this evening I knew I have only 40 minutes to get in and out before my next appointment. So I was in a hurry. I gave the CRS my id to scan and she told me that it inactive and that I was a non-member. Of course I told her that $172 was with drawn from my account and that I was active as of Monday. She said she had to call Jason. Jason said he was doing something at the moment soundly like I would need to wait for Jason. I told her to tell Jason to come find me I will be in the pool. So I proceeded to the pool. She said something, I told her to look up my account. While I was changing she came in and told me she was going to call the police while I repeated told her that I paid on Monday and I even showed her the withdrawal from checking account on my phone (now of course I'm angry because your staff failed to completed their job and this lady only recourse was to call the police, such a disappointment. It's not even that serious. I told her that I will see Jason on my way out or he can come find me if he is too busy because I'm busy too. When the lady left I proceeded to put my clothes back on because I knew the because am of African descent she is going to call the police, typical. What made me so upset was she kept calling me a non-member when I told her that $172 was taken out of my account and I showed her on my phone. If I was white it would not have been an issue. I truly believe that. You can talk to Jason to get the concluding details but I can say the police did come; another looked up my account and saw that $172 was withdrawn and that in fact I was a member; Jason finally came after the police; the other ladies figured out the problem which I believe the first lady should have done instead of expecting me to wait for Jason who said he was working on something else and it will be a while. I heard him say it. Anyway Jason apologize; I'm not cancelling my account. I'm just disappointed at the lack of attention to detail (my last name) and failing complete the enrollment process. Rosalind Roberson (Roberson) member # 35170

I have a problem with the local YMCA denying my request to join their Marathon Event May 13th and 14th in Prescott Arizona. They advertise businesses to come join them in sponsoring a booth and advertise its a great way to present and advertise business to the community. They denied my request because I do Boot Camp style physical fitness.

My problem here is there was no disclaimer in the event documentation and I feel there is no competition.
The YMCA is a non-profit organization. Meaning there supposadly is no profit made. So if there is no profit then how could my business be a conflict?
I am seriously considering a complaint to the Prescott Chamber of commerce and a law suite.
If this YMCA is indeed in it for profit and not a community service as the YMCA has always advertised, then that is fraud and tax evasion.

I hope you will set this right.