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Complaint

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Magie Spinno
Country: United States
I got a two week trial offer in the mail from Bally's Fitness Center, and decided to give it shot. When I came the employees told me they have a better deal for me and offered a 30 day trial for $5.

They assured me that if I want to cancel I can do it at the end of the trial period. The only condition was the number of visits to the center was limited to 12. I followed the rules and decided to cancel at the end of my 4th week.

When I called them to cancel they said I need to pay $62 for using the center for this month. I told them that the employees of the center I visited told me nothing of this charge and promised a $5 30 day trial. The lady told me to read my contract. And indeed I found this in my contract.

I had to pay $62 to Bally's Fitness Center but I will never be back. The employees need to be honest about their terms and not try to cheat the clients hoping they will never read what they sign.

Comments

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  • 0
    J.J.
    Thanks to all you for your comments. Our family will NOT be joining Ballys fitness. Everything we have read is NEGATIVE!   Thanks for speaking up!
  • 0
    j p
    why dont they tell these guys lifting dumbells not to slam them on the floor when there done lifting, they slam them on the floor so people will see how heavy they are.bunch of show offs i lift the same weight and don't slam them on the floor. are balleys employees afraid to do so?
  • 0
    MD
    After reading everyones complaints about Balleys; I see that the company has not changed at all.  I will stick with my gym on the job where I work.  At least I am not stuck with a contract and giving away my hard earned money to a bunch of crooks.  Thanks
  • 0
    cjones
    In plain simple english, BALLY'S IS THE WORST COMPANY IN THE WORLD!!!!  The owner is nothing but a scam artist.  He must love living with himself knowing that he is nothing more than a thief!!!  I hope he got scammed by Bernie Madoff!!!!
  • 0
    i feel 4 u
    dude just close ur account at that bank ... it is the ONLY SURE WAY TO STOP them from taking ur money.
  • 0
    FRED FLINTSTONED
    U MUST OWN STOCK INTHE COMPANY... MORON.. ITS A PIECE OF [***] COMPANY PLANE AND SIMPLE !!!!!
  • 0
    V
    I signed up for a Bally's membership that was supposed to be month-to-month, but was unable to go to the gym. After dealing with customer service a few times I sent them a letter asking to have my contract cancelled and followed up a bit later to confirm that it was. So far it does not appear that they have been charging me since my cancellation date but I have heard of people getting collection notices YEARS later after something like this happens. Now I'm terrified that it's going to happen to me. Their confirmation of an account cancellation says "we have received your intent not to renew". BS.

    DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES BECOME A MEMBER AT BALLY'S TOTAL SHAM. EVER.
  • 0
    tj
    FTC sued their debt collector back then.
  • 0
    Tammy
    I went to Bally and added a friend of mine for 340.00. i was told i have three days to cencel. At the end of second day, i went to Ball;y and request the cencelation. The Bally supervisor told me to put it in writing which i did. Then i called the main office and send the same cancelation letter. It has been 18 years and I never got my money back. I tried for a year os so , then i got tired but never got my money back.

    But today which is 9-1-2010, i found out that Bally club has taken whole year membership from my checking account and i came online to find out their ph.
    I am on the phone to find out how they made electronic charge on my account without my permission. but i am online for the last one hour ;havent talk to any one yet to find out.
  • 0
    SKINY
    i went to Bally about five years ago and added my daughter to my membership. My daughter didnt want to go to Bally, so i went there and request for cancelation. I called and called , send letter ;never got my money back.

    Afew years ago i paid to Bally, but i got sick and never went to club but wrote a letter to freez my membership untill i get well. But the asked for more money and told me that didnt get the letter. daaaaaaaaa. Why Bally never get the letter.
    Now liston to this which is so important. The Bally in West La has some parking out site for free. If you get to your car only a few second late, there is a two company waiting there and charge you 200.00 right there to pay or they will tow your car. This tow company take credit car ,so they have everthing right there to take you money if you dont have cash. They then send you a letter to pay rminding of another 250.00. so they charge you around 450.00 parking ticket. They are there until 12.300 AM when the Bally close. Now who give parking ticket at 12.30 AM AT THAT LATE OF NIGHT.
    PLEASE GO TO THIS WEBSITE AND REQUEST TO POST YOU.
    www.webcreativeusa.com
  • 0
    Gina
    Hey guys be careful and check it out. The
    Bally is taking money from your account automaticly. so if you went there in the past year, they may go to your account and charge you again.
    i just found out and they dont give your money back.
    WE NEED TO BRING A CLASS ACTION LAW SUE AGAINST THE BALLY. OR REPORT THEM TO CITY ATTORNETY FOR FRUAD.
  • 0
    Andrew
    Whoa lol, and to think I just registered for the free trial online. I did it before at the one in Jamaica, NY, I came and all they did was basically force me to sign a contract literally; when the first guy couldn't convince he went and talk to another guy to try to convince me lolz. I decided not to go. However, recently I registered again for another free trial at the Bally in Kew Gardens, Queens but I came here to check first and lo and behold! All these complaints about refusal to cancel and scam artist, all I can say is *&() that!! Sorry you guys had to go through that crap but thanks a lot for the heads up. I'm gonna go purchase some equipment by myself and start my own work out routine.
  • 0
    lv
    I was considering joining but I read all of the complaints all over the internet about Bally's and I said no way.  But still I went in to see what it looked like inside.  All of the employees were Hispanic, (nothing wrong with that) but the hispanic guy who was the sales guy had tatoos on each finger.  Looked like a nasty gang thing.  If you want to join something good, joing the YMCA.
  • 0
    Judy
    I just went through alot on the phone with Bally's about my year being up and I wanted to cancel my membership.  Low and behold they could not help me but to give me an address in Washington DC that I would have to send a certified letter to cancel even though my paper said 1 year committent.  I would honestly tell everyone not to join Bally's at any cost unless you want money taken out of your account.  I just sent the letter out today so we shall see what happens.  I am going to do a stop payment at my bank because I can not trust a company with such a bad reputation to wanting to take American's money at any cost.  Do not join Bally's.  You can not cancel your membership even when your time is up by phone, in person or a fax.  I was told you can only cancel my sending a certified letter.  This Bally's is in Canton, Oh
  • 0
    Mario
    My wife stoped by ballys to work out and was told that the member our membership had expired and was told that it would cost 140.00 to renew both membership so she paid the money to renew both are membership. Now they are saying that the amount that she payed was for one member only. They are a bunch of con artest.
  • 0
    jerry
    I had sane thing.but they told me it expired.i said i have life membership,how could it expire,got that strate.then they said i owed maintenence fees of 250.00.i told whem i had no fees just dues when gm using the gym.they did investagate.when i called back a couple yrs later it was gd n i just owed monthly dues.10.00 a month
  • 0
    KS
    Bally's recently withdrew a years's membship dues from my checking account without my knowledge, or my authorization. I discovered this when I tried to get money and was declined due to insufficient funds. I firmly told them they had no right to do that, my account was not even past due. I also refused to accept any offers they made and insisted they had to put the money back into my checking account. They did refund it last week.
    In the past I paid them using my debit card, so that's how that got the information, but I never ever authorized any automated debit, so shouldn't that be illegal?
  • 0
    Angela
    I HATE BALLYS!!!! THEY ARE LIARS! DO NOT EVER GO TO BALLYS!!! I WISH THEY GO OUT OF BUSSINESS!
  • 0
    Kiya
    I have had a membership since 2004, I hardly used the gym and I still paid over $500.00, and three years of membership, I was to renew my membership for 2008.  I renewed it for $99, in 2009 for $68.00 and for 2010 for $89.  Now they want to charge me $144.00.  They said that I agreed to the increase when I signed the contract and the employee who signed me up should of told me that there would be an increase on my membership dues every year and I was not told that.  The ladys locker room is filthy, there are women going in the steam room who do really nasty crap leaving their dead skin cells in there and nobody cleans it, repulsive! It is true the management and the "trainers" are not doing their job.  I asked a big African American trainer to explain a function of a machine in the weight room to me and he looked at me like I was crazy, told me that he would come back to tell me and he never did.  I am sure glad not to renew my membership. I am going to try a new Goldm's Gym that just open at a shoping center near my home.  I agree with Angela, Bally's should go out of business!  By the way...its true their trainer conducting the classes are way out of shape!
  • 0
    patrick
    I went in for a 7 day trial. A trainer took some info about my working out habits  and showcased the gym. Them comes the scary part. He takes me into a small room and shows me some of the deals they are willing to give me. I refuse any offers multiple time and then he leaves to get the manager. Now is the really scary part. At the time I am 18 years old and the manager is putting hardcore pressure on me. I state over 20 times that I am not interested in any deals and am here for a 7 day trial. He even lectures me and gives a parable or two. Tells me that I should not listen to my parents and I am 18 now.  For identification he takes my license and debit card.After a 30 min talk he lets me go into the gym to try it out and takes my debit and drivers license. After the work out I go into another room and am pressured by another employe lucky he was not to good at it and I flee the scene. Looks like I beat bally's business tactics and got a free workout. Recommended do not go to ballys, for a trial or anything; they pressure you until crap comes out of your pants. Luckily I had gone to the bathroom earlier and only peed my pants.
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