Training sessions never received but paid for

I joined Bally Fitness Center in on Robinson Road in Amherst NY. When I signed up with my two kids who just turned 18 I was told they would get a free session with a trainer and I would get one free session and I paid $89.00 for 2 more sessions. I never got those sessions. I was told one of the trainers would contact me the next day after 5:00 pm. It took 3 weeks for someone to call and she only wanted to work with me and not my kids. Keep in mind that you sign something that says they are not resposible if you get injured. Well I wanted the trainers to show my 18 year old son and daughter how to use the equipment before we started working out. They never got that and the trainer cancelled my session twice and could not give me hours that were convenient for me. I found out after that they were having a problem with that trainer and they were also under new management and the person who I spoke with when I called on the phone said they were all trying to get use to the new managment. I understood but why should that affect my memebership. I called to cancel and they told me they do not deal with the money or refund I wanted to get for the training never received by the second month. They told me to call the main headquarters at 1-800-402-2559. Well the man I spoke to there told me I would not get a refund and he was very rude. He was not concerned at all about the fact that I did not get the services I paid for. He told me to call back to the club I joined and I did and the manager was nice but told me they have to give me the refund. He also told me that my policy said that if I was not happy I would get a refund for the training I never received. He called another main office and spoke with them and told me where to write and what to say to get my money back. I wrote the letter never heard from anyone. I have not received a refund and never got the services. Although after I quit another trainer called me and wanted to schedule something for me and the kids. I thought that was funny, he had no idea I had given up my membership. Really it takes almost 2 months and a letter of cancellation to get a trainer to work with you. When people sign up for a membership it is a big decision and you cannot put them off. You need to get them in there and start the program that is best for them right away if you want them to stay members. Isn't the point of a health club to try and encourage people once they join and to make them feel comfortable there. Never happened at this Bally. It was nothing but a ripe off of my money for me and the kids. My daughter is a diabetic and I thought it would be good for her and also for my son. My husband was thinking of joining later but not now. They lost all of our business and the people we have told about this. I could not believe the lack of concern the main office out of state had for me especially with all the problems they were having at this facility that the people working there voiced to me when I called each time. It sounds like an internal problem that I ended up paying for and not getting anything for it. It had been awhile and I never got a call from the letter I wrote requesting my money back and my daughter still gets emails from them. Hello, what don't they get that we are unhappy with. I think a phone call from the main office would have been nice but I guess customer satisfaction or dealing with complaints is not a strong point for Bally. They made me feel like I was wrong instead of taking ownership for the way the do business. We are in the process of still looking for a decent health club that as a familty we would all feel comfortable going to, meaning that if we had a problem they would help us to solve it by working with us unlike Bally. They just take your money and run and don't want to bother with you.