LA Fitness Memberships Consumer Reviews - Page 3

WOODLAND HILLS, CALIFORNIA -- Called LA Fitness to check on rates for a tennis membership. Sales guy convinced me to go down there after I told him I was going to sign up a different local tennis club. Gave me the grand tour and beat the rate at the other club (after discussions with both the sales guy AND the manager) so we (myself and the g/f) signed up. Everything was fine for a couple months. Then we show up and they say we are not members of the tennis club, and from then on we were not allowed on the courts at all. Funny because my card kept getting charged.

Turns out the slime ball sales guy and his manager (neither of whom still work for the company) lied to us and told us we're getting the Tennis membership, but in reality we got some other type of membership. They KNEW all we wanted was access to the tennis courts, so it was a total scam from the get go (we told them we cared about NOTHING except tennis court access).

They refuse to refund my initial deposit, refuse to give us access to the courts, and are now trying to collect from me for two additional months of membership AFTER they stopped letting us into the club!! Of course, they were incredibly rude and confrontational when we tried to discuss it with them. Total scammers - stay away.

My local club got bought out and I went in to get transferred over. I was treated like a outcast by the front desk staff. When I asked to speak to the manager, a man named ** came out and was very rude. He first said he could help me and said I had to take my complaints up with my former club that was going out of business. When I asked to speak to his superior, he refused and said he only reports to the owner and his contact information is not available. LA Fitness need to hire more professional, competent, and courtesy people to provide an inviting and friendly first impression for new and confused customers.

LEEDS, WYOMING -- I signed up with LA fitness in Sep 2011. I unfortunately lost my job in November 2011 and continued to pay the gym until April when I could no longer afford and got in touch with them. After many, many, MANY letters, phone calls and emails my issue has still not being resolved even when doing what they asked to cancel my membership. They continuously send me threatening letters about owing money and I am overall disgusted with the way I have been treated and made to feel like a rubbish! Please be aware people to not join this gym, don't fall for their fake smiles. My issue is still ongoing and I don't want anyone to have to put up with what I have with them.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA -- They seem to deliberately make it difficult for people to cancel their membership. I called my local gym to cancel my membership and was told I needed to fill out a cancellation form and mail it to the gym. They said the form could be downloaded from their website or I could pick one up in person. I tried downloading it but either the site was not working or my account was not working. I called on the phone to obtain a cancellation form and was told I needed to come in person and speak to only the manager, who by the way does not work evenings or weekends. I work regular hours like most people, so how was I supposed to come in and meet the manager in person?

I finally got some free time and went in to see the manager, who told me that I did not need any special cancellation form and that I could have just sent a simple letter in the mail!! Well all of this process took 2 weeks and I have now been billed for another month's membership!! The manager refused to refund this month's charges, stating that their cancellation policy is "clearly outlined" in my membership contract. Really? The contract that I signed 2 years ago?

Why didn't any of the LA Fitness people who I spoke with on the phone multiple times in the past few weeks just tell me to mail a letter? Why did they keep redirecting me to the manager? My guess is they deliberately gave me the run-around in order to delay or prevent my canceling. It's a scam, IMHO.

LAKE WORTH, FLORIDA -- I just left the most unbelievable sales pitch I have ever witnessed in my entire life. After entering the LA Fitness sales center in Lake Worth Florida. I was greeted by an eager sales person who began to ask the usual questions and give the usual sales pitch. I was up front with the sales person and indicated that I currently have a membership and gave him the price I was currently paying. ($19.95 a month) His response was we can probably come close to that. Well after listening to him go on with his presentation he wasn't in the ball park. That's when the manager got involved.

He did present an offer that was enticing but of course I had to sign up today. I wanted to think about it and told him of my intentions. Again he said the deal was only for today. My response was I was sure if I came back he could match the offer. (You would think they could use the business) I just wanted to make sure it was something I wanted to commit to. When I refused to do the deal right then and there the manager began to get vulgar. Profanities began to spew from his mouth. The worst part it was in front of my 16 year old daughter. For such a large corporation I cannot believe the lack of professionalism this person showed.

POWAY, CALIFORNIA -- As anyone knows that has tried to cancel a membership with LA Fitness, it is damn near impossible to do. If you call the corporate headquarters, expect to be "€œaccidentally" hung up on when they are transferring you. Also expect rude customer service agents, and nothing but the runaround. After three months of this crap, I was forced to close my bank account and open a new one so they could not withdraw money from me. Within a week, I got a letter in the mail saying they were unable to process my payment. Because that children, and women may be reading this, I won't tell you what I told them to do with the next letter they sent me.

Bottom line, I think this is the only way to get them from taking money from your account when it is clear that you are trying to cancel your membership.

I've read nightmare stories about canceling LA Fitness memberships. At first I could not understand why people were having such a hard time canceling their memberships. It's as simple as filling out a form, placing it in an envelope, throwing a stamp on it and dropping it in the box. Approx. 3 weeks after doing so, I have not heard from LA Fitness and am getting the usual runaround every time I call. "We have no record of your forms on file." (Exactly the line from the nightmare stories.) The member services rep says, "It usually takes about 2 weeks to get here and process."

Two weeks from NJ to CA via snail mail, and for someone to open it and push a few buttons in the computer to cancel auto billing. (Could this not be done over the phone? VIA fax?) The form doesn't even require a signature.
There's no way to prove it because it's been shipped standard USPS. (For all I know it could have been lost/not processed yet/placed in the garbage.) So last week, I re-send the forms via CERTIFIED Mail so I know when it gets there.

To avoid being charged another month for an already cancelled membership, I freeze my account over the phone. I figured if I'm going to lose money $10 is better than $34. Several days later, they call me up to update my credit card info but I refuse. Later that day, I call to inquire the status of my account and it's magically active. How about that? What a mess.

COVINGTON, WASHINGTON -- I called in to cancel my membership, and I was told it could not be done due to ID protection. They had trouble with kids or others canceling a membership. You can only cancel from 9 am to 5 pm, and it must be in person. You will also be paying/prepaid month ahead of when you are canceling. I was able to cancel in person with only my keycard and no other ID. There is no reason it can't be done over the phone. I might have rejoined at a later date, but this is the second worst customer service I have ever had. I consider preventing something being done over the phone for customer retention only unethical business and a waste of time.

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS -- I was member of Bally Total Fitness. I had cancelled my membership with them. If you search on them they are 1 star rating. Now they are bought by LA Fitness. Out of nowhere they started charging me money even though my membership is expired with Bally Total Fitness. They are as useless as Bally. I called them to cancel my membership and they said I need to go to some club to cancel as they cannot do it online. I can login to Bally but it forwards it to LA where I cannot login. What a mess. Very dishonest company.

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA -- Shame on LA Fitness... I have had a membership there for at least 10 years. It was a $99 a year membership. When they called my husband to remind him that his membership had come up for renewal, I went in to renew his membership and mine. It was then that I was told that my membership had lapsed 4 months ago... I did not get a notice in the mail. I did not get a phone call... I did not get an email... So now they are telling me that I can pay $799 and get the $99 yearly renewal. Yeah, right.

They tried to tell me that they did not have my phone number but when they were looking up my husband's information, they typed in my home phone and my husband's, my daughter's and my name came up. Yeah, right. My suspicion... they deliberately let my membership lapse because it was only $99 a year. Shame on you LA Fitness.