Post by OnCrime on Dec 27, 2006 18:26:14 GMT -5
I am sure many of you are saying the same thing I am, "I'm going to loose weight in 2007..." When picking a gym to join, please be careful. Today, 6 News reported about gym complaints and they remind us to check with the Better Business Bureau before doing business with companies. www.charlotte.bbb.org/
6NEWS / WCNC.COM
In the last seven days, on average, most of us gained about five pounds. You might feel better about that once you are on the tread mill. That's if you don't feel like you are getting the run around, cheated or wronged by the new gym you joined. The Better Business Bureau says this is their busy season for complaints when it comes to gyms. We sat down with one of the women who called the BBB for help.
"I'm very mad. I'm still very mad," says Rhonda Bailey. She’s the mother of two teens and closing in on 50- years old. Keeping after her health and up with her teens is a priority so Rhonda decided to join a gym. With cost and convenience her top twp factors, Rhonda felt both of those were met in a nearby Peak Fitness.
"It was exciting. It was like now I am under control and empowered. I thought a trainer would be the best way to do it. So, I signed a contract that said they would provide a trainer at 7 p.m. on Wednesday nights," said Rhonda. But there was a problem. She said her trainer was often a no show. Eventually Rhonda decided to stop going.
“I talked to her (the head trainer) and I said 'I can't come here any more. I am not going to come back to this gym. I am just going to go to the 'Y', it's just easier, but I don't mind paying out my contract until August, just please make sure that I don't get automatically renewed,’" Rhonda said.
But Rhonda says after her contract expired, Peak Fitness continued to charge her credit card until she called the Better Business Bureau for help.
Tom Bartholomy of the Better Business Bureau says he hears these types of complaints about gyms often, "Most complaints that we get about fitness clubs come down to that contract."
The BBB revealed that Peak Fitness has wracked up 63 complaints in the last three years alone. The BBB gives Peak Fitness a grade of “unsatisfactory.”
The BBB also points to Bally's Fitness, the Central Ave location in particular as another “unsatisfactory” with seven complaints unanswered.
As for Rhonda Bailey, though discouraged, she says she isn’t going to give up.
"Of course January 1st is right around the corner, so I'll try again, but it won't be there," she said. Late Wednesday, Bally’s called to tell WCNC that after our inquiry, they plan to resolve each and every complaint with haste. They blame the delay on a communication snafu. Matt Messinger, spokesperson for Bally Total Fitness released this statement to WCNC: "Bally Total Fitness is a member of, and maintains a strong working relationship with, the national Better Business Bureau. We were previously unaware of any local concerns by the Charlotte Bureau.
Bally is committed to working diligently with the Bureau to promptly resolve any and all inquiries. We have directed the Charlotte Bureau to forward all future inquiries to our corporate office to ensure that they are resolved as quickly as possible."
Peak Fitness has yet to return our call.
There are three easy ways to protect yourself. The BBB recommends that you do a little research on other customers’ experiences first. You can do that by logging onto www.bbb.org
Also, take a tour of the facility at the time you plan to work out. A gym toured in the middle of the day can look very different at peak work out times. Also compare contracts. Some gyms will lock you in for three years with little or no wiggle room. Others will let you go on a month-by-month plan. Comparison shopping can really pay off.
www.wcnc.com/news/local/stories/wcnc-122706-cls-gyms.4fa78a08.html
6NEWS / WCNC.COM
In the last seven days, on average, most of us gained about five pounds. You might feel better about that once you are on the tread mill. That's if you don't feel like you are getting the run around, cheated or wronged by the new gym you joined. The Better Business Bureau says this is their busy season for complaints when it comes to gyms. We sat down with one of the women who called the BBB for help.
"I'm very mad. I'm still very mad," says Rhonda Bailey. She’s the mother of two teens and closing in on 50- years old. Keeping after her health and up with her teens is a priority so Rhonda decided to join a gym. With cost and convenience her top twp factors, Rhonda felt both of those were met in a nearby Peak Fitness.
"It was exciting. It was like now I am under control and empowered. I thought a trainer would be the best way to do it. So, I signed a contract that said they would provide a trainer at 7 p.m. on Wednesday nights," said Rhonda. But there was a problem. She said her trainer was often a no show. Eventually Rhonda decided to stop going.
“I talked to her (the head trainer) and I said 'I can't come here any more. I am not going to come back to this gym. I am just going to go to the 'Y', it's just easier, but I don't mind paying out my contract until August, just please make sure that I don't get automatically renewed,’" Rhonda said.
But Rhonda says after her contract expired, Peak Fitness continued to charge her credit card until she called the Better Business Bureau for help.
Tom Bartholomy of the Better Business Bureau says he hears these types of complaints about gyms often, "Most complaints that we get about fitness clubs come down to that contract."
The BBB revealed that Peak Fitness has wracked up 63 complaints in the last three years alone. The BBB gives Peak Fitness a grade of “unsatisfactory.”
The BBB also points to Bally's Fitness, the Central Ave location in particular as another “unsatisfactory” with seven complaints unanswered.
As for Rhonda Bailey, though discouraged, she says she isn’t going to give up.
"Of course January 1st is right around the corner, so I'll try again, but it won't be there," she said. Late Wednesday, Bally’s called to tell WCNC that after our inquiry, they plan to resolve each and every complaint with haste. They blame the delay on a communication snafu. Matt Messinger, spokesperson for Bally Total Fitness released this statement to WCNC: "Bally Total Fitness is a member of, and maintains a strong working relationship with, the national Better Business Bureau. We were previously unaware of any local concerns by the Charlotte Bureau.
Bally is committed to working diligently with the Bureau to promptly resolve any and all inquiries. We have directed the Charlotte Bureau to forward all future inquiries to our corporate office to ensure that they are resolved as quickly as possible."
Peak Fitness has yet to return our call.
There are three easy ways to protect yourself. The BBB recommends that you do a little research on other customers’ experiences first. You can do that by logging onto www.bbb.org
Also, take a tour of the facility at the time you plan to work out. A gym toured in the middle of the day can look very different at peak work out times. Also compare contracts. Some gyms will lock you in for three years with little or no wiggle room. Others will let you go on a month-by-month plan. Comparison shopping can really pay off.
www.wcnc.com/news/local/stories/wcnc-122706-cls-gyms.4fa78a08.html