Complaint Rating:

Company information:
LA Fitness
United States
www.lafitness.com

My wife joined and was given a hard sell billed as an orientation to sign up for personal training. This turned out to be an automatically renewing contract which would cost $ 5000 / yr.

She did not actually read it and stupidly signed!

Once your name is on the dotted line, you are dead! They refuse to let you off except by the contract terms which are for 50 % of the remaining cost. At 50 % of the first 6 months (which I calculated as $ 1250), this is pretty expensive, but LA Fitness figures this at $ 1550 since the first month somehow doesn't count as remaining. This has so far cost me $ 1700 without actually having a personal training session. (The wife tried to schedule one, but the trainers are never available - and if you don't get them in, you also pay.)

Same problem in quitting my membership. Sent written notice by certified mail (as they require) and still they try to charge my credit card for monthly dues.

No toll free number - no customer service. Their marketing philosophy seems to be to offer a low price and "month to month" contract and then scam you for anything they can.

If you join just say NO, NO, NO, and don't bother to take any "orientations". If you quit, cancel whatever credit card you gave them immediately and be sure to send the cancel notice by registered mail as they will be sure to "lose" it. If someone says they will "take care of cancelling" over the phone, tape it because I can assure you they are lying.

Even though you can never contact them by phone without being on hold for an hour, be prepared to get twice daily phone calls from them on your cell.