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LA Fitness International review: rip off 13

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3:17 pm EST
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I recently bought a membership for my wife for her birthday at LA Fitness. We went together and signed her up. They gave us a pretty good deal, (cut the membership fee down and threw in childcare), plus we could cancel anytime and I could go and try out the facilities for a couple of weeks myself. Everything seemed to be ok. Then the very next day my wife went to try out her new membership and someone talked to her about teaching her how to use the machines to get the maximum benefit out of her routine. They talked her into signing up for personal training. Having just recently come to this country she didn't have an expert knowledge of the language. She really didn't understand what she was signing and because we could cancel our membership anytime she thought we could just cancel the personal training anytime. After we got the credit card statement we talked about it and looked at the paperwork she had and realized we were locked into a contract for 12 months at $160 per month. She immediately called to find out why they didn't explain all this to her. They told her she signed a contract and that she knew what she was signing because they explained it to her. If she didn't like it she had 3 days to cancel it after signing. After going round and round with them she told them she wanted to cancel the personal training and membership. Well they told her she couldn't cancel the personal training because she signed a contract. She could cancel the membership if she came down and got a form, filled it out, and mailed it to the corporate office but it had to reach them a certain number of days before the next billing or they would charge us another month. They finally agreed out of the 'kindness of their hearts' to let us pay half of the personal training contract to get out of it. My wife called them and asked them what kind of company they are running and if they could in good conscience cheat people like this. I understand that she signed a contract but it appears to me by all of the complaints I see that this isn't an isolated case of someone not understanding how this predatory company operates. There is a definite pattern with this company taking advantage of people. She trusted what they told her. Now she has a bad taste of America and thinks people here are always trying to cheat others. I filed a complaint with the Attorney General's office with the State of Florida but I have not heard back from them yet. I don't know if I ever will with just one complaint. Something has to be done to stop these crooks. I am more than willing to participate or lead some kind of action against them. Please contact me through this website. I am really glad there is a forum were people can expose ripoffs like this and maybe get together and do something about it.

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13 comments
Valerie
Valerie
, US
Jun 09, 2008 5:11 am EDT

Joined La Fitness on Nov 2007 also signed on for 12 months to Body of Change Personal Training .The training went well for most part then I developed Plantar Facilities and Heel Spur went to Doc and got treatment but still in severe pain and he recommend that I quit all gym activities . Sent a cancellation letter for my fitness membership also for my Personal training membership with Doctors letter via certified mail . Got email stating fitness membership cancelled but nothing of personal training called Corporate and she said they did not receive any cancellation for personal training or doctors letter even though it was in the same certified letter.

This company is a SCAM/RIPOFF .

I am going to take this further if my second doctor’s letter and cancellation is not honoured.

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Tom
,
Jun 11, 2008 12:44 am EDT

I joined LA Fitness around a month ago and decided to try Pro Results Personal training. The Sales Rep was very "enthusiastic" wrote a contract for 9 months and told me i could cancel it any time, without any penalties. After 2 weeks I decided to cancel it and contacted the Sales rep who signed me up for the program. He told me to think it over and said that I had two more weeks time before I can cancel it. So I said okay and waited two more weeks and confronted him again. By this time his attitude had totally changed. He was acting as if he did not even know me anymore, and was trying to ignore me. He said it will cost me 50% of what I owe for the next 8 months for terminating the contract, as it had exceeded 1 month! I was very shocked to hear this. When I read the contract I realized this part was in the "fine print", which I did not notice at first. When I ask him why he told me that I could cancel it anytime, he used sentences like "Did you read the contract?" and "Do not raise your voice against me" and started threatening me (talk about customer service!). Thats when I realized that all of this was big scam.

Luckily the "fine print" in the contract also said that if the total amount is greater that $2500, i had 45 days to cancel it, instead of the usual 30 days. The sales rep did not notice this and this is what saved me. When I asked him about this, he changed his story again. Now he is telling me that I need to send a written mail (30 day advance notice) to some address, and that I would me charged in the meantime. I searched the net found that in fact there were hundreds of similar complaints against LA Fitness 'Pro Results'. After doing a lot of searching, I was able to get the phone number of a person working in the main office. That person assisted me in canceling the contract in 5 minutes.

So my advice to anyone out there is that try to stay away from LA Fitness "Pro Results" Program. If not, please negotiate carefully. These people would do anything to bring in new customers by making false promises and rob them in broad daylight.

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Pissed
, US
Oct 28, 2010 6:17 pm EDT

Thier Fitness Training is with people who don't have a clue and all push the same training program on everyone AND you cannot cancel your membership. I'm getting billed $150/month when I don't have an LA fitness anywhere near me because I moved, but they refused to stop billing me.

They utilize high pressure sales with commissioned employees that only want to pressure you into making a snap decision that you can't take back for the next year! This in unethical and absolutely horrible customer service.

DO NOT SIGN UP FOR THIER TRAINING IT IS A RIP-OFF!

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Eric81
, US
Mar 10, 2011 10:27 am EST

They will continuosly charge account even after you cancel. the staff will pretend to help you but really do nothing. they are shady salesman and you cannot trust this company. they will literally steal from you. It will become impossible to cancel any training or memberships, despite the fact that they tell you they have a cancellation period. it has been so stressful to be helpless as they pull money from my account every month. i had to close my account and they call even though ive cancelled. i use la fitness in santa fe springs and the female in charge of selling training is shady indeeed.

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lila20111
, BR
Mar 10, 2011 2:25 pm EST

Ich hab letzte Woche ungelogen 8 Paar in Gr. 39 anprobiert und alle waren perfekt!

Normalerweise hab ich 39, manchmal 40. In 39 waren sie ok.

Der Online Shop hier: http://www.uggbootshop.de/

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killacam
Dauphin Island, US
Oct 20, 2010 9:15 pm EDT

IM A PRO RESULTS TR MANAGER AND I LOVE MAKING MONEY. But I do not lie or make false promises, you idiots should ask questions and read agreements that YOU signed.

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trainer34
Frankfort, US
Mar 12, 2010 7:58 pm EST

Give me a break. Do you buy a car without reading the contract? Did you buy your home or sign your apartment lease without reading the contract? I'm guessing you're the same people who call your credit card company infuriated when they charge you a late fee when you did in fact pay your bill late! It's a company trying to make money just like any company trying to make money. Smarten up and read the contract!

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anonymous00
x, US
Dec 18, 2009 5:57 pm EST

Step 1: go to a chiropractor
Step 2: ask chiropractor for a letter stating that you are not allowed to do any physical activity because of severe lower back pain
Step 3: call the cancellation number
Step 4: when they ask you to fax over the letter from the doctor, do so

They will process it pretty fast. Next you just have to cancel your membership and you're good to go. Important: make sure that when you cancel, you send in your letter using certified mail.

Good luck!

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angelmai
, US
Jun 16, 2009 3:29 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I experienced the same thing here in California. The verbal agreement we have does not coincide with what is in the written contract. Then they argue that you signed up for it! When you're in this situation, you place TRUST in what the trainer tells you, and you sign for it... only to find out later on that it is different than what is on the contract! To date, they have defrauded me of $785.

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Kathi
Seattle, US
Mar 26, 2009 5:01 pm EDT

I experience is the same as your wife's only I am a college educated 60 year old business professional. When I signed up for a year of personal training I was told that the charge was $360 for a year for a weekly half hour session for one year and i could cancel any time. When I signed up it was after a complementary assessment and I did not have my glasses with me. I told her I could not read the contract which she failed to inform me was in excess of $3000. Now reading the fine print I see that I will be charged 50% of the remaining amount. I was told I could use the sessions at any time but you loose the ones that you don't schedule.
I did not even notice that they have been charging me $175. per month for the last three months that I have not even used the sessions.

So were you successful canceling?

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PR girl
,
Aug 06, 2008 3:55 pm EDT

They are horrible and I will fight back!I have great connections to the media because I do public relations (PR for Film, TV and Film festivals)

I joined LA fitness December 07 and had my free personal training session where that idiot of trainer told me to lose 10-20 pounds...Im 5'8" tall and 125 pounds...WTF!
I yelled at him and told him that I will never come back again, because one of my best friends nearly died because of an eating disorder.

So, the next day they called me to ask if I was alright and I said no and that I wanted to cancel the membership immediately.After trying to convince me to stay they finally agreed to send me the form. I never received anything, so I called them and they said I should go online. I did, but i didn't wanna set up an account so I called them again and the lady told me that the problem will be solved. they will call me back.
because I was graduating I didn't have the time to follow up with them.

when I canceled in MAY(!) my Swiss credit card they started calling me non stop. then I realized that they have been using my card all the time, because I was so stupid to slide my card once over there!Since then I was sent from one place to the other and apparently all their printers are out of order...sure, but they still can print out applications!

I'm working for a PR guy and he discovered in 1989 a major scam with the parking meters in LA where the city had to pay over 15 million dollars back to the people that got parking tickets at manipulated parking meters. He is very well connected and we are going to the media now. If you want to be part of it let me know.I'm trying to collect as many angry people as possible!

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PR girl
,
Aug 06, 2008 1:09 pm EDT

Hey.I got tricked as well.I'm trying to cancel my membership now for almost 6 months and they used my credit card without me knowing it, because I slided it once when I signed up. Don't ever DO THAT! They are sending me from one center to the other and all the printers are out of order...yeah and Pigs can fly!

I'm going to the media now, because i do have great contacts to the media.I'm working for a PR guy that discovered a huge scam in 1989 when the city of Los Angeles was manipulating the parking meters. The city ended up paying over 15 million dollars back! If we all stand up together we can make a change.
If you like to be part of this story send me your email address and I will keep you up to date!

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Sal
,
Jul 30, 2008 3:44 pm EDT

Can you please give me the number you used to cancel your service as well?

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