Planet Fitness

Public complaint regarding what I deem an unscrupulous tactic. I noticed a pf charge on my account & contacted the club immediately given that there's still an active pandemic in dekalb and gwinnett counties in georgia which is where my gym is located has been deemed among the highest. I contacted the local club because surely to charge an auto renewal without any email to members especially during this time was not a good policy coupled with the club having been closed (rightfully so) and to please cancel my membership immediately and to refund my account. The local employee suggested I reach out to corporate because they were told that under no circumstances to issue refunds and I expressed that this was an unscrupulous policy.

I proceed to write to corporate noting the above and this:
"before I take any additional action I am requesting that my account be credited immediately. How this is handled will dictate my desire to resume membership when conditions warrant and how I communicate my experience. Now is not the time to be on the wrong side of customer service."

I received this email from planet fitness

To:
Joyce larkins

Mon, jul 6 at 6:19 pm

Thank you for contacting us regarding your concerns with the annual membership fee charge. According to the contract signed upon becoming a member with planet fitness, which states "in order to cancel the billing of this annual fee, the club requires written notice and cancellation of your membership on or before the 25th of the previous month. The annual membership fee is fully earned when received and is non-refundable." we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you, however, unfortunately we will not issue you a refund based upon the contract you signed."

I responded to this email again expressing how unscrupulous this tactic is given the extenuating circumstances of an unprecedented pandemic that's taking place as well a publicly registering this to business bureaus and other media outlets. I am sure that I am not the only victim.

My response to pf email
To say that I am extremely disappointed in your practice is an understatement. This is an unscrupulous tactic given the extenuating circumstances during an unprecedented pandemic that's taking place. If you were truly interested in customer service you would have emailed your customers about the annual renewal reminder or to confirm if members wanted to continue just as you emailed about the closing of the gym. I am certain I am not the only victim and will be proceeding with registering and communicating this complaint.

I don't have a complaint as much as a suggestion. I know getting members to wipe down the machines is a constant battle. PF has great signage. What if you had small (12"?) sings made to look like a stop sign except in PF colors, reading, "STOP THE FLU and other illnesses. TAKE TIME to wipe down the equipment after you use it!"
I imagine these on posts at the ends of each row, or hanging from the ceiling tiles it rafters-tons if them.
Also, I've never heard one employee or trainer remind guests to wipe down equipment-even my first day when he was introducing me to the circuit. They should be constantly reminding, "thanks for wiping down the equipment-it's out way to fight flu".

The guy who introduced me to the equipment was in such a rush (I could hear his brain thinking, " just another fat lady who won't stick with it". ). Sorry but that was my impression.
Judy Logue
[protected]@satx.rr.com

I have been a member for nearly two years and pay $22.06 a month, and a $39.00 annual fee per year. I have no issues with the service I receive from Planet Fitness but do have issues when I see advertisements targeting new member and such reduced rates! My question/complaint is, does Planet Fitness not do anything to reward their most committed customers? As mentioned I have been a member for almost two years and I have never received any type complementary benefits. I completely understand the nature of how a business must operate in regards to generate new business. From conservations with other members it appears the backbone of your business is made up of other loyalty customers like myself, of which seem to never receive benefits or rewards from out continued loyalty.

Phillip Hembree

I write this with such a huge disappointment and mostly anger .
I wanted to join the gym on the 23/4 of Sep I was approached by a representative by the name of Tumelo Malambule who mislead me and advised that I will be able to gym with my daughter by paying R349.00 for the both of us, when i went to the gym that was not the case.
therefore he organised that i speak to the sales manager there by the name of Prosper Maphosa, who was by the way very rude. He didn't want to help, he just said Tumelo mislead us and if i want the cover with my daughter i must pay R749 which i will never ever afford. he then said i should send him a formal email which i did send on the 30th of Sep 2019. I have been following up with him to when will this membership be cancelled and no response from him.
i have explained that "The term in the contract that's preventing me from cancelling is an "unfair term" under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. It should be removed from the contract, allowing me to cancel my membership."
Taken that I was misled by your representative Tumelo Malambule. I believe this is a void and unenforceable if you are induced to sign any willfully false or misleading information, representation, or advertising by the gym.
I feel that I have been subject to aggressive and possibly illegal sales tactics.
I have been going to the gym and calling for him and still no response.

I was visiting my daughter in Augusta, Georgia and decided to relocate there. I signed up for a year membership. Shortly after that, I had to come back home to Wisconsin. I never used the membership in Augusta. Once in Wisconsin, I called to cancel and was told I needed to come in to cancel. I went to the Rothschild, WI center and they said they could not cancel my membership. I was never told I could transfer my membership to Wisconsin. I have paid for a membership for the entire year and I want to cancel my membership. I called Augusta GA and talked to Bonnita and she said I needed to come in to cancel. I don't live there. Then she said I needed to send a certified letter to cancel. I signed up for a year, the year is over and my membership needs to be cancelled. Sending a certified letter costs me money. I feel I have paid for something I never got anyway and cancelling should be as easy as calling to cancel. I would never use their facility ever! They are crooks.

I started a membership about three months ago and just recently have developed some medical issues that have caused me to cancel my plan. I was recently charged my annual fee of 40 dollars and the site where I had my membership refused to even consider a refund. The manager was rude and insensitive to my situation and feels that I do not even deserve the consideration of a refund. I have a hard time believing that Planet Fitness as a company feels that this is ok? I hadnt even been a member three months when this fee was taken out and I am not even asking for any other refunds but the annual one.