I have been going to Bally’s Fitness Center in San Francisco on Alemany for past 6 months or so and I have to say it’s a great gym until about 3 months ago when my fitness trainer left.

Usually, I don’t do posts like this but since my “money” was “had” by Bally Fitness I will have to rant about it right here on my blog.  Of course, I have heard tons of horror stories about fitness centers taking advantage of customers but here’s my horror story:

1. I signed up with Chris, who is a personal trainer at Bally’s Fitness Center about 6 months ago for 8 sessions of 30 minutes each.  (About $300 total)

2. On my 3rd session, Chris did not show up.  I left Chris a message to meet me next week and it wasn’t a big deal.  The next week, I showed up at the gym to find Chris there, except he’s working with another person!

3. When I approached Chris, he said he’s leaving the company and that he will get some “other” personal trainer to call me.  (No mention that my money should be refunded.)

4. About 2 month past and no phone calls from either Chris or anyone from Bally Fitness.

5. So  I talk to the “supposed” manager there Rein, and I told him I would rather have my remaining 6 sessions refunded or at least credited towards my future monthly payments.  Rein told me he would call his company headquarters and “call” me the next week.

6. About 2 weeks past and no call from Rein or anyone from Bally Fitness.

7. I went to work out today and talk to Rein, he told me he had the “wrong” number showing me his scribbles on his notebook.  (I didn’t get that part when my correct number was listed in Bally’s computer system, he must have been too “busy” to look up my number.)

He tells me, “It’s company policy, we cannot give out refunds for personal training.”    I told him to get me the number of the person who “signs” his paychecks so I can talk to the guy who has authority.

Rein tells me they cannot give out numbers of people in charge for security reasons.

Frustrated, I come back home and blogging about it, maybe I will get attention of some executives at Bally Fitness who care about brand image of their company.  (Yes, I would like my money back in my credit card, I worked hard for that, and I don’t want to work with another personal trainer at Bally period.)

At this point, I don’t care about getting my money back but the pain is that this whole process took about 2 and a half months without anyone really calling me back, they are just putting my money in their pockets.

I could simply decide to let go of this situation but I am tired of not being treated fairly, I rather let the world know about it and be aware of certain evilness when you sign up for personal training. (never buy a lump sum, buy 1 session at a time, change the company’s policy first.)

I went online and confirmed my experience at Bally Fitness as #2 on Google for the “Worst Fitness Center” in the world! I did also read some really horrible reviews on Yelp about this particular Bally Fitness and I am now regretting that I did not listen to the Yelpers.

Needless to say, I am very disappointed at customer service from Bally Fitness.

I liked “everything” until they took my money and ran. (ran hard)

For any Bally Fitness executives reading this, I would like for you to e-mail me (zedomax at gmail.com) so I can get my refund and spend it on something else.

If this situation gets revolved, I will update this post.

I just feel that in this hard economy, and since I have been going almost bankrupt at one time couple years ago, I want to get every dollar I make spent right, not paying someone’s wages for free.

If I were working at Bally Fitness, I would even take money out of my own wage to make the customer happy, that’s customer service and will grow the brand positively.  But taking customer’s money and telling him “wait, wait, wait….” is not going to solve problems and will eventually make your company the worst fitness center in the world. (Good thing I am not the only one…)

Okay, sorry for my consumerist post here, will have to get back to watching Masters! (@progolferdigest)

UPDATE: Okay, I found additional information from an former employee of Bally Fitness which might explain why I was treated like a 5 year old kid, these guys must stopped from doing further bad business and scamming people’s hard earned money:

I WAS SUSPENDED INDEFINATELY DUE TO AN INVESTIGATION INTO A BLOG. SEE CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM
I WAS PROMOTED QUICKLY BY BALLY MANAGEMENT AND WAS THE TOP NEW BUSINESS WRITER IN MY DISTRICT. I WAS LIED TO BY MANAGEMENT. I SAW FIRST HAND THE UNDERHANDED WAY PEOPLE WERE MANIPULATED INTO GIVING THIER CREIDIT, DEBIT, AND OR BANK INFO SO IT COULD BE TAPPED BY BALLY FOR THREE YEARS, THEN AUTOMATICALLY RENEWED IF NOT NOTIFIED. I TOOK ALL OF MY SALES RECORDS WITH ME. I CONDUCTED AN INFORMAL POLL AND 80% OF PEOPLE WHO DID BUSINESS OR NEW OF SOMEONE THAT GOT INVOLVED WITH BALLY WISHED THEY NEVER WALKED THROUGH THE DOOR. I HAVE RECORDS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE PAYING FOR TWO MEMBERSHIPS. WHEN I NOTIFIED MY G.M. MR. JOEL RODGRIGUEZ HE WOULD LAUGH AND SAY “WE OWN THEM NOW” AND DON’T GET CAUGHT UP WITH CUSTOMER SERVICE, HE THEN HANDED ME A STACK OF 1-866 TOLL FREE NUMBERS AND I WAS TOLD TO NOT WASTE MY TIME. TIME THAT COULD BE USED TO SIGN NEW MEMBERS. I CALLED THIS NUMBER. I CALLED FOR A MEMBER WHO’S NAME I HAVE TO STOP A DOUBLE CHARGE AND THIS NUMBER TOOK ME THROUGH THE MOST FRUSTRATING MAZE. I COULD NOT BELIEVE THIS COMPANY THE “HARBINGER GROUP” A HEDGEFUND COLLECTION OF WALLSTREET VENTURE CAPITALISTS COULD GET AWAY WITH THIS. IN MY OPINION IT SEEMED NOT ONLY IMMORAL, BUT CRIMINAL. I WAS LIED TO AND TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF AS AN EMPLOYEE, BUT IT DOES NOT COMPARE TO WHAT I WITNESS FIRSTHAND. I AM ORGANIZING MEMBERS OR FORMER MEMBERS BECAUSE ONE VOICE CAN BE DISMISSED BUT HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS CANNOT. I HAVE NOTHING TO GAIN. MY JOB WHICH PAID QUITE WELL COULD NOT JUSTIFY USING THE BALLY SALES PRACTICES. I HAVE VOLUMES OF INJUSTICES INCLUDING ALL PERTENENT INFO. I HAVE STARTED TO MAKE INROADS AT THE ATTORNEY GENERALS OFFICE ON BEHALF OF MEMBERS AND FORMER MEMBERS. THE HARBIGER GROUP HAS ALREADY SETTLED CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS IN OTHER STATES. IF YOUR IN MASSACHUSETTS AND FEEL YOU HAVE BEEN “SCREWED BY BALLY. EMAIL BALLYRIPOFF@LIVE.COM I AM COMMITTED TO CHANGING THE WAY BALLY DOES BUSINESS. FOR EXAMPLE BALLY HAS LOST A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT IN ONE STATE, AND IF THEY WANTED TO CONTINUE TO DUE BUSINESS IN NY STATE THEY HAD TO MORE THAN DOUBLE THEIR THREE DAY “BUYERS REMORSE” TO SEVEN. THIS IS A PREDITORY CORP THAT SUMS UP THE GREED ON WALL STREET THAT HAS RUINED OUR ECONOMY IT’S PRACTICES LIKE THIS THAT CAUSE THE TAX PAYER. YOU AND ME TO BAIL THE WALL STREET ELITE OUT WITH OUR MONEY. THE GREED AND TOTAL DISSREAGARD FOR MORALITY IS UNBELIEVABLE. IF YOU WANT EXAMPLES’ CONTACT THE EMAIL BALLYRIPOFF@LIVE.COM

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