Bally Total Fitness
Reviews and Complaints

ALERT to anyone with a gym membership! I was recently a victim of a theft at Bally Total Fitness in Beachwood, OH. I entered the gym at approximately 10 am on November 11th and when I returned from working out, my lock was completely removed from my locker and all of my personal belongings were stolen! This included my house/car keys, cell phone, purse, gym bag and clothes. After scouring the locker room twice, I reported the incident to a less-than-empathetic employee at the front desk (and an even worse Manager!). I could only remember the number to my bank, so I contacted them to report my debit card and check book stolen. I next contacted the police and they promptly arrived to take my report. By the time I made it home (approximately 90 minutes later), the thief had charged $8, 500 on my credit cards and written two checks totaling $1, 500! Eight different merchants allowed this thief to use my credit cards that clearly stated 'PHOTO ID REQUIRED' on the backs of them!

I am writing to alert everyone of this crime and my terrible experience. Almost one month and approximately $10, 000 later, I am still not the same. I wouldn't wish this on my worse enemy. And the sad part is that the Detective handling my case does not seem motivated to catch the thief at all. He stated to me in our first conversation, 'I get 4 or 5 of these across my desk every week.' With such a poor attitude like that, he doesn't help my feelings of being victimized, violated, fear, frustration, etc.

I have not received any support or assistance from Bally Total Fitness. A contact in their corporate office stated that, 'this doesn't happen very often.' Since publicizing my story, I have met and heard of NUMEROUS people with similar experiences at Bally Total Fitness and other health spas.

So as the holiday season approaches and the economy continues to weaken, please be advised that the thieves are on the prowl. Please be careful and protect your personal belongings because Bally Total Fitness and others certainly ARE NOT!

CAUTION: DO NOT TAKE ANY VALUABLE ITEMS INSIDE THE GYM!

My name is Frank, on November 04, 2011 I went to Bally Fitness to pick up my wife ID that she forget to pick up after a visit. A Bally's employee told me that my wife would like to be a member. After a tour of the place, I decide to be a member. I also sign for a personal trainer which he talk me into. Its $89.00 1 time only. I found out later that Bally lied to me about my wife want to be a member. my wife said she don't want anything to do whit Bally. The next day I went back to Bally and cancel my member ship. They told me I need to send a written certified cancellation letter to Washington in which I did. Now Bally is still taking money out of my bank account. plus Bally send a bill for another 89.00 for personal training. Me and my wife never used any of Bally's equipment or a personal trainer. I tried to call Bally which was a wast of time.

While it seems like the only thing we can do is post on forums and complaint sites, this is not true! I think that everyone really needs to get together and try to bring this evil, immoral and corrupt company down. This is what I have done so far. Made copies of flyers and distributed it near colleges and even near Bally Total Fitness itself about my story. I also wrote an article about it online.

If the government won't do anything about it and if the Better Business Bureau won't do anything about it, no matter how many complaints they get, we have to take things into our own hands. I recently wrote an email to Michael Moore, the famous director and creator of award winning documentaries such as Sicko, Bowling for Columbine and Fahrenheit 9/11 through his website at www.michaelmoore.com or you can email him directly at mike@michaelmoore.com.

I know that this is a long shot, but it doesn't hurt to try. Maybe if enough people write to him, he will pay attention to us. He is a brilliant man. I believe he's the kind of person that personally reads his emails and will help if he can! So try it! You have nothing to lose. Meanwhile, the main goal is to inform people. If you see someone getting lured into Bally's, try to stop them from going in. The more people that knows about this, the more Bally's will lose business. Once they can't save themselves, they will realize what they have done wrong to have flushed their entire corporation down the toilet.

~Peace.

Numerous of times I’ve seen Bally’s staff using bolt cutters to cut open someone’s lock in the locker room. It’s really understandable if the lock belongs to you and somehow you can’t open your lock. My question is how do they know it really belongs to that particular member. These is the reason that I would not leave my wallet in the locker even though I use a lock.

Bally Total Fitness in Auburn, WA had outdoor pool with privet fencing around it; there were two gates with locks on them. Also there was a rehab center next door. The only way to get in the pool is through the locker rooms which obviously you need to check in at the front desk. In the summer of 2008 I was swimming with my 4 year old, I noticed a drunken lady walking in through the gate that supposed to be locked. I myself mentioned couple of times to the staff of Bally’s including a life guard that the lock is broken and strangers walk in any time they want to. At the end of the summer Bally’s still never fixed the fence lock. That same summer this lady went to get her things out of the locker & her car keys were gone, her things where still there. She ran outside & her car was gone too. She told me that she didn’t use lock; she had a gym bag w/clean cloth and keys on the bottom of that gym bag. Although she said she never used lock she just left her things in the locker. Not a smart thing to do, but still… I myself left my bag in an unlocked locker and thank God nothing was stolen. I learned my lesson since.

I was a member at the Ballys Total Fitness in Colorado Springs, Co and the same thing happen to me. I lost my wallet, rings, and watch. I really believe it was a staff person. Seriously the Gym is packed and how could no one walking in and out the locker room not see that someone was breaking into a locker. I did find a piece of my lock. It appeared to be cut. We I asked Staff if they had cut my lock they stated, they had open a lock for a member who claim to have lost thier key. The problem was that was my lock not this person. They should really ask to see ID once the locker is open to ensure that they are opening a true member's locker and not a thief.

It is completely binding unfortunately. I was a victim of this scam in 2001 and it did go on my credit report for 7 years, I only realized this when I tried to apply for credit and it came up. Bally's treats this like a "loan" its ridiculous. It was sold to a credit collection agency and they are still trying to collect the full amount although I only attended one month! I refuse to pay it specially since it is not in my credit report anymore.

hahaha

I know exactly who this cheap [censored] is. Her real name is Amy Venner and has a ### business selling organic crap that gives everyone diarrhea. Her website is organicbynatureinc.com. Feel free to email her at : asandoval@organicbynatureinc.com and tell her exactly how you feel about her wide-set vagina. Who knows? everyone who is a man, or can sit on a curb with feet long enough to touch the ground may get lucky. Just remember to wear a rubber, as you don't want your dick to turn green and fall off.

So was the prostitute you? Did he make you have sex with him?

You chose this winner...You sound loose.

Were you enlisted at the time you signed the contract? If so, you knew you would probably be shipped out, so you should not have signed a contract. You were not drafted, you chose to go into the military, so you were the one who entered a contract that you had no reasonable expectation that you could fulfill. Don't blame the gym for holding you to a contract that you willingly entered into.

Or maybe it makes more sense to you this way. Suppose you were NOT in the military, but you had PREPAID for an entire year of membership. One day, you go to the gym, and you find out that is closed for 6 months, because the entire staff were enlisted and all got called overseas. The note said, "we are really sorry. We didn't think we would be called to duty. We still expect you to honor your part of the contract, so we are keeping your money." Would that be okay with you?

By the way, I agree that Bally's is crap, but not because they expect you to honor your legal obligation.

Oh honey, you just wait till you try to cancel your membership. You aint seen nothing yet!

We signed contract with Bally 2 years ago. Nobody told me then that I'm "getting a loan" as representative named it few months ago. We moved few months ago (to be closer to work) and then I checked that nearest Bally center is 6 miles away from our house or office I tried to cancel my membership cause driving 6 miles just to exercise seems stupid. That's then I found out about the loan. I signed that contract but I had no idea that I'm getting a loan which I have to repay and it doesn't matter if I'm using their services. As I call it it is legal scam designed by Bally and I will never ever will be Bally customer again, it's not like I'm their customer now, no, I just paying my loan! I'm considering these payments what I have every month, as a reward to whoever had this idea and created legal scam these days in US!

Stay away from Bally if you want avoid paying loan back for three years! There enough fitness centers around where you can exercise for affordable month to month payment. Once again STAY AWAY FROM BALLY FITNESS!

My year long membership had expired back in Feb. but my credit card has been charged twice a $35 fee. I sent an e-mail and even went down to their Coney Island ave facility and had them check to see if it was really cancelled and that the billing would stop, and i was told it was. Now I have to go back down there. Never again would i join that gym.

This is an old post... I heard Bally's changed their name to Blast Fitness...

Ten years ago this company tricked me into signing a contract that I didn't know was for 2 years, the manager told me it was just to try it for 2 weeks, and I did try it for two weeks and didn't return. After a while we received calls from a collection agency that we had to pay 1, 200 but rose to 2, 000 with interest paid. after we had already paid, I get another letter that I had to pay another 2, 000. We canceled the payments and then we got a letter from the court that we ignored, and now I'm in big trouble because a judge ordered to freeze my checking account to pay Bally every penny we "owe", we need help, let us all proceedings against the company that cheats and scam people.Each day that goes by the court is charging me for cutting costs

I went into the Virginia beach Bally's just for information on services and rates. They said they had no literature but even though I was halfway out the door I was practically kidnapped as they wanted me to spend time with a rep. You'd think the place would have a ready made brichure with rates. Just happened on this site when i was looking for Bally's corporate site. i read enough to warn me off the place!

I should have listened to my husband as he warned me about Bally's Total Fitness. I am yet another individual who has been extorted by this fraudulent corporation. Their business tactics are completely unethical. I full-filled my obligation of working out 16 times within the first 3 months of joining in order to cancel my membership. During my first week with the club they were unable to make me a membership card as they claimed the machine was inoperable. I made sure I signed into a log book at the front desk as I had reservations about joining from the minute I entered that facility, I should have listened to my intuitions, that is my biggest regret.
Long story short, I cancelled the membership according to the stipulations written in tiny fine print and I had thought I had covered all the bases as well I was canceling the membership for good cause as well being that they failed to allow me access to their heavy punching bags during mid-day, which was why I joined the gym in the first place and I was adamant about having this amenity open to me freely and without restrictions. I was promised access to the punching bags at all times morning, day and night. My sales rep even told me I would never have a problem using any of the equipment at any time and in the event somebody did refuse me access he would quickly remedy the problem. That certainly was not the case and it was very apparent they cared little about my needs as a club member as during my third visit I was instructed the the punching bags were not to be used outside of the punch bag classes which I did not want to join. The sales rep acted as if we never had the discussion I just mentioned thus I cancelled, only after I had completed 17 total workouts, 1 over the mandated number being 16 to cancel a membership.
Shortly after formally canceling this membership I discovered they had not ceased in debiting my account. I immediately called their corporate office and was informed that they denied my cancelation, stating that I had failed to full fill my obligation of 16 workouts, as they reported me as having 15, one shy. I instructed them to check the log books for that Gym on specific dates and times letting them know the machine which prints cards had been down for several days during my first week of joining, I also gave them the name of the person who worked the front desk during that time period as he was the individual who stated the machine was done and who also handed me the sign in book per my request. They were not willing to look into this matter what so ever.
Conclusion: I had my bank close the card out that they were debiting and reported them for fraudulent debiting. Shortly after that I discovered they had reported me to the credit bureau. They then contacted me basically telling me I would have to pay the full amount of the membership and there was now nothing I could do nor were they willing to retract the reporting made to the credit bureau. I am disputing this of course but all of us need to work together and take Bally's out. How is it that our system allows this type of conduct to continue or start in the first place. Why are we also not entitled to report a corporation to a consumers credit bureau of sorts. We should have the same if not more entitlements than do the corporations. Who is there to protect us and how is it that are credit can be ruined, fraudulently without any recourse. I am disgusted..., but I am far from giving up on this.

It is Bully's not Bally's, . And it's time we make them pay for all of the unethical, illegal miss-doings they have enacted on so many good, honest people

Rhiana M.D

I agree fully - I was conned into signing a 48 session with the trainer and after 24 visits could not pay the ending amount of $700.00. I told them that I could not pay, lost my job and will not be training with them anymore. Even to take the money from my membership which I would forfeit - no - they wanted even 100 a month which to me was alot of money when you get laid off. I have since sent a doctor's note and still waiting to hear from them.

I agree with all the comments above. Bally's is a totally non professional extortionist kind of organization and it deserves to be closed down. I believe that if all of us cheated customers come together on one platform and file a combined law suit against bally's unfair practices and the unprofessional methods they employ to cheat poeple, it will at least deter them from repeating their unprofessional behaviour. Individually none of us can take them on for their Gangster type behaviour. But I firmly believe that If all of us unite and take Bally's management head on, I am sure we can get this organization of thieves to close down.
What says everybody?

This company is the Devil. I cancelled my account with them over a year and a half ago. It took me 4 months of talking with them several times per week, a folder full of faxes, many angry phone calls, and of course, eternal holding... finally cancelled, unbelievable! I finally did it! Not so much!...Yesterday I received a collection for money owed to Bally Fitness for 817.00 for my "unpaid" account. They told me that someone named Linda was a buyer that opened the account for me because I was not able to be there personally to open the account for myself. They also said I have not one, but 3 accounts open with them and 2 are actually in collections. I guess I'll get that bill tomorrow? I spoke with the collection agency and they said they are unable to drop the collection unless Bally sends them a fax saying my account is closed. When I spoke to a supervisor at Bally customer service he told me that I had to send them a copy of my drivers license and 5 signatures. Gee, I wonder what those crooks were going to do with that. I cannot believe this corp. actually gets away with this as a read post after post. I would like to join any class action lawsuit that might be happening. I will be speaking with an attorney about bringing one about if there's not one already.

I was completely scammed with my membership. I was conned into signing up for a 3 yr membership at $72.38 per month. Approximately 4 months later the representative came and told me that I should change my plan. The reason: he hadn't shown me any less expensive plans so that he could make commission ($100!). I went to the gym manager and was told well let that account default and we will just sign you up for a new less expensive plan. I called all over never getting any assistance. Well 3 yrs later I get sued by Bally's for over $1500, they settled for $700. I can't stand this company.

I highly agree! I hate Bally. If I had known that I would be swindled into a 3-year contract, I would have never set foot in the door. I was told that I could cancel my contract within the first 2 months. When I sent my statement to headquarters to cancel it, they claimed they never received it. I only had a window of 10 days to send my statement, and by the time I was notified that it was never received, 10 days had already lapsed. I actually wanted to sue the company, but I am still a student. Where will I get the money or resources to do that? It would be great if all the people in the world who have had similar or horrible experiences with Bally's shady tactics got together. I bet a huge group of us could coerce some change out of the big and corrupt corporation.

I stongly agree with this complaint. Ballys is an unprofessional organization and it should be shut down at this very moment!

They used to have a number in their Norwalk California location (562) area code but they recently disconnectd the access to customer service there. If you dial 0 it automatically disconnects you. They do that and extend their turnaround times to make a final monthly charge or two. If you cancel, pay for the tracking fee with the postal servce so you can identify when Bally's receive your notice and document. Indicate in your letter you will not be assessed further charges.

File your complaints with consumer affairs, and tweet the heck out of your issue to anyone. Try to protect unsuspecting future memberss/prisoners of their contracts. They are about to go out of business, according to many blogs.

Review your contract. The older ones should not identify any cancellation fees, especially if your contract has expired. Take it as far as you have to. This organization is one huge rip off while all you are trying to do is keep in shape. Put these types of business off the map - they are pitiful.

While it seems like the only thing we can do is post on scam.com, this is not true! I think that everyone really needs to get together and try to bring this evil, immoral and corrupt company down. This is what I have done so far. Made copies of flyers and distributed it near colleges and even near Bally Total Fitness itself about my story. I also wrote an article about it online.

If the government won't do anything about it and if the Better Business Bureau won't do anything about it, no matter how many complaints they get, we have to take things into our own hands. I recently wrote an email to Michael Moore, the famous director and creator of award winning documentaries such as Sicko, Bowling for Columbine and Fahrenheit 9/11 through his website at www.michaelmoore.com or you can email him directly at mike@michaelmoore.com.

I know that this is a long shot, but it doesn't hurt to try. Maybe if enough people write to him, he will pay attention to us. He is a brilliant man. I believe he's the kind of person that personally reads his emails and will help if he can! So try it! You have nothing to lose. Meanwhile, the main goal is to inform people. If you see someone getting lured into Bally's, try to stop them from going in. The more people that knows about this, the more Bally's will lose business. Once they can't save themselves, they will realize what they have done wrong to have flushed their entire corporation down the toilet.

~Peace.

Beleive me I agree Bally's is terrible with their equiptment as well as their staff and professionalism. I was cancelled because another member told staff my mother was using my membership card. Since we both have the same name they beleived this person and cancelled my membership without notifying me of any problems with anyone using my card. Which the only one with a card would be me, my mom had used guest passes from time to time but did not use my card. They should had checked with me and advised me that someone else was using my card if in fact anyone did use my card. The staff members lie and misrepresent the company.

Funny you mentioned that. I'm from Jersey too, and i've been to that facility too. For the most part they are ok. Don't judge the facility because of that one bad apple. Talk to the manager, he/she will do the right thing. Good Luck

I've been a member, for about 20 years, and never had a problem until now. I go to the Bally's Fitness at Wayne, NJ and the service person at the desk tells me, " You need to purchase a new card because the computer does not scan it, and i'm not going to type all the digits on your card, everytime you come here. Thats not going to happen!" I was shocked at the way she spoke. I told her the card is still in good condition, a little faded, but good. And it would be silly of me to purchase a new one, so kindly just type in the digits. She said, "This is the last time i will be admitting you in, because i will not type the digits again!" What customer service i tell you. No customer loyalty. 20 year member and this is what i get. Now i know why Bally's is heading down. And the funny part, is i had chosen Bally's over New York Sports Club, because i was trying to be loyal.

I had the same experience as Xavier D. lara - only crunch started to bill me again 3 years AFTER my contract expired. they wont stop billing me until I pay the back payments - but I dont owe them any money! They are insane and corrupt!