Planet Fitness

Jessica: I did not deserve to be treated the way I was this morning by you! I am not an unemployed beggar trying to get out of a gym membership fee but a recently retired executive enjoying traveling. To dress me down and humiliate me publicly over a $30 charge that I have tried in good faith to pay several times was unconscionable. Each time I have tried to pay it, you have blocked it. As you know: Last year while traveling, Bank of America replaced my debit card along with those of other customers due to a possibility of card hacking. Since I was out of town, I did not realize until about a month later that my gym dues were tied to the old card. I immediately went into my Planet Fitness account and tried to update the card and pay the balance then listed as $20. However it would not let me, so I called and talked to you. You stated it was probably because I did not have my email address on the account. So the next day I went back into the account and changed the card info, but the balance was now $40. So I called you again, and you said the charge was probably for the next month’s dues and that you would credit me $10 so my balance would be $30. But when I went back into the account it was still showing $40 so I figured it may take some time for the credit to show and forgot about it for a couple weeks. I then started getting billed for $40 and called you again. You said I could either send a check for $30 or wait until I came to town. I advised you it would probably several months before I would be home and could you just take out the $30 then and update my account. You said you could not do that. I did not want to send a check for $30 when the website and billing stated $40. It wouldn’t cure anything since I would probably still keep getting billed for a now $10 fee. Going to the gym seemed like the best bet. I came back a couple of months ago and went to the gym to exercise and pay the $30. Three gentlemen tried to take the payment, but the system would not let them. One of the gentlemen admitted this to you this morning. Since they could not take my payment one guy said “don’t worry about it now, your membership is fine”. And all along, Planet Fitness has been taking my monthly fees and annual membership dues out of my checking account regularly as they have in the nearly five years I have been a member. But they couldn’t take this $30 out and update my account. Today when I went in to the gym I was reminded of the $30 fee. I did not dispute the fee, I had just forgotten about it, but I do not carry money, credit cards or my cell phone to leave in the car when I go to the gym due to the frequent panhandlers in the parking lot. I only carry my driver’s license in my pocket. You however, insisted I go to my car and get something to pay the fee. Again, I said I did not have anything with me, but you treated me as if I was lying in front of other employees and customers, making a situation you made bad even worse. I then said I wanted to just cancel my membership and you can bill me for the correct amount owed. You said I could not do that. So I left. When I got home I found out you had restricted access to my account on the Planet Fitness website to, I assume not allow me to remove my bank auto withdrawal info. So I called my bank and had them remove it. You no longer have the authorization to remove funds from my bank for a membership I do not want and charge for services I do not use. Besides, I have moved a good distance from this gym and have only been using it because I like the people. You however have clouded that. Enclosed please find a money order for the $30 outstanding fee. I still don’t understand why you said you gave me $10 credit when your billing shows you did not have the authority to do so? If your goal was to humiliate old people and get them to drop their membership in Planet Fitness, you accomplished that with me. But one day, in the not too distant future you will be old and standing in front of a customer service women in heavy makeup looking down her nose at you with distain. Maybe you will remember me fondly then. Bradley E. Johnson