Crunch Fitness Crunchi is cheating me out of my lifetime membership (again) Atlanta Georgia
I've seen some postings here that seem to be supportive and sympathetic to what Crunch is doing. I think you people are misinformed. I joined Sportslife at its Windy Hill Road location in Atlanta in 1991. There were no limitations about what gyms I could use. I was told expressly that I could use all Sportslife locations. It was a guaranteed lifetime membership.
Beginning in 1991 or 1992, I got a job in Buckhead and started visiting Sportslife's Buckhead location almost exclusively. They closed the Windy Hill Road location. Some time later, after Crunch bought Sportslife, Crunch opened its Parkway Pointe location. I sometimes went there, but my principal gym was still Buckhead. I paid my dues at Buckhead. I was never informed that I had somehow become a "Parkway Pointe" member. That was certainly not something that I elected. I never had a single-facility membership.
I was told a few weeks ago that Parkway Pointe had closed, and that the members there were being transferred to LA Fitness. I didn't think of myself as a Parkway Pointe member. But, a few days later I got Letter #1, saying that I should contact LA Fitness for my future gym needs. I even got the same letter from LA Fitness confirming that. Then, a few days after that, LA Fitness wrote back and said that its first letter had been sent in mistake. Now, Crunch says I can't use the Buckhead gym...where I've been going for 17 years! I don't want to go to LA Fitness. I have not been provided with comparable facilities. This is obviously an attempt by Crunch to dump all of its non-profitable lifetime memberships....that it agreed to honor when it bought Sportslife.
This is the second or third time I've had Crunch play these games. Each time I have to hire an attorney and/or call the Governor's office for help.
Crunch's obvious intention is to generate enough hassle for us lifetime members that we'll be frustated and "go away." We won't, at least not without a fight. I question whether Crunch somehow "cherry-picked" into a "Parkway Pointe" category many of the lifetime memberships that it wanted to pass off to LA Fitness, now without success.
Surprisingly enough, Crunch Buckhead is still trying to get new members. I hope they read this first to see how they'll be treated as Crunch members.
Lee
Atlanta, Georgia
U.S.A.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Roger
San Francisco,California,
U.S.A.
Membership
#3UPDATE Employee
Sun, December 27, 2009
Hey,
I was just wondering how the fight went with Buckhead. Im not sure what else to call it since I work for Crunch, but Crunch no longer owns that location. I guess the new company that owns that location has made major changes. When it was a Crunch I heard and seen from pictures online that it was a VERY NICE CLUB...And I totally understand your desire to work out there.
While I am not a representative that can speak for the company, nor do I dare to assume that duty, I will say that Crunch appreciates their members, former, current, and future, and we want all of them to experience a gym that is different and capable of supporting their fitness needs. I also can not speak for Sportslife, or LA Fitness or how they handle memberships, but as a fellow consumer, I feel "lifetime" memberships have two definitions.... A. Lifetime of the business/location of said company in the contract signed, B. Lifetime of the member. Pretty simple.
Give us an update on your ripoff report. I personally would like to know how memberships were handled when clubs changed hands.
Lee frush
Atlanta,Georgia,
U.S.A.
Governor's office may be going to bat for us
#3Author of original report
Thu, May 07, 2009
I talked to the Georgia Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs yesterday. They say that if LA Fitness refuses to honor our lifetime memberships, Crunch has to "give us" gym privileges at Buckhead. That still doesn't address how I somehow miraculously became a Parkway Pointe member when I joined (Sportslife) at Windy Hill and always went to Buckhead. But, I'm glad to know we have advocates to help us. We'll see what actually happens. Anyone aggrieved about Crunch's activities should contact the Governor's office.