Complaint Review: LA Fitness Body Of Change

On July 27,2007, I met w/ the asst. manager of training to get info. on a personal trainer. Various aspects of the program were explained. questions were asked regarding my preferences for training. After some discussion I was asked how long did I want to use a personal trainer. I stated three months. I was then presented w/ a rate of $49.00 and a bonus of 48 free sessions. In my mind this was $49.00 per month. I gave my credit card and was charged an initiation fee and processing fee in addition to the training sessions for a three month period. At the time the total of $541.00 did not make sense to me, but I just attributed it to being exhausted from the strenuous workout just completed before the training discussion. I wasn't concerned at the time since I had not signed anything.

According to the manager, the computer was down and she could not print an agreement at the time. Once the agreement was printed, I would then have an opportunity to read it and make sense of it before signing it. Since I never saw a contract or signed one, I did not know about any of the terms of the contract that was secretly being created on the manager's computer as she talked to me.

In September I received my credit card statement and saw a charge of $392.00 and thought it was a mistake. I went in to the facility to question it and was presented with this contract for training for the first time. Without my knowledge, my signiture, from what I thought was a one time charge for training was used as an electronic signature to create a 12 month contract.

After several meetings with the new training manager, ( the original manager were replaced due to questionable practices) I was told that if I agreed to remain a training client, a new contract could be written and I would be refunded the charges for the contract I was not aware of. I was told this disputed contract would be cancelled and a new contract was created. This was done on Sept. 18, 2007.

To my surprise and disgust, my next month credit card statement showed charges for both contracts. I continued to meet with the training manager and continued to receive promises that the charges would stop. They continued to appear on my credit card. My attempts to charge back were denied since the signature on the contract was mine, eventhough I was not aware of an electronic signature and never agreed to it being used. since I did not receive a copy of the contract, I was denied my right to cancell or read the terms of the contract until two months after it was writtin. In addition, the name used on the contract is not correct.

It is now February and I am still seeking a resolution and refund of what is now $1700.00 in disputed charges. In addition the new training contract has been frozen and I am unable to use 15 already paid sessions on this card. I am now seeking legal representation and other victims of LA Fitness training who have been subjected to similar unscrupulous practices.

Lee
EAST POINT, Georgia
U.S.A.