Complaint Review: Lady Of America

The Lady of America all-women gym located in Fort Lauderdale uses fraudulent advertising and pushy tactics to bind women into 3 year, iron-clad contracts on automatic bill-pay with auto renewal memberships. LOA Corporate will not support or assist in any way.

The gym is not worth a day of your money.

Never having joined a gym before, I was fed a false agreement to do a month trial which was pre-paid by debit only to find I had been bound into a 3-year contract with auto renewal.

Only visiting the LOA gym to have a look, a trainer offered me a "deal" for a month trial with no obligation to further membership. I signed a contract which at the time and in my presence only illustrated the one month payment. I was handed my receipt separately and the contract in an envelope while encouraged to rush home to change for a Pilates class which was about to start. The woman who signed me up left the company after about a week 1/2 of my month trial. No one knew why.

I attended the gym for the full month and felt that the facilities were poor. The gym was a one room activity center with machines on top of class areas which was terrible for noise issues. Several of the machines were frequently out of service. The "trainers" doubled as reps bringing in new members. I had decided to try the month trial due to their low rates and the simple desire to attempt a regular fitness schedule; however, I was not completely sold on continuing with a membership.

As the second month began, I had not notified anyone at the gym that I wished to start a contract, nor did I attend past the time I paid for. One week into this period, I noticed that LOA took a fee out of my account automatically. I called the gym to complain. I spoke with a trainer and explained my one-month agreement and that I did not authorize anyone to remove funds from my account. The trainer said that if I decided to stay with the gym, I could come in on the 20th of each month and pay my fee in person. I agreed, pending on the membership decision which I had not made. Unfortunately, at this point I should have realized what was going on, but due to not being part of a gym before and a busy schedule, I did not think of the issue only assuming it was an error on the company's part.

I did not attend the gym again. The next month began and LOA took another fee out of my account. This was the red flag for me and furious, I immediately contacted the gym. I was told the manager would contact me the next day. This did not occur. I called the gym a second time and got the manager on the phone in which once my complaint was heard, an argument began which felt more like an attack. I was told to read my contract, contact Membership Services or a lawyer.

I pulled the contract which I had not examined since the first day at the gym (a huge mistake as there is a 3 day law to cancel fitness contracts in the State of Florida). The woman who had signed me up wrote in a 36 month commitment (with auto renewal which is a tiny box) AFTER I HAD SIGNED. I attempted to contact LOA's Membership Services which only resulted in speaking with mechanical, unreasonable drones who refused any names or the right to speak to a supervisor or chief officer. I was told there was nothing they could do, I signed the contract, I was bound to it. I was told if I cancelled my debit card they would send me to collections. I was also told that everything I was stating was being recorded.

My last attempt to speak to someone with reason was their "Consumer Contracts Policies" individual in another state, Barbara Dunn. When I contacted Ms. Dunn and explained my issue, she asked me to fax my contract to her. I did and was then told that I was lazy for not have read the document in full before signing. She stated there was nothing she could do, that I was bound to it as she was. I did not buy this. I explained to Ms. Dunn that I did not agree to what was written on the contract and most importantly, what was written was not there when I signed. She told me to prove it. I asked her how as the gym will not communicate with me, Membership Services is like speaking to a wall and the woman who signed me up is gone. Barbara Dunn said that she would contact the gym and speak to the owner and try to work out a way out of the contract by having me pay a percentage. She stated she would call me back. Ms. Dunn did not call. I phoned her again and she stated that she had spoken with the manager who was the owner's wife and that she would have the owner contact me and this was all she could do for me in her position. No one from the gym has contacted me at all since this conversation.

As it stands and after much research, I have realized what a scam gyms can be. Unfortunately, I have obviously experienced this first hand now and understand the point of the frightening contracts these massive corporations have their lawyers draw up. I have been mislead and scammed into something I did not or would have ever agreed to.

I am presently investigating my consumer rights. I have found numerous complaints about Lady of America from all over the United States which reflect very similar practices of binding women into contracts under false pretenses. These fraudulent practices also branch over into their franchise agreements. Beware! Lady of America presents itself as a wellness center and is only out for financial gain!

Any individuals who believe they have been scammed by LOA, have filed a lawsuit, or can offer substantial legal advice, please post that info by using the rebuttal box below!

Thank you.

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Fort Lauderdale, Florida
U.S.A.