Private Workout ripoff fraudulently charges your bank account practices bait & switch with contracts then will not allow you to cancel Plano Texas
Private Workout advertises in newspapers, magazines and their website that you can join with a 60-day program and/or a 30-day program.
Once you visit their facility they will not allow you sign up for those programs, rather, they ram-rod the consumer into signing a contract. They advise you that you cannot possibly get into shape in 30 or 60 days, that you need a more comprehensive program.
They then ask you if you would like to join for a year or if you would rather have a "goal" membership. In other words, once you've met your goal you are no longer obligated and may cancel with no penalty.
They allow the consumer to read the contract, then ask you to sign it if you agree. After you have signed the contract they hand-write information onto the contract in script that is completely illegible. When asked what they had written on the contract they responded that they had given a complimentary membership to the tanning salon they own that is down the way from the gym.
After completing more than a year of membership the consumer is unable to cancel the program, they refuse to stop billing you even though you have canceled.
Additionally, at the time of initiating the contract Private Workout was given a credit/debit card number to utilize for payment processing. Somehow they were able to get the consumer's checking account number and begin debited directly from the checking account without utilizing the credit/debit card.
There needs to be a regulatory agency that polices the healthclub industry. These people are completely unscrupulous and they will do anything they can to continue to drain money from you, even if you have no intention of ever going into their facilty again.
Sue
Frisco, Texas
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Edith
Dallas,Texas,
U.S.A.
A reply
#2UPDATE Employee
Wed, January 14, 2009
Since Sue has chosen not to identify himself, it's hard for us to comment on his case, however, I will attempt to explain our memberships. We offer a number of programs but we have two primary ones. First is the REWARD program, where a customer pays a $199 membership fee, then $33 per month, and can cancel with a 30 day written notice. Then we offer something no other gym in the world offers: we ask the customer to set a body fat goal, in the range from 15% to 25% body fat; if the customer achieves the goal while a member with us, we REFUND THE MEMBERSHIP FEE! Then we drop your rate to $13 per month to maintain your fitness! We do that so you have an incentive to reach your goal!
The counterpart membership to this is the PUNISHMENT plan. It has the same $199 membership fee and $33 per month, but instead of paying it up front, we LOAN it to you! If you reach your goal, we will WAIVE it and drop your rate to just $13 per month! If you quit before reaching the goal, you have to pay it when you cancel... We offer this so that you can set up a "punishment" for yourself so that you stay working out until you reach your goal! After all, don't you join a gym to get in shape?
Both plans are popular, since few other gyms besides Private Workout even seem to care if you get fit after they get your money.... About half our members choose the REWARD plan and half the PUNISHMENT plan.
It appears that Sue chose the Punishment plan. Apparently she wants to quit, not because we did anything wrong, but because she is getting bored working out (as many of us do!) and does not want to pay the membership fee we loaned her.
We have never had a complaint like this from a member who purchased the REWARD plan, where they pay the membership up front! In fact, most of our PUNISHMENT PLAN members who do not reach their goal realize it is because they did not come and do their workout, not because we did something wrong. The few that cancel cheerfully pay the fee, being glad they had not had to pay it in the beginning! But we offer this plan because we want you to stay and actually reach your goal!
In this case, Sue seemed to be happy for over a year before all these unsupported claims arose. Apparently she got bored with our workout system, and she makes many unsubstatiated and unsupported claims that have nothing to do with the real issue, which apparently is the most important to her, the fact that she does not want to pay what she promised. We have lived up to our end of the agreement, apparently she thinks she should not have to live up to hers...
She worked out for over a year with us, so we must not have been so bad!
We have a unique and effective workout plan where you workout in private, don't require a workout "buddy" to be accountable, and it's all over in 30 minutes or less! While our workout plan may not be for everyone, we have had THOUSANDS of happy customers over the 5 years we have been in business. Maybe it will be right for you...!
Please check our web site www. privateworkout.com to see our innovative program!