Complaint Review: Twenty Four Hour Fitness

I am a 20 year member of Family Fitness/ 24 Hour Fitness. My 1992 agreement with them was called an "All Club" agreement. Those original terms state that I have I had access all gyms all the time with no restrictions.  I was even allowed to go to affiliate gyms and like clubs in other countries possibly for free or with a minimal daily fee when I would travel.
 At that time I paid a large up front fee. I also paid a fixed monthly fee that was equivalent to what was the going rate for a Health Club monthly membership fee at the time. In the beginning this was working capital for Family Fitness. It allowed them to grow and finally merge with 24 Hour Fitness. Over time my original fixed monthly fee has become a low fee when compared to what I would be paying if I were to join today. I intended for this to occur. They knew if I continued to pay my dues and didn't quit or die that this would occur also, that's how it was to work. I basically invested early and this investment should continue to pay off with all the original all club benefits intact including the low monthly entrance fee. The only time I should lose is if they failed. They seem to be quite healthy so a failure doesn't seem likely.

Today 24 hour Fitness is continuing to grow and is upgrading its clubs again.  About ten years ago they went through a similar growth spurt and started calling their new additions and remodels "Sport Clubs." In 2002 I paid  a one time $20.00 fee that included "Sport Club" membership. This AGAIN allowed me access to all the clubs the firm had/has. I was led to believe this would be the last time I would need to "upgrade." I was miffed that I was asked to pay this fee but it was one of those things where $20.00 wasn't worth the effort to do battle.

My work has taken me to a part of San Diego where they have just opened a sparkling new club. Again they have decided to rename the club. It is NO LONGER a "Sport Club" it is now a "SUPER SPORT CLUB" This time instead of a onetime fee, they are asking for an on going additional $15.00 per month fee to use anything termed "SUPER SPORT" facility.  They have converted two other locations to this new name of club, including the club I originally signed up at located in El Cajon CA. They are in the process of also converting another one of the gyms I also frequent that is close to my home to this SUPER type of club. It looks like eventually there will be only a few and possibly none of the regular "Sport" clubs left.

24 hour Fitness have somehow decided that I have Super SPORT CLUB access ONLY in the gym that I originally signed up at in El Cajon CA. They ARE willing to transfer my membership with my original monthly fee from that El Cajon location to this Balboa  Avenue Super Sport gym but according to them If I transfer my membership with its current low monthly fee and do not allow the additional $15.00 monthly fee, I would no longer be able to work out at an of the OTHER gyms in San Diego.

I will be speaking to them on Monday to find out what determined their ability to limit me from access to all clubs to just one now.

The bottom line is this. I ALREADY paid originally to reap the benefits of using ALL of their gyms. They HAD ALWAYS also promised to keep these facilities clean and up to date and functional while keeping my fixed monthly fee intact.

I EXPECT them to honor OUR original agreement so I can utilize any of their locations and keep the monthly fee at what it has always been.  I will let an attorney look at this if need be. I will post again when I have an update.