My problems with Fitness Connection began when their billing department made an error (what I now know was deliberate) with my recurring monthly charges. Instead of debiting my account on the date as specified in my "contract", the billing department did not attempt to debit my checking account until a week or so after the set due date for my monthly payments. Subsequently, I began receiving several collection calls stating that my payment was past due.
The following month, I cancelled my membership by sending a letter to the gym where I opened my membership. The cancellation was made prior to the next billing cycle, however I was still charged a fee for doing so. Of course, both the Texas office and the local gym location had no record of my letter of cancellation. Also, I was charged for the month that the cancellation was made. When I tried discussing these billing discrepancies to Martha Velazquez, I was treated very rudely and unprofessionally. This girl's attitude is outright nasty and distasteful. She made one excuse after another for why she could not get in touch with me. The situation become so heated, the CEO, Jeff Skeen became involved. This is when things went from bad to worse. This skalawag refused to own up to his company's deceptive billing practices. Who would? If my fitness centers were suffering financially nationwide, I would not admit to a member or former member that I was lying, stealing and cheating. This is what Skeen has to do in order to make up for financially losses with Fitness Connection. I went back and forth with this clown about his company's billing practices, and the impact to my checking account in which those illegal practices caused. My account is now closed due to an unauthorized debit, which eventually caused several of my bills to be paid late or returned. The checking account has been turned over to a collection agency and Jeff Skeen is going to pay for this! I used to have a 728 FICO score, but not anymore and thanks to Fitness Connection. The collection is the only negative credit item on all three of my credit reports.
Based on Internet searches of Fitness Connection, there are hundreds of thousands of former members of this fitness center who have been victimized by their deceptive and unfair business practices. Many of these people do not know their rights or where to turn for restitution. Contact your state's attorney general's office and file a consumer complaint. If that does not work and your checking account or credit card account has been compromised over billing issues, contact the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or the Federal Trade Commission, as the latter handles deceptive trade matters. If all else fails, take Fitness Connection to court.
Jeff Skeen is a privileged skunk who needs to be taught a lesson. In case you are having trouble finding his mailing address, he works out of the Northern Virginia location. The address is: 8200 Greensboro Drive, Ste 900, McLean, VA 22102. If you are getting the runaround from the Texas office where billing is handled, email Skeen. His email address is: [email protected].