- Report: #155487
Complaint Review: Gold's Gym - Austin Texas
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Gold's Gym
101 W. 6th Street Austin, 78701 Texas, U.S.A.
Phone:
512-479-0044
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Gold's Gym Huge Contract Scam and Ripoff Austin Texas
My only wish is that I would have read the "true story" about Gold's Gym here, prior to enrolling as a member! The entire set-up is a rip-off.
First, do NOT fall for their pricing games. Instance: One customer pays $42.00 per month while another pays $20.99 per month. They will manipulate, and flat out lie to you in explaining why you can't get the better deal. Just hold your ground and do not let them force you to pay more than the low $20 somethings per month.
They will try to tell you that in order to get $20 per month you have to pay some ridiculous sign-on fee. Don't fall for it. It's just a marketing game designed to line these two-bit, cheap, low-brow salespeople's pockets. Hold strong and remember, you don't have to make a decision.
Second, absolutely DO NOT hire any of the so-called professional trainers. The gym changes trainers faster than you can blink--so forget about personal service. I enrolled, paid $200 deposit for a trainer--only to have him quit on me two days prior to the commencement of my training program!!
I was then going to be handed-off to whomever was available. When I objected and wanted a refund, I was told my the assistant-to-the-assistant-of-the-assistant manager (you will NEVER be able to speak with anyone with real responsibility) that a refund was in-hand but he continued to beg me to get me to stay. When I absolutely refused, then all of a sudden my "refund" was going to be a problem. It's been over a month now and I'm still getting the run-around for my money. I could never get return calls and no one had any definate answers. The staff is young, unprofessional, EXTREMELY apathetic, and impersonal.
Third, their contracts are inaccurate. My contract clearly states that all cancellations should be addressed to the local corporate office--HA! I found out that there is no local office and it was defunct at the time I signed the contract.
Furthermore, after mailing my cancellation notice off to this "imaginary" office, I discovered that the letters end up sitting in a field post office unclaimed for months. When I recently went there to claim my "lost" cancellation letter I sent certified, the post office thought I was an employee of Gold's and practically begged me to pick up the rest of their mail.
Gold's is just another corporate money-making giant that is run at the local level by a bunch of inexperienced college kids posing as trainers/fitness specialists. Save your money, time and aggrivation and consider a smaller local gym in your area. Sure, the weights may not be chrome and the machines a year old, but I can almost guarentee you that the service will probably be much better.
Derek
Austin, Texas
U.S.A.
First, do NOT fall for their pricing games. Instance: One customer pays $42.00 per month while another pays $20.99 per month. They will manipulate, and flat out lie to you in explaining why you can't get the better deal. Just hold your ground and do not let them force you to pay more than the low $20 somethings per month.
They will try to tell you that in order to get $20 per month you have to pay some ridiculous sign-on fee. Don't fall for it. It's just a marketing game designed to line these two-bit, cheap, low-brow salespeople's pockets. Hold strong and remember, you don't have to make a decision.
Second, absolutely DO NOT hire any of the so-called professional trainers. The gym changes trainers faster than you can blink--so forget about personal service. I enrolled, paid $200 deposit for a trainer--only to have him quit on me two days prior to the commencement of my training program!!
I was then going to be handed-off to whomever was available. When I objected and wanted a refund, I was told my the assistant-to-the-assistant-of-the-assistant manager (you will NEVER be able to speak with anyone with real responsibility) that a refund was in-hand but he continued to beg me to get me to stay. When I absolutely refused, then all of a sudden my "refund" was going to be a problem. It's been over a month now and I'm still getting the run-around for my money. I could never get return calls and no one had any definate answers. The staff is young, unprofessional, EXTREMELY apathetic, and impersonal.
Third, their contracts are inaccurate. My contract clearly states that all cancellations should be addressed to the local corporate office--HA! I found out that there is no local office and it was defunct at the time I signed the contract.
Furthermore, after mailing my cancellation notice off to this "imaginary" office, I discovered that the letters end up sitting in a field post office unclaimed for months. When I recently went there to claim my "lost" cancellation letter I sent certified, the post office thought I was an employee of Gold's and practically begged me to pick up the rest of their mail.
Gold's is just another corporate money-making giant that is run at the local level by a bunch of inexperienced college kids posing as trainers/fitness specialists. Save your money, time and aggrivation and consider a smaller local gym in your area. Sure, the weights may not be chrome and the machines a year old, but I can almost guarentee you that the service will probably be much better.
Derek
Austin, Texas
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
William
Austin,Texas,
U.S.A.
They Are definite scammers
#2Consumer Comment
Sun, April 02, 2006
My wife and I Got a golds Membership too and back in febuary of 2005 we were moving to florida where there are no golds gym. I told the "assistant to the assistant to the assistant mgr" that we needed to cancel our membership and why. there was no reason for my wife and i to be paying $75 a month for something we cant use. I was told this would be no problem. Well i only get my bank statements online and by the time i had moved, got all my stuff set up at our new place and then finally got internet set up, 2 months had passed. AND when i checked my statement, LO AND BEHOLD they were still taking money out of my account. so i called them. I was told that they were sorry for ther mixup and She would take care of it Personally (MAGGIE *I STILL HAVE ALL THE EMAILS WHERE THIS WAS TALKED OUT). so another month passed and guess what? They charged me yet again! so i called her back again. this time she tells me that she was sorry but she didnot get the cancellation in the computer in time for that payment to stop. i asked about a refund she told me she would submit the refund. ANOTHER month passes--- AND I GET CHARGED AGAIN!!! So i called her back YET AGAIN and she apologizes profusely and says she will take care of it personally and submit the refiund for 5months dues. SO NOW i cancel my credit card and get a new one 3 weeks later i get a check from them for about 2months worth of dues but i say to myself screw it just take it and be thankful it is over. WELL it is not over! i just got a collection letter from them saying that I OWE THEM MONEY!! When in TRUTH THEY OWE ME MONEY!!!! I have tried getting a hold of someone and spent 2 days in the runaround game only to be told finally, on friday at 7pm, a number i need to call but it will have to wait till monday cuz they are not in on the weekends :( i am VERY VERY VERY unhappy with Golds GYM and if i were you i would NEVER EVER get a membership with them. EVER!!!
