Early this year I got renewal notice to renew my membership at Bally Total Fitness. Last February I went to renew it but the offer expired and was now almost double what it was originally, so I ask them if I could put down 1/2 and then come back and pay the other half. They said yes. So I did that. 1/2 one day then a few weeks later I went in and paid the other 1/2. After the 2nd payment, they said that I was all good for another year. Admittedly I didn't go to the gym for months after that, but last week I decided that it was time for me to go back so I pull up my statement online and see that my membership says expired. This makes no sense to me because I was led to believe I was good til Feb. So I go to the club yesterday and ask them to check the status of my account and the sales mgr. says that it is cancelled. I explain that I paid and how I paid, and that I was led to believe that everything was good. He says that he saw the payments I made but that the computer was still saying that my account is no good, and that whoever it was that took my payments back in Feb. screwed me because renewals have to be paid flat...but get this...that I can renew again for $99 and that will reactivate my account. Are you kidding? So basically you took my money and I now have nothing to show for it. So he gives me this runaround about how he's gonna call corporate on my behalf to check out the situation and see if it can be rectified. I'm steamed.

My BF is a personal trainer at another club, so I could always just go there to work out but that doesn't excuse this companies thievery.

Opa Shale wrote:

If you have receipts of your payments you should have it cleared up. If they don't then check your local media, newpaper or TV. They usually have someone who helps because Bali does not want it known that they or their computer screws over customers.

Also see if your state has some consumer protection department.

As my mom once told me:
Sometimes you gotta get angry.

That almost sounds like a lawsuit.

Craziness. I will get my money back, one way or the other.

I agree with the advice given. Make some noise. Sometimes companies pull this shit because they think they can get away with it. They get used to people just accepting it.

Write the better business bureau they are online and its quick and easy. That should make them jump a little.

I'd be pissed, too, but would pursue the issue. At least they're still open.

One club in the burb I live in closed its doors unexpectedly one day, and none of the members knew about it beforehand. I had bought a $45 tan packet within 3 weeks prior, so I was NOT a happy camper. There was an article in the local newspaper, and the owner "disappeared" from the public, and many members were fired up at losing money.

I've avoided those places since.

Ballys took over Golds here years ago (they did not last long, though) and they screwed my friend over. She had auto withdraw from her account and they kept taking out after she got out of the contract per her doctor's notice about cluster headaches. Don't let them screw with you. Tell them you will report them to the BBB.