I'm very frustrated after trying to cancel with Bally's for the past 2 weeks. The gym I went to was fine, however, I wasn't using it as much as I should have been so I decided to cancel. I was not under any contract, luckily. So for the past 2 weeks I had called the member service line several times and kept getting the same automated response that the line was experiencing extremely high volume and they would not be able to cancel my membership at this time. Then it hung up on me! So I tried emailing Bally's and received no response. Finally I decided I would pretend to be a new member so I could maybe speak with someone. Sure enough, that worked!! After being asked about 10 questions of why I was quitting and offered deals that probably wouldn't be fulfilled, I was finally able to cancel. I am very frustrated and disappointed with Bally's. While I had been calling, they charged me for another month.

NEVER SING A CONTRACT. DEMAND YOUR RIGHT IMMEDIATELY. THEY INTENTIONALLY IGNORE YOU WHEN TRYING TO GET OUT OF A CONTRACT. I signed up for service with Ballys' However, two days later I new I was not able to pay the contract. I went personally on the third day to get out of the contract. As stated on my contract, I had 3 days to recind. However, once there I was totally ignored. They sat me in a room for 45 minutes, telling me there was no one on the premises to attend to me. That the manager was not in. That I had to speak to him personally. I got frustrated and walked out. Its been one year and still not resolved this matter. I'm taking them to court and summoning the video tapes of that third day to proove that I was there. They are sneaky and terrible customer service.

DO NOT SIGN ANY CONTRACTS WITH BALLY'S. I made the mistake of signing a 3 year-contract with Bally's. The gym was ok at first, but then the company closed the only location near where I worked/lived with no more than 1 month's notice. They did not offer any sort of compensation whatsoever, and would not refund ANY of my payment despite the fact that the next nearest club was at least 45min - 1hr drive away and did not have anywhere near the type of facilities that the club I had signed up for had (e.g. swimming pool, etc). They ignored my request for refund letter completely and were extremely difficult to get a hold of by phone.

I would NEVER do business with Bally's again and would NEVER recommend them to a friend.

The Ballys in Santa Ana, CA has a clientele that must have needed approval from their parole officers to join. There's more gang and prison tats on the members than in an episode of Prison Break. The "trainers" do nothing when one of these winners sets up camp on a particular machine and does 10 sets, slugging down Monster and texting in between.

Bally's is a horrible organization. Never ever sign a contract. They put you on hold for hours and don't send correspondence. I cannot say enough- DO NOT JOIN. I don't even think this place deserves one star.

A little background on me. I've worked for this company for 10 years! First as a Certified Personal Trainer,(next) as a Fitness Director, and (last) as a General Manager.

So I know the ins and outs and everything there is about Bally Total Fitness.

I've worked all over the country for Bally's; Arizona, California, Colorado, New York and especially the main base in and around the Chicagoland area.

I even know of the old corrupt CEO that gave himself a huge raise and bonus just before his termination. So all of you that wondered where your Bally's stocks went..... thank him!

.........He still works out at Bally's!

Despite all this scandal, as for ground level personal trainers, this place is a good stepping stone. They have better training and education then any of the large branch chained facilities.

............Ok. Back to the carnage.

This place IS CORRUPT! They do steal from you!

-Locked on Long Term memberships....(3 years? Come on!)

-Unannounced Raise in Monthly Dues....(As a manager, I had to either be direct or lie about the price hike when they complained)

-Hard(And I mean "Old-School Tactics") Pressured Sales....(It's how we were trained/taught)

-Misleading Advertising Sales($5 Down/$19 a Month! BUT....You can only go at certain times of the week!)

-"Want to Cancel?" (The number you call is meant to ring FOREVER so you are discouraged to cancel membership! Don't get me wrong, someone does pick up, ..........after 2 hours!)

-THE LIST GOES ON!

What goes on internally..... You can only imagine!

You wonder why Bally Total Fitness went BANKRUPT?

I hope for their sake, this new reconstruction is a total makeover...... But from my experience with the company..........

.................... I doubt it.

Joined Bally's on Dec. 30, 08. Should have followed my gut feeling. I sensed dishonesty and fakeness right away but dismissed it. They pressured me into signing up so I did, yea, it was good until they started calling me everyday 2-3 times a day to ask me to come in and do the one-on-one training with a personal trainer. I politely refused the first few times until it started getting old. Seems like a new person was calling everyday to pressure me into working out one-on-one. I later found out that they get commission if someone does one-on-one training. At the same time I called the club and asked for hours of operation they told me "we close at 10". I said okay, and came in sometime between 8:57 and 9:03 on a Friday night to use the pool and sauna. The girl at the desk was yapping with some guy and just scanned my card. I sat in the sauna for about 40 minutes with music still playing and no one in the sauna or pool. When I came out the whole gym was closed, lights were off and doors were locked. I used Bally's phone to call 911 and the dispatcher said an officer should be there soon. I sat all soaking wet and cold in the lobby waiting for the officer, 30 minutes later I got up and found an emergency exit, which I opened and alarm started going off. I called 911 again saying I found an exit, but they told me to wait for the officer. 20 min later an officer shows up and I come out of the emergency exist. He APOLOGIZES for the incident and I got home. In the next few days more calls about one-on-one training. This is when I really get irritated! I call headquarters on Jan 29, and the woman says that "no problem she will cancel my membership". I thank her and go on with my life, until they keep charging me. Then I call back and get the rudest manager who states that it's "too late" and I have to pay. It takes about an hour to get through to them, and sometimes their automated system say "due to a high volume of calls, try calling later". I can't be doing this everyday, I am a student and I work. Uggghh... whatever you do, DO NOT SIGN THE CONTRACT!!!!


------

UPDATE: 6/4/2009 As of 6/01/09 my membership has been canceled thanks to BBB!! Everyone use BBB is you have problems with Bally's! Wohoo!

bally is the worse experience i have had in my whole life. i am still fighting with them presently. we need to come together and do something about this. i am currently in the process of suing them. i wrote a letter to their so called "i promise to you" department.


Promise Program c/o Bally Total Fitness,
12440 E. imperial Hwy. Ste. 300,
Norwalk, CA 90650.


ATTENTION: CANCELLATION

My name is ****** *** and my account number is 2888********01. I have a grave problem that I wish you could assist me with.
On the 21st of August 2008 I signed up to join Bally Total Fitness with Mrs. ********** ***** at the Gaithersburg location. I also included my sister ****** **** to my account. My monthly payment came up to $64.56, and I was satisfied with that. Mrs. ********** ***** contacted me on the 23rd of August to inform me about a better plan for my sister and I, with a good discount. She had me cancel my prior agreement and sign up for a similar agreement. The only difference was that my monthly balance would now be $63.52; I was also satisfied with that.
A month later after being charged my first monthly fee, I discover my sister had never stepped feet in to the club so I decided to take her off my plan intend of being charge extra money for nothing. I talked to Mrs. ********** ****** on the 30th of August about my situation. She explained to me because my sister never came in to get an ID card, and since she can not come over to the club given that she was presently away at school. Her name would have to be manually put in to the system 17 times. We started the process that very day and by the end of the month I was promised by Mrs. *********** ******** and her supervisor that everything was taken care of by the cooperate office. On the 19th of September, I was able to get a hold of my sister at Towson and we visited the club there. I spoke to the supervisor and he told me something very upsetting. He said my account was closed because they could not remove only my sister’s name, so they closed the whole thing. I was never notified about this change, I was mad about the time and energy I had to go through with my case. At the end of the day I felt a little relief because after all that drama it would be of my best interest to have my account closed. Before I left that day I asked if I was going to be charge for the month of September, the supervisor told me in quote, “because everything was cancelled before the 23rd of this month you will not get charged.”
On the 29th 0f September I received a charge from Bally Total Fitness club for the month of September. I was surprised because I was assured that this situation was over. I called Bally at Gaithersburg branch and spoke to the manager about my problem. He pulled up my account and said it was still active and that there was never any cancellation notice had, more over my sister had only been enter twice for attendance. I was devastated that after all my efforts in resolving this case it was taken for granted. His final answer was the must unprofessional and brainless answer I have gotten during my whole experience with the cooperate world. He said he could not possible do anything for me; I would have to continue paying the monthly fee for 36months even if my sister does not work out at the club. I decide since the people in charge of how thing should be done in Gaithersburg are complete morons I’ll seek help from higher authority.
Please fill fee to contact me by phone *************. I hope my complaint will be treated with concern.

Yours sincerely,
******* *****.

this letter was written in October 2008, i still have not received a reply. i also sent it through priority mail so the bastards would say they did not get it.

i know i am going to win in court because everyone else who has sued them have won... they are that poor in customer service. my advice to you all that have problems with bally total fitness is to do the same thing i am doing. let them pay you back in cash for all the problems they cost

I am really disappointed in the Bally Total Fitness in Thornton, Colorado and here is a letter that I wrote to them today. This pretty much sums up the experience my sisters and I have had there. I'm sure others are just as disappointed....

"Hi! I am really interested in cancelling my membership...I pay for my two sisters and myself to have a membership at Bally's and we are totally disappointed. I talked them into Bally's instead of 24 hour and regret it. We go to the Bally's in Thornton, CO and it is disgusting. There is mold growing in the sauna and it stinks like dirty wet towels (I don't think it ever gets cleaned), the women's bathroom stinks like the elephants at the zoo (no joke), you can feel the dirt on the bottom of the hot tub floor, there is no dress code and people work out in their jeans (I can live with this but it's annoying), there is not enough paper towels or spray to clean the machines and the front desk people are never available to help with the machines and are always on personal calls. Nobody walks around to help with or clean the machines. It's the worst excuse for a club I have ever been in and I'm sorry that I'm stuck paying $80 a month to go there. We overheard one of the girls in the daycare saying mean things about one of the children they were watching...we will never take our kids there. How do I cancel my membership? I do not want to go to this club anymore, it's not sanitary and I would hate to get an infection or some disease from the filthy club. The service is terrible, there are never any good classes. It is just an all around disappointment and I do not want to go there anymore. I feel like posting this letter online and sending it to various news stations, wherever I can figure out...whoever evaluates gyms. My intention is not to be mean, I just hope it gets cleaned up as a result...that's all I can ask. I am being completely honest. My sisters are just as disgusted and we tell everyone not to go there. Please clean it up. Thank you."

Bally Total Fitness is the worst gym ever. People get drawn into a scam by signing contracts that make them responsible for paying membership many years in a row. This is the only reason Bally has the cheapest rates. Plus it stinks, is dirty and is filled with fags and old farts. Going there seems like such a drag but it is cheap. So if you want a cheap, smelly ass experience Bally is the place to be. It smells like a fat dirty butt hole on a hot summer day.

I have had no trouble with Bally in Tucson. I have a month to month membership. Staff is supportive and friendly.People make the mistake of getting into a big contract that they default on. That's (one) of the reasons why these clubs loose money.Spend within your means.
Robert

Riadh Hamdi is a criminal employed at Bally Total Fitness!! Your Social Security Number and personal information are at risk. To find out more, log on to: www.riadhhamdiisaretard.blogspot.com

Well, i went into the gym just to check out out and see the offers. Well, this one guy in north seattle kept pushing and pushin it on me. So, well ye i signed the dam contract. Well, they say cancelation policy is within three days... but I got a call from my family back in Russia saying my grandfather passed away and I needed to go their for a yr or maybe less to take care of my grandmother and help her out. Now, its been six days since i got the membership and i need to cancel it.. and they told me wel that guy told me at that gymi need a letter from my grandmother from russia saying that i will be leaving with her. I man thats frekain crazy... he is an ass whole or what. I mean family emergency its an emergency, and if tey really had a great customer service they would of returned my 109 dollars back to me and just let it go..i mean i just found this all about chapter 11 stuff from a friend of mine couple days ago. so, now I have to call copperate and try to deal with them.

Bally's of Inglewood is the most unfriendly gym I have ever been to! I went to ask for some info. about joining, they told me about prices and initiation fees. I was a little shocked about the initiation fee being 150 dollars so I asked if it was ok if I thought about a little further while I used the gym for a bit, just so I could let it grow on me... The employee told me "haven't you ever used a gym before?"... If this is not rude I dont know what is!!!

Bally Fitness was very very happy to making the money from unhappy customers.They are kind of sadists.While joining they will say they are very very best and there is no need to take the contract which are very wrong.I joined month to month member ship and i now tried to cancel my membership due to lost my employment.But they said you made signature on our contract and its not possible to cancel it.So i paid the rest of the amount and i asked them send me the cancellation letter.They said very happily there is no need to cancel the membership once you finish the three years if you did not made any payments it will cancelled automatically.I dont believe these guys words.Can some one can help me what i have to after 3 years.Now i am scaring my contract may extend 3 more years after this period finish.Can someone please help me what i have to do for not extending my conract.It's highly appriciated if omeone send suggestions to my email(vijaykatneni2@gmail.com)

dont even look in the direction where bally's is ... bloody idiots ... went to the gym n told manager that am i just here fr 3 months ... he told me how valued i'm n gave me special offer so special that now ven i want to cancel my membership i've told i cant and need to send them all the proofs which they rcv nstill dnt care to act ... so nvr in life join f**** bally;'s and yes the manager who signed has left ....

Rating is "-5"..bally is worst...DONT SIGNUP..
Its a oneway. You can not come of of membership even you want to. Even you give proper document like relocation proofs, utility bills of new location etc , they don't cancel your membership. They sell your account to collection agancy which forces you to pay the huge amount.
While signing contract , the manager told me that I can cancel my membership any time by paying $50 penalty. later I relocated to other place and called up them to cancel membership. Now they are saying that the manager gave you wrong information and that manager is left his job.
Its a bullshit....they are crazy guys....Don't get membership in bally at all....

A bargain you don't need. There are better options in the market. Your self esteem should be worth than $19 a month and broken promises.

I was signed up to Bally by a guy, obviously on steroids, who said it was so easy and simple. All contracts, he said, were month to month and I could cancel any time for any reason. That was a complete and bold-faced lie. I ended up moving unexpectedly after a month at Bally and called to cancel. Well, guess what, it turns out that there is no such thing as a cancel any time policy. I was lied to! So I tried to cancel due to relocation. Now I have to pay some BS $50 relocation fee. That doesn't seem fair at all, especially since I moved to take care of a family member having brain surgery. I sent off a proof of relocation which they conveniently "did not receive" so I am still getting bills for hundreds of dollars they claim I owe them and phone calls with threats to be turned into collections. I called the guy who signed me up and he said not to pay anything and I have the right to cancel. The people on the phone say otherwise. This is all crap and I feel totally scammed! Do not sign up for Bally. Many people are saying the same thing, they shouldn't be allowed to continue with such shoddy business practices. There are other gyms out there who are more honest and actually do have month to month contracts!

Bally's Total Fitness is a dishonest company. I purchased a LIFETIME membership in 1990 in which they falsely advertised as a free membership for the rest of my life. After the lifetime membership was completely paid off they came up with an administrative fee in order to keep the membership. Each year they have increased this fee which has gone from $60 to $227 annually. This last increase was $46. I would not recommend Bally Total Fitness, they are nothing more than dishonest, scamming, con-artist CROOKS! Unhappy so called lifetime member.

I worked for bally total fitness for the last 5 years as a fitness director and I can tell you that most of the upper level managers are not concerned about anything but numbers. They have all forgotten what customer service and compassion for someone trying to change their life is. The reason the company has a 90% turnover rate is because they don'y pay enough and tell you that you have a chance to earn way more that is realistic. I stepped down as a manager because of the practices of my managers and the way I was treated, I was told that I was an emarassment to the company and that my family should be embarassed of me if my numbers were not as good as they should be. Also I was repremanded for taking off for passover, i'm pretty sure that is illegal. When I stepped down to go back to being a trainer I took my 2 weeks of vacation before and when I got my check they paid me min wage for my vacation time. It took me a month and a lawyer to get paid correctly. Then after that the club manager and the new director didn't have the management skills to figure out how to manage the staff with me still in the club so they got the Area Manager to kick me out of the club. The level of education is as low as it gets. The company is going to fall in the next year so do not join no matter what.

Worst experience of my life. I told them that I would be there for three months so they set me up with a contract that was good for 3 years and then they said that they would cancel it after 3 months when i moved. What happened? They didn't cancel it, the man told me I was all good and don't need my paperwork anymore so I threw it out, and then this man quit and Bally's said quote "We cannot and will not contact this former employee and don't honor his word." Not only this, but they somehow "misplaced" my records. It's as if I don't even belong there but I'm still getting charged a monthly fee. This is by far the worst cue-card reading group of people who claim to be running a business, even though it is a nation-wide scam, that I have ever dealt with in my life. Horrible horrible horrible. I want to puke just thinking that I ever dealt with these people.

I have also had the most difficult time trying to cancel my contract with Ballys. I was entitled to 60 days before I can cancel contract with minimal requirements. I called the facility to inform them the reason I stopped coming (my 2 yr old son was sick with scarlet fever and strep throat with a temop of 104.4) and requested an extension. They denied me and told me I had to have a doctors note which i got, and now they wont return my phone calls and give me the run around. I was one visit away from my requirement. This is the most injustice facilty operation I have ever been involved with. Now that my son is well and I can continue, they are overcharging me with a plan that I do not want or fit my lifestyle. I would NEVER reccommend or suggest ANYONE to sign or reactivate a contract with Ballys. It all started with a "free pass"! Thats how they get you... the staff at the facility is very unprofessional and inconsiderate. This was a very big and bad mistake joining this fitness club,.

I'm on official Military Orders to ship out overseas. In the process of this my orders indicates certain schools I must attend before shipping out overseas. Bally's refuse to cancel my membership indicating that I'll be doing "training" before I deploy overseas. They stated that I will not be able to cancel until my actual deployment date. I will be attending these schools while on base and leaving the base is limited. They will not cancel my orders. The worst gym, customer service, satisfaction, and relations in the world. I do not and will never recommend Bally's. Guess what gym I wouldn't be attending if god spear life when I get back?

Hmmmm, you guy's are making me rethink reactivating my membership. I recently moved and lost my job but the $35 monthly fee isn't bad, but my paypal debit card that was set up for payments never pulls the money from my account. So I was backed-up and paid half. I'm trying to catch back up but now their saying my membership was written off. Maybe I should let it be. I did like the gym though. I will miss the classes. But if I'm due for the hassles you guys are going through maybe I'm better off?

Bally Total Fitness is a joke, like most fitness centers, they are only after your money. I wasn't given a membership card but now there trying to charge me over $100. I have never once gone to there gym. It is really unfair and they do not allow cancellations.

The Bally's Total Fitness Club in Redford Michigan
If another member commits an assault and battery against another member them most they will do is send a warning letter to the offender. That comes directly from the Corporate Office. Also they have a cleaning service now MIDWAY that employees mexicans that cannot speak English. I am not sure if they are illegal or legal. But this looks alot like what happen to the Wal-Mart stores which did the same thing and they turned out to be illegal. They used to employ local people to do cleaning.

I joined Bally's a few years ago, when I signed the contract I was told that I was to pay 37 dollars a month for three years, then after the money is paid in full, I would have a lifetime membership of 15 dollars a month. Well I've paid about 2 thousand dollars to learn there is no lifetime membership and they want me to sign another 3 year contract, yeah I don't think so. (The funny thing) The new contract they wanted me to sign is for 38 dollars a month for another 3 years.
One, I learned: never sign a contract without reading every word of it, and two NEVER sign anything at Bally's!

The gym was always dirty too!

I joined Bally's through Globalfit.com because I get a discount through my health insurance. I think it was better that I joined through them rather than going directly through Bally's. So far, I haven't had any problems and *crossing fingers*, won't have any problems since my membership is through Globalfit.

AWFUL membership terms, AWFUL service, SUB-PAR, OVERCROWDED facilities and equipment in all 3 locations I lived in. It's the worst membership I ever had to any company.

  Bally's gyms are generally dirty and out-dated. They do not seem to invest any money in reniewing and replacing older machines.

 Not to mention the contract that they make you sign. You need to die (and mail them the death record) in order to cancel it. Beware!

opo

My friend and I signed up for a 3 year membership together on the same account and we were lied to by the sales rep(as it seems many people have been). We were paying $70 total ($35 each). And we were told that if one person cancels the other could continue at half the price ($35). However now that my friend needs to cancel due to a medical problem, I'm responsible to pay the whole amount ($70). Don't ever join Bally's. It's a complete scam and rip off. The employees are very rude everywhere and there is no sense of customer service. It tried calling the manager at the corporate office and it took me a long time/several tries to get in touch with her and she was also very rude. She tells me to file a complaint with the area director and that they will contact me in 30 days... of course nobody ever contacted me... I can't wait till my membership is over so I can switch gyms.

I joined Ballys a year ago and the facilities were in good condition, but then they went "bankrupt" and soon afterwards they rolled out a cheep membership package and ever since, the gym has gone down hill. The machines are not maintained, the place is always dirty and the locker rooms are just bacterial breeding grounds. Plus on top of that it is now permanently over crowded and with people that are not your typical gym goers.
I have tried to get out of my contract, but no matter how hard I have tried they will not let me out. All they do is repeat the same thing over and over and in the end your only option is just to pay off the account and wait till it runs out.

Ballys has the worst customer service, and they are very rude and unfriendly. I would advise anyone that I meet who is interested in a fitness club not to join them, for their policies are shady and they are only interested in your money and not you as a customer.
Ballys is a terrible fitness facility and frankly SUCKS!

Never in your LIFE join a Bally Fitness.

My girlfriend purchased a two-year membership 10 months ago. She needed a "premiere" membership because she was going to be changing jobs and traveling quite a bit. Her sales rep, "Chad," told her that she indeeed was signing up for unlimited use at all Ballys in the United States. Of course, that's baloney. Last month when she went to a different Ballys, she was told her membership only allowed her to use the club at which she signed up. She spoke to Steve, the manager, and he said her contract was non-upgradeable, but if she wanted to cancel and re-purchase another two year membership with the premiere upgrade, he would arrange that for her. Do I hear "commission dollars?" She doesn't want to purchase another year, but he won't budge, hiding behind the old "corporate rules" defense. Hey, Ballys: why do you make membership at your clubs so hard on your paying customers? The vibe at Ballys Chicago is really negative.

I've signed a three year contract with Bally's and have just recently started having problems. Their group classes are the only positive aspect of their gyms. So far over the last 2-3 months, they have cut hours 3 times. I tried calling them to complain, and all I got out of them was "We can cut classes anytime we want, look at your contract". Their customer service is lacking to say the least. They're going bankrupt, but they're buying all new equipment for their gyms! They've sent members who are on a month to month contract an "offer" that would save you 30% off your dues in the long run if you pay 1000+ right now. Bullshit! They're trying to squeeze as much money out of their members as humanly possible before they go under. I'm counting the days until they do, then I'm switching to 24 Hour.

I really havent had any problems with my ballys, i bought a lifetime membership in college back in 2001. i was just wondering what happens when they file for bankruptcy? will all the people like me just be out of our memberships? did ballys release any formal statement about its members?

I would rate them a 0 if I could.

I went in for a free six-week trial at Bally Fitness in Chicago after having moved from North Carolina. The sales guy told me I could sign up for a membership and if i decided to cancel within four weeks, I could do it with no penalty and no hassle. He then said I would also receive an extra four weeks at no cost. He then gave me estimates of other gym costs in the area, saying they would be at least double the Bally rate. I told him I wasn't sure I would be comfortable working out in such a large facility because my previous gyms had been smaller (being located in small towns.) He said that if I wasn't comfortable I could just cancel after a few visits. So I decide to sign up.

What happens when I try to cancel? I have to call the corporate number to cancel (great a computer menu that takes 20 minutes to get a real person on the phone.) Then the person tells me that I am not eligible to cancel my membership. She informs me that I must have taken a "complimentary" tour with a trainer, visited at least 12 times over the last 30 days, and pay the first month dues before I can cancel. She tells me there is no way around this, and she won't put me on with any kind of manager. She only lets me file a complaint over the phone.

Then I decide to call the sales guy that signed me up. He then lies to me over the phone saying he told me about the requirements. He gives me an attitude and won't even listen to what I have to say.

So now I have to find a way to get out of this contract when I can't even get someone on the phone to help me. Avoid signing a contract with Bally Fitness.

They do scam. They offer rewards and discounts they do not honor. Their facilities are filthy and their contracts very tricky.

Great!

I work for Ballys and not only are we overcharing our newer members but, the staff DOES NOT GET PAID. We work very hard with no approved overtime. If so we are dimissed of employment. I have been waiting for 4 months to get my check correct. No one is allowed a raise. Can you believe that? We have girls that have been there for four years and still make what they made when they started?! Go to 24 hour fitness you will be happy with that choice.

Bally's sold Crunch fitness my membership (premier membership that was to entitle me to all Bally clubs) because I happened to join at the Lenox location in 1999 and worked out once or twice there. They proceeded to give Crunch Fitness my credit card information. Crunch has now been double billing me and I can't get any dresponse from them. Bally admits they never should have sold my account or given my credit cards numbers to another company, but will not help get my credit card information back from Crunch. My credit card company is looking into both Bally and Crunch since Bally gave these people access to my credit cards without the proper authorization from me. Is there a way to give them a -5?

Bally's is the worst gym out there. I live in the Orlando, FL area and I signed the 3 year "deal" like all us suckers did. I was paying $63.00 per month at a gym that was old, ugly, smelly all the equipment is old...I purchased many personal training packages that were very expensive. The last personal training package that I purchased was supposed to be taken out of my checking account - they told me the transaction didn't go through - that there werent enough funds in my account. I contacted my bank, not only was there enough funds - but Bally didn't even try to take it out. So I wrote a check and all was good that month. The same thing happened the next month so I told them to I would write them another check but I made them reassure me they wouldn't debit my account as well. The front desk manager, my trainer and the GM of the club said they contacted the corporate office and made sure they wouldn't double tap my account. So two days later my checking account was overdrawn and Bally had both debited my account as well as cashed my check. Then it took me 3 months to get my money back! I spent many hours on the phone with the corporate office talked to "supervisors" who were absolutely rude to me. The GM of the club said he would take care of it but he hadnt even lifted the phone to help. It took me 3 months and filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau to get my money back. Needless to say I did not renew my Bally membership.

I bought a lifetime membership and have long since paid it off. Recently, Bally's merged with Crunch and even more recently, they sold Crunch to someone else and apparantly my membership with it. There isn't a Crunch gym anywhere near where I live and I can't use the Bally's anymore because they say I'm not a member. Can they sell my membership to another gym without my permission? I called them on it and they said since I wasn't a member, I would have to call Crunch. I called Crunch and they told me if I wanted to go back to Bally's, I could cancel my Crunch membership and go buy a Bally's membership(which I was already a lifetime member of). Crunch and Bally's both are disreputable and have questionable ethics. They probably gave Crunch all the members like me that they were no longer making any money on.

It sucks.
1 - clubs are just bad.
2 - the salesmeans lie.
3 - the customer service is not friendly and never helps.

Avoid it. Never trust them.

I swear if I could give this shithole a negative rating, I would! My company had an agreement with Bally's for a corporate membership and these assholes refused to honor it. The salesperson told me I would have to talk to the manager. Thinking that the manager would be open to discussion, I went. How wrong I was!! The manager turned out to be an even bigger dick!!! He kept trying to convince me to join Bally's and pay an upfront fee for 3 years! Are these guys plain nuts?? Plus when I made it clear I wasnt interested, he started using verbal expressions that no manager would use. For christsake, he is the fucking manager, not a goddamn salesperson. And who gave the manager the fucking right to talk to customers that way? He is just a manager, probably has to see all the asshole faces of the salesppl everyday, I have a better office than him, wear a suit to work and make more money than him. He's nothing, yet talks like he owns the fucking place. Ah...and not to forget, Bally's sucks in every other respect too. The weight room is pathetic, machines are broken down and rusty. Place looks like a dungeon, no wonder they want folks to sign an initial 3 fucking year contract.

BALLY TOTAL FITNESS IS ALL ABOUT YOUR MONEY!!! DO NOT EVER SIGN A CONTRACT WITH THEM. Once that contract is signed, you are gone. They have very poor customer service. With the money you pay for Bally Total Fitness you can get a better service in another gym.