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Comments:
FF has appalling service, they truly do not care about their customers and the sales staff are worse than estate agents!
I have left and am now enjoying sport at a new sports and social club called 'Come Play Sport' which is much more fun!
I am a member of FF Fenchurch St, London but not for much longer. They are ramming in more and more new members, machines dont work, the sound system to listen to the TV's usually doesnt work, at lunchtime you have to queue for a shower, cant get on the CV machines, lockers are broken, dont have hangars etc etc The jacuzzi was removed for "health and safety(!)" reasons and now, if you forget your pass, even thought you have photo id on you and they have a photo of your face on their system, they wont let you in for "safety and security(!!)" reasons.
I wish I had something good to say about this Company but the truth is I don't.
I joined fitness First in December 2009 and was to have 3 Body First sessions have had only one since. I payed a joining fee of 35 pounds and then monthly payments of 30. 99.
Everytime I have rang for an appointment the staff have made some kind of excuse. So I got fedup with it and rang head office in Poole, they said that the manager would ring me, "you guessed it thy never did", however I did get a call from my local Gym Appolgising for the lack of communation, the Guy said I would be allowd to start my Body first Over again and arranged to meet an instrutctor, when I went on Friday I was told h was not there.
I have a low self-esteem and this is not helping.
My DD is due on the first of the month, so my bank failed to pay them, I got a phone call demanding the payment, I asked the girl how she got my telephone number, when nobody was able to ring me to arrange an appointmnt yet they can ring to demand payment.
I am going to find away out of this agreement to pay for a full year and join a Gym that will help me gain my confedience back.
Total rip-off company! Simply put - do NOT join. I notice a lot of similar stories on here. My wife and I joined the Bournemouth Branch as I was down there on contract. When my contract ended we moved back up to London. Gave them written notice on December 3rd (two days shy of their 'one calendar months notice'). They have not logged our cancellation until 9th December and claimed they contacted us to advise us we would also need to pay January's fee - funnily enough we have no records of this contact. My wife hasn't used the gym since end of November, and myself shortly after - I'm thinking this is a nice little money spinner for this company. Aside from the very poor customer service and blatant extortionism shown by the company, the gym itself is pretty poor. Sunbeds that break down (with no refund if you've tried to use a broken one), poor weights area (for anyone looking to train with weights) and overcrowded. No value for money here.
I moved to Swindon from London with work and joined FF Swindon West. The facilities weren't amazing but seemed adequate, and the place seemed quite aged, run down and dirty. The sales guy was friendly and made a real effort when he showed me around and seemed very passionate about the club. I said I'd go away and think about it.
The next day I received a curtousy call as expected, but was surprised when he offered me a better deal on a 3 month contract, stating that he felt we had got on very well and that he really wanted me to get started (?!). My company was paying anyway, so I decided to go for it. WHAT A MISTAKE!
I attended the gym regulary, probably three or four times a week and the sales guy always made an effort to come and chat which eventually became annoying, as he outstayed his welcome, making me feel uncomforatble always looking at my chest and eventually forcing me to give up on my workout and go home early. At times he was quite suggestive and once suggested off the back of one of my comments about not knowing Swindon well that we should meet up for a drink. I brushed the offer off in a friendly way as I didn't want to cause offence. Can't blame him for trying, I thought at the time, and didn't think anything else of it, as he continued to chat and be friendly.
The fitness instructors and personal trainers were just as bad and it seemed that I couldn't enter the place without some macho male fitness guy interupting my workout to chat. I was especially annoyed when I received a text message from one of the Personal Trainers saying he had seen me in the gym and wanted to offer me a free personal training session. I certainly didn't give my number to any personal trainers and I can only imagine he took it off of the membership system. That he put a x on the end of the message was just creepy and unnesecary! Surely there is also some kind of confidentiality clause in taking peoples private numbers from the system?
The worst part of my experience took place in March this year when on a night out in Swindon with work friends I was approached by the sales guy (who had continued to interupt me training on at least one occasion a week). He was clearly hammered and starting leering at me telling me how great I looked, how nice I was and how I should thank him for getting me such a great deal at the gym....! I got quite angry and told him to leave me alone, to which he started calling me a slut and a cocktease, he was really abusive and this made me quite upset.
The following week I made a complaint to the Manager Jake, who didn't seem at all interested, he looked bored when we spoke and constantly kept looking over my shoulder at something else, but informed me that he would speak with the sales guy. By my next visit to the Club I asked once again if I could speak with him to be told by the rude girl on reception that he had been moved to different fitness first club, she did ask if I wanted to leave a message for the new manager, which I said I did.
It was almost 3 weeks before I received a call from the new manager Lee, who seemed polite and apologised for the delay in ringing me saying that he had only just taken over at Swindon West. He asked how I was, and how my training was going and if I had been down to the club much and what nights I trained etc. It was a full 10 minutes of the phone call before we came around to the subject in hand. He too assured me he would do something, and asked if it would be Ok for him to get in touch when he had spoken to the sales guy, to which I agreed. He even gave me his personal mobile number, should I need to get in touch with him.
The following night I met Lee in person, who came and chatted to me for a few minutes before he left for the day on the X-Trainer telling me he was meeting with the sales guy the next day and that he would call me afterwards. After my workout I went home and logged onto facebook and was shocked to see a friend request from him. HOW CREEPY!
A few weeks later, after the entire incident had been dealt with (and after I had received another friend request from Lee, which I also ignored) I was talking with one of the fitness instructors who informed me that his Manager fancied me, and asked if I'd be interested in going for a drink with him. I found this to be very insensitive and out of line considering the behaviour of his staff.
I have since decided to discontinue my membership with Fitness First because of the Staff. The male staff, without exception from the manager to the male cleaners are creepy, pervy idiots who will not take no for an answer and spend their day preying on girls. I cannot think of one instance where I have given the ilusion that I am even remotely interested.
Other things that annoyed me about my time with Fitness First Swindon West (and these seem typical of the company, but as I seem to be getting things off my chest!)
Dirty, dusty machines.
Equipment out of order for weeks at a time.
Mould in the showers.
No air con.
Learning that someone else is paying a much lower fee, and didn't pay a joining fee for the same membership because they joined on a deal.
Joined Fitness First Keighley, with promise that joining fee would be refunded. Now I am told this will not be refunded and must go 7 times Rude arrogant Manager and staff who did not want to help or put me in contact with anyone who could. On speaking to the Head office, they also did not want to help, Totally unprofessional company that should be avoided. I will certinly be passing on this info to relevant local Newspapers to make people aware
I was a member of FF Portsmouth for over 5 years even though i moved 18 months ago and could use many closer gyms, primarily because i enjoyed a particular class with a particular instructor. This instructor was replaced without notice conveniently just after the 1st of the month when subscriptions where due. I therefore cancelled my membership straight away but am now being chased for a further months payment due to the calender month notice period.
On complaint they will not budge and insist the payment is met or they will pass this on to a 3rd party.
Secondly the place is starting to fall apart and unhygenic I am glad to be out of their and will challenge the membership fee as long as possible. For anyone looking to join a friendly sympathetic gym DO NOT USE FITNESS FIRST. In the current Economic climate one can only hope that Fitness First get what they deserve.
What a terrible arrogant company that does not deserve to stay in business.My main complaint is over the recent reduction in opening times at my local gym ,they have decided to try to save money by shutting 30 minutes earlier.On the face of it doesnt sound like a big problem but when you work you neen the gym open when you are not working and cutting 30 minutes off your workout is annoying.I complained to their head office and was told that they can close whenever they feel like provided that they give me 1 months notice.No notice was given only a very missable note on the front door.I raised this with them stating that proper notice had not been given and demanding that they revert back or refund my membership fee.They then accused me of lying stating that notices were placed up in the gym and that reception staff had been advising customers on entry for a month before .This is definatly not the case i have also spoken to other members about this and everyone agrees with me.Other members have also complained with a similar lack of success.It would appear that they have a policy of trying to sneak negative changes in against peoples contracts and hope people do not notice I would like to warn people against joining fitness first at first look they seem ok but i agree with others here they are not interested in your fitness and do not understand customer service.
I am very upset with this company, how they stay in business I'll never know. 4 years ago my daughter wanted to join the Chalk Farm club, so i set up a DD to pay each month, it must have taken 3 months to get this working due to their extremely poor admin, which meant I had to keep calling them a re organising the DD. meanwhile my daughter was being embarrassed at reception and having difficulty getting into the club because they said she had not paid.
two years later she asked to be transferred to their Crouch End club and went there 4 times a week for about 2 years.
Then October just gone, she moved to Lincoln and during her last month there told several staff members she was leaving and how she would miss everyone.
She moved to Lincoln, I cancelled the DD, we had paid for October she left mid october.
In November we receive a letter saying we owe over £100 because we failed to cancel in writing and they cannot cancelthe membership even now until we pay up, so each our debt will continue to increase each month by £43!
I had a long chat with FF head office yesterday and it seemed like the girl was wanting to be helpful but her supervisor was saying no. They never knew my daughter had asked to transfer to Crouch End and they never knew she was leaving. How was she getting into the club 4 times a week?
Why is it that we can cancel, Gas, electrics, water, rates and council tax who all have admendments to make and final bills to post when we move house without problems. Just ring any of them in the last week and sort it out over the phone but a fitness club which has no changes to make if we stop going has to have 1 months notice in writing?
I asked why? they said it was company policy. I said so you want to make it difficult for your customers to leave and leave them feeling bad about you. Is that good marketing? No comment.
I dont think their contract is reasonable and therefore will not stand up in court. It seems that they want to extract a final bonus payment when you leave to help their profitability.
I sent an email to fitness first requesting cancellation of my membership. It took them a week plus to respond telling me that they an email was unacceptable and requested me to write. I wrote to headoffice over a month and still have not received a response. I took their silence as acceptance and cancelled my direct debit. Because they did not receive any money from me, they have written and called telling me that I owe them money and still no response to my request. I will never use them again and they are not getting any more money from me.
2. "THEY MIGHT MESS WITH YOUR BANK ACCOUNT AS WELL". They did not deactivate my old direct debit information even though I have filled out the form to change my direct debit information. The stranger thing is - Fitness First charged me for 2 months from my correct account. But all out of sudden, for the last month, they were trying to take a fee from my old bank account which I have requested to be deactivated. Basically - nobody in the head office knows why it had happened. PROBABLY MY OLD BANK ACCOUNT/DIRECT DEBIT ACCOUNT IS STORED SOMEWHERE IN THE FF SYSTEM TO DO WHATEVER THE FITNESS FIRST WANT TO DO.
Terrible head office.
terrible gym - dirty and nasty.
im wondering if anyone has had a letter regarding fitness first outsdanding fines. i got a letter from a company pertainig o be easydate asking for 47.00 i owed them from my fitness first account that i cancelled months earlier. i paid the money and seemed fairly professional but wasnt sure if i actually owed money. fitness first told me my account appeared to be ok.???
after sending a letter to head office to cancel my membership giving 6 weeks notice i confirmed this by telephone
8 week later i then receive letters phone calls and text messages saying my membership is still active and in arrears
luckily i made a note of the persons name at head office that i spoke to the time and date of the call which is on my mobile bill( don't pay for 0845 numbers ring on 01202845000 )
I advise anyone wanting to leave this club to cover all bases
My complaint starts when I moved from Sutton Coldfield to Cardiff. I could use the new FF local to me, but the assistant there recommended I didn't change my address as this would affect my monthly charge, so I didn't.
I called FF ins Sutton to cancel my contract in May, after about 3 years. Not because of poor service, but because I wasn't using it.
I was told they had to have my signature in writing. So I write a letter, emailed it and sent it, but it was 3rd June at this point. No confirmation of receipt other than the standard that I requested from my email server. I cancelled my direct debit, thinking my June payment would be my last, but this was not the case. In July I was sent text messages and letters to my old address demanding money. I emailed Sutton Coldfield, no response. I called and they were unhelpful.
I've called the customer service line several times. They would not accept my change of address on the phone, it had to be in writing. They would not return my calls as to why Sutton Coldfield branch were ignoring me.
Apparently 1 month's notice starts from last day of the month in which notice is given - a clause I feel unfair and illogical.
I was going to join again in the winter. I would never go near them again.
I have since paid the fee and additional CARS costs, just to get them out of my hair and to protect my credit rating.
hi.my contract with ff ends in july.i have had breaks due to illness.they now say this extends my contract but i cannot find this in my contract.also i have sent a letter in from my hospital re appt for reassessment by physiothepy and this apparently isnt enough they want 'doctors letter' again this is not in my contract.has anybody had these problems?
My son is being hounded by Fitness First and CARS. He joined, along with mates when a £10 offer was on, not realising the implications.He has no money and is unable to pay, having joined at 17. I wrote to FF, saying that he joined without my permission, and Head Office wrote back, saying that I had signed!! I was not with him, so could not have done..they asked me to send a sample of my handwriting!! My son cancelled his Direct Debit several times at his bank, but each time Fitness First started it up again and took the money...surely this can't be legal?? He has now changed banks and we are awaiting the next phone call...
I'm about to cancel my membership with fitness first. Basically I signed a contract in feb 07 for a min of 3 months. I am still being charged each month but rarely attend the gym anymore.
Just wondering if I have to still give them a months notice seeing as my 3 month contract was over in april 07. Or will they still charge me for next month aswell?
You need to read the contract before you sign it - if you sign any legal binding contract you would read it before you put pen to paper - same thing applies. I read evry single small print before I sign anything that is using my personal information and bank details... from a BT contract to a child minder contract. Why would you sign something you dont no anything about??
I worked for FF, however, I have also been on the receiving end. For Tim on line, if your sister didn't receive a membership card, they haven't considered her a member - that would be my argument to get all my money back, as i recently have, because I wrote a letter to the CEO of FF. The staff at club level have sales targets daily and the pressure is to get people to join - or lose your job! Same for General Managers. However, the main reason for getting you to join for 12 months is a) to get you into a healthy regime and b) it's guaranteed money for FF. Other health clubs are the same, they're just not so blatant! Good luck.
I joined in May last year wanting to get fit with my partner. We both signed 12 months contracts. A couple of months down the line, my partner fell ill with epilepsy so could no longer attend the gym, and as I was carer of him we cancelled our direct debit and sent a letter and a copy of hospital letters to prove our situation. My partner's membership got cancelled but they couldn't cancel mine. I refused to pay- I stood my ground as its unfair I have to stay with my partner to care for him! Numerous letters were sent to me and phone calls harrassing me to pay. Everyone in the call centre is so rude. One girl slammed the phone down on me!We were getting these phone calls from 8am!!! I wrote 2 complaint letters with no response.
I have now written my 3rd letter complaining about their BUPA healthcheck. We paid £80 for me and my partner. We attended once, then when booking another appointment our personal trainer Teri was fully booked. I called her 6 different times trying to book an appointment with no sucess- and she wouldn't let us see another personal trainer! We want this money back!
This has got to be the worst company ever!
They have sent the Debt Collectors on me and now I have been asked to pay for the whole of March because they received my letter of cancellation in February. I got fed up with them re: payments they can't take out and blame my bank.
1. Their phones lines are always busy! Couldn't pay for January just before I left for my holidays. Got back, Debt Collectors on my back with an extra £25 admin fee!
2. Wrote to complain and to cancel my membership
3. Didn't get an ackowledgement of cancelletion but the usual letter asking me to pay up my monthly membership fee.
4. They do not promote all typs of fitness, it's all about profit!
5. Seems like each gym has their own policy and membership fees.
6. Changing rooms are dirty
7. Showers drip......!!! very bad quality.
8. They tried to conn my friend with high membership fees.
I suggest people contact this person whose wants to do a research for a TV show ( I think) and tell her your story: aimee@flametv.co.uk
Surely there must be some law to help us.
We should not let companies like this get away with conning people.
My wife & I joined joined Fitness First Cheltenham about a year ago. I took out a trial 3 month membership before signing up for a full 12 months. At the time I signed up for the full 12 months I discovered that they had put the prices up by over 10%, on the premise of upgrading to a 'Platinum club' - this appears to mean absolutely nothing other than giving them an excuse to increase the prices. We are now coming to leave and have discovered that a months notice period is required, something that we were never told at the time.
Oh my god, after reading all the stories on this, about fitness first has made me regret joining them.
They have been taking payment from my sisters bank account but she hasn't even joined the gym or signed anything, I mean how can they do this. She only simply contacted them after I joined to find out how much it would be for her join as I am a student and she is not, and the lady took her bank details from her and told her to come into the gym and then it will finalize it, as she would have to sign up for her membership, but my sister said to her that she isn't sure if she wants to join yet and will let her know, but because she took her bank details they made payments to her credit card and took a DD from her bank and are still trying to take payments. This is such a con, the lady did not even tell her that they will take any payments, as my sister said she would get back to her as she was not sure at the time if she wanted to join, nor did the lady give her a membership number or neither did she receive a letter to inform her that she has joined. As I was a member at the gym, I told a member of staff that she did not want to join and so did my sister. My sister has contacted them in many occasions about this but they're not dealing with it at all or resolving it. The gym is a bloom in joke. They told me she wouldn't get her admin fee of £35 back, but I told them that she did not even agree to join. I have contacted head office and they're all brainless and cant be bothered at all to do anything. My sister cant even record a complaint at head office because you need a membership number to do this, which she obviously does not have because she hasn't joined the gym.
I think I'll have problems canceling my 3 month contract, I can just imagine it now. The staff are so unfriendly and cant be bothered at all, but when they want you to join they put on they're fake smiles and act as if they gym is so great, and start taking payments out of your bank, but when you have a problem they just cant be bothered at all. I would advised no one to join fitness first they're a rubbish fake gym that don't care about you, all they care about is conning you into a contract so they can keep they're run down, rubbish, service gym open another few days. I hope they go out of business.
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Comments:
I have left and am now enjoying sport at a new sports and social club called 'Come Play Sport' which is much more fun!
I am moving to Virgin - what a difference!
I joined fitness First in December 2009 and was to have 3 Body First sessions have had only one since. I payed a joining fee of 35 pounds and then monthly payments of 30. 99.
Everytime I have rang for an appointment the staff have made some kind of excuse. So I got fedup with it and rang head office in Poole, they said that the manager would ring me, "you guessed it thy never did", however I did get a call from my local Gym Appolgising for the lack of communation, the Guy said I would be allowd to start my Body first Over again and arranged to meet an instrutctor, when I went on Friday I was told h was not there.
I have a low self-esteem and this is not helping.
My DD is due on the first of the month, so my bank failed to pay them, I got a phone call demanding the payment, I asked the girl how she got my telephone number, when nobody was able to ring me to arrange an appointmnt yet they can ring to demand payment.
I am going to find away out of this agreement to pay for a full year and join a Gym that will help me gain my confedience back.
The next day I received a curtousy call as expected, but was surprised when he offered me a better deal on a 3 month contract, stating that he felt we had got on very well and that he really wanted me to get started (?!). My company was paying anyway, so I decided to go for it. WHAT A MISTAKE!
I attended the gym regulary, probably three or four times a week and the sales guy always made an effort to come and chat which eventually became annoying, as he outstayed his welcome, making me feel uncomforatble always looking at my chest and eventually forcing me to give up on my workout and go home early. At times he was quite suggestive and once suggested off the back of one of my comments about not knowing Swindon well that we should meet up for a drink. I brushed the offer off in a friendly way as I didn't want to cause offence. Can't blame him for trying, I thought at the time, and didn't think anything else of it, as he continued to chat and be friendly.
The fitness instructors and personal trainers were just as bad and it seemed that I couldn't enter the place without some macho male fitness guy interupting my workout to chat. I was especially annoyed when I received a text message from one of the Personal Trainers saying he had seen me in the gym and wanted to offer me a free personal training session. I certainly didn't give my number to any personal trainers and I can only imagine he took it off of the membership system. That he put a x on the end of the message was just creepy and unnesecary! Surely there is also some kind of confidentiality clause in taking peoples private numbers from the system?
The worst part of my experience took place in March this year when on a night out in Swindon with work friends I was approached by the sales guy (who had continued to interupt me training on at least one occasion a week). He was clearly hammered and starting leering at me telling me how great I looked, how nice I was and how I should thank him for getting me such a great deal at the gym....! I got quite angry and told him to leave me alone, to which he started calling me a slut and a cocktease, he was really abusive and this made me quite upset.
The following week I made a complaint to the Manager Jake, who didn't seem at all interested, he looked bored when we spoke and constantly kept looking over my shoulder at something else, but informed me that he would speak with the sales guy. By my next visit to the Club I asked once again if I could speak with him to be told by the rude girl on reception that he had been moved to different fitness first club, she did ask if I wanted to leave a message for the new manager, which I said I did.
It was almost 3 weeks before I received a call from the new manager Lee, who seemed polite and apologised for the delay in ringing me saying that he had only just taken over at Swindon West. He asked how I was, and how my training was going and if I had been down to the club much and what nights I trained etc. It was a full 10 minutes of the phone call before we came around to the subject in hand. He too assured me he would do something, and asked if it would be Ok for him to get in touch when he had spoken to the sales guy, to which I agreed. He even gave me his personal mobile number, should I need to get in touch with him.
The following night I met Lee in person, who came and chatted to me for a few minutes before he left for the day on the X-Trainer telling me he was meeting with the sales guy the next day and that he would call me afterwards. After my workout I went home and logged onto facebook and was shocked to see a friend request from him. HOW CREEPY!
A few weeks later, after the entire incident had been dealt with (and after I had received another friend request from Lee, which I also ignored) I was talking with one of the fitness instructors who informed me that his Manager fancied me, and asked if I'd be interested in going for a drink with him. I found this to be very insensitive and out of line considering the behaviour of his staff.
I have since decided to discontinue my membership with Fitness First because of the Staff. The male staff, without exception from the manager to the male cleaners are creepy, pervy idiots who will not take no for an answer and spend their day preying on girls. I cannot think of one instance where I have given the ilusion that I am even remotely interested.
Other things that annoyed me about my time with Fitness First Swindon West (and these seem typical of the company, but as I seem to be getting things off my chest!)
Dirty, dusty machines.
Equipment out of order for weeks at a time.
Mould in the showers.
No air con.
Learning that someone else is paying a much lower fee, and didn't pay a joining fee for the same membership because they joined on a deal.
On complaint they will not budge and insist the payment is met or they will pass this on to a 3rd party.
Secondly the place is starting to fall apart and unhygenic I am glad to be out of their and will challenge the membership fee as long as possible. For anyone looking to join a friendly sympathetic gym DO NOT USE FITNESS FIRST. In the current Economic climate one can only hope that Fitness First get what they deserve.
two years later she asked to be transferred to their Crouch End club and went there 4 times a week for about 2 years.
Then October just gone, she moved to Lincoln and during her last month there told several staff members she was leaving and how she would miss everyone.
She moved to Lincoln, I cancelled the DD, we had paid for October she left mid october.
In November we receive a letter saying we owe over £100 because we failed to cancel in writing and they cannot cancelthe membership even now until we pay up, so each our debt will continue to increase each month by £43!
I had a long chat with FF head office yesterday and it seemed like the girl was wanting to be helpful but her supervisor was saying no. They never knew my daughter had asked to transfer to Crouch End and they never knew she was leaving. How was she getting into the club 4 times a week?
Why is it that we can cancel, Gas, electrics, water, rates and council tax who all have admendments to make and final bills to post when we move house without problems. Just ring any of them in the last week and sort it out over the phone but a fitness club which has no changes to make if we stop going has to have 1 months notice in writing?
I asked why? they said it was company policy. I said so you want to make it difficult for your customers to leave and leave them feeling bad about you. Is that good marketing? No comment.
I dont think their contract is reasonable and therefore will not stand up in court. It seems that they want to extract a final bonus payment when you leave to help their profitability.
Fair enough, but why not tell the members? Everyone you ask in the club seems to know nothing and there are no notices.
2. "THEY MIGHT MESS WITH YOUR BANK ACCOUNT AS WELL". They did not deactivate my old direct debit information even though I have filled out the form to change my direct debit information. The stranger thing is - Fitness First charged me for 2 months from my correct account. But all out of sudden, for the last month, they were trying to take a fee from my old bank account which I have requested to be deactivated. Basically - nobody in the head office knows why it had happened. PROBABLY MY OLD BANK ACCOUNT/DIRECT DEBIT ACCOUNT IS STORED SOMEWHERE IN THE FF SYSTEM TO DO WHATEVER THE FITNESS FIRST WANT TO DO.
Terrible head office.
terrible gym - dirty and nasty.
8 week later i then receive letters phone calls and text messages saying my membership is still active and in arrears
luckily i made a note of the persons name at head office that i spoke to the time and date of the call which is on my mobile bill( don't pay for 0845 numbers ring on 01202845000 )
I advise anyone wanting to leave this club to cover all bases
I called FF ins Sutton to cancel my contract in May, after about 3 years. Not because of poor service, but because I wasn't using it.
I was told they had to have my signature in writing. So I write a letter, emailed it and sent it, but it was 3rd June at this point. No confirmation of receipt other than the standard that I requested from my email server. I cancelled my direct debit, thinking my June payment would be my last, but this was not the case. In July I was sent text messages and letters to my old address demanding money. I emailed Sutton Coldfield, no response. I called and they were unhelpful.
I've called the customer service line several times. They would not accept my change of address on the phone, it had to be in writing. They would not return my calls as to why Sutton Coldfield branch were ignoring me.
Apparently 1 month's notice starts from last day of the month in which notice is given - a clause I feel unfair and illogical.
I was going to join again in the winter. I would never go near them again.
I have since paid the fee and additional CARS costs, just to get them out of my hair and to protect my credit rating.
Just wondering if I have to still give them a months notice seeing as my 3 month contract was over in april 07. Or will they still charge me for next month aswell?
helly1960 at 19th Mar 2008, 02:28PM
I have now written my 3rd letter complaining about their BUPA healthcheck. We paid £80 for me and my partner. We attended once, then when booking another appointment our personal trainer Teri was fully booked. I called her 6 different times trying to book an appointment with no sucess- and she wouldn't let us see another personal trainer! We want this money back!
Fitness First has been taken to court many times!
join my facebook group and they will send you all the details
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=11453552596
They have sent the Debt Collectors on me and now I have been asked to pay for the whole of March because they received my letter of cancellation in February. I got fed up with them re: payments they can't take out and blame my bank.
1. Their phones lines are always busy! Couldn't pay for January just before I left for my holidays. Got back, Debt Collectors on my back with an extra £25 admin fee!
2. Wrote to complain and to cancel my membership
3. Didn't get an ackowledgement of cancelletion but the usual letter asking me to pay up my monthly membership fee.
4. They do not promote all typs of fitness, it's all about profit!
5. Seems like each gym has their own policy and membership fees.
6. Changing rooms are dirty
7. Showers drip......!!! very bad quality.
8. They tried to conn my friend with high membership fees.
I suggest people contact this person whose wants to do a research for a TV show ( I think) and tell her your story: aimee@flametv.co.uk
Surely there must be some law to help us.
We should not let companies like this get away with conning people.
They have been taking payment from my sisters bank account but she hasn't even joined the gym or signed anything, I mean how can they do this. She only simply contacted them after I joined to find out how much it would be for her join as I am a student and she is not, and the lady took her bank details from her and told her to come into the gym and then it will finalize it, as she would have to sign up for her membership, but my sister said to her that she isn't sure if she wants to join yet and will let her know, but because she took her bank details they made payments to her credit card and took a DD from her bank and are still trying to take payments. This is such a con, the lady did not even tell her that they will take any payments, as my sister said she would get back to her as she was not sure at the time if she wanted to join, nor did the lady give her a membership number or neither did she receive a letter to inform her that she has joined. As I was a member at the gym, I told a member of staff that she did not want to join and so did my sister. My sister has contacted them in many occasions about this but they're not dealing with it at all or resolving it. The gym is a bloom in joke. They told me she wouldn't get her admin fee of £35 back, but I told them that she did not even agree to join. I have contacted head office and they're all brainless and cant be bothered at all to do anything. My sister cant even record a complaint at head office because you need a membership number to do this, which she obviously does not have because she hasn't joined the gym.
I think I'll have problems canceling my 3 month contract, I can just imagine it now. The staff are so unfriendly and cant be bothered at all, but when they want you to join they put on they're fake smiles and act as if they gym is so great, and start taking payments out of your bank, but when you have a problem they just cant be bothered at all. I would advised no one to join fitness first they're a rubbish fake gym that don't care about you, all they care about is conning you into a contract so they can keep they're run down, rubbish, service gym open another few days. I hope they go out of business.
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