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Comments:
On June 15th i had a free pass to the Fitness First gym in Charring Cross, thought it would be a good idea to get out and do a bit more tham just taking dance class....I was subjected to racial profieling by the manager there and have still not recived an aplogy by her or the assitant manger, the company have now ignored two letters of colmlaint sent to them by CAB and now I am looking to take them to court.
I work at this company. It has been run for the sole reason of making as much money for the venture capitalists that own it. It is the policy that all expenditure to re-furb existing gyms is reduced drastically with any available monies being spent on their new gyms in a bid to promote themselves to new members. Sound sytems are cut price, equipment costs were renegotiated with resultant product being inferior. All this is being done to maximise margins and inflate the profits in preparation for the company to be sold off. That is apparently now happening with the inevitable result that the senior directors are now in line for some extremely large payoffs. All at the expense of the customers and made on the back of property that has intentionally been run down. Don't join this gym, join another one as it will inevitably be better.
Decent facilities but poor financial management, months of threatening letters, they use debt collector thugs, ignore membership cancellation they need to be investigated by the office of fair trading, recommend everyone write to the office of fair trading.
Avoid like the plague if you want to avoid poor customer service and lots of hidden small print in their contracts. There are better clubs out there I urge you to look around.
I joined Fitness first on a 10 day trial. I went to cancel on the 9th day and the person that did the cancellations was not there. They got me to complete a cancellation form and said it would be cancelled the following day. I called the next day and apparently the person in charge of cancellations is not there for 2 weeks and noone else can do cancellations. They asked me to contact Head Office to cancel, I did and they said they would do it but I still havent been refunded my money back .. . gggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. the customer service was terrible, they were not that bothered and are only nice and helpful to you when they want you to join and sign away your money. Will never join a fitness first again !!
Extremely unhelpful customer services and a woeful sense of customer care. Steer clear of directs debits and expect to be contacted relentlessly when you want to cancel, followed by demands and threats regarding payments. Plenty more out there to choose from. I ended up cancelling online(now not available)and paying three months subscriptions thereafter because they questioned their own website evidence and my lack of proof despite correspondence and phone calls.No recommendation whatsoever!
I am not a member of FF. Never have been. A couple of years ago, one of my neighbours joined using his name with my address.
I returned mail telling them to adjust their records.
I sent emails on their site telling them to delete my address from their database. No replies were received.
Last week I received a demand for payment. I passed this on to our Neighbourhood Watch people and they said they would call FF to let them know. This obviously had no effect because we now have received a warning that our case will be turned over to some credit collecting agency.
Having receive no reply from FF to date, I am reluctant to contact them. I have the names of the CEO and CFO and their head office. I am thinking, after reading all your pretty bad comments on this company, if this is the way to get my address off their records.
The Fraud people said this was identity theft???
The NHW people said it was a mistake. I dont think so. I have had other problems with this particular neighbour. I think it has been done deliberately
Anything you can offer as to what I should do would be helpful and I thank you in advance.
I am very disgusted with the Fitness First. Their customer service is unbelievably poor, when you speak to someone on phone-arrogant and rude. They have no values, tact, honesty and any kind of work ethic. I have joined back in November 2009 in Bristol Aspects. I thought I go on a monthly pay basis and no contract. I was never told I have to sign a contract and when I have signed a direct debit in belief they need it as a way of payment. I agreed and thought I can cancel it anytime if I am not happy. Plus I knew I will move soon house so I was not interested for a contract gym. I only went a couple of times. Many things happened in my personal life and have to work long hours. In a belief I have no contract (I never got a copy of a signed direct debit or contract) I have cancelled the direct debit. Moved address and it started. SMS texts, letters I have to pay the fee. For what I never use the services, I was mislead by a staff member in many facts. In February I have agreed with a manager of the gym he will cancel everything what is behind and can have a fresh start. I am not goin into deep here but they have caused me fees on my bank account they took payments from my account even if I have already paid them in cash on branch. And the most annoing thing is I have never agreed to another direct debit. I have only made a payment online and was advised I have to go to visit the gym as they need my details for direct debit. Guess what happened, I have received a letter as a thank you for reinstating my membership and the direct debit was there without my approval. Of course I have cancelled it as this is a breach from their part and fraud. I have sent emails, no reply, was making phone calls, i was advised they are leaving comments on the system and a manager will contact me. Never happened. I am sending my last attempt via sign for post and demanding a request in a written letter. I as treated unfairly and was misleaded. They stating I can not cancel the contract (what i believe do not have) as in my belief I have never signed and would not sign ever. Just reading through all these customer reviews and I am so utterly disgusted. Wish I would never cross their doorstep.
I am certainly not willing to pay for something I am not using, was not inteded to use and will not tolerate lies. I got to a stage if I have to go to court I am more than happy but I will prove my point. How can someone be so arrogant and incompetent to ignore their customer. Do they realise what they are facing with this? Of course I am very loud about this as much as I can be and I will go as far as I can go if they will not cancel this FRUADULESCENT membership.
I have called head office today last time to try to resolve this. A man on the other end of the line said one thing, you need to pay 32.50. I said to him hang on, what is on your system. Is there anything on your system regarding your management should contact me? I have called at least five times and have spoken to different people always passing to another one. Promises and lies. Result. Nothing on a system. I have requested the man to type into a system now that I am writing an official complaint what they will receive shortly via sign for post. I am requesting an answer and also wish not to be contacted anymore by text or phone call. I am also not willing to invest more finances in my phone bill due to them.
Will give an update here everytime now what is happening.
I have asked them nicely to cancel this membership, I am hapy to send back the unused backpack, towel welcome pack. I have never wanted a year contract and in my will I have never signed. I am not tolerating any fraud from their staff and will fight my truth.
So I joined Fitness First back in 2007. They signed me up illegally as I wasn't 18 and wasn't actually of legal age to sign up to the gym contract. I was told I had to sign up there and then to have this wonderful price. So like a mug I did. I was told if I didn't like it I could cancel and no fees would be charged. So I went along, decided I wouldn't actually have time to do it and decided I wanted to cancel it. They said it was cancelled, yet they were still taking monthly instalments from my card. Anyway after a 3 month battle with them they stopped taking my money and paid every single penny back. So everything was cool until today. I got a letter from a debt recovery company saying that I owed Fitness First £59.95. I was obviously incredibly angry as I hadn't signed up for anything not even a bean! So I rang them up shouting and screaming and told them to pay it back! It's ridiculous! I can't believe them. If you're ever thinking of joining them DON'T. Not unless you fancy a 3 month battle trying to cancel your membership!
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.
Add a comment about this blagger
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Comments:
I returned mail telling them to adjust their records.
I sent emails on their site telling them to delete my address from their database. No replies were received.
Last week I received a demand for payment. I passed this on to our Neighbourhood Watch people and they said they would call FF to let them know. This obviously had no effect because we now have received a warning that our case will be turned over to some credit collecting agency.
Having receive no reply from FF to date, I am reluctant to contact them. I have the names of the CEO and CFO and their head office. I am thinking, after reading all your pretty bad comments on this company, if this is the way to get my address off their records.
The Fraud people said this was identity theft???
The NHW people said it was a mistake. I dont think so. I have had other problems with this particular neighbour. I think it has been done deliberately
Anything you can offer as to what I should do would be helpful and I thank you in advance.
I am certainly not willing to pay for something I am not using, was not inteded to use and will not tolerate lies. I got to a stage if I have to go to court I am more than happy but I will prove my point. How can someone be so arrogant and incompetent to ignore their customer. Do they realise what they are facing with this? Of course I am very loud about this as much as I can be and I will go as far as I can go if they will not cancel this FRUADULESCENT membership.
I have called head office today last time to try to resolve this. A man on the other end of the line said one thing, you need to pay 32.50. I said to him hang on, what is on your system. Is there anything on your system regarding your management should contact me? I have called at least five times and have spoken to different people always passing to another one. Promises and lies. Result. Nothing on a system. I have requested the man to type into a system now that I am writing an official complaint what they will receive shortly via sign for post. I am requesting an answer and also wish not to be contacted anymore by text or phone call. I am also not willing to invest more finances in my phone bill due to them.
Will give an update here everytime now what is happening.
I have asked them nicely to cancel this membership, I am hapy to send back the unused backpack, towel welcome pack. I have never wanted a year contract and in my will I have never signed. I am not tolerating any fraud from their staff and will fight my truth.
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.
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