The Smooth Loan Process #2010-21

Pure Fitness on Warner and McClintock Sucks!

Sorry guys, this one is not mortgage related but it's necessary.

A little over two years ago, I signed up my wife and I for a membership at the Pure Fitness on Warner and McClintock in Tempe. At the time that I signed up, they were building a new facility in Chandler just minutes from our house. Like many of us, the start of a new year brought the motivation (albeit temporary) to get to the gym more often. The new year special of no sign up fees and knowing that there would be a facility very close to home was enough to get me to sign. Unfortunately, construction stopped on the new facility close to my house and it never opened. I have no problem with Pure Fitness for this.

A couple of months ago, I realized that it had been at least a year since I had gone to the gym. My wife had never gone since we got the membership. By the way, a gym membership is NOT a good gift for your wife for many reasons. So in November, I went in to the facility to cancel our membership. The person at the front desk had me sign the form to cancel and informed me that I could still use the facilities for another 60 days because they required 60 notice for cancellation and I would be charged for December. No problem.

Here's where thing go awry. The person at the front desks says that they will also refund half of the charges since I took the membership because my wife never went into the facility. I thought that was awesome. I did not expect it. Then she says, "oh wait, she didn't come in here but she used a few of our other locations in Chandler and in Mesa." For that reason, now she wouldn't refund anything for my wife's account. This really didn't bother me. My wife never used the other locations, but I didn't expect the money back anyway so I let it go. Besides, how could I prove my wife had never been there? Her computer said my wife had. I told her not to worry about it and lets just cancel. Then I signed the cancellation.

This morning, I pulled up my bank account and saw that I had been charged this month for the membership. And not the usual $19. It was $38. I looked at last month statement and sure enough, there's a charge for $38 in January that I had not noticed (shame on me). I immediately dropped what I was doing and went into the gym to ask them about it. The front desk person pulled up my account and showed me on her screen that I had cancelled in November. I told her that I was still being charged and she argued with me and that I was wrong and was not being charged. Her computer said so. So I went back to my office, printed my bank statement and went back to the gym and got to talk to the condescending and fast talking General Manager Katelin.

Katelin is clearly accustomed to these situations.

Before even asking me why I was there or what my problem was, she went into a barrage of all of the reasons that I was wrong and they were right. First she said that this must be my banks fault. She sees it all the time. It's their way of getting more fees from me.

What?!?! I don't think my bank makes money off of paying bills that are presented to them.

Then she explained that I need to make sure I keep enough money in my account so that it will be their when they take their payment. Ms. Katelin, my account was not overdrawn. I'm not complaining about that. I'm trying to cancel my membership!

Then she informed me that I have to cancel in writing by signing their form. Again, Katelin, I have done that. I did that back in November. She could sense my agitation. Again, I suspect this is not new to her from their customers.

Finally, she went and got the cancellation form that I had signed in November. "Here's your problem!", she said. "You didn't put your wife's name on the cancellation form so we kept her account open". Oh, and the double charge? A group discount did not apply anymore because I cancelled my membership. Nice.

Are you serious?!?! I told them I wanted to cancel both memberships. They filled out the form. I signed it. If they had cancelled BOTH memberships as I had intended, you would not be reading this right now.

The question here is what happened to good customer service? I understand and accept that I should have made double sure that both memberships were cancelled. However, I do not believe that I could have been more clear about wanting that when I went in to cancel. I cannot speak to experiences with other locations of Pure Fitness, but the business practices at the Warner and McClintock location are deceptive and unethical. Legally, I would not have a leg to stand on. I signed a cancellation without my wife's name on it. I get it, but Pure Fitness knew full well that I wanted her membership cancelled also and they chose not to honor that request or help me correct the error on the form.

The part they don't seem to understand is that one day their new facility close to my house will open. Now there is no chance that I will use it. By charging me $38 today for a membership that I cancelled, they have lost the thousands of dollars that I would have paid for a membership when it opens.

The Smooth Loan Process lesson for today: Pure Fitness on Warner and McClintock in Tempe sucks!

Harold Perkins
Galaxy Lending Group, LLC
602-595-1233
Harold@HaroldPerkins.com