Sports & Play
Extreme Fitness, Extreme Ripoff?
Extreme Fitness loves their direct mail. Every month or so another one of their flyers shows up in my mailbox. They all say the same thing: No Annual Contract! Only $8 month. Offer ends [insert revolving date here].
Marketing such as this has become a hallmark of the fitness industry. As consumers, we have become so conditioned to assume that there will be hidden fees, contracts we can't get out of and a variety of deceptive practices that the new marketing tactics many clubs now employ are designed specifically to address these concerns.
The catch though is that while the marketing of some fitness clubs might lead us to believe they have a more progressive, honest, straightforward approach, dig a little beneath the surface and you'll realize that like the past, the promises aren't what they appear to be.
In the case of Extreme Fitness, if $8 a month and no annual contract seems too good to be true that's because it probably is. And as we've noticed on our Extreme Fitness page in our Fitness section, there are plenty of people who are not too happy about it.
A mere sampling of the comments added in the last two months gives a sense of the general reaction:
Their strategy is to get as many members as possible to join. Once in, you''ll have to pay monthly for 9 months (I guess that's what they mean by advertising no annual contract) - Dan C
I was suckered not only into the 70 dollar a month membership, but for 300 dollars worth of personal training. - DanforthDistress
At no point did they EVER make it clear that was I agreeing to a ONE YEAR CONTRACT WITH NO CHANCE OF ENDING IT EARLY. After all, everywhere you look you see the words "NO ANNUAL CONTRACT" stated loud and clear, so it didn't even occur to me that I could possibly be locked in for a year. - Anonymous
There are also now at least two anti-Extreme Fitness Facebook Groups set up to try to attract media attention and provide a forum for peeved current and former Extreme Fitness members.
The Warning: Do NOT join Extreme Fitness gyms Facebook group
The Support MTN in his fight against Extreme Fitness Facebook group
This is in addition to the variety of other Extreme Fitness Facebook groups that attract their share of both positive and negative wall posts.
If you're Extreme Fitness and you're being challenged about your promises of no annual contract and $8 a month fees, what do you do? Well, it appears that you rely on your legal team that helped you craft such messaging in the first place.
Like most flyers that come in the mail, there's usually some fine print. In this case the fine print includes the following:
'No annual contract - $8 per month' offer based on two month prepaid membership. 'No annual contract' month to month membership available after the initial two months.
Clear as mud, right? So I thought I'd dig a little deeper to find out what the actual terms of the membership are. Here is what I found out:
1. The first thing I discovered is that it's an exercise in comedy to try to get someone to quote you rates over the phone. Seriously, just for fun, you should call Extreme Fitness and try to get them to tell you how much a monthly rate is and what it means that there is no annual contract. They won't tell you. The representative I spoke to insisted that she couldn't quote me over the phone and that I would need to come in so they could find a rate that's suitable for me.
2. After much prodding, I was finally told that I would pay a monthly rate between $50 and $100 depending on my needs. I explained to her that my needs were to use the one club at Richmond and John, I didn't have a corporate plan and that I simply only wanted to use the facilities and didn't want to sign up for anything extra or get a personal trainer. So given that, what would the rate be? Maybe between $57-$75 is the most she could narrow it down for me.
3. I asked about the No Annual Contract. It doesn't exists. All memberships are based on a 12 month commitment. The ONLY way you can avoid this is if you cancel your membership halfway through the 2 month promotional period (ie. the one with the $8 rate). But even then, she mentioned I would need to pay a $129 penalty to make the cancellation. I wasn't sure I heard right so I asked her to repeat this. At that point, she became extremely agitated and defensive and sought to end the call.
Wow. So, there you have it. Buyer beware. Extreme Fitness' promised low rates and no annual contracts are definitely not what they seem. And, if my experience is any indication, they appear to have built a sales force who makes it as difficult as possible to find out what the rates and terms of the membership actually are.
What to do about it? Two things:
1. Contact the Better Business Bureau and let them know what you think about Extreme's practices.
2. Join a different gym. Check out our list of the Best Fitness Clubs in Toronto for ideas on where to start.
UPDATE (February 17, 2010):
Extreme Fitness contacted me and has provided me with the following statement they'd like to share with readers of this site to clarify their membership, direct mail and other policies/practices discussed on this page.
Extreme Fitness has seen tremendous growth and success in the past three years doubling in size with the acquisition of Bally's and Sports Clubs of Canada. We employ over 1500 staff and have approximately 90000 members across 13 locations in the GTA. For the most part our members are extremely happy with the clubs and services we provide. We believe that an excellent sign of our members' satisfaction is that even during the past year of instability in the general marketplace, our retention of members annually has improved. We take pride in the fact that the majority of our members are satisfied happy customers that choose to return. The National Post is quoted in a review as describing Extreme Fitness as "Dollar for Dollar the City's Best Gym" and Extreme Fitness won the Toronto Sun readers choice award for the city's best gym two years consecutively, to name a few.
For the most part, our business model is based on an annual membership term. Our level of investment and commitment to facilities, staff and services requires a one year term from our members. Following the expiration of the initial term members are invited to continue month to month. The membership fee for the first year is payable in flexible monthly payments or upfront. Similar to any lease or membership agreement we also have a contract that members are encouraged to read that outlines our mutual commitments. As noted in your blog, a very small percentage of members have taken issue with contractual terms upon deciding to cancel their membership for various reasons. As our investment into facilities and services is dictated by the number of members we have it is important that these agreements are honored by us as well as our members. As a courtesy, we do allow members to cancel their membership in term if they have relocated outside of our service area or for medical reasons.
With regard to Direct Mail, this marketing approach remains the most effective way to support our business model while providing an acceptable return on investment in the acquisition of new members. It also allows us to build our brand presence in a competitive market place. Direct Mail is used by many companies across all industries that enjoy similar results. Our direct mail offer changes regularly with new and attractive membership rates that allow us to remain competitive with other fitness clubs who also use direct mail. These will often include trial periods that are free or at a low monthly rate that provides affordable accessibility for new members considering joining for a longer annual term. This is what we mean by " No Obligation, No Annual Contract, Free Trial or $8.00 per month". The marketing objective is to make it easy and affordable for people to experience our product for a trial term of up to three months at little or no cost. It is our way of providing potential new members with a "test drive" experience of the club before making a longer term financial commitment. Simply put, a prospective member can join on a three month short term trial membership as advertised and then continue on a month to month membership after that. There are no cancellation fees on this or any other type of Extreme Fitness membership. Of course it is our hope that they will have a great experience and join with us on an annual membership if they choose. In fact, the vast majority that begin with a trial become annual members because they enjoy the fitness club facilities and health and wellness services we provide.
Our policy when dealing with member questions and complaints is directed to the local club manager who has the best knowledge of the member's situation and history. Club managers are trained to deal with member concerns face to face with professionalism and courtesy. Many of the comments that appear in response to your Blog review discus issues that can easily be dealt with at the club level. In addition and as a further response to these quires we have provided a distinct head office customer service email to address the concerns of both past and present members "answers@extremefitness.ca". We encourage readers of BlogTo, members and the general public to reach us directly with questions and concerns.
Discussion
258 Comments
Sort By Oldest First / Newest First
Subscribe
I had to pay 3 months up front ($15 x 2, plus one regular month at $96), and was told I could cancel my commitment if I gave written notice 2 weeks in advance and made a big fuss of it.
On the plus side though, they pressured me into getting a personal trainer (initially proposing I pay upward of $400 a month, but I hemmed and hawwed it down to $150). I say 'plus side' because I really had no idea what was going on with my body and he got me using the equipment properly, and I've seen really good results so far.
The nutritionists are a joke though, don't even bother talking to them. Every other sentence is about buying supplements, or asking you rearrange your life around constantly eating the most exact combinations and portions. I'm sure that's fine if you don't have a real job and can spend 3 hours a day preparing food...
1. http://www.reddotcampaign.ca
Here you simply print-out the one page 'letter', sign it and stick it in your mailslot. Your Canada Post mail carrier will see it and put a 'red dot' whereby you will never again receive any unaddressed junk mail! Free.
2. https://ioptout.ca
This one's a beta project by an Ottawa professor that basically continues where the do-not-call registry legistlation (seriously flawed) drops off. Free.
mishka
I was actually thinking about joining this place because of this amazing deal. But then I thought how the hell would they make up for this. Places like Goodlife charge an arm and a leg to use their facilities. Well here you go. Extreme LIES!
Thats why I joined the gym at my work.. 10$month! no Lies and Deceit!
Does anybody know how LA FItness is? Same sort of scam?
I heard that there may eventually be a "waste tax" in Toronto. I support the idea so I started to catalog my garbage one day (no seriously) to see what I was throwing out. I realized that more than 70% of all paper products I throw out or recycle are from unsolicited mail. I know Canada Post makes decent coin off of distributing this stuff and I would rather see a postage increase than lay off a great deal of people but this is getting to be absurd. Almost all of my building's mail is junk mail that no one wants and now the city is going to charge us for it?
Excuse the tangent. :)
The best hard sell experience we've had since moving to Canada though, was in that place under the Skyd^WRogers Center, where we got the full used car treatment, including a soul-crushing tour that went on forever, time limited offers that expired if we left the building, and being left alone in an office while the salesman went off to get us a better deal from his nonexistent manager. On the off-chance that they'd miked the room, we had a chat about his body odour issues, it was great fun.
There is no scam being run by Extreme Fitness. Sure, their marketing promotions are a little exaggerated, but they do offer you the options they advertise.
Take the $15/mo no contract. You can get 2 months for that price, BUT, if you wish to continue going to the gym you have to pay some extreme price of more than $120 each month. Since no one really wants to go for just 2 months, everyone skips this option.
Next you're given another quote based on how often you want to go, what location and if you want to use their towels (yuck). That price is around $70. But, if you're a schmuck you'll just say yes and sign up for a year. But, if you press the issue you'll pay less. All you do is take control by telling them how much you'll pay. I was a member at a competing gym in university and paid $35/month. They wouldn't match that but I do pay less than $50 taxes in, etc for unlimited use and no nasty towels.
Sure, it's a lot of money each month. But, do I feel duped? No. Was I pressured to get a personal trainer? Of course, that's how they really make their money. Could I say, "NO?" Yes, and I did.
If you're joining a gym they know you're a little down on yourself and are a potential push-over. Don't be. Read some Tony Robbins and get your self-esteem up.
A friend of mine is in a legal battle with one of the Extreme Fitness locations. They continued to charge her account for well over a year in excess of $800 and will not drop the charges. It's ridiculous!! I would NEVER join that gym based on her account of their policies.
Ditto. I stuff them (as well as random other flyers and offers) into an envelope and mail them back to locations on a rotational basis.
If you have a rate like that with conditions so ridiculous that nobody takes you up on it, then it only exists to get them in the door so you can commence the hard sell, that's a scam.
It'd be like me setting up a sign that said "Free Ice Cream!" outside my shop, only agreeing to give people ice cream if they listened to a pitch and looked at the merchandise, and then informing them "Oh, the ice cream is laced with rat poison, do you still want it?"
Definitely a hard push but you can say no.
Their marketing practices do disgust me, though. They recently took over the Dunfield Club at Yonge & Eglinton and while I haven't been there since the takeover, I get the feeling that the place isn't what it used to be. I was a member there when Sports Clubs of Canada ran it and they were always straight-up about the monthly fees and contracts. Their belief was that everyone should pay the same monthly fees to avoid a situation where Member-X gets upset about why Member-Y is paying half of what they're paying. It worked pretty well: everyone paid the same exorbitantly high fee, and everyone got treated the same way. And I'd rather pay more for honesty than deal with cryptic contracts and hassles -- I already have to deal with that for my long distance plan, but that's another rant.
Other complicated details, but I had a pretty solid case and took them to the Ministry of Consumer Services. Eventually, they went away.
Bottom line - never ever pay for a gym membership with your bank account. Do you want to have to close your account because of these jerks and transfer your payroll, rent, etc?
and don't join Jump Fitness - nothing is far when there is a team of lawyers ready to discount your every ripped off dollar.
Friendly people in there and always a nice vibe. (Wish they could switch up the music though, I'm one of those non-ipod wearing exercisers. Believe it or not, loud music makes me lose count of my reps!)
Besides, who would want to join a gym for less than a year anyways? Unless you're already super fit and just looking to brush up on parts.. in which case just mooch off your friend's one-guest-per-visit rules. Thats what I did :P
Somebody call a waaaambulance.
Well...I did't end up using the membership and called to cancel. I was told I had to do this in person. When I came in they had lost my paperwork, but gave me something to sign and assured me I wouldn't be charged.
My next credit card statement showed charges for 2 months worth of fees and it took months of arguing with the sales rep (Leslie Jones) to get the charge removed from my statement.
She was the most awful person I have ever had to deal with I urge all of you to stay clear of their pitches.
I went to a local fast food, and saw the extreme fitness "contest". I signed up. Got a call from them saying that I "won" 4 months for free. I was like "yeh!". The catch was that you had to stay with them at least 12 months. Thus I had to throw away $70 every freaking month until last month - which was finally the end of a nightmare.
Plus, they try really hard to make you purchase a personal training.
Knew it was too good to be true..
And then once I am done with my one year contract, i will still be charged with $89 a month!! So I talked to the manager to say that I am quitting. The manager said he will give me the same deal again but i have to sign another year of contract.
People are really getting rip off by Extreme because everyone can pay different pricing. from $40 a month to $100 a month. Who knows.
So I decided to quit qym completely. Gym is just as evil as cellphone company in Canada.
I get a 10 day pass from them to work out at their new location at Yonge-Dundas(Which is not even completed yet), the guy has the nerve to take it away, because I did not have the time to talk to him right there! Now, I am glad I did not talk to him after reading this post. Are there are good gyms left?? It's sad. The price of gyms is getting out of control.
I was a member of Sports Clubs of Canada at Dunfield. The gym was nice, clean, not too busy, and they were honest. Now it is dirty, over crowded, and have a bunch of crooks working for them. Couple of things: - they keep lying on how long the showers are going to take to fix. I haven't been to the gym there for 3 months due to this fact. The next closest gym to my work is the Dundas one. They touted this to be as the new flashy gym. My butt it is. You walk in there. It is a hole in the ground. No showers and it is tiny.
yes they send a gazillion flyers and yes that sucks! but when i signed up he made it very clear that there is a one year contract option, as well as a no contract option (of course was lil more expensive)
the moral of the story is: ask the right questions, and dont be a pushover and give in to the extra crap they try to sell you!
be in charge! and if you dont like the offer walk away! no ones holding a gun to your head people...
I told them I didnt' know that I will not be allowed to cancell during that time. I was told ..well..no one forced me to sign it.
They are very rude and you will be stuck with terms you were not aware if you sign up with them. I also found that the facilities were crappy and there were tons of people with no room to work out and machines were broken.
Then they started the renovations. Almost ten months of substandard conditions, a crappy attic changing room, dust in the air, noise, and cramped workout spaces. The new, improved gym finally opened... no new exercise area to speak of, but tons of new sales offices and fancy tv lounges.
They lied to me about the reno, they lied about the equipment, the staff is rude, and you'll feel both invisible and unwelcome unless you're a spandex-wearing young hottie.
Forget the scam chain gyms, join the Y. They're not there to rip you off. It's a gorgeous facility and you'll pay a fraction of the fees.
Steve Dacosta President- 416-666-4498
Taso Pappas- 647-274-3709
CEO- jsolomon@falconheadcapital.com
Email The Boss of Falconhead
Look on there web site, the evil empire is all there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56ArAqck74A
I am gather a list of people who wants to cancel. Anyone who wants to cancel can e-mail me their membership ID along with their birthday and I will pass them on to Marcus, director for marketing...
I told him if he doesn't cancel everyone on the list, I will show up with some of you guys to their new grand opening of their Wellington location in downtown with our video camera, a big bull horn and make a scene on the opening day.
Hope I won't need to do this!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56ArAqck74A
My e-mail address is:
charles@torontocomfort.com
or you can call me at 416.837.4965
Best wishes!
Charles Huang
Director/Producer
Spicy Editions
&
Owner of Toronto Comfort Rentals & Executive Comfort Canada
Despite my notification of club membership termination to Extreme Fitness, they continue to debit my credit card monthly since then. On August 2, 2008, they debited ?64.90 from my credit card account. I wrote to them on August 4, 2008, asking them to return the funds to my credit card account and not to debit my credit card account again in the future.
On September 2, 2008, they have again debited ?66.50 from my credit card account. I have written again to them today asking them to return the funds to my credit card account and not to debit my credit card account again in the future.
I need help......please.....anybody!!
Abel
Despite my notification of club membership termination to Extreme Fitness, they continue to debit my credit card monthly since then. On August 2, 2008, they debited ?64.90 from my credit card account. I wrote to them on August 4, 2008, asking them to return the funds to my credit card account and not to debit my credit card account again in the future.
On September 2, 2008, they have again debited ?66.50 from my credit card account. I have written again to them today asking them to return the funds to my credit card account and not to debit my credit card account again in the future.
I need help......please.....anybody!!
Abel
Dublin
Ireland
Fax them the letter.
Also email the GM at Dunfield andreww@extremefitness.info
The prices changed daily, I was so bored, the managers take all the leads
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0p0uerkQtFo&;feature=related
Police Update:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4-DQiVZ2UI&;watch_response
I had a membership to a gym at my work and when I stopped working there I went in to find out about a pay as you go kind of thing cause I was moving in a month and a half but didn't want to be without a gym and had seen the ads about no contract. This is true. You can pay $129/month and have no contract. $129? Yikes. And I'm in Scarborough so it's not like it's an amazing gym. If I had a pool, maybe at least I'd -think- about it.
So. I say I'm moving, so he does a little dance about only having to pay $54 for the two months.. for the two months? It's Sept 22nd, why is Sept even playing into this? And to cancel when you move you have to come in with a piece of mail or something with your new address on it to cancel... Uhm.. if you haven't moved yet how would you have mail with your new address? And if you're moving more than 40kms away what are the odds you're going to drive back just to show your gym your new address? I'm not moving until the end of Oct but they want proof of the new address by mid-october. Why would I be having mail sent to an address I don't occupy?
They do everything they can to make sure you keep paying.
They don't quote over the phone cause the membership people get commission so they want to get you in to pressure you.
Extreme fitness does not send people to collections.
There contracts will not hold up in court, they just try to scare you into paying them.
From an ex employee
My friend got into this trouble and it's even worse. She got stuck into a 2005 dollars personal training contract.
Urgent help needed... Thank you guys...
my contact is yinan_8888@hotmail.com
Also, If you cancel your credit card they do not have your number to bill.
Extreme does not send to collections because they know if they did, thousands of people would be all over them.
They prey on people fears.
TO whom it may concern,
My name is XXXXX XXXX. I signed up for what I believe was a three month term and was then later told I signed up for a year contract. I want to cancel but I am told that is not possible. I see that your company has several tie-ins with the BBB (not a surprise). I was completely misled and it appears that I am not the first.
http://www.blogto.com/sports_play/2008/05/extreme_fitness_extreme_ripoff/
I went into Extreme Fitness this morning to dispute the charge that showed up on my statement and was basically told that I was out of luck and have no hopes of canceling, even despite the fact that I'm going back to VANCOUVER this coming January. My only chance is to transfer my membership to someone else. How am I supposed to do that however when the REPUTATION of Extreme Fitness is so poor??? I will be out $640 with no hope of obtaining those funds back. I never even used the membership in the three months time I thought I was limited to. I am very upset as I am a student and cannot afford this right now. I was manipulated into agreeing to a contract which I think is absolutely ridiculous. I will owe $640 by the time the membership has expired, but have read reports that even AFTER that period there is a chance that my account could still be debited. The person I spoke with at the RICHMOND location in Toronto was anything but understanding and sympathetic and gave little regard to anything I was saying. I don't usually worry myself with frivolous matters such as this but this is a matter of principal and what I believe is misrepresentation.
PLEASE GET BACK TO ME and note this letter. I will be making a formal complaint to the BBB if I am not given any options.
Regards,
XXXXXX XXXX
I don't know what to do especially since I heard from a lot of people having similar problems - their memberships cancellations not being handled correctly and clubs trying to get money out of them. this theme was even used in one of the sitcoms, I happen to remember. so, I guess, they have a reputation for it. Are they in the fitness or money extortion business!?!
please help!!!
$8/month for the first 2 months. After that it'll be $129/month on a month-to-month basis with NO annual contract. The catch is this:
1. you have to pay the $16 upfront
2. provide bank info (to protect the gym)
3. you need to come in person to cancel 14 days before the
1st of the third month or you'll be charged $129/month
for the next month. Good news is that you could use the
gym till the end of that month.
Example:
- you start today (nov 7th)
- pay $16 (Nov & Dec)
- you have to provide bank information in case
you don't cancel before the third month so it
apparently protects the gym. That's the catch
for providing bank info.
- you have to come in person 14 days before the
1st of the third month
All that is for the no obligation membership.
If you want something longer then, you can get a 1 year membership anywhere from $50-96/month
Was this whole article based simply on the fact that Extreme has an aggressive marketing campaign? They aren't the only company that does it.. but they are one of the few that is actually selling something beneficial (i.e. the lady who said she was pressured to get a trainer.. and is now getting good results) I'm happy for her, and anyone else who is "suckered" into doing something good for their health.
It's a business, yes, and many other clubs don't market as aggressively, true.. but that also means that a lot of people are not getting to those gyms... also, writing negatively about anything to do with fitness only furthers the major problem with society right now of inactivity and (sometimes) a complete disregard for health. You should seriously think about the underlying issues before writing something negative about a health club or lifestyle.
I understand your intentions, but at the same time, you're indirectly reinforcing inactivity.. and that, in no way, shape, or form is beneficial to anyone reading this.
From the sounds of it from this blog, they contact people all the time to hard sell them into memberships, or to harrass people on why they did not pay their membership, or if they were coming back to the gym ..so why did they not contact me?
I went to the bay/bloor location to try to resolve the situation, they would not budge whatsoever. The GM there "Stephanie" is very unprofessional. She has no empathy skills whatsoever. When asked whether or not I can speak to someone at the corporate office, she said no there wasn't, and that she would make the final decision. She welcomed, me to write a complaint on their web page, and said that ultimately the complaint would be handled by her anyways, so for me to try to escalate my case would be fruitless and a waste of time. My advice is unless you are extremely well off, or can tolerate an organization that really does not care about it's members then go ahead and join extreme fitness.
If there are another former Bally's member who is in the same situation as me. I would like to hear from you.
I can be contacted at alcatraz1998@hotmail.com
People do get suckered into buying things all the time. The reason why it happens is because there is not always full disclosure, or hidden clauses that are not explained. A lot of contracts are very verbose, and people have implied trust as to what the sales person is telling them, after all they are supposed to know more about a certain product then we do. So to say that the people who got suckered in because they don't read a contract is wrong.
Has anyone had Extreme come after them after canceling a card?
Does anyone know how your credit is affected if Extreme continues to try and charge your old card #?
Its the best way to go, they will just send you nasty letters.
You cannot advertise that somebody won a free cruise, but then require them to join in order to get the prize.
Please forward your complaints to the link below
www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/frm-eng/PJSH-6X9KQY
The fine for this kind of false advertising is big
lets get these guys
I don't think the problem is aggressive advertising, it's FALSE advertising. I work in retail and if you put something in your flyer you better have that product or service as stated when the customer gets there. Now if there is a misunderstanding with fine print (as is almost always the case), a staff member should properly explain, or if that is still unsatisfactory, then a head office phone number is warranted.
From the comments here, there is neither a head office to contact, nor are the staff members willing to help the people who come in. I personally saw about five "staff" standing around and chitchatting, and the guy we got kept beating around the bush about membership fees.
I switched to Goodlife and am very glad. X-treme DID quote me over the phone. Lowest they'd go was 66$. I'm pretty bull headed so it only took about 10 mins to get that. I didn't switch because of the shady sales techniques. If you need to bait someone to provide a solid service then it can't be the solid service you've purported.
forget x-treme. Join Goodlife or anywhere else.
Waht about free royal caribbean cruise?
Is this true?
I got as well a flyer, I scratched it and it tells me "Congratulations! You won a Royal Caribbean Cruise for two! Call now! 1-866-723-5183" I called and an "Extreme Fitness" employee told me to book an appointment to get the fitness plan started and I will get my certificate for the cruise. With that certificate she told me I would have to call Royal Caribbean Cruise and just book my cruise.
I'm sure there has to be a dirty trick somewhere, but where? For the time being, about the cruise, on the flyer I see only in small print: "Air fare, taxes and processes fee not included. Some conditions apply." So, first I believe there might be some high air fare, taxes and processing fees. Second, those "some conditions apply" might mean anything, including conditioning the cruise with some other money grabbing terms.
What do you think? How many of you have scratched the flyer and saw that you won a cruise?
It seems a little too good to be true cause when i called i asked if i had to sign up or pay anything and i was told a distictive "no" not some "beat around the bush" answer.
I will let you guys know what happens tonight, and if im off to Jamaica
I got a phone call too. Mine was for 2nd prize apparently. my appointment is on Sat. could you post what your thoughts about the authenticity of the prize is? Thanks
Q-So i noticed on the back of the ticket it says"chances of winning are 1/1, so every ticket is a winner?
A- Well yes, but each location only has 100 free vacations to give away.
Q-it also says that you have to pay for fees, airfare and taxes, how much is that.
A- You have to book your own airfare, (flight plus transportation) plus $160 per person in fees, plus taxes.
Q-So if i join for 2 months for $16 i do not have any conditions to pay for the 3rd month or continued membership.
A-Right, but most of our members prefer to go on a plan, we have lots of plans to choose from.
So i might go in for the appointment, and join only if i am 100% sure that i will not have to continue membership after 2 months. But you have to join in order to get the vacation. Honestly though, $320 in fees PLUS Taxes, PLUS Flight for 2 to Jamacia (which isn't cheap), you're better off with 1Travel200.com or that kind of company and get a Real 1 week All Inclusive vacation for a lot less hassle.
Hope this helps
The free trips are not bad. For Jamaica they pay for the all inclusive resort. You just have to get there. For the cruise you have to get to the point of departure yourself, and pay for alcohol yourself. So if you're still moaning about it get real because you won't find anything better.
Ive been a member at the dunfield club for two years and have personally seen their tricks. The equipment is nice but have fun trying to use it since the place is 10 times as packed now (soon to be more with this new promo). All they do is hustle people in the door and make them pay pay pay.
Also keep in mind you will have to sign up for a full year to claim this so called free vacation. And if the cost isn't included into your processing fee, im sure it will be split out into the remaining 10 months (minimum $120.00 a month). Not to mention your gonna need $75 an hour personal training for that vacation to look good.
So have a good trip suckers, better keep that wallet handy though cause your really gonna need it.
Thank you, Dana, for sharing with us the answer to the questions I also had. It saved me a trip to the club! $300 alone as 'processing fees' to get the prize gives me the distinct feeling that this prize isn't really 'free' after all.
They have some messed up marketing executives who think that by treating your customers like idiots who will fall for any trick you will get your profit margin. I can see many of the Extreme Fitness locations closing down during or shortly after 2009, while they continue to milk as much income as they can from making their accounting department play stupid.
Stay healthy by participating by learning a new winter sport like skating! Skates are on sale for $30-$50, and entry fees to skate is either free or your pocket change for indoor rinks!
I just scratched a similar coupon for a free Las Vegas Vacation: Accommodations for two for 3 days and 2 nights in Las vegas..small prints: Airfare, processing fees and taxes not included.
I called to ask more details about the free trip and they would not give any details over the phone, they want to book me for a tour and discuss packages options. When I asked again about the "catch" for the prize, of course they are saying no catch and invite you again to tour the facilities. They seem very pushy ! I am suppose to meet at Yonge and Dundas location tomorrow, bur after reading all this, I am not sure anymore. Anyone thoughts on this free Las vegas vacation? Thanks everyone
Thanks.
i never knew how much they were charging me.. my mom always yelled at me to go to gym more often because we were apparently getting charged more than $120 a month.. i thought she was exaggerating/lying just to pressure me into going, but today i saw the bill and i was charged BOTH for personal trainer AND the gym membership... i signed up for 12 sessions, and i have been charged $67.36 each month JUST for 1 session.
how the FUCK does that make FUCKING SENSE. i just wish i read what everyone wrote before i went to get my membership.
FUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
Say, Kevin...you don't happen to be the same Kevin that is a Personal Trainer at Extreme, do you?? Hahahahaha!
I never went to the gym once. They tried to get money from me, I cancelled my credit card, and thye started charging my other cards!!!
WTF!!!
Machines breakdown,even showers too,they take months to fix it while you go home stinking with sweat.Also ,the receptionists who tell you to wait while she chats with her boyfriend.Man,did I get tired of that! I got out of a contract with these crooks over a year ago and they kept withdrawing money from my account.I had to get my contact them month after month,until my credit card company started reversing all the charges they made after I complained.The so-called GM was sitting in front of me telling me he had nothing to say to me,can you believe that?When I tried to cancel my contract,I walked into the office and all of a sudden,they had 'lost' my paperwork.Until I produced a copy of my original contract in the lier`s face,he was telling me I had extended my contract even though this never happened,until I demanded a meeting with whoever was claiming that,then he backed down.No apology and they were so unhelpful,no shame whatsoever. They always make it a point to mislead and everyday,contract terms change or they make it up as they go along giving you a thousand excuses for their behaviour.Another thing,gym members pay different membership fees from $40 to $100.
Friends do not let friends join Extreme Fitness.I was shocked to hear the same horror stories from people who have joined before.I wish they had told me as soon as I walked in there,what a big mistake I was making.If you are getting out of a contract with these people,do it now and if you just signed up,walk in there and get your refund back,rescind your contract now.If you are thinking of signing a membership with these people,stop,please,you will kiss my soles of shoes later if you take my advice.Save yourself some stress.If there is anyone out there,please let your stories be known,these people have to stopped ASAP.For evil to prevail,it takes enough good men to do nothing.
Robert Manley
My member ship ends in 2 months; If i send a registered letter to notify my membership termination. Do i have to address a specific person( i.e manager) or do i just address the club i registered in?
PLEASE help. ASAP
To Jane. Its a good idea but to be sure just show up to the office and do not leave until they cancel the contract in front of you. You might loose an hour of your time but it is worth it; just so those slime bastards at extreme don't get any more of your money
I cannot believe a company like this is allowed to operate in Canada!!!
When i called back the next few days, i talked to some "accounts" guy there. He apparently told me that they needed my account info for my bank. I told him i wanted to talk to the manager and he directs me to the manager. When he picks up. I said "hey vlad, what's up?" hahahaha he pretended to be the manager.
anyways, i realized they said all that crap so they can let a couple of months go by and charge me nsf's i guess. but i took care of them by getting a hold of the real manager and making sure he took care of the problems. he basically had my info right there.
these guys are whack
I came in after a long stay in the hospital and was a physical mess. I looked so bad that someone had the police come in and run a record check on me. I showed them my operation scar, and that settled it with a sincere apology from the manager. After a year and half I am in great shape and healthy.
Because I use the gym constantly I find the fee reasonable. And once a month I have an interview with one of trainers and we go over my body fat print out and my progress. Then she gives me a few tips and I am happy. By the way you have to ask for a free consultation. I have never had a sales pitch after the consult. I only had it when I first joined and politely said no thank you.
Most of the complaints above are just regular service complaints that happen in any business, and are usually the result of an individual not following company policy.
Do your research (ie. Better Business Bureau) and you'll see that Extreme Fitness has racked up an unusually high number of complaints in the short time they've been in business.
These guys will NOT last long and I suspect the few guys making big policy decisions don't care if they don't. The marketing/sales policies are designed to take money from your pocket as fast as possible. They stand behind smart lawyers, the fine print and the reassurance that most ppl won't fight too hard for getting swindled out of a few hundred bucks.
The culture at extreme is downright SLIMEY.
YOU ARE INVITED TO anonymously contact a group of fellow members who are cannot stand watching our club go downhill. Members regularly complain about their concerns never being addressed or answered. We watch as our club goes downhill, services are slowly eliminated and membership numbers increase. Head office NEVER responds, nor does management. No one has a problem with the prices - we're happy to pay them as long as the service and club are properly maintained; however, we have a problem with the slow and steady decline in service and amenities and management practices.
Ever notice there are no Comments boxes at Extreme Fitness facilities?
NO ONE LIKES TO BE IGNORED.
We will gather member's complaints and concerns, and keep members up to date on our progress. Since the people who are supposed to be concerned about the satisfaction of their clients, do not, we need to take this into our own hands.
Should Extreme ignore REASONABLE requests, and continue to break the promises they made when they first transitioned and were signing up Sports Club and new members (oh yes, we'll be doing this and that...), we shall take our concerns to a more more public forum. This isn't a threat, just a group of members taking charge.
PLEASE SEND YOUR CONCERNS TO
EXTREME FITNESS DOES NOT CARE @ HOTMAIL . COM
that's
EXTREMEFITNESSDOESNOTCARE@HOTMAIL.COM
(we're serious)
the'$8/month no long term obligation no excuses' membership is a 2 month membership. no obligation to continue on past the 2 months, and no excuses to cancel providing you sign up for only the 2 months.
at the time of signing up you can choose to either take the 2 month promotion, or sign up for a full 12 months. IF you take the 2 month promotion you only pay $8 per month and you are more than welcome to carry out the terms as highlighted on the flyer. and of course, the no obligation rate is HIGHER than the long term rate. that is self explanatory. the no obligation rate also varies in between $129 and $149 per month depending on the club.
I also urge everyone to simply read what they sign. these agreements do not lie to you. anyone who has had an agreement can confirm that in very plain font it does say "in addition to any downpayments, the buyer/member is obligated to make X monthly payments"
if you just want the 2 month trial and that number is anything but 0, then simply put you didnt get the 2 month trial. i dont realistically see how anyone can 'trick' you, when you have to sign everything for it to be valid.
as for cancelling the membership...under the 'automatic monthly renewal' category of the agreement it says if you want to cancel at the end of the term of your membership you must do it 14 days before the BILLING DATE. not 14 days before your term ends. this also applies for the no obligation membership as well. dont believe me? take a read for yourself. it continues on a month to month basis after the original term of the membership unless you renew it. that is also very plainly stated as well. no hidden messages or misleading phrases.
i think thats enough 'insight' for now. let me know if you guys have anymore questions and id love to answer :)
- one honest extreme fitness employee
My husband and I WON a free 3 month membership from your scam artists and we're both willing to go. WIthin a week or two of signing up we were both laid off and had no income but welfare for the time being since we had not paid enough into EI. Whne we tried to cancel we were told we were not allowed. BUT i WAS told when I activated my membership that i could cancel anytime during that 3 months. Well tell me why I went to your POS (piece of shit) gym in Whitby and was told that I was never told I could cancel. They called my husband and I into the new customers office and pulled my husband into a little office to stop the customers from hearing how upset he was. Extreme then started taking $81.25, $78.96, so on and so forth out of my account at least 3 times a week for each of us. The bank could not apply a stop payment since they would change their amounts every time. TD bank in no innocent one here either. My account had ZERO!!!!! overrdraft protection and between extreme fitness GETTTING their money from my account and the nearly 50 NSF charges I had on my account totalled more than $3500!!!!! I had perfect credit, now I am screwed. I was turned down for a mortgage and hell even a credit card from my own bank. Thanks extreme for screwing my future. NO ONE I know goes to Extreme. Bowflex has made a lot of money off of my referalls and that's the only way i will work out until the day I die. How the scammers are still open beats me. Oh by the way I forgot to mention, I NEVER recieved our membership cards. We never had a chance to even use the gym facilities. That a shitty business if you ask me. But hey if you're dumb enough to fall for that crap BY ALL MEANS, keeps these f&#kers open.
Again, I can't stress how vital it is to just read something before you sign, despite the fact it seems to be a 'skill' lacking for so many people here.
wow i must say , way to stick to whats left of your morals and ethics employee ...or should i say PR department for flacon head inc ?
my point is that if you take 30 seconds to read what you sign, before you sign, then it saves a TON of potential problems later on.
should the staff be lying to or misleading you? of course not. so, just take the time to ensure you are getting what you agreed to and there will be no problems later on.
http://www.gov.on.ca/mgs/en/ConsProt/STEL02_167897.html
See also the Consumer Protection Act, 2002
http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_02c30_e.htm
Please explain why Extreme Fitness continues to charge ex-members the monthly dues of, say, $76 plus GST from their credit cards even if they have already provided written notice of cancellation according to the contract?
Buy Canadian
Boycott Extreme Fitness
Best thing we ever did. Save yourself the trouble and do the same.
Membership was for a year, paid fully by credit card on the day contract was signed (at the starting date of membership). Written cancellation notice was sent by registered mail 2.5 months before the membership expired, with the membership ID enclosed in the envelope. Did not use the club 3 months prior to expiry date.
Since you sent the notice through registered mail it should not be a problem for yourself to receive a refund for whatever the amount is that was billed to you afterwards.
I chose extreme because I had no problem paying more than most gyms because I was looking for quality (and on the surface this seemed to be what they offered). They need to realize that people pay for service and with prices like that, they ought to invest in a better staff.
everyones experience will obviously be different but i have never had a problem with extreme. i only have 2 months left to my contract ( i was paying $60 a month for the one location with no towel service) and decided i would spring the extra $30 a month and go all out for all the locations for the remainder of my contract. when i did this the woman who helped me informed me that if i was interested in renewing my contract after it expired instead of going month to month at $90 for all locations, she could lower the price to $70 for all locations. while that's not bad i'd rather have the option of canceling my membership at any time but still.. i haven't seen any of these negative problems. :( i guess that's good for me, but hey there are no cookie cutter solutions to any issue as there are no cookie cutter people.
JENNI is clearly another Extreme Fitness employee and plant...
People who are typically happy with a service do not LOOK for a forum where people complain.
We all know that people generally won't take the time to look for a public forum to share their love of a product or service.
It's only AFTER a customer has been angered and is beyond frustrated with a lack of customer service or satisfaction that they seek some kind of affirmation by looking for forums. It's the old, "Is it just me??" syndrome.
Not that I'm a member of the Yorkville Club, but just for fun I looked at their description and if you compare the level of satisfaction with their service with Extreme, you've got to wonder.... other clubs have positive praise or no comments at all. I was a former Sports Clubs member for over ten years and never once complained about the service, and never once looked for a forum on the club. No need to... They were a good company and I was a satisfied customer.
Thanks
Check out another forum: http://www.extremefitnessforum.s4.bizhat.com/
And check out the BBB rating of Extreme Fitness. It is "F":
http://mwco.app.bbb.org/report/1036564
And my favorite is the youtube video of Charles Huang (as posted above):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0p0uerkQtFo&;feature=related
They all say the same thing. People are not happy. Don't go to Extreme Fitness. Go somewhere else.
What a joke... at the moment I am so mad I am not sure what to do. Please don't join this gym!!!!
If you haven't doen so already make sure that there is a stop payment towards the entire company placed on your brothers bank account so they can't keep getting anymore money. Then definatley call the Better buisness bureau and the head of Extreme. The managers in store are trained to give you the run around and basically show a heartless side to you at all times. I feel it is horrible what has happened here. Some things you would think would hit people harder knowing someone doesn't have the same comprehension as you or I and would be easily manipulated.
Remember the revised Golden Rule, "As long as they get the gold (money), who cares about anything else."
And whoever said anything about Customer Service?
Anyways, these are my first impressions.
The sales guy was nice, no pressure. He did mention there was a personal trainer available beyond and above what was included in the membership, for additional fee. But he was not pushing it or trying to coerce me, he was simply being informative of everything they have available.
He walked me around, the place looked very clean and well kept. I noticed there was a person constantly walking around and wiping or disinfecting the equipment.
Girl at the reception also said goodnight when I left. I think that was nice, it just felt good. Contrary to what I am reading here, I have to say that my experience when signing up was quite positive. Then again, this is MY experience, and yours may be different (and for the folks who commented on this blog, it obviously was different ... sorry you had to go through that).
Okay, about the contract stuff. I glanced over it before I signed it and read it again when I came home. And again, after I saw this blog. Folks, I am not sure how you got yourself into pickle, but the contract is very clear and easy to understand, unless you are a total moron.
According to the Ontario Consumers Protection Act that came into effect in 2002, you have 10 days cooling period during which you can cancel these kind of contracts. And Extreme tells up front you have that option and how to cancel it.
I noticed that many of you are complaining of being suckered into signing it. Granted, it is quite possible to be sweet talked into what may be a bad deal. I can also understand that some people will sign stuff without reading it first. But you had 10 days to read it and re-read it and if you wanted, to consult with your friends, or lawyer or whoever! If you have not bothered to read it, don't blame Extreme ... on the contract they are very clear about what you are signing and they spell it out that you have 10 days to cancel, no question asked, under the provision of the Ontario Consumers Act. Even if you missed the fine print on the back, you could not have possibly missed that part. But if you did miss it, too bad for you.
Check out Extreme's Rating on the Better Business Bureau
http://mwco.bbb.org/WWWRoot/Report.aspx?site=160&;bbb=0107&firm=1036564#ratingdetails
Here's the link to file a complaint(make it against Extreme Fitness Inc):
https://odr.bbb.org/odrweb/public/getstarted.aspx
She called Extreme and demanded that they call the collection agency and have it cancelled. She also requested that they send a letter stating their mistake and ensuring that the problem was cleared up. Two weeks she let pass and nobody contacted her back. She called, spoke to the manager and they insisted that yes, she will get her letter by the end of the day. End of the day came and nothing. She went in the next day and had to physically stand there until they gave her the letter. Obviously this leaves a horrible taste in your mouth so she cancelled the membership entirely.
With the letter from Extreme stating that they had called the collection agency and cleared her name/account, just two weeks ago she got a call from the collection agency asking where her money is! She was flabergasted, as if this is still an issue. FINALLY she just got it cleared a year and a half later...
I was working with a personal trainer, which was costing me 180$ a month (steep, but somewhat manageable). Anyways, my personal trainer told me my sessions would be coming to an end, and I should renew to ensure a smooth transition. I sit down with a manager, scrutinize the contract, it looked fine, so I decide to continue.
15 days later when I get billed, direct deposit style, my account it virtually raped. Checking my account statements, I see Extreme Fitness has charged me a bunch of times, over 600$ worth of fees!
So I rush into the Extreme office thinking they've made a mistake... nope, apparently when I signed, they are still charging me 180$ a month for the first 5 months a session, and now an additional 300$ for the next sessions, essentially shouldering 600$ a month with gym fees tossed in there.
I'm flabbergasted, told them they didn't tell me I'd be double-billed if I renew services, thought I'd be billed in the same manner as before. The manager had assured me they could break up the costs into smaller installments before I has signed, so I ask him to do that. He tells me no, tough shit, go to your bank, get a credit card and start paying off your dues ASAP.
SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS a month? I barely make 400$ a week as a fledgling freelance designer, who can support costs like that?
I spent 4 hours of my time trying to quit Extreme Fitness yesterday, (as well as most of the weekend playing phone tag with managers, or dealing with people who didn't have any authority to cancel my account) Spent the Monday chasing runaway managers and trying to jump through hoops.
While waiting for an hour for a manager to emerge from his office, I poke my head in to realize he'd slipped out! Pissed, I sat in his office, and on his desk there was a giant stack of letters, all dated from June, essentially saying, "I canceled my account and you're still billing me; You're double billing me, cease and desist!", etc...
I finally managed to corner the manager while roaming the building and we went to see the head honcho together. My paperwork to "move" looked fine, and I could quit, IF, I pay them 171$ to cover my "free" three months that were on gym membership. They also told me, there was no guarantee my account will actually be canceled, it was the discretion of head office to approve or deny, they were simply sending my request to them...
Anyways, I was frustrated, yelled at them, called their scam, told them I was closing my bank account, and dared them to bring their collection agency after me...
please save me!! my 1yr contract with extreme fitness has finally ended!! but im stuck with 35 personal training sessions!!
i'll transfer my 35P.T. sessions+1 nutrition session for only $1500! the price is negotiable and i'll even give discount if you are willing to take it before this friday(june 19th) so please email me if anyones interested!
It's not like I hate this gym. I like the facility and I like classes. But, I loathe this guy Gorden and the likes of him. The customer service is one of the worst I have seen in my life.
Toward the end of February, I received a letter (dated February 19, 2009) from D&A (R) Collection Corp requesting a balance of $519.87 due to Extreme Fitness (Danforth) Inc. Upon receiving the letter, I contacted D&A Collection and spoke to a Ms. Nelia Pacheco and explained my situation, as I am not and never have been a member of Extreme Fitness. I requested a copy of any signed contract or documentation as proof of my “questioned” membership. As the proof wasn’t available (as I never just any contract with the fitness centre), I was told by D&A Collection that it will contact Extreme Fitness on my behalf to arrange for the copy of the signed contract.
As of today, I still haven’t received any documentation as promised by D&A Collection. Instead, all I received is simply a letter dated June 08, 2009 reminding me of balance due. In the meantime, I’ve contacted D&A Collection Corp again and spoke to Nelia. However, D&A Collection is now deferring my situation and advised me to instead contact Extreme Fitness directly. I spoke to a Mr. Joe White from Extreme Fitness. I was told that I owed money because Extreme Fitness is the successor of XFit Jump Fitness Ltd. which I joined back in March of 2007. But, what happened is that the owner of XFit closed the business and run around July of 2007. Shortly after, this same owner opened Frog's Gym Inc, at the very same location, and I applied a new membership at this gym in August 2007.
D&A Collection has kept calling and harassed me about the whole collection issue. But when I made a simple request of having any signed contract sent to be to me, the proof is never delivered.
Anybody can help me where and how to resolve this issue is much appreciated email @ nvfuente@htomail.com
The tricks are:
1 - ask to see a manager. They're less pushy - I think maybe they're not on commission
2 - be up front about what you want, which is to take advantage of the deal. Confirm the price before you sign the contract. Confirm how to get out of the contract, and write that down on the contract so you don't forget
3 - cancel your membership when the time is up. That's the big trick - you can't sign up for $8/month indefinitely. You can probably sign up for $8/month for 2 months, and then after that it will jump to $115/month on a month-to-month contract. So you can pay only $8/month, but only during that 2 month period. And if you cancel when you're supposed to (usually 2 weeks before the end of the month) you will not be charged extra.
Trust me, I've done it - you just have to cancel on time.
Click on the Consumer Protection Box (shown in red).
- How to complain.
- Information about your rights.
- Cancelling a contract.
- Better Business Bureaus in Ontario.
Now, more than 6 months later, and at a new job, I'm being offered a corporate rate - payroll deducted. I'm very nervous about this, having read many of these comments before, and obviously my bad experience from before still stings. I am, however, being offered a rate of $53/month, towels in, for a year. My current Goodlife rate is about the same, but I only have one location access, no towels, etc. Basically, I'd love to have access to all the other classes, the equipment etc. Has anyone got a corporate rate? Any thoughts? I'd have to buy out my goodlife membership - $99. Would love some thoughts...
when i saw a double charge of 150.00 i went to see them n they told me i had agreed to a 12year contract of 150.00 on top of my 60.00 membership fee.
No way was this clarified...terrible customer service on them helping me out with this situation
Here is my two cents.
If I were you, I will not touch Extreme Fitness with a ten foot pole. I will stay away from Extreme Fitness as far as I can.
These people are dishonest. They will take advantage of you, either now or in the future. In case you sign up with them now, you would have difficult time to cancel your membership in the future, in case you move or decide to discontinue your membership.
There had been many cases where they continued to debit the member's bank account (or credit card) despite having repeatedly requested them to cancel their memberships. They even debited accounts twice in one month, and never refunding the amounts back.
Also, their customer service is HORRIBLE. They are nice to you only if you are new and signing up for membership. Once they have your bank account number or credit card number, they will treat you like s..t.
Just read the previous postings in this blog. It is just unbelievable how dishonest and abusive these people are.
We need good gyms run by professional and honest people. And Extreme Fitness is NOT one of them.
Just my two cents.
i told him that Monday would be after the 10 day period( unless its 10 business days) so i told him to gimme a written note saying that i was there within the 10 days to cancel but he could not help me because the Director wasn't there and sign it. so lets see if tomorrow he will be there and ican talk to him. hopefully they don't make me chase a wild goose... altho one of my coo workers went to school with the Gyms director and if i have any problem i can just call him up. otherwise im stuck with a 9000 dollars contract for the year... and i will have to change my credit card number and have collection agency's after me.
Shame on Extreme Fitness.
One way to deal with them or get their attention is to raise hell just like what Charles Huang did.
Check out his video on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0p0uerkQtFo&;feature=related
I hope more people will stand up against this bunch of lowlife.
A LESSON OUT OF THIS: DO NOT SIGN, DO NOT FILL OUT ANYTHING, DO NOT GIVE OUT YOUR PERSONAL INFO, ESP. YOUR CC & BANK INFO, & YOUR IDS!
I mostly decided to make the jump because where I work has a discount with them that knocked their membership to be $30 less then what I was paying at another gym with far less facilities.
I did the consultation and they moved into the high-pressure sales pitch. While on one hand I can see the benefits of a trainer - I /hate/ their marketing tactics.
They even tried the "Sign up for one now, go to the session - if you don't want to continue you have 10 days to cancel". I wasn't falling for that - and they seemed very unimpressed when I refused to sign anything in their office that day.
I found their sales tactic to almost be funny - I've taken a few sales courses at University, and some of their stuff was soo bang on to things I learned in the course. Few times I almost laughed out loud during the entire pitch (Even during the consultation which is just a ramp up to the pitch)
I have one co-worker that is doing the training and so far he highly recommends it - but I just cant justify the cost of at trainer right now.
But, so far - I'm using the hell out of the Gym, going 5x a week in the mornings + 2-3x a week at night for classes and getting my moneys worth.
Just seems like: Don't buy into their promotions, don't believe their contests, do not sign anything until you are willing to commit and don't believe the "no obligation" crap.
I have had my hate-on for the gym for awhile based on their marketing tactics - I'd read their fine print for shits and giggles, and I find it purposefully misleading.
Going in with a critical mind, reading the fine print and pushing back on anything they try to get you to sign - and you'll be fine.
Having tried out a number of other gyms in Toronto the past few years - bullshit aside, I'm enjoying Extreme so far.
Please note that due to shared yoga mats at the Richmond St location, I was diagnosed with Athelete's Foot - a communicable fungal infection. The mats are not adequately cleaned.
When I requested to break my contract (with only 2 months to go) the management at this location refused - they would prefer to collect my last two payments than let me spread this disease to you.
If you or someone you know has contracted this disease at Extreme Fitness, please contact me.
It happened to me too. They made me sign a one-year contract with 3 months for free. Now that I think about it, the 3- month- free wasn’t really free. I tell you what hey do. The trick is that they break the cost of that 3months period and added to the rest of the months. But when you are signing the contract hey say you are getting free months,, which is totally BS. Now that I’ve terminated my membership within 7 months of my contract, they have voided my freezed months and charged me for those, plus charged me for the first supposedly free 3 months period as well, because I am moving and terminating my contract early. But still I was one of the lucky ones who didn’t fall into their tricks of trainers and towels and multiple gym access, nutrition advisor BS. … Who do they think we are…. I am putting a STOP on my credit card immediately after writing this comment for you. It feels nice to be free at last….
Falconhead Capital buys stake in Extreme Fitness
Lori McLeod, Financial Post
June 20, 2006
New York-based private-equity firm Falconhead Capital LLC has purchased a majority stake in Extreme Fitness Holding Corp., and is planning to expand the Toronto-area fitness club chain from four locations to up to 20 within the next five years.
...
Extreme founder Steve daCosta will also maintain a stake in the company.
...
Steve daCosta is the President of Extreme Fitness, and
Jim Solomon is the Chief Executive Officer.
These guys are the ones calling the shots.
EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTIONS WHEN DEALING WITH THESE PEOPLE.
"remember guys the professionals who signed up for those expensive $70 hourly session is paying for your salary"
so chill with your "i got the body so why gives a damn about anyone else here, and don't force me to smile" attitude
The Better Business Bureau is a private organization. They have no legal or enforcement powers. They can't do anything about fraud and rip-offs. Scammy exercise companies are not afraid of them. The BBB collects fees from businesses, and in exchange they help their members look honest and trustworthy. Occassionally, they might spank a business for breaking the rules, but ultimately the BBB knows that the businesses feed them, not regular people.
>>They tried to get money from me, I cancelled my credit card, and thye started charging my other cards!!!
J
HOWEVER,
All of the concers brought up by the 200 or so comments are completly just. I have just spent a week on how to try to avoid giving quotes over the phone. Although this may be policy in the fitness industry, i personally do not agree. Members have ever right to know exactly what they are signing up for.
If i wasnt so dedicated to my fitness plan, and satisfied by the workout i recieve from my personal trainer, i would no doubt be annoyed if i could not cancel my membership. As an employee i can personally vouche that the lowest price they will ever throw at you is either $66 with 3 months free or $54 with one month free. (if you do the math, they both add to $596 and are the exact same deal) You can sign up for $129 month by month no obligation, cancel anytime membership, and this is the only "not gunna get screwed" option, but as you can see, in order to make sure your not getting suckered, you must pay a lot more than what they advertise.
After you do agree to sign the contract, from the unlta trained salesman that has just spent 100+ hours in intense training and 30 days of a critical training period that sculpts you to be the best leech possible, you come to the second salesman on your fitness test who is solely paid by commision on the personal training he or she sells. Motivation to sell the maximum $9000 (nine thousand!!!) a year full time personal training/nutrition contract is a lot higher than the 75$ one time only personal training session.
The ferrari, BMW, mercades filled parking lots that are mostly driven by the VP's, GM's, CEO's and COO's of the extreme fitness. Maybe that can answer for the regular, fair, no obligation, month by month $129 that they never seem to advertise. Or the fact that the salesman is taking 10% of whatever you pay :)
Check their rating at the BBB
http://www.bbb.org/kitchener/business-reviews/health-clubs/extreme-fitness-inc-ho-in-thornhill-on-1036564
It comes to signing agreements of any kind, I have read most of the comments here, there is just
One pattern which is the euphora of getting someone to coach
and envisioning our worn out bodies to be renewed and back
to the beach body or to have one; gym membership of any kind
will NOT work the way anyone anticipate, look at your wallets and
be a SMART shopper DO NOT give your wallet AWAY!
Then came the sneaky "free consultation". Let's just say I was tricked, yes tricked into a $7,000 personal trainers agreement.$7,000! Am I crazy enough to sign up for something that pricey when I could just barely afford to take care of me and my babe? The $400 I was going to spend was my tax return!
It's a long story about all that happened but let's just say I was lied to and then basically ignored when I made an effort to cancel this "agreement." They are charging my visa TWICE a month and it's almost to it's limit. I called the visa company who is basically unable to do anything.
I have no idea what to do at this point but I sure wished I had seen this site before I stepped foot in that place.Every complaint here is so true. They are deceptive, arrogant, liars and heartless people. You get smiles when they want you to sign up and after that it's like "I don't care what your situation is and what you said my "consultant" said, we want our money and we will take it no matter what you say"
Beware of Extreme Fitness and if anyone has any advice for me on how to get through this, please let me know.Thanks.
or call visa and tell them they are withdrawing funds after you have canceled the contract. If you are lucky and persistent with visa they might even reimburse the money they took
good luck
I too was suckered by Extreme Fitness with the lure of a 10 day pass. I signed for a year membership which is fine, however the next meeting - to sell me a personal trainer package was the offensive meeting. What should have been a quick 20 minute free assessment and pitch from them, turned into being held captive for 2 hours and 20 min by Extreme Fitness reps with guerrilla style agressive marketing techniques. I signed under duress.
One 10 day pass and several months later - they have taken 650 CDN from my credit card and I have not once used their facility - because I was so put off by their marketers.
I cannot even afford to take the bus at the moment to get my medication refilled because Extreme has taken all my cash.
They did not earn this contract fairly and their management today didn't seem to care that I cannot even afford to take the bus to get meds! I cannot wait to negotiate with terse middle managers and need to take it to the street this weekend. IF you want to support me - or join in becaue they have dealt with you unfairly too - contact me. A public display will speak volumes and I hope end agressive marketing from gyms, so they can get back to the bussiness of helping people with their fitness rather than draining their bank accounts. thanks Peter
Maybe online protests could work as well. Maybe through Facebook, Youtube, other blogs, etc. Other people should know, so that they would not be victimized too. We should spread the word.
These "fitness assessment" sessions are a joke. They just do very simple routine exercises that really do not measure anything at all. It is simply a bully session to sign you up in a personal training contract.
However, I did not leave the country but was wise enough to close and reopen a new bank account. TD bank was phenominal as they are aware of these unethical tactics which is why they were so helpful. Not soon afterwards, I was receiving Numerous demands for payments otherwise my membership will be affected!!! So anyhow, I actually mitigated myself from all these headaches you guys have been experiencing. If one of the cancelation clause of getting out is to show you are moving out of the provience is a valid excuse, I recommend this option to bail out and stop payment to these crooks. I hope there is a final resolution to this soon as it has been going on for far too long.
Unfortunately, I fell for it and signed with extreme fitness. A couple of months later, I get a job in Markham and moved in that area. Extreme Fitness does not have a branch there so I tried to cancel and they wouldn't let me. The gave me the run around. I was so pissed. For some reason, my wallet gets stolen and I had to cancel all my credit cards. I failed to inform them about the new credit card number. I didn't inform them on purpose because they were rude to me. Never went back to extreme after. I don't know what happened to my account.
Question is, can they go after me and charge me for some service I didn't even use?
I am currently a member with EF and have to say that I enjoy it lots, however I can see how people feel that they have been taken for a ride.
Hindsight is 20/20, but when I joined I paid in cash and didn't give them my credit card. I also paid for some PT sessions the same way.
So the issue is that you either didn't read the contract that they gave you (it does provide all the information on there), or you did read it but misunderstood what the sales rep told you.
If you are past your 10 days then you are toast....or are you?
If it were me and I truly felt that I was taken advantage of and despite my attempts to contact the sales manager (which I am guessing you have documented), then I would simply go into my bank and close my account. I would also cancel my credit card too if that's what it took to end it.
While there is a chance that they will send you loads of mail saying that your credit rating will be tarnished, I would suspect that when the time came to rely on your fredit rating and you explained to a bank why that black mark is there, they will more than likely understand and not hold it against you.
It's unlikely that EF will take you to court as it's too costly and probably don't want the negative feedback.
So in the end the legwork is really up to you. Go to the EF location that you got burned at, explain your story and see if they will help you out. See if you can transfer your membership to a new person that is signing up?
Failing that then I would do what I suggested and close my bank accounts. I know I did that many, many years ago with Premier Fitness and I never heard from them again.
Now in the off chance you are sitting here reading this post while scarffing down a bag of potato chips, or a 1lb chocolate bar........well then perhaps EF might not be a bad thing to stick with??
Good luck with whatever you choice is.
wanted to take advantage of the two month offer and would cancel afterwards; and the employee had no problem with that. I didnt find anything deceptive in the contract so far. See this
link for the actual contract: http://ifile.it/sai75zp/38295673.rar (has jpgs with the contract and terms/conditions).</p>
<p>If you look at the contract I've highlighted in red boxes the most important clauses: one stating that in addition to the downpayment ($20), there are 0 obligatory payments to be
made. The second stating that I can cancel within 14 days of any billing date. Together, these mean that I can cancel immediately after the two months are over. The membership
technically is for one year, meaning that they will continue billing me for a year if I dont cancel. People should be aware of these two clauses when they sign up.</p>
<p>Feel free to distribute this information.</p>
1. The Clubs are filthy – a cesspool
2. The staff is crude and rude and inconsiderate
3. The training staff is inexperienced and never focuses on the correct movement/exercise. They just go through the motions of training.
4. The management thinks they are “hot” and walk around as thought they own the world.
5. The music is too loud and inappropriate for a fitness centre.
6. The cleaning staff has no idea as to the cleaning procedures.
7. The locker stink.
8. The ventilation system overhead is full of dust and gunk.
9. Highest turn-over of front desk staff I have ever seen.
10. Showers are dirty and have mould/mildew.
11. Towels are dirty - had towels given to me with clumps of hair and once even with blood.
12. Need I say more?
To check out a fitness club – check and recheck and visit and revisit. See if they have high turnover of staff, check the cleanliness, go at different times to see what it is like – traffic, parking, staff behavior, etc. Check out the shape and condition of equipment, observe the staff, etc.
If you do anything good this year, stay away from Extreme Fitness.
I am a representative of Extreme Fitness and would like the opportunity to resolve your situation.
Please feel free to contact me at answers@extremefitness.ca
Thanks bunchs
Sure, they try to pressure you, but if you resist they will stop hassling you. For about $65 a month it's very good value for a gym, the drop in classes are great and there is enough equipment/space even during busy times.
A thriving club with multiple locations must be doing something right. Too bad so many people have had negative experiences, but I myself would not hesitate to send a friend there.
I don't know where you got "Canadian owned and very reputable". Must me you medication! ahahaha
Like some of the other posters, I got suckered into the Ten Days Free deal, which turned into the Three Months Free deal, which has now turned into the We're Going To Take $400 From You Even Though You Have Almost No Income And Currently Don't Even Have Time To Use The Bloody Gym deal.
OK, maybe I was naive to think I could get out of the membership anytime I wanted, or at least that was the impression I was left with (rightly or wrongly). For a while I was enjoying the membership and didn't anticipate that I would have the lack of both money and spare time that I have now. But I'd told them at the start that I was concerned about money and time limitations, and they'd pretended to get it. What a 180 they've done since then.
I had a meeting with a manager named Sam or something at the Bay/Bloor location the other day, trying to cancel my membership, and all he could do was shrug and give me the standard "Hey, hey, what can I do?" crap. He kept on saying stuff like, "What can I say? I totally sympathize with your position, man."
Um... no you don't. If you did, you'd be offering a way to get me out of this mess. Nice customer service, pal. All you sympathize with is your salary.
I can understand the argument that it was careless of us not to read the contract properly or not to have a backbone or whatever. But when you quit the service and they STILL keep charging you... that's just wrong.
And it's definitely false advertising for them to say "no contracts".
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=2577765545&;ref=ts
Let's be serious about putting Extreme Fitness in their place for dishonest business practices!
Scam artists! Just look at the kind of advertising they do and think about whether or not you really want to do business with people like that.
Stay away is my advise.
"Shut it Alex. F**king idiot"
then a minute later, he reposted:
"Shit it Alex. You f**king idiot."
Hey Mike. Care to explain your comments?
Are we trying to censor any 'success' stories on this blog?
I may be lucky, but I thought I should let people know that I escaped unscathed. Not promoting their service by any means, just sharing my experience.
Basically the club is depicted as a bunch of overzealous macho lunatics who manipulate you into signing an 80-year contract (with the first month free) and won't ever let you leave the club. Not too far from the truth, if you ask me.