California Family Fitness

Review: I renewed my membership with California Family Fitness in October 2013. I started working for the State of California in June 2013. After enrolling on the phone with the representative, she stated that I would have to submit proof of employment then they will give me the discount and that its too late to start the discount for October since she completed the contract. I submitted my "proof" in the office in January, and have been inquiring about my discount. I was enrolled in Auto-pay and still no one could help with the discount. I was told to go in the Natomas gym which I was again referred to "call Headquarters." A rocklin CalFit rep called to assist and if I can come into their Rocklin office and I told them about my state disccount and having it retro discounted and they said unsurprisingly, "call head-quarters." I gave up. I went into the office last night and they said the same thing again and I canceled my coverage and they still advised that I call head-quarters about my discount. I spoke with [redacted] for 32 minutes (20 min of hold time) and she stated that I did not sign a contract for the discuounted rate in January and that she could only give me a discount from August instead. I advised her that it is not my fault if CalFit did not re-write a contract for the discounted amount when I provided them proof and at lead re-tro reimburse me back to January. She stated she could not do that and I asked to speak to a Manager twice and twice she says she can forward me to her voicemail. The state discount is $10 off. I should have paid $49.99 since January at least since I went into the office and they took my proof. It is not my fault that I did not that they should have re-writtten my contract. I have made several inquiries and still no one can resolve. On top of other enrollment issues I experience in their store such as not being able to add my family onto the membership. I went in and canceled my membership and request the refund of the months over-charged, unresolved still.Desired Settlement: $100 refund at minimum from January 2014 ("proof" provided) to October 2014 for over-paying $10 for those 10 months.

Business

Response:

Dear [redacted],

After reviewing your account, we are unable to provide you the refund you are requesting. You submitted your proof on January 24, 2014 and we have a note stating that you must meet with a member consulant in order to sign the rewrite for the discounted rate. This never happened. We also have notes from our Rocklin Sales Mnaager stating he reached out to you to have you sign a rewrite to obtain your discounted rate. Please see the following notes below. Again, I am sorry that we are unable to refund you.

08/18/2014 12:04 PM

Third time I have called this

member and Left a Message. Her address says she lives in Rocklin but she is in

Natomas every day and has never used the Rocklin club.

[redacted],

08/05/2014 06:13 PM

due to a survey result in L360

reached out to the member and asked her to come into Rocklin to do a rewrite

that she has been asking for.

[redacted],

01/24/2014 09:42 AM

cannot re-write or make any

changes to members account without member being present. a signature is required

for any and all changes to account. Member must see membership consultant to

apply any upgrades or discounts. thank you.

Thank you,

Review: Cal Fit was provided medical documentation, on a number of occasions, stating I was on bed rest and unable to go to the gym. Gym was asked to freeze

I sent a letter to California Family Fitness corporate office ,early 1/2013, advising Cal Fit to "pause" my account. A month later I received another bill and collections call and was advised the office "never received" my letter. I called in 2/2013, made a payment (as I was afraid of them hurting my credit), and was asked to e-mail the medical letter, from my OBG.. and I did. I was also advised not to update the credit card number, on file, as this letter would resolve everything and all fees would be deleted and account froze. I advised the rep I had been placed on bed rest for the remainder of my pregnancy and could not go to the gym. Shortly after this I was placed on hospital bed rest, as opposed to rest at home ,as my previous delivery was three months early. I was also told my account was "paused" until my doctor released me. When I sighed up I was also advised this could be done with proper documentation which I have made a number of attempts to send.

I have an e-mail dated 5/14/13 from Cal fit stating the following:

"[redacted],

Thank you very much for forwarding this information to my attention. I will be placing your membership on freeze and reversing the pending balance.

I apologize for any inconvenience or additional frustration this may have caused you.

Accounts Receivable Specialist Corporate

California Family Fitness

Ph 916.XXX-XXXX ext [redacted] Fax 916.987.2040

8680 Greenback Lane Ste 108 Orangevale, CA XXXXX"

On 6/3/13 I received another collection notice for DOUBLE what they were trying to collect previously. I am still on bed rest and have been getting a number of harassing phones calls and letters from this company even though I sent them the letter from my doctor (on a number of occasions) and in the 5/14th e-mail, from cal fit, they acknowledged they had received it. I am out of my one year contract.Desired Settlement: Because of the HORRIBLE billing/ collection practices this company has practiced I want the following:

1) I want ALL the fees claimed in the last statement $264.90 reversed as promised in the 5/14/13 e-mail from cal fit. (this bill includes: dues, statement fees and late fees

2) My one year contract was completed a while ago and I now not only want my account frozen but want and and all membership to be cancelled as I want NOTHING to do with this horrible company EVER again.

3)I want the fees charged to my bank account in 2013 reversed as I provided the doctors letter in 2012 and was lied to about how making a payment would "fix" my account.

4) I want all of this in writing provided from california Family Fitness

Business

Response:

Business' Initial Response

Ms. [redacted]:

Unfortunately, we did drop the ball on your membership and I am sorry for the lack of professionalism on our part. The doctor's notes were properly provided and the membership should have been put on "Freeze" per your direction. Additionally, in the month of May, 2013 we placed three calls to you that were unnecessary.

The amount of $262.20 has been reversed. We have also cancelled your membership per your direction. In the event that you do wish to become a California Family Fitness member again, please contact me directly.

Sincerely,

Billing and Accounts Receivable Manager

Work - 916.987.2030 ext [redacted]

Review: Was offered a free month on my membership dues if I referred a friend.

On or about May 20th I received a voice mail from [redacted] at California Family Fitness sales team. It indicated that they were offering members a free month's membership if we referred a friend. I called the Citrus Heights location (the gym I visit most) to let them know that I have a friend interested in signing up. I spoke to [redacted] in the sales team that indicated that [redacted] was from the Roseville location but that he'd be able to assist me with the sign up. I got all of the pricing information and provided it to my friend. Less then 2 hours later, my friend and I called [redacted] back and got the membership set up. My friend was supposed to get a free month at sign up and [redacted] informed me that I would receive my free month for the month of June. Checked my bank statement during the first week of June and saw that the dues were taken from my bank. I called CalFit and told them and [redacted] assured me that it would be taken care of for my July bill. On June 15th, I spoke to the front desk and asked them to check and confirm that a credit was placed on my account for July. She didn't see a credit so she took my information down and told me that she would have the sales manager call me on Monday the 17th of June. Monday can and went and when I didn't hear anything by Wednesday, I called and spoke to [redacted] in the sales department. He set an appointment up for me on June 20th to take care of the issue. It was at this time that [redacted] spoke to [redacted] (the sales manager) and was told to take my information and [redacted] would take care of it and get back to me on Friday the 21st. I didn't hear from [redacted] on Friday so I called Monday the 24th. It was during this conversation that [redacted] stated that he had a meeting on the 26th and would have the credit applied and contact me at 11:30 to confirm. I didn't here from him at 11:30 so I called and left a message. [redacted] called me back approximately and hour later and confirmed that the credit was applied to my account and that I would not be billed for my July bill. Checked my bank account on July 3rd and saw that the monthly dues came out yet again. In addition, I got an email from CalFit with a brand new membership agreement. I called and spoke to [redacted] and he seemed surprised that I was charged. He also said that the agreement needed to be signed in order to give me the free month but that there would be a note on the account indicating that my original effective date on the account was Sept. 2012 and that I would not be signed in to another year contract. I told him that I would not sign anything of that nature because it was a legal document that stated the opposite of the "note" that he said would be on my account. He said that he'd call corporate and call me right back. As of 7/8/13 I did not hear from him, so I called corporate myself and spoke to [redacted]. I provided her with all of the information and she has been working on the issue. On 7/12/13 I spoke to [redacted] and she informed me that [redacted] has not contacted her back and that the offer the sales team gave me was not something that corporate was aware of and that it didn't exist. She's referring the information on to [redacted]'s boss and will get back to me when she has additional information. Desired Settlement: I would like to have 2 months of my dues credited to my account. One month for the promise that they offered and the second month for all the time and effort I have had to put in to try to get this issue resolved. This process started in May and still isn't resolved as of July 12, 2013

Business

Response:

Business' Initial Response

Dear Ms. [redacted],

Thank you for your communication. We apologize for our delay in response. Your Revdex.com complaint was forwarded to the attention of the Vice President of Sales for review. After his thorough review of your account he came to the decision that CFF would credit you one month's dues per what you had originally been promised by our sales representative. This one month credit has been applied to your next pay period. We sincerely hope that this resolution meets your satisfaction. Thank you.

Business' Final Response

(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)

I have accepted their response because they are FINALLY following through on the promise that the sales team offered. I do however hope that upper management is looking into these sales tactics to ensure that their sales teams are no longer providing fictitious offers in an attempt to pump up their sales numbers.

Review: They told me my monthly payments were $39.00 and rewrote the contract at $49.00.

Billed me $60.00

They told me my membership was $39.00 but they billed me $60.00.

They told me my monthly payments were $39.00 and rewrote the contract at $49.00.

They gave me a $100.00 Personal Training card to entice me to join and the card is a fraud it is useless, in the back on the fine print it says NO outside contractors, and guess what they are all outside contractors, it is a total scam.

The girl who signed me up was named [redacted], she misspelled my credit card number so they charged me an extra $10.00 for her mistakes she also let me give her cash and she put my first month on her personal credit card which is a total violation of their own policy. They use cute people to sell you a high priced membership when you can go to Crunch for $10.00 a month not $50.00 a month.Desired Settlement: Out of this Fraud contract and to warn others who are being duped by this scam.

Business

Response:

Final Consumer Response

This is to let you know that an agreement has been reached with California Family Fitness case number case# XXXXXXXX in your files. They will take action on Monday, and you will hear from me if they do not. If you do not hear from me then it was resolved by both parties involved and I would like to thank you for helping in this situation.

The name of the person who says she will resolve this is:

California Family Fitness

Senior Sales Director Corporate

Review: In early September 2015. I began receiving several phone calls from [redacted], California Family Fitness. [redacted] stated that I could join California Family Fitness through a special promotion period of $5 and $49.00 per month membership with no contract. He also stated that I would receive the first month free, no payment until the second month of membership. I met with [redacted] on Friday, September 18, 2015, at [redacted] location. [redacted] stated the same promotion as he did in our telephone conversation. I was told to sign a contract but that I was not allowed to read before signing it. The contract was on a iPad type device, which only showed space for my signature. When I began asking more questions, and after giving my personal and credit card information. [redacted] changed the terms of the contract, he stated that I would have to pay $64.00 upfront fees on that day and, my monthly dues of 49.00 would begin in October 2015 with a 12-month contract obligation period. This type of unethical business tactics are called a (Bait and switch). I refused to continue and demand my personal information to be returned to me. [redacted] refused my request, and stated that he had been away since 2006. I now fear that I may have given my personal information to a criminal. California Family Fitness should not allow consumer personal information to be handled by criminals employees. California Family Fitness is in clear violation of California Consumer Rights Laws.Desired Settlement: I want California Family Fitness to stop sharing consumers personal information with its criminal employees.I want California Family Fitness to honor the promotion I was first given by [redacted], $5 to join, $49.00 per month, month to month no contract. Also the first month free.

Business

Response:

Good Afternoon [redacted],First, I want to insure you that your information is not being shared with anyone. Only certian information necessary for check in purposes is viewable to employees. Credit card information can not be view by anyone once it is submitted. The promotion at the time was not available, this is why [redacted]l offered you are standard rates which include last months dues up front ($49) plus $15 start up fees, adding up to $64.00. However, our [redacted], is willing to extend the offer for your poor experience you had with one of our sales repersentatives. The promotion was $5 to join for $49/month on a 12 month term contract. This promotion was not a month to month. Please feel free to contact [redacted] to get your membership started.[redacted]Thank you, [redacted]

Review: Customer Service provided incorrect information on cancellation policy.

Membership number 5MXXXXXXX.

I called August 12 to the Family Fitness corporate office and asked when the term of my contract ends. I was told our contract ends in September. I asked how can I cancel our membership. The customer service gave me an email address and told that I had to send a cancellation letter to the corporate office AFTER I make my last payment on the contract in September.

So I waited till September, after my last payment was made, I sent a cancellation letter to the Family Fitness office on September 16.

In October Family Fitness charged my account again for $109. I called to Family Fitness on October 9 to find out why they charged my account for October. I was told that according to our contract, we have to make one more payment after sending a cancellation letter to Family Fitness, and if I had sent them a cancellation letter in August there would be no charge for October. I told that I was told by customer service in August to send a cancellation letter in September, AFTER our last payment is made. They told me that they do not have any notes of customer service telling me to send a cancellation letter in September. I asked for an extension of the customer service representative that I talked to in August. I called her and told her: "I called you and August and asked how to cancel the membership and you told me to send a cancellation letter in September AFTER we make our last payment". She said: "Yes, that's right". I mentioned to her that we were charged for October, because we did not send a cancellation letter in August. She hesitated, then she said: "I do not have any notes that I told you to send a cancellation letter in September after you make your last payment". Then she said OK I will research the matter and call you back. She did not call us back. My husband called to Family Fitness and talked to her on October 14, 2013 and was told that when I called in August I was only asking when the term of our contract ends and I did not ask about cancellation of our membership, and that's why they can not help us.

We had an excellent experience with Family Fitness, until this incident. I would never think that we would have to go through this hassle to cancel our membership. And I would expect to customer service to admit that she made an honest mistake in providing the cancellation information, instead of simply lying and denying it.Desired Settlement: Since we were given incorrect information about your cancellation policy, we believe that Family Fitness owes us a refund of $109 for October membership.

Business

Response:

Initial Business Response

We appreciate [redacted]'s communication in regard to her membership cancellation experience. Upon receipt of the original Revdex.com complaint it was forwarded to our Cancellation Supervisor for review and resolution. In reviewing the account notes we found that there had been a few different points of contact between [redacted] and CFF personnel which discussed cancellation specific timelines and terms. We believe that this cancellation experience was caused by a miscommunication at some point in the communication process. For this reason we have decided to cancel the membership effective immediately and refund the last month's dues (totaling $109) that have been collected. The refund request has been made today; [redacted] can expect to see the funds in her account within 5-7 business days from today.

Final Consumer Response

(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)

Review: On February 10, my wife went to there seeking a free trial membership and then a month to month membership.She met with the sales manager, [redacted] who said that he could accommodate her request and so he issued a membershp. English is not my wife's native language and so she thought she would trust Mr. [redacted] at his word.Strangly Mr. [redacted] asked my wife for a copy of my State employee ID. My wife asked Mr. [redacted] several times that she could freely cancel anytime by February 24 and that this membership is a month-to-month one and Mr. [redacted] said "yes". My wife, being a full time college student did not any free time to go there and so yesterday afternoon (Feb 23) she went there to cancel her membership. She told the front girl desk the reason of her visit there and waited for over 35 minutes for a response. Finally the front girl desk told my wife that Mr. [redacted] was not in today and that only he could help her with the cancellation. My wife walked around and saw Mr. [redacted] in his office and so she was obviously lied to. Finally my wife met with Mr. [redacted] and he gave her a completely different story saying that she could not cancel without paying a $275 fee and that her membership was a yearly membership and not a month-to-month one. My wife felt deceived and misled and then spoke calmly with the operations manager, [redacted]. Mr. [redacted] did not help her at all and bullied and harshly asked my wife and 5 years old son to leave the premise. They also said that her credit card was already charged of her membership which wasn't true because we checked last night on this afterwards and so they also lied about this.Desired Settlement: My wife came home last evening crying after feeling deceived, lied to, mistreated, and bullied by your employees.

I signed up for a 2 weeks trial membership last summer with California Family Fitness at the Laguna branch and they honored and gave me no problem cancelling my trial membership without any fees and I had the most respect and positive experience with the Laguna branch staff and employees there.

Immediately cancel my wife's membership without any fees or penalities.

Business

Response:

Mr. [redacted] We have reviewed your wife’s account. On February 10th, Sales Manager, [redacted], was approached by your wife, [redacted], at an event at CRC. She was seeking a MTM agreement however this is not available with the discounts offered. This was thoroughly explained to her, [redacted] even took extra time with her to make sure of this. Your State ID was required because it offers a greatly discounted rate. [redacted] was told it was a 12 month contract, when her first bill date was (Feb. 24th) and that she had 5 days to cancel the membership without any penalties. On February 23rd, your wife entered the gym to cancel her membership. She was informed that she would need to pay the EFT fee of $275. This was explained in length(3 hours) by both [redacted] and our Operations Manager, [redacted] was given another copy of her signed agreement. We will be sticking to the signed agreement. If your wife would like to cancel her membership she may do so with the $275 EFT fee that was explained at the time of signing. Sincerely, Executive Communications [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

I am rejecting this response because:First of all, my wife is honest and truthful and this is not what happened. Her english is limited and so she was deceived and taken advantage of. Mr. [redacted] said that she could cancel her membership any time before the February 24. And secondly, on February 10, why wasn't I immediately contacted about this by Mr. Richardson to get my consent and approval on this?--The reason being I would have understood and definitely said no to this contract membership. I only first learned of this contact agreement on February 23 after my wife went there to speak about the cancellation. And also this doesn't explain the fact why the front desk girl said (and lied) that Mr. [redacted] wasn't in that day and the truth being that he was indeed in his office? Please respond.

Business

Response:

Hello Mr. [redacted], Regardless if the 5 day cancellation was mentioned she did initial and sign the contract that states this. If she had any questions she was more than welcome to have asked [redacted] and he would have been happy to answer any and all questions or she could have contacted yourself to verify if she did not understand anything. In regards to your State Employee rate, this was done has a courtesy to your wife to get her a lower rate. This is outside of our standard policy therefore it requires a Senior Management approval, which was granted. This is why your State of CA badge was scanned to us and your wife was provided the discount. Our standard policy requires that the primary account member be a State Employee and provide their State ID to get the discounted rate. Again, this was done as a courtesy to your wife since you were not going to be on the membership. If you have any further questions or concerns please feel free to contact myself or the District Sales Manager, [redacted] and we would be happy to assist you. Sincerely, [redacted] Executive Communications [redacted] District Sales Manager [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

I am rejecting this response because:You are violating the security of all State Employees when this happens. Then anyone can pose as a family member of a State employee by providing a copy of an employee ID then. What happens if found out that the person signing up is indeed not a family member then? Mr. [redacted] and his upper management acted irresponsibly and illegally. This membership wasn't a courtesy to my wife. I believe that they just wanted to meet their monthly membership quota and wanted the commission regardless of taking any proper and safe protocols. I will be further investigating this. Thank you.

Review: Discovered overcharge of $39.98 Visa bill dated 12/25/2013 from California Family Fitness. I called the Fair Oaks location where I work out and was advised there were 2 charges added to my monthly bill of $9.99 for a delay of payment (I advised the rep. that we have a high credit allowance on this card and did not feel this was a legitimate charge) and the second charge was for $39.99 an enhancement fee that they told me is charged yearly. I stated I was not advised of this fee when I signed up and since I am a month to monthly customer do not have a contract stating this - see attached correspondence with company.Desired Settlement: Credit to my visa card of $39.98.

Business

Response:

Hello Ms.

[redacted],

After a

thorough review of your complaint, your account transaction history, and your

membership agreement we have determined that you owe California Family Fitness

$29.99. Your account transaction history shows the following:

·

We

were unable to successfully collect your regularly scheduled payment on

November 30th; we tried again to collect this balance on December 2nd;

a third attempt was made on December 4th and we were successfully

able to collect your balance owed at this time. The total balance collected

from your account on December 4th was $54.99 for your membership

dues, $29.99 for your annual club enhancement fee, and a $9.99 service fee (due

to the two unsuccessful attempts that we made in trying to collect your

payment).

·

We

were able to successfully collect your regularly scheduled dues payment on December

30th.

·

We

received an e-mailed membership cancellation request from you on December 31st.

·

One

of our Membership Services representatives, [redacted], contacted you on January 8th

in regards to your cancellation request. It was during this conversation that as

a courtesy to you [redacted] offered to backdate your cancellation, refund your

December 30th dues, and waive your thirty day notice and last month’s

dues (per your signed agreement). However, she did explain that you would still

be responsible for paying the annual club enhancement fee of $29.99 which had

been collected with your payment on December 4th.

·

requested that the refund for December’s dues be made by our third party

billing company. Unfortunately, the third party billing company made the

adjustment to all of the account transactions moving forward, rather than

backdating it as [redacted] had requested. For this we sincerely apologize on their

behalf.

·

On

February 5th a chargeback was received from you which reversed the

payment which had processed on December 4th. This chargeback was in excess

of the December 30th dues which [redacted] had offered to refund by

$39.98. This $39.98 amount accounts for the annual club enhancement fee and the

service fee which you were charged for our inability to collect you November

payment.

·

I

have attached a copy of your account transactions for the time period which was

referenced in the bullet points above so that you may review them yourself.

At this

point [redacted] has offered to waive the $9.99 service fee, but you will still be

held accountable for the annual club enhancement fee of $29.99. I attached to

this e-mail a copy of your signed and initialed membership enrollment agreement

which outlines this annual fee. In fact, the statement regarding this fee is nearly

centered on the front page of the agreement and requires your initials

specifically beside it.

We

sincerely hope that this resolution will prove satisfactory to you. If you have

any additional questions or concerns regarding this communication we ask that

you please contact [redacted] in our Membership Services Department by calling

###-###-####.

Thank

you,

California

Family Fitness Executive Communications

Review: Complaint regards false marketing, errant charges, and pooor service resolution.

On 6/22/13, I joined California Family Fitness and agreed to a one year contract. A number of false claims were presented to me about the nature of the membership. One such claim which was made was that I could suspend my membership at any time for up to a year (free of charge was implied, but not stated). On Oct 22, I called to suspend my membership, I was told it would cost $15.99 per month. I responded that that contracdicted what I was told when I signed up. They agreed to waive November free of charge. On 11/22/13, I was charged $29.99. When I called to find out why, I was told no one could help me.Desired Settlement: Refund of $29.99 + to be released from my contract as what was promised is not what was delivered.

Business

Response:

Initial Business Response

Contact Name and Title: [redacted]

Contact Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX

Contact Email: [redacted]@calfamfit.com

Mr. [redacted] acknowledged and signed a 12 month agreement that also articulated that there is a once a year charge 3 months from enrollment that is an annual enhancement fee of 29.99. His initials are within centimeters from the print/font explaining that charge. Our staff reviews the general criteria and leaves it up to the signer to acknowledge the material and also give up to 5 business days to renege on the agreement if there is any false representation discovered. As a company we have offered solutions to his concerns, howver, are standing behind the contract he agreed upon.

Final Consumer Response

(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)

I have been repeatedly lied to on the phome by these crooks! Countless [redacted] fees!!!! Never again!

Review: Manager acted inappropriate while dealing with conflict between gym members

On 11/4/2013, there was an incident where another member verbally assaulted me. I responded by telling her to go talk to the manager if she gad a problem. The manager appeared and told me to leave or she was calling the cops w/o listening to me or investigating the situation. Other members reported that the other lady was an aggressor, but the manager refused to listen to them or me. I was humiliated because the manager failed to handle the situation properly or do her due diligence. Desired Settlement: I want a written apology and for the other member to be disciplined and/or put on notice that her behavior is innappropriate.

Business

Response:

Initial Business Response

Contact Name and Title: [redacted] VP of OPS

Contact Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX

[redacted], as we spoke about yesterday on the phone, the other member has been addressed and understands future disputes must be handled through the manager, and not taken into her own hands. The member understood. Also, as we discussed, if you personally need assistance with an issue, I am available for you to speak with, if you don't feel comfortable going to club management. I was really surprised to see your Revdex.com complaint come through this morning, as I thought we worked through everything on the phone yesterday. Finally, as we discussed yesterday, it will be important that you do not use vulgar language in the club, and I ask that you handle all interactions with other members appropriately in the future. The same request was made of the other member. Again, should you have any other questions or issues, you have my number, and you are welcome to call me personally if needed.

Final Consumer Response

(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)

I understand everything we discussed but it doesn't change the fact that the manager used poor judgment in handling the situation. She acted aggressively, condescending and demeaning in her treatment towards me. I feel like the issue I had with the manager was passed over to address the larger at issue at hand. I do not feel her behavior is acceptable behavior under any situation. At this point I do not feel comfortable returning to the club or using the body fit services I had been using everyday because this manager clearly cannot provide me with the level of service I would expect from any establishment that I patronize.

Review: Attended health club for a one day visit, was charged via credit card. Business used my initials to stretch out the font and use for the signature of contract binding me for twelve months. Business has been calling me and when I call back it goes to voice mail. After many missed attempts to contact business staff I asked for correspondence via email and was given a copy of forged contract.Desired Settlement: Harassing calls to stop and my credit card information deleted from their system.

Business

Response:

Hello [redacted], I apologize for the miscommunication. Our District Sales Manager, [redacted], will be contacting you shortly to resolve this issue. Thank you, [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to my concern, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Review: Questionable cancellation practices and a false sales tactics regarding a membership "hold." I joined California Family Fitness earlier on in the year, during the warmer months with the intention of placing my account on hold during the fall/winter months when our family would not be able to use the membership. The enrollment salesperson informed there wouldn't be an issue with this. So of course, I initiated my family's membership. I later discovered one is not able to place their membership on hold but that I would have to cancel my membership entirely, of course after paying a mandatory $150 early termination charge. Charges continued to accrue totaling in excess of $192 as I learned that I had no other option other than canceling my membership, and all the while I never stepped foot in any facilities due to caring for a newborn who had just returned from a lengthy stay in the neonatal intensive care unit. I was continuously put off by [redacted], Cal Fitnesses' billing employee who informed I would have to provide medical documentation of my newborn's stay in order to reduce any fees. Outrageous. There is nothing family-like about these billing practices and sales tactics.Desired Settlement: I request that the past balance be "zeroed out" and to have either: A) my membership cancelled without financial penalty or B) allow my membership to be placed on hold until March 2016 when I intend to use the facilities again.

Business

Response:

12/3/15Revdex.com- [redacted]I am in receipt of your Revdex.com complaint received on November

30, 2012. Unfortunately there seems to be a significant amount of

misinformation regarding the membership cancellation process as well as putting

your account on a “hold” status or Freeze. However, all this information is

documented on your membership contract. You may Freeze your account at any time. You may call the

facility of your choice or the corporate office in which you would be provided

a document to sign with a start and end date of the Freeze. You also must be

current on your dues to initiate the Freeze. Your term of 12 months would not

be impacted. All terms of the Freeze are contained in your contract. Cancellation of your membership terminates the agreement and

depending on the number of months into the term, a fee is charged. In your

case, $150.00 early termination fee is assessed. All terms of the Cancellation

are contained in your contract.In your particular case, there was a past due of $192.44.

You were provided that information on 10/22/15. Until that amount was paid, you were unable to Freeze the membership.

You then requested a Cancellation of the membership on 10/23/15 in which you

again were told of the past due and the termination fee. On 11/06/15, you were

again told of the amount owed and the fees associated with cancelation of the

membership. You were also told that if a medical condition did exist, to please

forward that information to us so we could review if waiving all fees was

warranted. You were also contacted three other times from 11/06/15 to 11/24/15

with hopes to resolve your membership.In summary we reached out to you several times (all

documented) with hopes to resolve the membership and resolve any outstanding

issues. . Unfortunately you elected not

to respond directly to us. Your choice to use the facilities does not relieve you of

the contracted terms. However, as earlier noted, CFF does provide alternatives

such as a membership Freeze based on various circumstances.Sincerely, [redacted]Billing and Accounts Receivable Manager

Consumer

Response:

I am rejecting this response because:

Review: My daughter [redacted] stepped in to assist me with my CalFit account after I had a stroke over the summer. Here is a copy of her communication. We have both tried to work this out with the establishment directly to no avail. We were told on October 17, 2014 my daughter's membership was canceled, but that never happened and I'm still being charged. This is the original email sent to CalFit on October 16, 2014 by my daughter [redacted]. My mother surprised us by signing us up for a membership and agreeing to pay. She prepaid 3 months. Two days after we got the membership, my mom suffered a stroke and was in the hospital for a couple weeks.I went in to calfit right away and sat down with a recruiter to cancel the memberships due to my mother not being able to pay the fees because of missed work and her brain injury. She told me that I could cancel [redacted] and the kids in one month because the billing cycle had already started, so on the prescribed day I went in to cancel them and a different person said it was too late, we were already billed again! I then talked to another lady on the phone who told me that we could just cancel everybody including me and get a full refund because of medical reasons and she was going to talk to her boss about it and call me back the next day. She never did.So I called back and spoke to a kid at the front desk who said that there was no record of me talking to anyone.Finally, I called again a couple days ago and left a message for a manager and [redacted] called me back later in the day and said he is aware of our medical case and he can talk to us about it, but by then it was too late for me to call.Desired Settlement: I would like a refund of $450 and my daughter [redacted]'s membership canceled.

Business

Response:

Dear [redacted], I have further reviewed your daughts account. It was cancelled with no further charges on October 17th. Your last payment was made on October 11th. We have not charged your daughters account since that date. We also waived the cancellation fee of $275. Thank you,[redacted]Executive Communications###-###-####

Consumer

Response:

My [redacted] statements show a June 13, 2014 debit of $319 for [redacted], my daughter, and her family membership. On top of this, they continued to bill me monthly for Shiney and her family. Till October. As they did say. I was confused because I saw two debits on my statements. I only put it together yesterday that they never canceled my son [redacted] membership over a year ago!!!!! And THAT was the second debit coming out of my acct. once they ceased charging me for [redacted] & fam. Such a mess. I'll try to gather all my bank statements and email a picture of them, showing the charges. And overdraft charges because I had no idea they hadn't followed through with the cancelations. Sheesh. I will try to get this done but I must add that I am so challenged in over-viewing visually and in comprehension of multilayered instructions. I also have my medical records from the hospital. If you'd like them I can ask my CPA friend to scan and email them to you. I'll be seeing him on Thursday. Thank you for your attention and your kindness. -[redacted]. Btw - my website is [redacted]My iPhone # is ###-###-#### From: [redacted] <[redacted]> Date: September 16, 2014 at 12:24:17 PM PDT To: [redacted]> Subject: Permission to cancelHi [redacted], I give my permission to cancel membership for me, [redacted], and my husband and children, [redacted], and [redacted] Sincerely, [redacted] here is what happened: My mother surprised us by signing us up for a membership and agreeing to pay. She prepaid 3 months. Two days after we got the membership, my mom suffered a stroke and was in the hospital for a couple weeks. I went in to calfit right away and sat down with a recruiter to cancel the memberships due to my mother not being able to pay the fees because of missed work and her brain injury. She told me that I could cancel [redacted] and the kids in one month because the billing cycle had already started, so on the prescribed day I went in to cancel them and a different person said it was too late, we were already billed again! I then talked to another lady on the phone who told me that we could just cancel everybody including me and get a full refund because of medical reasons and she was going to talk to her boss about it and call me back the next day. She never did. So I called back and spoke to a kid at the front desk who said that there was no record of me talking to anyone. Finally, I called again a couple days ago and left a message for a manager and [redacted] called me back later in the day and said he is aware of our medical case and he can talk to us about it, but by then it was too late for me to call. From: [redacted] To: [redacted] CC: [redacted] Subject: RE: Attn: [redacted]!!! Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2014 16:38:47 -0700Hi [redacted]! Thank you for your help today on the phone with me. Instead of refunding the three months I prepaid and any subsequent payments that were put on [redacted]'s account from my money, how's about we put that money towards my own account with Cal Fit!? In light of my new state of disability (permanent hemaniopsis (blindness) and temporary brain scrambling (this part hopefully is healing!), it would be a godsend to have this put on my own account, as I am not able to work as much, so my income is severely limited, and my neurologist has just given me the go ahead to exercise all I want (YAY!!!!) Please discuss this with your supervisors and let me know. My cell phone number is ###-###-#### and my house number is ###-###-####. I could be your "poster child" for the blessings and benefits of regular exercise on stroke victims. I had an ischemic infarction on my right occipital lobe on June 13th, 2014, on my 5th day of serving as a survival instructor at a camp for teens above Nevada City. Please consider this. I would be happy to speak up for exercise as the mainstay of brain injury rehab - because it IS! And I have LOVED being a charter member of CalFit!!! I'll be giving you a call in the next week, in case I don't hear from you. Thank you so much!!!! -[redacted]

Business

Response:

Hello [redacted], After further review of your daughter Sunshine's account. We see that she did inquire about canceling on July 11th. It seems she was talked out of canceling, this is probably becuase there is a $275 dollar cancellation fee if you cancel within your term contract. I have attached Sunshine's contract for your review. She signed up on June 11th. We have a five day clause to cancel, which she called a month after. We do waive the cancellation fee due to medical reason, however, the member with the medical reason must be on the account, which you are not on Sunshine's account. What we can do, is credit you back August, September, and October's dues totally in $299.97 and then charge the $275 cancellation fee which brings your refund to $24.97. With regards to [redacted]'s membership, we have no history of a cancellation request. We have cancelled this membership with no further dues effective immediately. Please let me know if there is anything else I may assist you with.Thank you,[redacted]Executive Communications[redacted]

Consumer

Response:

Regarding CalFit hasn't refunded this money it took out of my acct - ironically on the very day I had the stroke! June 13,2014. They had told my daughter they would refund it because of medical reasons. They haven't yet. Plus I've had many overdraft fees because of their many deductions! Thank you. [redacted]

Business

Response:

Hello [redacted],In regards to Sunshine's account, we cannot refund July, August, and September as she has no medical reason. We also did not receive written request for cancellation until October. Written request is required for all cancellations. We also waived her $275 cancellation fee which would add up to the months you prepaid for her (not including start up fees). Since she has no medical reason we find this to be a fair settlement. In addition, I can no longer communicate regarding Sunshines account as you are not on this account or the primary holder of the account.Thank you,[redacted]

Review: Gym continues to charge me a "holding fee" of $15 a month to hold my membership on an inactive status. I have attempted to call the gym and was told that there is no way to cancel this. Gym personnel state that the holding fee is indefinite unless a $175 cancellation fee is paid. I have not used the gym for 14 months totals $210 in "holding fees" that I have already paid. This practice of indefinite fees is not only ridiculous but blatantly dishonest.Desired Settlement: Simply want to cancel my inactive membership and stop the automatic $15 a month charge.

Business

Response:

Hello,

It seems as though our original response was never processed. We responded on August 19th via email to [email protected]. I have attached the orignial response.

Thank you,

Amy Murray

Business

Response:

After reviewing the details of your account, I see that you and your wife have been “frozen” for approximately 16 months, paying $15 per month to retain your membership rate. My associate spoke to your wife Genevieve on August 8th, 2014, and explained to her that if she could provide proof that you were moving (she stated that as the reason for cancelling), then we would cancel your account without anything further owed, since you prepaid for the majority of your Last Month’s Dues . We will waive the balance of the Last Month’s Dues as a courtesy due to your membership being frozen for such a long period of time. There is no $175 ETF owed for members who are moving out of our area. Please contact me at your earliest convenience so that we may collect the proof of move and get your membership cancelled. Thank you.

Member Services and Retention Supervisor

(916)605-2143 – [email protected]

Review: I originally signed a 12 month contract paying a $89.98 initial investment, a $10 card fee, a $29.99 processing fee and my last month dues of $49.99 in advance in June 22 2014. When the manager of the Carmichael location, [redacted] informed me that he couldn't meet the promotions originally offered to me he instead offered a one month service credit valued at $49.99. Over the next 18 months my membership was active I never received this credit. Only after signing up with California Family Fitness and reviewing multiple negative customer reviews matching my experience did I realize that this is one of the worst companies to get involved with. I was so disappointed I ceased using the membership several months later and essentially paid California Family Fitness for nothing while my contract obligation fulfilled.

By January 25, 2016 I had enough and having reviewed the CFF terms for membership cancellation on their website I emailed them at [redacted]. As instructed on their webpage, I sent them an email at 3:50 PM PT on Monday, 01/25/2016, providing: (1) Written notice of my cancellation 11 days prior to my next scheduled fee draft on 02/06/2016. More time than their website states "you must notify CFF in writing 7 days prior to your next draft date". (2) Confirming my contract expired and I was currently a month to month member. (3) That my prepaid dues of $49.99 for my final month would apply and they are not to bill my credit card again. (4) That I am requesting acknowledgement of this cancellation as their website directs "As a form of acknowledgement of your cancellation request, a written confirmation will be emailed to you". (5) My contact and membership info.

Despite sending a follow up email on 01/29/16, leaving a voice message for the cancellation dept on 02/08/16 I still have no response from them at all and on 02/06/2016 I received another $49.99 charge on my credit card.Desired Settlement: Since CFF doesn't feel any obligation to respond to their customer's requests or even abide by their own cancellation terms unless a formal complaint is filed with the Revdex.com, that is the action I am taking. (1) I want this membership canceled immediately with a written confirmation provided. (2) I would like a full refund of my $49.99 fee drafted on 02/06/2016 AND the $49.99 credit I was originally offered but never received. (3) That CFF never solicit future business from me.

Business

Response:

Hello [redacted], I apologize for the delay in processing your cancellation request, and the charges that you incurred due to the delay. I have processed a refund in the amount of $49.99 back to the card we have on file, you will see that in 3-5 business days. I have set your membership to cancel effective March 5, 2016 with nothing further owed. If you have any further questions, please contact me directly at [redacted] Member Services Manager

Consumer

Response:

Although I never received the promotional 1 months credit I did receive my refund of the $49.99 charge I incurred after cancellation. I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to my concern, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Business

Response:

Hello [redacted], I apologize for the refund not being processed on time. We have now processed it. You should receive the refund within 7 business days. Thank you,[redacted]

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business and after reviewing my credit card transaction history in reference to my concern, I found that this resolution was finally honored by California Family Fitness. To any other consumers of California Family Fitness with billing issues reviewing my complaint, I would strongly recommend you confirm California Family Fitness has honored their proposed resolution before accepting the resolution to resolve the complaint on the Revdex.com website.

Review: Dear Revdex.com,

I tried to move to Sacramento but for some reason I was not welcomed into the community. I tried to attend [redacted] studios. They were very mean to me at the [redacted]. I went to [redacted] in Midtown Sacramento. [redacted] caused me extreme heat injuries. I am an E-6 Army soldier on a Line of Duty. My original heat injuries are from my deployment to Iraq. I cannot do heated [redacted]. I was unaware that [redacted] turns their temperature up to 105F degrees during [redacted] They pemanently damaged my face. So I can no longer go to almost any [redacted] studio anymore. I am an advanced yogi, an artist, a model and a coloratura mezzo-soprano with a four -octave range. Those women were very mean and jealous of me.

I went to California Fitness Center to try to the 7-Day Free Trial there. I met with the manager at California Fitness Center. We enrolled me on a month-to- month basis. I clearly stated to the manager that I was only interested in a month-to-month basis membership. I was unsure of how long I was going to be in the area. The [redacted] teachers down the street had already took my money and made fun of me until I left their studio. It was only a matter of time for those [redacted] instructors that kicked me out of the Sacramento [redacted] Community to slander me to the California Fitness Centers. Those [redacted] instructors are jealous gossip queens.

The California Fitness Center signed me up for a contract I did not agree on. Now they want to charge me cancelation fees. The manager and I spoke through the contract. He was very aware that I was on a month-to-month membership. I did not agree to a 1-year plan. I am sorry I trusted the manager at California Fitness Center. We talked through the contract and as far as I am concerned he annotated the wrong boxes after I had left and the paperwork was already signed. I do not sign up for a 1-year plan especially when the gym is close to the studios of the jealous [redacted] instructors that have slandered me out of their studio.Desired Settlement: I do not agree to a 1-year plan when I did not know how long I was going to be in the area. I have already moved and canceled my month-to-month membership. Then this morning I received the email from California Fitness Center that want to charge me cancelation fees. Please do not allow this business to rip me off. Below is the email I received from California Fitness this morning.

Very Respectfully,

[redacted],

We are in receipt of your request to cancel your membership wit

Business

Response:

Hello [redacted], After reviewing your account. We did see that you signed a 12 month term contract electronically. There is a $275 EFT fee for cancelling early, however it is reduced when you move to $100. We will be reducing this. Because you paid last months dues up front you will owe $40.01 on 2/27/16. After that your account will be fully cancelled. Thank you and please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

I am rejecting this response because I did not sign up for a 1 year membership. Did you not read properly read the the message I sent you? I clearly stated to the manager the I was on a month to month basis. I had just been harassed out of the yoga studio down the street. So it was only a matter of time until those jealous yoga instructors were going mess with my membership at the gym. I did not sign up for a 1 year membership. He must have checked the boxes after I left because I made it very clear to the manager that I was going on a month to month basis. I will not accept this response. That company ripped me off.

Business

Response:

Hello [redacted]Unfortunately, since we have the signed contract we do have to honor the terms and charge a cancellation fee. However, in reviewing your account, you paid your last months dues up front. This makes your move cancellation a total of $40.01, ($100ETF-$59.99LMD). Please let me know if there is anything else I may assist you with. Thank you, [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

I am rejecting this response because: They put my digital signature on the wrong contract. There is no way I would agree to a one year contract to this gym when I had no intent on staying in the area for that long. I was already getting ready to move when I agreed to a month to month contract. Please do not honor their dishonest business. I am so upset with how I was treated at by [redacted]. I am looking for a lawyer to file a huge lawsuit. They bullied me and slandered me out of the area. Now they are ripping me off. There is NO WAY I WOULD HAVE AGREED TO A 1 YEAR CONTRACT WHEN I HAD NO INTENT ON BEING IN THE AREA THAT LONG. THIS IS DISHONEST BUSINESS.

Review: I am extremely dissatisfied with the way in which my husbands cancellation has been handled. We are getting the run around from staff at the Bond location who seem to not be able to get their story straight. We have been trying to cancel his membership since July because he moved to Concord to go to school in Pleasanton. We have provided proof of enrollment THREE times and still staff is telling me that the cancellation is "in process". Not only is my card still being charged monthly when my husband is not and has not used your facilities, but also I am being charged MORE than what was agreed upon when he signed the contract. Normally his monthly charges are $59 and one month we were charged $69. When I called to ask why we were charged at all they said my card was declined and it was an extra fee. I asked how if my card was declined for $59 how did it manage to go through for $69?? Very suspicious. So I called my credit card company and they don't show any declined charge from your company EVER. Then I got a charge from your company for $89, when I called to ask again WHY I AM STILL BEING CHARGED they said I owed maintenance fees, which is funny considering I cancelled my husband's membership in JULY!!! I am confident you all have received MORE than the $100 cancellation fee and in my opinion OWE me for the months you should NOT have been charging me. I have given your company AMPLE time to handle this situation.Desired Settlement: Keep your $100 Cancellation fee and refund me the months you charged me but shouldn't have (AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER) and STOP charging my card. All I wanted from the beginning was to STOP PAYING for services we are not using.

Business

Response:

Good Afternoon [redacted], I have reviewed your husbands account. First, I appologize for the delay in getting this cancelled. Our records show that [redacted] called in on 9/17 to cancel his membership. We will be refunding for October and November ($159.96) minus the cancellation fee ($100) totalling a refund of $59.96. The membership will be cancelled effective today. Please let me know if you have anything further questions. Again, I appologize for the inconvenience.Thank you,

Review: The membership was setup to bill automatically for several years. This month the card is expired and CFF charges $9.99 to rerun with new credit card.

I signed up my wife and son for past several years back, paying at least more than couple thousand dollars already on the membership through credit card auto billing, even though she does not use that gym that much. This week, she was told the credit card on file was expired when she tried to go to the Folsom gym. I went there to fix that this morning, however I was told there is a $9.99 charges on the so called "service fee" for the expired credit card. The counter rep told me it can't be waived and this is the company policy. This is just ridiculous, I have not seen other companies charging $9.99 to re-run the credit card. Most even send out email or mail to inform customers that credit card will be expired when auto billing is involved... I asked what if I just cancel the membership and without renew, she said I will still owe this amount and you will report this $9.99 to credit report. Why are you charging this outrageous fee that just [redacted] people off and threaten to report this to credit report when the fake "service fee" wasn't paid? I'm sure I'm not the first one to complain about this and won't be last one either!Desired Settlement: Refund the $9.99 back to me and mail me a letter in the future before credit card on file is about to expired.

Business

Response:

Initial Business Response

This member's complaint has already been resolved by our Corporate Office personnel as of yesterday, September 26, 2013, afternoon. As a coutesy to this long-standing member CFF made the decision to rescind the $9.99 service fee that this member refers to in his complaint.

Final Consumer Response

(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)

I just checked my credit card and I have not seen any refund on this. Also will you be able to send out mail/email notice in the future when credit card is approaching to be expired?

Final Business Response

The return of this CFF member's $9.99 service fee has been requested of our third party billing company. The time that it takes for the credit to reflect on this member's account is dependent on his banking institution. Most banks take anywhere from 3-5 business days for the credit to reflect in their account balance. The credit was requested on September 26, 2013; we are still within the 3-5 day timeframe at this point. We ask that this member please follow-up with CFF the end of this week if the credit still has yet to be received. Thank you.

Review: This company promised NOT to keep texting me. Typing "STOP" to their text messages does not work. Called them several times to stop text harrassments.

California Family Fitness promised in their initial contact with me that they would not send marketing material nor call me nor text me to join their organization. They have texted me several times, at least on a weekly basis, and sometimes more often. I called them a few times during the past couple of months to explain that I am no longer in the Sacramento area & that I did not appreciate their continual marketing and inconsiderate tactics. Their text harrassment has increased despite my telephone calls to put a stop to their texting. The 'Stop" commands they are instructing are completely ineffective. The minute I finished calling them a few minutes ago to stop texting me, I received another one almost immediately. This has happened more than once. I do not know which address / location they are calling me from, but this harrassment has to stop. Out of common courtesy, I advised [redacted] that the next stop would be to reach out to the regulatory agency or the Revdex.com. They have been given several opportunities to stop 'texting' me. For your information, their text advertisement has awakened me more than once.Desired Settlement: This business needs to be reprimanded and stopped immediately from their relentless, inconsiderate and ineffective marketing tactics. Legal counsel and reporting to the appropriate regulatory agencies will be the next step if their marketing outreach methods continue to me or if there are any repercussions from my submittal of this complaint. I do not want to be contacted by California Fitness Center. Their marketing tactics has become a negative tool and has achieved the exact opposite results in accomplishing their marketing goals.

Business

Response:

Initial Business Response

Contact Name and Title: [redacted] SVP

Contact Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX

Contact Email: [redacted]@calfamfit.com

California Family Fitness has corrected the technical problems encountered by some of our members and guests. The third party vendor that provided the software used for texting has enhanced their product so when the word "stop" is texted in response to a California Family Fitness text, that name and number is deleted from the data base of all 16 locations. In the past, it was possible to receive text communication from multiple locations. The problem has been corrected. Also, future numbers texted will only be numbers who have opted in. We feel that we have taken the measures needed to correct the problems sometimes encountered by our clients.

Review: I signed up my two teenagers strictly for the 3 summer months only. They keep taking money out of my bank account ( Made the mistake of letting them have my credit card number) even though we cancelled the membership. Then I get a huge run around when I call and tell them to stop. There is absolutely no accountability. One of their Agents, Mr. [redacted] assured us that we would only be billed through the end of August. yet they took money out of our bank account for September and October.

Product_Or_Service: Gym Membership

Account_Number: 5MXXXXXXX

Desired Settlement: DesiredSettlementID: Refund

I wonder how many others this has happened too? I get a complete run around when trying to talk to them on the phone. I would like my money returned for September and October.

Business

Response:

Initial Business Response

I am in receipt of your Revdex.com Complaint XXXXXXXX dated October 10, 2013. I have reviewed the contract that was signed at our Carmichael facility on 5/27/13 for both teenagers mentioned in your complaint. You have you have either initialed or signed as required that you understood the terms of the contract. In your case, your contract is month to month and does require a written notification from you to cancel membership as well as make one more monthly payment after written notice is received.

We have not received any notification from you to cancel and your account has continued to bill and we have continued to draft bank your account for September and October.

So that we can remedy this situation, please forward your cancellation notification to the following email address:

Member Services @calfamfit.co

Should you wish to discuss with me further I can be reached on 916.987.2030 Ext [redacted]