California Ripped Fitness

Review: I originally joined this gym approximately 15 years ago when it was operating under the name of Gold's Gym. The owner's recently changed franchise names and is now operating as California Ripped Fitness. Members were told that existing contracts and membership fees would remain in contact. I originally joined while the gym was under construction and I accepted a promotional contract which required me to pay 3 years of membership fees in advance and in return I would received my annual membership for $99 as long as I remained a member. As such, I have been paying the $99 annual membership fees for approximately 12 years. Now, the ownership is telling the sales associates to no longer honor those agreements. I tried, unsuccessfully, to meet with the owners to discuss why they were backing out of an agreement made many years ago. It is my position that they must honor these agreements and cannot arbitrarily cancel memberships simply because they are no longer profitable to them. An agreement is an agreement and I paid my membership fees even during the years when I was not using the facility in order to keep my annual fees at $99.Desired Settlement: I would like the business to honor their agreement with me and allow me to renew my membership at the previously agreed upon rate of $99 per year.

Business

Response:

[redacted] we are no longer Golds gym and many things have changed in the 12 years you've been a member. Like minimum wage has went up multiple times and so has every other bill you can think of it takes to operate our facility. You have an annual agreement that expires every 12 months nowhere does it say we have to honor that rate after every year. I can promise you theres no business you can go to today and pay the same for a service or good you did 12-15 years ago. As far as our agreements are concerned we are not bound to keeping you at $99 a year. If you've been paying that rate for 13 plus years I think the business has definately kept there end of your agreement you say you had 15yrs ago! Unfortunately CA Ripped Fitness isn't honoring the old golds rates and cant operate business at them. We were willing to meet you in the middle with a discounted rate based on the rates today, which you have already been informed of.

Consumer

Response:

I am rejecting this response because:Thank you for your quick response, however, I am fully aware that the cost of doing business generally increases over the years. Knowing then that this “phenomena” occurs, I accepted a promotion by your company which gave you operating cash up front (3 years of membership dues) and in return allowing me to lock in annual membership dues at $99 per year thereafter. The agreement wasn’t, “Give us 3 years of membership fees up front and then we MIGHT give it to you for $99 per year thereafter if we can afford it”. If that was the case, I wouldn’t have chosen this agreement. Who would have? I am also aware that you are no longer Gold’s Gym and have changed to California Ripped Fitness. The ownership, however, has not changed and unless the business has filed for nkruptcy protection, it is still responsible for all assets and liabilities incurred. I also find it hard to believe that you can’t find my original contract. However, on June 28, 2014, just as you transitioned to California Ripped Fitness, you did honor our agreement and renewed my membership for $99 so your argument that you are, “No longer Gold’s Gym” doesn’t hold water. Also, didn’t you review my contract at that time to ensure my renewal rate was $99? In an article published on February 19th, 2014, by the Sacramento Business Journal then Director of Operations for California Ripped Fitness, Nicholas Trosko, stated, “Other than the new name…There were no changes in staffing or membership fees”. Was that a lie? I’m simply a member who consumes virtually nothing at your gym. You are acting as if I’m a customer sitting at your buffet eating all of your food. I am sorry that this is no longer a good or profitable deal for you, but it happens to be a good deal for me and it is the agreement we made and you should honor it. Is there a waiting list for people to join your gym and you need to get rid of the older non-profitable memberships? It’s hard for me to believe that you would treat a faithful 15 year dues paying member in this fashion. I paid my dues even during the years when I didn’t use your gym in order to keep our agreement. Should you refund my money for those years I didn’t use the gym?...I didn’t think so. Look at it like this….My car isn’t worth as much or look as nice as it did when I first bought it, but I keep making the same payment because that’s what I promised to do when the bank loaned me the money. All I’m asking is that you do the right and moral thing and live up to your end of the bargain. One more thing, your sales associate did not offer to meet me half way as you previously stated. He offered me one free month if I renewed at $249 per year and signed a 3 year contract. That’s not meeting me in the middle. This complaint can be easily resolved by renewing my membership at the previously agreed upon rate of $99 per year. Thankyou.

Business

Response:

I'm really sorry you feel this way. We have never had a lifetime membership and like you stated 15yrs ago you paid 3yrs up front and the $99 rate was allowed to you for the next 12. The contract is a annual contract and not a lifetime contract it expires every year. CA Ripped Fitness is a completely different business then Gold's was. We are not making any changes in the middle of your annual agreement, we are just informing you that your membership has expired we no longer have a $99 rate. What the sales associate explained is our lowest rate is 19.99 and that is a 3 yr contract which has an annual fee attached to it like all of our agreements. What we are willing to do for you is give you that rate of 19.99 X 12 which would be 239.88 for a 13 month term. This is not something we are just doing with you! Most of the old members have resigned at the $240 rate and a few have choose to go elsewhere. We are still the cheapest price around for our facility and all it has to offer. This is the best rate we can offer and we really hope we can keep you as a member!

Consumer

Response:

I am rejecting this response because:Can you please explain to me how a customer “earned” the annual renewal rate of $99? This rate was not the normal annual rate charged at that time or any time for that matter. As it was explained to me and noted in my original contract (which I have provided the Revdex.com with a copy), 3 years of full cost dues were paid in advance ($849) in order to obtain a $99 annual renewal rate after the 3rd year. This is clearly stated in my original contract. Nowhere does it state that this rate will be subject to review, increases, changes, etc. In fact, it was sold to customers as a way to lock in their rates and not have to be subjected to future rate increases. So please explain to me how this special promotional program really worked. Did he $849 that I paid in advance only allow me to renew one time at $99 or was it as long as you felt like honoring it? Neither makes much sense does it? I was told that as long as I remained a member in good standing, I was entitled to the $99 renewal rate every year after the 3rd year. That was the sales pitch at the time and that’s what I’ve been paying up until now when you’ve decided that it’s no longer a good deal for you. So again, please clarify how this deal really worked and how a customer “earned” this $99 annual rate. Thank you.

Business

Response:

Nowhere in the contract does it say you can have this rate for lifetime! Once again as I explained before, that was a Gold's Gym deal and that rate you continued to pay for 12yrs. At this point we are CA Ripped Fitness and no longer have that rate nor are bound by any contract at that rate! So at this point there is two options you can pay the new discounted rate or you can choose another facility. This is the situation for all the members and not just yourself, most of the old Golds members decided to renew and stay here with the discounted rate we are offering to them. This rate isn't negiotable and we are not forcing or automatically charging it to anyone it is absolutely up to you. We love to keep all of our old members but this is the best deal we have for any of the members. Hope you will continue to use CA Ripped Fitness as your health provider.

Consumer

Response:

I am rejecting this response because: Your response is simply inadequate and you have failed to answer the question regarding how a member received the $99 renewal rate in the first place. I mean really….what was the incentive for someone to give you 3 years of membership dues in advance? Can you simply answer that question??? Additionally, by your response, it’s also obvious that you, in fact, have a copy of my original contract and I find it amusing that your staff informed me that you no longer possess it. Again, I understand that you are no longer Gold’s Gym, however, the facility is still owned by the same people. Simply changing names doesn’t allow the company to disregard its prior obligations. If, however, they filed for bankruptcy protection then that may be a different story. Please know that this is not about the money, but rather about making a business live up to what they have promised their customers. It’s about doing the right and moral thing which it seems this country, in general, is no longer interested in doing. In the old days, a person’s word and a hand shake was all that was needed to complete a transaction. Today, as demonstrated by your actions, it’s totally about the all mighty dollar and stepping on anybody, especially the little guy, in order to get what you want. As a result of this decision you’ve made, you will no doubt lose more time, money, and customers than this fight is worth to the business. It would have been easier for you to just take my money and honor the contract.

Review: It has been almost impossible to cancel my membership. I've sent membership cancellation letters to both where directed on their web site as well as "National Fitness" at P.O. Box 497 Layton, Utah 84041. They state they have not received my letter. It has been months and payments are being deducted from my account. I've called the location where I've signed up for the membership and I'm unable to cancel at the location where I signed up.Desired Settlement: I would like the charges to stop occurring and my membership be cancelled. I would also like to get refunded my money from the month of July and August for $19.99 after I called and sent my cancellation form in on June 5, 2015 via certified mail.

Business

Response:

Hi [redacted], If you have the proof of you sending in the cancellation paperwork we can definitely take care of this issue for you. This is why we recommend sending these documents in certified mail so you can track this. As national fitness stated to you when you called we would need a written notice to cancel your agreement, this is pretty standard practice in the health club industry.

Review: FORWARDED EMAIL SENT TO RIPPED FITNESS AND COLLECTION AGENCIES.Note; actual gym address was not in the listed options. Gym address is 5110 Foothills Blvd, Roseville Ca 95747 Dear Ripped Fitness, I am writing in regards to the harassment about payments for a service I did not use. I signed up for a membership on July 11 2014 and paid the initial sign up fee and first months membership. I attended the gym a few times within that first month and I didn't feel it was the right fit for me so I took the necessary steps to cancel my membership. Since my account was not being charged, to the best of my knowledge the account was closed.Towards the end of 2014 I received a letter from a collection agency for the sum of approximately $163. I contacted the agency and they informed me of the supposed debt that I was completely unaware of. I then informed the agency they needed to contact the gym to clear up the misunderstanding.As of January 2015 I am still receiving harassing letters to pay this alleged debt. I am writing this email as a cease and desist and I will also be forwarding this email to the collection agencies and The Revdex.com to inform them of your unprofessional conduct.Desired Settlement: I would like this collection to be removed from my credit and the harassment of these collection agencies stopped.

Review: The gym at the Granite Bay location has made it very difficult to cancel the membership. They have required 30 days notice and when I provided it, told me I needed to contact a servicing company in Utah (National Fitness). When I contacted them, they required a certified letter, which I sent. My assistant first called National Fitness and reviewed what they needed and they said providing my member number would cancel for the entire membership. They are now calling wanting more money claiming that I did not cancel the membership for everyone in my family. I have one membership and one contract, which I cancelled, but they are trying to get another month's payments. I am pretty sure this is in violation of state law.Desired Settlement: I would like them to agree to stop bothering me for payment from family members on my contract who have not signed anything at all but are on my membership.

Business

Response:

He sent in a cancellation. He had sub members on his account. Two of the sub members but one of them was still active. That is why he was continued to be billed. I do not see any balances or any of the members are active.