RWJ Fitness & Wellness Center-Hamilton

[redacted] , I am so sorry to hearabout your experience with [redacted] I would like to first state thatwhile we certainly sold these special “Founders” memberships before we opened,we only sold a small number of them and we only sold them before weopened When potential members come to our center seeking membership, aFounders is not one of the memberships we offer anymore The members whobought the original memberships are aware that they purchased a valuable assetthis is transferable, one time, for a fee of $ When a Founding memberwants to sell their original membership the process is for them to come to thecenter and with the person that they are selling the membership to, we look upthe membership to confirm that it is the first time the membership is beingtransferred, then we accept payment for $and complete the transferpaperworkAs you know, that is not whathappened in your situation You were provided with [redacted] ***’s nameand number and you called him and inquired about the membership ***met you outside the center, took $from you, and ran off You thenlearned that the membership is not transferable When you confronted [redacted] he was not willing to give you a refund, and we assisted you in filing acriminal complaint against him for theft We are truly sorry for thesituation We are not in the business of “brokering” deals, and we’resorry that it was perceived that way Nonetheless, in light of aperceived miscommunication on the part of RWJ, we will extend the “founders”rate to you Please note this membership is strictly for you only, andcannot be transferred to any additional parties at any time In the eventyou would seek to have a family add on, they would have to be added on to ourtraditional trial membershipWe hope that [redacted] does theright thing and returns your $200, as it was not his to take.Our customer service will resetyour monthly rate and we will provide all of our usual services for yourenjoyment Best of luck to you in reaching your fitness goals Wewelcome you as a member and hope you find this resolution to besatisfactory Thank you.RWJ Fitness & WellnessCenter

Very uncomfortable atmosphere ever since the personal trainer, Abby, has been on staff. She constantly has her cellphone out on the floor while she is supposed to be working. I have seen her plenty of times texting on her phone during her training sessions and not giving undivided attention to her clients. I have been a member of this gym for many years and that is very unprofessional. This issue will be addressed to the corporate office if HR doesn’t respectfully fire her from her position at RWJ Fitness Center of Hamilton.

Hi *** Thank for your sharing this experience with us. Wewill be happy to review with you the account records and notes we haveregarding both *** and your membership. To cancel we do require foryou to either come in person or send a certified
letter tocancel. We spoke with you on several occasions viatelephone and email beginning in February responding to your requestto cancel and reviewing the procedure to go forth with your request. OnApril 3rd we received a letter requesting to cancel both memberships. Atthat point one final payment is necessary for the final days of themembership which you were informed. Your membership terminated onApril 30th, 2015. During the final days of your membership youhave full use of the Center including but not limited to all services. We value our members and their experience. We aresorry for any confusion you may have experienced, as we make great efforts toprovide our members with a positive experience and a motivating fitnessenvironment. We reviewed the account and found the following information: *** account entered collections in March after remaining delinquentfor January, February and March membership dues with her membership alsoending in April. We also have on account your final monthly dues billingof $94.90. In an effort to help you get past this, and as a courtesy wewill waive your remaining dues (*** $and *** $174.80) and let thecredit agency know you paid in full so it does not affect your credit record. Please in the future if you would like to revisit your commitment to fitness,consider returning to the center. We welcome the opportunity to help youon your road to fitness and wellness Yours in good health,Kristina C***Customer Service Manager

Once [redacted] let us know she was uncomfortable with the original trainer provided, we set her up with a one hour appointment in the pool with Personal Trainer Corinne who specializes in...

aquatics exercise called Aquakinetics. The goal of this session was to teach [redacted] water exercises that cater to people with joint challenges.  These are exercises that she could do on her own.  We would provide a routine update in 6-8 weeks as part of the service provided in the membership.  Although [redacted] agreed to the new orientation in the water with a different trainer, she did not show up for this one hour appointment with Corinne in the pool. Instead she visited our Plainsboro location to speak with Carol, the sales manager about her dissatisfaction with not being set up with the right trainer at our Hamilton location.  Carol introduced [redacted] and her husband to trainer Mike to speak about Aquakinetics.  Mike let them know that you can purchase Aquakinetics personal training sessions as a non-member for non-member pricing.  
After this interaction [redacted] came in to cancel her membership. She met with Dena a membership counselor at our Hamilton location that explained to her that our trainers who do work with our Aquakinetics program have rehab experience and/or have worked extensively with members coming in with specific medical concerns such as arthritis. Dena asked [redacted], before she decides to cancel, to reach out to her doctor for specification on her limitations and maybe a script for rehab if her doctor thinks that is needed. Dena let her know that if [redacted] provided a letter from her doctor we can cancel her membership immediately. If not, she would be charged for her last month of dues as part of our cancelation policy.
 
[redacted] came back in on September 11, 2016 with a doctors note instructing her not to use the gym at this time.  We canceled [redacted]’s membership effective immediately once this was received.
 
On September 12, 2016 [redacted] the General Manager of the Hamilton facility spoke with [redacted].  Sharon noted that  her doctor would recommend exercise after rehab has been completed. Sharon spoke to [redacted] that instead of refunding her membership we could place her membership on freeze and not charge any freeze fees for the duration of the freeze. This way when she is done with rehab we can get her started again in the pool.  It was Sharon’s understanding that [redacted] seemed satisfied but would go home and think about it and get back to her the next day (effective Sept. 13, 2016).
 
Our goal is to make sure [redacted] feels great. We know living with arthritis is never easy but utilizing our therapy pool and continuing to move will help her. We would like to offer to make the situation right by freezing her membership for the duration of her rehab and get her started the right way once she is done with therapy.  To insure the process takes into account her therapy, we can make sure the trainer meets with her Physical Therapist to make sure the limitations are communicated correctly and the hand off back to the fitness center is seamless.  If after we try this approach [redacted] is  dissatisfied we would be willing to refund her enrollment fee.  We welcome the opportunity to help [redacted] manage her arthritis.
 
[redacted]
General Manager

[redacted], I am so sorry to hearabout your experience with [redacted].  I would like to first state thatwhile we certainly sold these special “Founders” memberships before we opened,we only sold a small number of them and we only sold them before weopened.  When potential...

members come to our center seeking membership, aFounders is not one of the memberships we offer anymore.  The members whobought the original memberships are aware that they purchased a valuable assetthis is transferable, one time, for a fee of $100.  When a Founding memberwants to sell their original membership the process is for them to come to thecenter and with the person that they are selling the membership to, we look upthe membership to confirm that it is the first time the membership is beingtransferred, then we accept payment for $100 and complete the transferpaperwork. As you know, that is not whathappened in your situation.  You were provided with [redacted]’s nameand number and you called him and inquired about the membership.  [redacted]met you outside the center, took $200 from you, and ran off.  You thenlearned that the membership is not transferable.  When you confronted[redacted] he was not willing to give you a refund, and we assisted you in filing acriminal complaint against him for theft.   We are truly sorry for  thesituation.  We are not in the business of “brokering” deals, and we’resorry that it was perceived that way.  Nonetheless, in light of aperceived miscommunication on the part of RWJ, we will extend the “founders”rate to you.  Please note this membership is strictly for you only, andcannot be transferred to any additional parties at any time.  In the eventyou would seek to have a family add on, they would have to be added on to ourtraditional trial membership. We hope that [redacted] does theright thing and returns your $200, as it was not his to take.Our customer service will resetyour monthly rate and we will provide all of our usual services for yourenjoyment.  Best of luck to you in reaching your fitness goals.  Wewelcome you as a member and hope you find this resolution to besatisfactory.   Thank you.RWJ Fitness & WellnessCenter

[redacted] froze her account back in November for 3months.  Per her agreement, [redacted] was obligated to  fill out afreeze form to extend her freeze  before the deadline of 2/15/15. She failed to do so resulting in her account being charged for February, Marchand...

April. Once she realized the charges were occurring she reached out to ourCustomer Service department.  [redacted] did provide medical documentationbut never came in/mailed/faxed a freeze form. Out of courtesy, since we didhave medical documentation our customer service department credited her accountsince she was unable to use the facility during this time.  I spoke to[redacted] and she wanted a full refund instead of a credit on her account. After reviewing her account and talking with [redacted] about the hardship of hermedical challenges, we have decided to refund her credit card for the fullamount per her request.  I spoke with [redacted] yesterday andresolved the outstanding issue and she was very happy.  [redacted] has been avalued member for 3 years and we look forward to her continuing her membershipwith us moving forward.[redacted], General Manager

Review: Gym refused to honor repeated requests, both telephonically and via email, to cancel membership. We did not utilize the gym membership after our desire to cancel was conveyed. The gym was told to cancel my wife's membership and keep mine. The gym continued to charge my account for my membership, and ceased charging of my wife's. However, we were later presented with a bill for her membership. Once again it was conveyed to them that she was canceling her membership and had not been utilizing the gym. The gym clearly understood our desires, as they stopped charging my card, yet presented a bill and sent it to collections for a membership she did not want or use. I then explained that I no longer wished to be a member, and that I wanted my membership cancelled. Again, the gym refused to honor written notification and sent a bill to collections for time after they were informed of our desired cancellation. We were informed that we could need to come in personally to quit, which I feel is an attempt to coerce departing members into staying. Nearly every other transaction I have had in the last few years, from buying a house to signing up for college classes to moving bank funds around has been able to be accomplished via telephone or electronic methods. The gym's assertion that my wife needs to take time away from her small business or that I need to take time away from home to be subjected to a sales pitch in an effort to defeat our explicitly stated desires is ludicrous. We communicated clearly and repeatedly we did not want to remain members. We did not use the service after this expressed desire, and I do not believe we should be forced into a coercive procedure in order to get out of a gym membership.Desired Settlement: I would like any collections to cease, and any corrections to our credit scores to reflect that we paid for the services we utilized, and should not be penalized in any way for attempts to collect for services not desired and not utilized. From reading online, this is apparently an ongoing problem with this gym, and that others have gone in to cancel and been pressured into staying. This practice should no longer be allowed.

Business

Response:

Hi [redacted] Thank for your sharing this experience with us. Wewill be happy to review with you the account records and notes we haveregarding both [redacted] and your membership. To cancel we do require foryou to either come in person or send a certified letter tocancel. We spoke with you on several occasions viatelephone and email beginning in February responding to your requestto cancel and reviewing the procedure to go forth with your request. OnApril 3rd we received a letter requesting to cancel both memberships. Atthat point one final payment is necessary for the final 30 days of themembership which you were informed. Your membership terminated onApril 30th, 2015. During the final 30 days of your membership youhave full use of the Center including but not limited to all services. We value our members and their experience. We aresorry for any confusion you may have experienced, as we make great efforts toprovide our members with a positive experience and a motivating fitnessenvironment. We reviewed the account and found the following information: [redacted] account entered collections in March after remaining delinquentfor January, February and March membership dues with her membership alsoending in April. We also have on account your final monthly dues billingof $94.90. In an effort to help you get past this, and as a courtesy wewill waive your remaining dues ([redacted] $94.90 and [redacted] $174.80) and let thecredit agency know you paid in full so it does not affect your credit record. Please in the future if you would like to revisit your commitment to fitness,consider returning to the center. We welcome the opportunity to help youon your road to fitness and wellness. Yours in good health,Kristina C[redacted]Customer Service Manager

Review: In late July I visited RWJ Fitness and Wellness to inquire about a gym membership. I contacted them in particular because my daughter is enrolled in Lakeview Child Center, which is a subsidary of Robert Wood Johnson Health System. Before enrolling, I spoke with a founder member who advised me to contact the gym to purchase a founder membership, which has a lower monthly rate. I called the gym and was provided the telephone number of Richard G[redacted] a founder member who was selling his membership. I contacted Richard and arranged to purchase his founder membership for $200.00. Before meeting with [redacted] I contacted the gym to again confirm the process and confirm that his membership was valid. Rose, the person who provided the initial information, stated that we should write a letter to state that the founder membership was being purchased and I would pay a fee to the gym. On August 5, 2015, I met [redacted] at the gym and completed the transaction. Immediately after, Lindsay, the HR Director came out of her office to inform us the process was entirely different. Upon further research, it was found that [redacted] was not a founder member at all. Subsequently, he took my money and walked out of the establishment. Lindsay contacted the police on my behalf and I filed a complaint. The same day, she waived the fee for me to enroll in the gym. However, I still have to deal with [redacted] who has already sent a threatening letter to me stating he would take legal recourse if I did not agree to his version of events. I asked Robert M[redacted] the area manager to compensate me by providing the founder membership rate, as they were the ones who brokered a purchase with a non founder member and as a result, a crime was perpetrated against me in the presence of my 3 year old child. Mr. M[redacted] called me to advise that he would talk to the owners since they were the ones who brokered the purchase, only to offer me three free months of gym membership.Desired Settlement: The owners seem to think their bottom line is more important than their customers. While I appreciate the waivering of the $200.00 enrollment fee, I would like RWJ to provide me with the founder membership rate of $35.00 monthly that I was pursuing, as their lack of due diligence put me directly in a situation where a crime was perpetrated against me. In addition, RWJ has changed their process by directing potential members to look for founder members selling memberships on [redacted]. I consider this recognition of the liability they accept in arranging contact with founder members or in this case a criminal. While they have offered me a few free months of gym membership, I still have to deal with [redacted]. He should never have been introduced to me as a founder member and the records should have been checked when I made a follow up call prior to meeting with him.

Business

Response:

[redacted], I am so sorry to hearabout your experience with [redacted]. I would like to first state thatwhile we certainly sold these special “Founders” memberships before we opened,we only sold a small number of them and we only sold them before weopened. When potential members come to our center seeking membership, aFounders is not one of the memberships we offer anymore. The members whobought the original memberships are aware that they purchased a valuable assetthis is transferable, one time, for a fee of $100. When a Founding memberwants to sell their original membership the process is for them to come to thecenter and with the person that they are selling the membership to, we look upthe membership to confirm that it is the first time the membership is beingtransferred, then we accept payment for $100 and complete the transferpaperwork. As you know, that is not whathappened in your situation. You were provided with [redacted]’s nameand number and you called him and inquired about the membership. [redacted]met you outside the center, took $200 from you, and ran off. You thenlearned that the membership is not transferable. When you confronted[redacted] he was not willing to give you a refund, and we assisted you in filing acriminal complaint against him for theft. We are truly sorry for thesituation. We are not in the business of “brokering” deals, and we’resorry that it was perceived that way. Nonetheless, in light of aperceived miscommunication on the part of RWJ, we will extend the “founders”rate to you. Please note this membership is strictly for you only, andcannot be transferred to any additional parties at any time. In the eventyou would seek to have a family add on, they would have to be added on to ourtraditional trial membership. We hope that [redacted] does theright thing and returns your $200, as it was not his to take.Our customer service will resetyour monthly rate and we will provide all of our usual services for yourenjoyment. Best of luck to you in reaching your fitness goals. Wewelcome you as a member and hope you find this resolution to besatisfactory. Thank you.RWJ Fitness & WellnessCenter

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Regards,

Review: I froze my account due to surgery back in November. Even though I had a doctor note stating that I was not released, they still charged me for 3 months of dues. When I realized this was being charged on my credit card, I called. They will not refund my money for charges that should have never taken place in the first place, especially since I have not been released by my doctor. They are giving me "in-house credit." This is not acceptable. They should refund my money back onto my credit card.Desired Settlement: I would like the 3 months of dues they charged onto my credit card credited back to my credit card account. I want my full $154.08 returned!

Business

Response:

[redacted] froze her account back in November for 3months. Per her agreement, [redacted] was obligated to fill out afreeze form to extend her freeze before the deadline of 2/15/15. She failed to do so resulting in her account being charged for February, Marchand April. Once she realized the charges were occurring she reached out to ourCustomer Service department. [redacted] did provide medical documentationbut never came in/mailed/faxed a freeze form. Out of courtesy, since we didhave medical documentation our customer service department credited her accountsince she was unable to use the facility during this time. I spoke to[redacted] and she wanted a full refund instead of a credit on her account. After reviewing her account and talking with [redacted] about the hardship of hermedical challenges, we have decided to refund her credit card for the fullamount per her request. I spoke with [redacted] yesterday andresolved the outstanding issue and she was very happy. [redacted] has been avalued member for 3 years and we look forward to her continuing her membershipwith us moving forward.[redacted], General Manager

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Regards,