I heard back from the trainer. First, she said she expects me to continue with weight training two additional days per week but she doesn't write up programs for her clients if she sees them less than 3 times per week. She also said "Its my job to teach, not pass out my own workouts".
Oh man, you got scammed on hard
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As soon as they asked for a contract I would have gone the other way, especially one that was so long (52 sessions). If they are any good and want get people to buy more sessions they would offer multi-session discounts if you buy X sessions up front.
Also, I don't buy that line about not handing out workouts. She needs to guide you on the other days you workout so they don't interfere with her day. I would get whoever runs the show there to at least make that happen.
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... she doesn't write up programs for her clients if she sees them less than 3 times per week. She also said "Its my job to teach, not pass out my own workouts".
Then I would ask her to be very clear on what she would be teaching you over the next 52 weeks (it was for a year, right? or were there fewer sessions involved?).
Then I would ask her to be very clear on what she would be teaching you over the next 52 weeks (it was for a year, right? or were there fewer sessions involved?).
Good idea. I'd tack on a question regarding how much she hopes to see you progress if she isn't giving you a workout to do on your own on the off days. It never hurts to remind someone whose career depends on the success of her clients that she could be screwing herself out of a good before/after testimonial.
I wasn't able to work anything out with the gym. Even though the training manager admitted that personal training only once a week would not do anything for me, his solution was for me to sign up for an even longer contract! He offered me two extra sessions per month (not week) for 6 months for an additional $80 per month.
I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau for fraudulent misrepresentation.
I got a response from the gym fairly quickly. The training manager who was offering me additional sessions for more money and a longer contract is now saying that I have X total sessions for Y amount of money and I can use them and pay for them however I want.
I got a response from the gym fairly quickly. The training manager who was offering me additional sessions for more money and a longer contract is now saying that I have X total sessions for Y amount of money and I can use them and pay for them however I want.
A little vague.... more sessions for what you paid? What about the nutrition program & independent training program?
A little vague.... more sessions for what you paid? What about the nutrition program & independent training program?
The trainer gave me a calorie goal and reviews my food log weekly; I don't really need anything beyond that.
I won't need independent training if I'm with the trainer 2 or 3 times a week instead of only one. And the trainer said if I was training with her twice a week, she would write a program for the third day.
so (my numbers may be wrong) you've bought 52 sessions - which you though were limited to 1 per week for 52 weeks but now you know you could have 4 a week for 13 weeks, or 2 per week for 26 weeks or whatever combination.
so (my numbers may be wrong) you've bought 52 sessions - which you though were limited to 1 per week for 52 weeks but now you know you could have 4 a week for 13 weeks, or 2 per week for 26 weeks or whatever combination.
Basically, yes, although according to the contract I bought 48 sessions but according to the training manager, I got 12 free so I have 60.
My monthly payment will change depending on how many sessions I want to use in a month. However many sessions I pay for in a month are moved into my training account and are available for me to use.
We had another session last Thursday. I was feeling dizzy earlier in the day and she asked me a lot of questions about that and kept checking with me throughout the workout to make sure I was okay. And she did say that the first session was more her assessing my fitness level. It went really well.
What about the fact that they are 30min sessions? Wasn't that a point of contention as well, since you thought they were 60 min?
Interesting turn of events....
I found out they were only 30 minutes within the cancellation period; right after I signed the contract, in fact. My contention with all of the other stuff was that I didn't find it out until my first training session, which wasn't until 3 days after the cancellation period ended.
I'm glad you stuck to it and gained some improvement in the situation. I'm sorry it happened to you, but it's a lesson to the rest of us, as well. Thanks for taking one for the team, although it sounds like it will be okay in the end.
I'm glad you stuck to it and gained some improvement in the situation. I'm sorry it happened to you, but it's a lesson to the rest of us, as well. Thanks for taking one for the team, although it sounds like it will be okay in the end.
Thanks. I think filing a complaint with the BBB makes a big difference with this group. I noticed they had an A rating, despite all of the complaints about them on the internet and most of the BB complaints were resolved to the consumer's satisfaction, so I think a lot of people don't think to take that step.
It looks like things aren't resolved yet. My trainer was a no call, no show tonight. When I didn't see her around, I asked the first person I could find (who happened to be the salesman that sold me this crap) and he said she was out sick today. She never even called me! I was pretty pissed. I told him that this was supposed to be our last session and that she was going to set me up with a new trainer because she was no longer working nights and he knew nothing about it. He said he'd find someone else to train me, went to talk to this trainer named Mike, and came back and said Mike couldn't train me tonight but to come back at 6:00 to schedule something with him. So I mess around for 30 minutes until 6:00 only to get the brush off from Mike because he had someone scheduled at 6:00 and couldn't talk to me (even though he told the salesman to have me come back at that time!) so he gives me his cell phone number, then tells me he'll be out of town until Monday but to call then to schedule something!. Oh, and he also said his schedule was really full so he wasn't sure how many sessions he could fit me in for. It seems like they should let a couple of salesman go and hire some more trainers instead - there were only two trainers there tonight but there were three salesman for training alone.
It looks like things aren't resolved yet. My trainer was a no call, no show tonight. When I didn't see her around, I asked the first person I could find (who happened to be the salesman that sold me this crap) and he said she was out sick today. She never even called me! I was pretty pissed. I told him that this was supposed to be our last session and that she was going to set me up with a new trainer because she was no longer working nights and he knew nothing about it. He said he'd find someone else to train me, went to talk to this trainer named Mike, and came back and said Mike couldn't train me tonight but to come back at 6:00 to schedule something with him. So I mess around for 30 minutes until 6:00 only to get the brush off from Mike because he had someone scheduled at 6:00 and couldn't talk to me (even though he told the salesman to have me come back at that time!) so he gives me his cell phone number, then tells me he'll be out of town until Monday but to call then to schedule something!. Oh, and he also said his schedule was really full so he wasn't sure how many sessions he could fit me in for. It seems like they should let a couple of salesman go and hire some more trainers instead - there were only two trainers there tonight but there were three salesman for training alone.
Reading this just makes me mad. It gives decent trainers a bad name when stuff like this happens... and it happens all the time, at too many gyms. I wouldn't just want some random trainer, anyway - I'd want to be matched up with someone who has the skills to train me in the way I want to be trained, who is a personality / training style match for me...
Sorry for your bad fortune in dealing with this gym. I get pissed when I hear about things like this happening at my gym, and if I were in management would fire their ass for no showing on someone.
Hopefully you move on and find a good trainer.
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Reading this just makes me mad. It gives decent trainers a bad name when stuff like this happens... and it happens all the time, at too many gyms. I wouldn't just want some random trainer, anyway - I'd want to be matched up with someone who has the skills to train me in the way I want to be trained, who is a personality / training style match for me...
x2. But it will continue as long as people consider trainers to be so generic that they purchase plans from them without ever actually talking/emailing with them first OR asking for references OR demanding a trial session OR .... well, doing anything they wouldn't think twice about when looking for a cable plan, computer, or car.
With this kind of approach to finding a trainer someone would be lucky if they actually found someone who was better than mediocre.
Most people aren't informed enough to make an informed decision about trainers. They just see "trainer" and that sets off the authority reflex.
It's no small wonder that you see bad trainers running the show, and always hear "so and so is the best" despite the fact said trainer never seems to get results, is incompetent, etc.
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One of the attorneys I work with is going to try to get me out of the contract. Not only are they not providing the services they said they were going to provide when I signed the contract, they can't schedule me for the number of sessions I wanted per week because they don't seem to have enough trainers. They've already charged me for a second month and I've only had two training sessions. And the trainer deducted me for a session last week even though I was there and she wasn't.
Holy crap! This is like a giant LA FITNESS train wreck. I hope you have cancelled your card on them by now.
They have the same card for my membership and I don't want to cancel that yet because I don't have anywhere else to go that's as convenient. They won't charge me again until 12/6 so that gives my attorney friend a little time to try to get me out of the contract. I'm hoping that he can also get me a refund of all of the training sessions they've charged me for that I haven't received.
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