Bally Total Fitness

11/08/2007 Posted by milindkopi

I and my wife had joined Ballys. We were fooled into believing that ours was a month to month contract. The staff seemed very enthusiastic in our health and came up with these different schemes. in the end I paid for mine and my wife's membership for three years although I had canceled it after 1.5 years. After that, my wife went to school and came back. At that point we decided to again enroll into Ballys since that was the only gym in our neighborhood. This time, since we had experienced it once, we specifically asked that the contract say a month to month deal. However today when my wife wants to cancel that membership since we are moving, they are again insisting that we signed up for a 3 year membership. I feel that they manipulate the papers and documents that they we sign and give them. Their service is also horrible and their gyms are small and always packed with too many people with little room to do any exercise.

Cons: Mislead members. Only want to make money without any regard for members.

02/15/2007 Posted by hoeft

Definitely think twice before getting involved in a gym that is more worried about its bottom line than your workout experience. Their membership plans are confusing and deceiving. Read every word of your contract before signing it and don't listen to what their sales reps SAY-- if it isn't written down, it won't matter. At the time of signing up I was told I could cancel any time with a cancellation penalty, only later to learn that that is not the case. So, if you sign up for a 3 year contract (the shortest they offer) be ready to go for three years or pay for 3 years worth of your monthly fee. Plus, I have received almost monthly calls from Bally telemarketers trying to sign me up for new promotional deals or refer people for new memberships. The gym itself is standard-- basic cardio and weightlifting equipment. However parking can be difficult during peak hours (around 5-6PM), and while I love their Kwando (kickboxing) class, there are regularly between 40 and 50 people in it, so you can't actually kick full-out without hitting someone.

Pros: basic gym equipment/facilities

Cons: deceiving contracts, parking, telemarketers, crowded classes

08/14/2006 Posted by tjschmidty

As the previous user stated - they have more pricing schemes than Cingular and they are stuck to maintaining contracts. That being said, I joined Bally's in Milwaukee before relocating to the valley, and I must say that it was nice to have national coverage. The midwest has never heard of 24 or ONE before....Thus it makes Bally's attractive for business travelers who hate hotel equipment. This gym is simple and easy to use if you've had any direction in equipment before...there's a bit of the macho time around 5-7 but that's normal anywhere...I've actually been impressed that it is not as overbearing as some other gyms. Treadmills are usually full at peak times and they have 3 separate kinds scattered all over, so you can't rely on the track feature you used last Tuesday to see if you've improved..etc...and none of them have the built-in fans. The clientèle get a 4 out of 10 for scenery...(wink)...I'm sure you can buy your way into to higher end clubs if that is your goal.

Pros: no pressure workout

Cons: avg. equipment, pricey if you get in on a bad short plan-Great club if you are disciplined to attend for many years

12/21/2002 Posted by ozchick

The only thing at this gym that got smaller was my bank account. I fell for the hard pressure sale routine and ended up paying a fortune! 2 years after joining, there were new members signing up for next to nothing but they wouldn't let me convert. Every time I went there, I could feel my blood boil knowing that I was being ripped off. I paid to get out of my 3 year contract - joined Right Stuff and haven't looked back.

Cons: expense