I'm Parviz Akhmedov and I am a member of a Bally Total fitness.
I made a 3 year contract to bally total fitness. At the contract it said if you want to break the contract you have to have a medical condition or if you move to the place that there is no bally total fitness in 25 miles around.
So I had a back pain and i couldn't lift up weights, after that i got a letter from a doctor stating data month set and my name. I called up to bally total fitness but they didn't recieved my letter. I got the doctors letter back and send it over like 5 times i send it as a fax and a mail. But once I made a mistake and had send them a prescription, they got the prescription but they didn't get any of my fax and a letter from a doctor. Now this company is charging me for a $1154.44 please help me with that.
sincerely: Parviz Akhmedov

Dear Board Members: June 17, 2009

In June 2008 I went to Bally Total Fitness and signed an agreement as members. The representative told me since I have health condition and my weight is high she can provided me with special program to help me to reduce the weight. In first class at fitness I could not do the exercise given by coach. Than I went to office I ask to cancel my agreement since I am not able to do the exercises. She contacts the office to cancel my agreement. Few days later a manager of fitness call and talk to me about the problem and I did also explained about my health condition which I am not able to do the Exercise. He started to do argument with me but, in final he mentioned he will cancel the agreement and will refund to me. This conversation was verbally by phone. Now, I do not know what was the company’s problem that he sent a collection notice against me. I am over $1306.80 charged while I have not use the fitness center even one day. And Since June 31, 2008 I cancelled the membership. There was some collection of $85.00 which company did not pay my money too.
I hope to receive a protection from the your office.

Sincerely,
Akram Banai

I have been a member of Bally Total Fitness and couldn't be more unpleased with this company. They denied my cancelation but never explained the terms in which you could cancel. Apparently they have a 3 year contract you have no way of getting out of. Anyone looking for a health club I strongly advise to stay away from them! The facility is extremely unsanitary. There are potholes throughout the parking lot so large you practically get stuck in them. the parking is terrible. Their bathrooms havent been updated since the 80's and most of the horrible ugly yellow tiles are falling off. The floors are disgusting. Half the machines don't work or are in poor working condition. The ceiling tiles are soaked and have waterstains from roof damage. The ceilings also leak causing even more of a hazard. Oh and almost forgot, the staff is less than pleasant. They act as if they could'nt be bothered and barely greet you when you enter. Please stay away from Bally Total Fitness. They try to explain its easy to save 30 dollars a month, but I could tell you people when you are a full time student it's a little difficult.

DO NOT SIGN UP AT THIS GYM. YOU WILL REGRET IT!!!

Let me tell you about my horrible experience.

I got a coupon to try the place for free and, right when I walked in, they tried to to give me a sales pitch-- from the protein drinks, to the personal trainers, to the membership. I felt as if I was at a car dealership.

After I repeatedly said no to signing up, they brought me into a room and brought over their second line of attack, some chubby Chinese guy named James C. He bragged about how he competed in shows and now he's a personal trainer at Bally's on Aborn. Being as fat as he is, I wonder
how is he going to help me get into shape. I told him I just wanted to use the machine and that I wasn't interesting in joining. Then he started making belittling comments at me because I didn't want to join. He said I wouldn't amount to anything if I didn't sign up. Why come at all if I wasn't going to sign up? He said he wanted to help me, but when I asked him to show me how to use the equipment, he said "I don't work for free." He kept going on and on about me staying at home and using my bench press rather then using their equipment if I wasn't going to sign up. I knew he didn't want me there. Then he calls over another worker and tells her "This guy doesn't want to sign up, but he wants to use our gym." I've never felt so unwelcome anywhere in my life.

Any thought of joining this gym went straight down the drain after hearing the words out of JAMES C mouth.

This doesn't include the ridiculous fees they try to throw on you. Join another gym. It's cheaper and the customer service is a lot better.

Bally should train their workers better, rather than having them harass the customers.

I will not recommend this place to anybody!

If you see JAMES C, just say, "C' ya later, " or ignore the guy and don't ever sign up from him because he'll make you feel 2 feet tall if you don't want to join.

Oh, I forgot, when he realized he wasn't going to make a sales off me, he walked out the room and said, "Have a good life." I don't know whether to be angry or laugh. Of course it's sarcasm for "Thanks, for wasting my time idiot." And if you come here, and unfortunate enough to met him, this is what's in store for you too.

I've only been there 2 times and hope they don't bill me just for trying the free trial.

Don't take the chance and stay away from Bally, because people have been billed for thousands of dollars without even knowing it.

I rather be fat then have to deal with this type of insulting customer service!

I, like everyone else who has ever signed up with Bally, is facing some head on fighting to get out of my contract. They just say "read the terms of your agreement" which they never gave me a copy of. Bally is completely a scam and we should not take this kind of treatment. I am going to stand up and do whatever is in my power to stop these people from ripping people off. They have filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, so hopefully they will be gone soon anyway, but let's all put a few nails in the coffin, shall we?