24 Hour Fitness

Pros: I love the yoga classes and hours of operation.
Cons: Women's showers are often clogged and have no soap. Janitorial equipment is displayed but unused.

I bought my membership to stay in shape. I am doing that, but I think the managers of this gym need to pay more attention to sanitation of the equipment and the locker rooms. Who wants to see dust and sweat stains on the treadmills, then take a shower in an unclean place?

Also, the parking lot is poorly maintained. The same trash remains on the ground for days on end. I once saw 5 discarded disposable diapers in the same spot for a week. There was a discarded auto battery under a tree for a week or so. (I hauled it away finally.) Now I see broken automobile glass in a couple of the parking spaces, indicating that cars are being broken into. Does anyone read these reviews? Can we get some help here?

Pros: Membership price is negotiable and fees are reasonable.
Cons: They need to spend more focus and cleaning the place.

I've been a member of the 24 Hour Fitness in Castro Valley, CA since 2002. It is convenient and has all of the basic equipment needed for a good workout. Unfortunately, it is not the cleanness gym I have ever been too. The equipment is dirty. The showers often smell. I recently acquired a staph infection and the doctor and I narrowed down the gym as the place I acquired this "gift". Be careful to wipe down the equipment prior to use and wash your hands thoroughly after your workout. I do wish they would spend a little more care in keeping the facility a tad bit cleaner. They have installed several stations throughout the gym with disinfectant spray bottles so that you can clean your equipment prior to or following your workout. I have found these stations to be either out of paper towels or the bottles have been empty. At least they're trying? I would highly suggest using them when you can.

Pros: Excellent equipment, well maintained; maximum hours of operation
Cons: Dirty, smelly, horrendously poor ventilation, equipment is rarely cleaned

Three members of my family have had memberships to 24 Hour Fitness in San Diego for the past 5 months. I cancelled one of the memberships a few months ago, and today I cancelled the remaining two. I was told that I never cancelled the other membership, so now I have to battle with them to collect the fees for the past few months.

Aside from their dishonest billing practices and poor customer service, the club is overcrowded (Horton Plaza San Diego), dirty, and poorly ventilated. With even a moderate number of members working out, the facilities smell like my old high school locker room. The music blares at a ridiculously loud level, so you must have a music player with noise canceling headphones or you are subject to the manager's musical tastes.

I opted to pay a little more and join a smaller club where the ownership respects the members and the members take pride in maintaining a great atmosphere.

Pros:

Great local club, too bad I have to deal with greedy corporate crap!

Cons:

Lack of internal communication causes me to cancel my membership

I joined in Austin. When the local club made a mistake in billing, I was harassed daily by 'corporate' customer 'service'. They spent their time harassing me, wanting me to pay for something that I did not receive, instead of calling the local club who did not enter my information correctly. Way too much corporate harassment. I would receive two calls daily, and when I tried to explain that I had paperwork to prove I owed nothing to 24 hour fitness, they would hang up on me. I finally cancelled my membership, but then the corporate 'customer service' began to harass me again. Think twice before dealing with these folks, they just want money, even though you do not owe them any!

Eventually they removed me from their "phone call list" but after about a week, they began calling me again. They told me that the local club did not enter my information correctly, and that I needed to resolve their internal problem. If you like harassment, this is the club to join. If you want to deal with rational people, then choose another club.

Pros: good looking members (everyone looks like they're in a bad mood though). fairly new equipment.
Cons: pushy sales people. too crowded. just a bad vibe...terrible feng shui.

pushy sales people. extremely crowded. no one actually looks like they enjoy being there (employees as well as the customers). overall, there's just a bad vibe...at least at the one I went to (Austin, TX - 10616 Research Blvd). Luckily, I managed to stave off the pushy sales manager guy and worked out there for free with their 10-day free trial. After 2 workouts, I knew there was no way I was going to join.
I actually felt worse after working out there.

Pros: Nice equipment. Great hours of operation.
Cons: Poor customer service. Salesmen comission-driven. Once they have you on contract, they don't care. Overcrowded.

Customer service at 24-hour Fitness does not exist after they've got you in their grasp. They don't return phone calls. They don't call you when they say they will. They don't care about your complaints. They'll tell you that they will "check into it" and won't do a thing.

Advice: if you sign up for a three year deal - be sure to keep all of your paperwork on file. Your deal WILL have changed three years down the road. You will have to prove your original contract. We've gone through corporate, local, and everything else we can think of. They refuse to hold up their original deal and will only offer us what they see in their computer today (very different deal from three years ago).

Don't sign up with 24 Hour! Stick to your local Rec. Center!

Pros: Equipment is up to date
Cons: They steal your money and the club is over crowded

It has been my experience that the main goal of 24 hr fitness managers have only one focus and that is to GET YOUR MONEY. Buyers BEWARE!! First of all, the manager of the Broomfield CO location did not tell me about the "special provisions" of cancelling a prepaid membership and receiving a refund. Basically, you can't and they won't give you a refund. Not even a pro-rated refund! You have to go to Iraq, become a missionary, become gravely ill and so on in order to receive a refund on a prepaid membership!
I am pursuing a lawsuit and am reporting this to the Better Business Bureau. WARNING: stay away from these scammers!

Pros: Not a one
Cons: You name it, dirty, filthy, machines or pool equipment doesn't work. Stay away !!!!!

I have never been lied to as much as I have been at 24 hour Fitness AGASSI club in Henderson, NV. Andre should be Very Concerned that these kind of people are using his name.There is always something major broken and when I ask when it will be fixed I ALWAYS get “they have to buy a whole new thinga-ma-jig” literally, a thinga-ma-jig!. The Spa has been out of order for 3 weeks now and I’m sure it’s to save on the electrical bill. These people turn off the drinking water coolers and then say it’s better for you not to drink cool water. Very arrogant attitudes when asking about repairs. Recently I asked an employee about when the Spa would be repaired and he said he would find out and be right back. Never saw him again until I was leaving and asked him about it. He just said it was being repaired, (no kidding!) I really hope there is a real gym that will be opening up soon in my area. I'd flush my $800 membership in a NY minute. Don't buy, stay away.

Pros: Lots of clubs, flexible hours.
Cons: Once they get your money customer service becomes non existent.

I was a member of 24 hour fitness (Long Beach Ca.) for ten years. I went to work out recently and was told my membership was terminated due to non-payment. When I called the corporate office I was told that they had stopped sending bills in 2006 and that it was up to the customer to know when his/her membership is due. I was told that it would be impossible to restore my membership but they would gladly reinstate my membership for 700 dollars and 200 dollar annual renewal. I regrettably have referred dozens of friends to 24 hr fitness most of whom have been put off and disappointed by the high pressure sales tactics, oversold memberships, crowded gyms etc..
I really got the distinct impression that there was a concerted corporate effort to implement business practices that drive off older members with lower renewal rates in order to get fresh unsuspecting (higher paying customers). Think Twice before purchasing 24 hr Fitness membership.

Pros: Close to home, fairly cheap plans.
Cons: Dirty!  Always having to drain pool.

I work out at 24 Fitness In Pasadena on Oakland Ave.  Dirty pool, dirty jacuzzi, dirty weight areas, gang-like rap turned up high on the stereo system.  Sex in the showers.  It's like working out at a gym in a prison!  Yuck!  
They constantly drain the pool. 
UPDATE:  I finally cancelled my membership & went somewhere else & couldn't be happier.  I do NOT miss this gym at all. 

Pros: Makes joining another club and easier decision
Cons: Lack of A/C makes you breathe more second hand air.

They have cut back on Air Conditioning in all of their So. Cal clubs. They did this sometime around 4th of July.

Club temperatures range from 76 to 80 hot and stuffy degrees, depending on outside weather and time of day. Sometimes the smell is overpowering due to the lack of A/C and no windows and doors being open. At 10pm the A/C is raised to a stifling 82 degrees giving us no outside air at all.

Club is more overcrowded than ever because everybody slows down their workout. By 10:30 at night due to the high indoor humidity, you can sweat just standing still.

Have complained to management, they told me that it is a corporate plan to save money on A/C and they don't care about members complaints. Even the higher priced sports clubs have cut back on air conditioning.

Sorry to say that after 12 years as a member, I am going to have to join another club.

Pros: Closeby, seemed empty
Cons: smells bad, salesmen, insecure with personal data

I'm a member at the Y and it's coming up on my year end, so I thought I'd compare it to the 24 hour near my house. Co-ed sauna! Barely any classes, and none on the weekend and Friday (after a 9am class). No dance classes, one kick boxing, one boot camp, and a ton of yoga. Yoga in this neighborhood is a dime a dozen, and I doubt 24 hour gets good teachers.

They took my personal information 3 times, and balked at giving it back. They did not honor my trial coupon, which was the only chance I was willing to give the club. Equipment: 15 year old Cybex's, no Fitlynxx, and they *just* got sound hookups to (some) of the machines. Attracts a greased up muscle scene that seemed pathetic. So go here if you can bear the sales cycle, lie about your phone number and address, and get the rock bottom deal. Good for those in negotiation training! Also, it smelled odd.

They took a photo copy of my driver's license (that I got back). Now, why would they need that?

Pros: The club itself is actually very good.
Cons: Hard sell pressure tactics. Every day is the "last day" of a big sale.

I have been a member for 10 years, and was pressured back then to buy a bigger, more expensive package. It was "let's see your credit card and we'll work you a great deal..." So when my wife wanted to join, we did, and I once again had to haggle. This time however, we were given a trial package with "any four days a week." This actually turned out to be only four CERTAIN days each week. We are now out $129.30.

There has got to be a better way...

Pros: Nothing
Cons: Ripoff

I moved from Florida to Washington State I belonged to 24 hr fitness for awhile in Fla but then they raised there prices and I joined LA Fitness. When I moved I got a corporate discount from my company for 24hr fitness so I joined. I just moved to a different city about a month ago and they just build a new 24 hr fitness down the street from me which I thought was great. I went in and was told I could not come in and I would have to speak to someone. I was told that this gym was "Special" and if I wanted to go there I had to pay an extra $15.00 a month on to my member ship.WHAT!!!! Just because they have new equipment and a basketball court! LA fitness has that plus a raquet ball court and it is not extra. I am canceling my membership and joining LA Fitness this is unreal!What a ripoff!!! I also found out that they are going to start to do this in a lot more clubs so beware if you think you are paying to go to any club you are mistaken.

Pros: Everyone's left. No wait for equipment that works. Front desk folks are great and friendly.
Cons: Dirty, filthy, equipment always broken, pushy sales people.

24 Hour Fitness started in Boise with 3 clubs. One new and two buy-outs. The new one was a work to behold. Huge new facility, but only 2 shower heads in the mens locker room...what a concept...what a view at the noon rush hour. Anyway it folded and sold to Gold's.
The other two clubs have gone consistently downhill. Almost all of the regulars have left- which is nice for me. The places are like a ghost towns, and no wait for equipment.
The maintenance is horrible; furry mold and peeling ceilings in the showers, urine colored and soup smelling spas (when they work), broken equipment that takes up to two months to fix, etc...
My wife changed my membership last year, so I'm prepaid for two years, so I'm stuck. But the clubs have become so dirty, I think I'll move on.
By the way, don't bother sending your concerns about your filthy club and broken equipment through 24 Hour's web site. Nothing changes with these guys.