Bally Total Fitness

Pros: Had a friend join in Mt. Prospect, IL for under $20/month (limited membership) no problems.
Cons: Overtly aggressive sales tactics, time limits on equipment.

Talk about pushy! I only wanted a limited membership, but they pushed & pushed for more. When I told the first guy, he told me that he would have to get his manager. Then, the two of them tried to string-arm me into purchasing a more expensive membership. I wouldn't budge & finally, the 'manager' signed the form for my 2 week pass & tossed it back at me (visibly angry.) The club is small & your time on a machine is limited. The locker room wasn't very clean & overall, it was such a bad experience that I tore up the 2 week 'pass' & walked out. If you have a Lifetime Fitness near you, take advantage of it - they are the best (plus, they're open 24 hrs.)

Pros: Several locations, variety of equipment
Cons: Lack of standards between gyms, Coral Gables one doesn't look like a clean, healthy place

I was using the Kendall, FL location in Miami but moved to Coral Gables. I changed from a decent gym to the creepy Coral Gables one.
This has to be the most unclean gym in the US. First, is the only shop open in a mall that does not have any other store open, so the way from the parking lot up to the gym is like doing the line on the King Kong attraction at Universal Studios Florida, there is graffiti, the ceiling is broken, rain goes into the place...
Once you get into the gym, you notice they haven't clean the windows probably in years, there is always equipment broke and there is even days when they air conditioning does not work.
Wake up Bally, please do some maintenance at this gym!

Pros: I don’t remember anything good at Bally. Very unprofessional, rude and cheaters
Cons: PLEASE DO NOT SIGN A CONTRACT WITH BALLY.

I would never recommend anyone to join Bally because these are cheaters, unprofessional and very rude people. I joined Bally’s total fitness in Jersey City, NJ. At the time of joining I was told that I can only use Jersey City branch and if I move 15 miles from the club I can cancel the contract. Now I live in Connecticut and since last 4 months I have been trying to cancel the membership and they would not do that. All they are saying that some representative will contact me and send the forms at my new address but I haven’t received any call nor documents. I learned my lesson.

PLEASE DO NOT SIGN A CONTRACT WITH BALLY. IF YOU DO SO; YOU ARE STUCK WITH THEM FOR 3 YEARS AND THEY WILL CHARGE YOUR BANK ACCOUNT REGARDLESS OF ANY REASON.

Pros: gym facilities
Cons: binding contract, overpriced, scams

I had a big problem with Ballys when I moved more that 50 miles away. They continued to bill me the montly payment, even when I provided them with evidence of my new address. They said they could not accept my new address because it was at an apartment. Yes, I moved to a new apartment 50 miles away. They kept billing me until my bill was 1,500 dollars and then, that is when they decided to call me December 23rd. Yes, righ at Christmas. I could not believe this. I never received one notice until that phone call. Make sure you read the contract you sign VERY VERY VERY carefully. Have a lawyer by your side...and I am not even kidding. Document everything that Ballys gives you. I eventually got out of the 1,500 dollars only because I had a lawyer. I never went to court, but threatening Bally's was all the Coporate Manager needed-he dropped the amount and apologized that I did not receive more notices. He also wished me a Merry Christmas.

Pros: The instructors that have been in our gym since the Crunch days are excellent.
Cons: Filthy, disgusting place. Equipment needs replacing. Good instructors will probably leave next.

Bally's bought out our Crunch gyms in the Atlanta area over a year ago. Our particular gym in the Atlanta suburb of Roswell is a dump. The carpeting is beyond disgusting and mold is everywhere. YOu would dare not use the showers. The staff seems to change each month. Members have been told over a year now that things will get better. No evidence of that! Current long time members are apparently not welcome to renew their memberships. I recently tried to renew my yearly (I've been a member for 8 years) membership and was quoted an outrageous monthly rate. I would not sign up for more than a year based on the current condition of the place. Other gyms in our area that are brand new and offer better amenities charge much less (I know because I recently joined another gym). I don't understand how Ballys' intends on staying in business.

Pros: Ah..........nothing!
Cons: Dirty, nasty, and falling apart, trashy staff...........

I just moved to the Valley from the West-Side. I have been a member of Bally's for a couple of years and was using the Culver City Gym. I loved the staff and gym in Culver City however, I am begining to think that this was the only decent Bally's. I have been to the Bally Total Fitness (2 of them, I think Northridge?) and have just visited the North Hollywood location. These gyms are nasty, dirty, nasty!!!!!!!!! I advise anyone who is thinking of joining Bally Total Fitness to check out their other gyms that you may use. Do not get stuck in a contract like I did! Just because your home gym looks good does not mean the others are nice. AUCHTUNG!

Pros: None. Anything that was good about the place had an equally bad consequence.
Cons: Don't know where to begin

AWFUL membership terms, AWFUL service, SUB-PAR, OVERCROWDED facilities and equipment in all 3 locations I lived in. It's the worst membership I ever had to any company. If I could go back in time, I would have stopped myself before I even walked in the door.

Worst of all, when I moved more than 50-miles from any of their facilities, they wouldn't cancel my membership without a $50, even though there was less than $50 left on the agreement I hadn't used for a year! Then, when the agreement was supposed to be done, they kept charging me. Couldn't believe their nerve.

Pros: atmosphere, equiment average, motivation
Cons: they try to get you for as much as possible

i've been going to gyms for three years. Choose ballys for it numerous locations. It's good, not great. some other guyms are nicer because they are newer and trying to attract new members. But ballys is like a well broken in glove or pair of shoes. It has everything you need to get the job done. Price i paid $30 month and intiation fee is a joke, i never paid it. Diff clubs have different prices, so call around for best prices. One club told me nine hundred paid up front and tried to sell me on just one club membership at that price. I currently pay $20 a month or upfront costs of close to $700 for two years. Todays's date is 3/23/06. Best places are malls, ask if they will be in a mall anytime soon or have a location in the mall. You can use membership all around town no matter where you got your membership. Also i get seven days a week membership. Doing my best to support free market competition. :)

Pros: CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP--my 3 year membership is $26/monthly
Cons: Too many members accepted for the size of the club, machines are 3 inches apart!!!!

I've been a member 2 1/2 years (my very first membership to anywhere) and, compared to the other Ballys I've seen, ours is LESS THAN DESIRABLE. Most other Ballys clubs I've seen are a good size with working equipment and a nice atmosphere, not SWELTERING with stale, smelly air, and an unsanitary locker room, pool, and hot tub. Concerns have been met, in the past, with 'blow-offs' by the staff. By the way, they AREN'T 'professional trainers'--they are 'professional stander-arounders'. Be sure to visit the club you are planning to join during January and February from 5-7 pm on weekdays. See how many people are standing in line waiting! When the police were called yesterday for an assault in the crowded workout area, I felt that I should start looking for another club!

Pros: None
Cons: Deceptive practices Mediocre customer service

Bally seems to forget that even GYM clubs must attain by their service as well as the benefits/equipment they offer.
Long story short: Canceled membership and still had to pay two more months (months they took to cancel it).
When you tell them that they cannot charge you whatever they want, they auto reply.. "It's in your contract"
If they just minded to HELP their customers, instead of making it so difficult to cancel the membership... But money hungry they are, that's why customer service personnel main goal is to keep you paying the fee WHATEVER IT TAKES.

Bally Total Fitness should go DOWN. Completely displeased in NY

Pros: Decent price-$34/month for three years (if you go to the good gyms)
Cons: Some gyms are of poor quality. Membership terms are unclear and deceptive.

Some of the clubs are very old, equipments are old, have very bad air circulation, too crowded...etc. There's not enough classes on Saturdays. Customer service is horrible in that I called and waited for more than 10 minutes, still nobody answer. I called two more times at different hours and the wait just kept on getting longer. I called again the next day and waited probably 6 or 7 minutes before somebody answer.

I had a 3-year membership w/ Bally Fitness in which the monthly fee is automatically deducted from my credit card. That was okay if only when the membership would really end when it was supposed to end. They continue to deduct monthly fee from my credit card account at a higher rate after the membership ends. Nowhere on the contract does it say the membership will continue automatically.

That said, there are some good things about Bally Fitness. I have been to 5 different Bally gyms in the San Francisco Bay Area. Three of which are pretty new, clean, and well equipped, but 2 of which I would not go back to. The open hours are reasonable but I would prefer longer.

Pros: If you like infections, this is your place...
Cons: everything

I joined Bally's way back when in the interest of my travel requirements and national coverage therein. Over time I've seen many Bally's Clubs. I also have memberships to three other fitness chains. Bally's is hands down the worst and pretty much one big staph infection waiting to happen (I know a few folks that got one while working out there). There equipment and locker rooms are dated and downright nasty, and the staff is typically rude and lazy.

Pros: IT WAS FREE. It was close to home and my sister is a member, unfortunately.
Cons: The staff. The inadequate showers. The rusty, ,moldly greenish patina on sink handles. The Staff!!!

The Bally's in Oxford Valley has rude employees. The man who signed me in for the Discovery Health was rude, especially when I told him that I just wanted to use the 8 week pass. Another employee said "You are leaving already! You should at least exercise for an hour!!" It was hurtful and degrading since my doctor only cleared me for 1/2 hour of aerobic exercise. Besides the rude staff, the showers were unkept and the track was lopsided.

Pros: Our trainer was nice.
Cons: Takes them forever to correct issues inside the gym as well.

My boyfriend and I joined this gym and shortly after decided to do one of their membership upgrades. It turns out instead of doing this properly they just opened up a second membership for us! My account has been charged double for months! Each time we go in to try and have it taken care of the General Manager insists that it will be and it never is. In fact our club in West Palm Beach has been through 3 General Managers since we joined about 8 months ago. We've now gotten a partial refund, but still not the correct amount...save yourself the hassle! All the hassle we've had makes me not want to work out there!

Pros: None
Cons: Poor customer service, hours of operation, high rates and prices and lengthy binding contracts.

Bally's is completely non-customer oriented. When I changed my account information for the direct debit I paid for one month with a check, and when I gave them the new information before the check went through they took out money from my new account and they cashed the check, charging me twice for one month. It took them three months to give me a refund for one of the charges. Secondly, I was hoping they would've given me a better deal on monthly payments had I volunteered to sign on for a little longer, but they wouldn't budge. They refused to lower payments for an extended contract, which I thought would be a reasonable deal. They offered me no other options and simply kept asking, "Is there anything else I can help you with?" They offer the same type of equipment and classes that other gyms do, but for twice the price and for zero customer satisfaction. Most customer based businesses are supposed to want to satisfy the customer. Not Bally's. Basically, once my contract is up, I will not renew it, and I would never recommend this gym to anyone else.