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1.8

I know they call everything a scam these days, but having had several really bad experiences with this gym, it fits the bill perfectly. I am writing this review because I am fed up with them and their practices. Back in 2010, I signed up with Goodlife at the Argyle Mall area. They said they only accepted debit cards or checking account payments. Gosh, I wondered why, but decided that if that's what they took, it's what they took. I bought 3 personal training sessions for $146. Then the first payment came out. Then I cancelled because of some circumstances, and trusted completely that my bank info would be destroyed. Less than 2 weeks later, a payment of $23 and change comes out of my checking account. I called the manager and objected that I had cancelled. He gave his prepared answer: "you did not give me enough time/leeway". I said hopefully it would be the last time money gets withdrawn like this. He reassured me of it. Two weeks later, another payment came out. I called the manager again, and objected. He said oh yea sure you can just come in and I'll give you your payment back in cash, which I did. My bank - TD at the time - told me that I really needed to cancel and change my checking account, as Goodlife would inevitably continue to withdraw money. That, I believed by now. I replaced my checking account and was put through a heap of trouble when my checks came to be deposited and bounced right back. I had to change my banking information with everybody.

Then, in December 2014, I wanted to sign up again for personal training sessions, and had forgotten that I was not allowed to use credit cards, only checking accounts. I said, "O, I forgot to tell you that ever since my experience at that other gym, I decided to never give my banking information to anyone ever again". She apologized that it was the only way (why didn't they accept credit cards like all other major organizations did)?

They convinced me at the gym after hearing my story with the other club that someone else had bought all the Goodlife clubs in London recently and that they are all under new management now. I did not pry because I needed those exercise sessions badly. I bought and finished them. Then I moved to a different area and started dealing with another club. Meanwhile, I am monitoring them and the payments they take out. Suddenly, one payment of $23.73 comes out on the 30th of January, 2015. Then another one directly behind it! I nearly fainted, and resolved to go to court this time. But before I really study this organization thoroughly, inside and out, I wanted to post reviews of it so everyone knows exactly what type of organization they are dealing with.

Although Goodlife knows full well that 92% of those who join do not end up attending, they ended up inventing a plan to charge patrons a fee of $99 and tax should they wish to cancel before one year is up. Let me tell you this: cancelling your fitness plan is up to you, and no one has the right, no matter what, to force you to attend for a year. Most people will join when they want, and they should be free to cancel in the case that they find themselves without the motivation and/or the time that is required; in which case the gym does not suffer one increment...

I called the club to ask them why they withdrew two consecutive payments in a row, and she said that she could only see one payment taken out on the 13th, and that it's possible that their system had not yet been updated. She gave me the number for the head office to call in the morning (the only ones who could solve the situation!) God knows what they will say tomorrow, but I will keep you posted.

After hanging up, I checked my bank account again to check if $48 were indeed taken out and found after using the calculator that indeed, exactly two payments had been reduced from my monthly check amount. So I'm waiting for tomorrow to discuss it with the head office.

So why don't they accept credit card payments?? Because it's easier for us to collect back or dispute a wrong payment with our credit card companies than with our banks. Banks are even worse than Goodlife. Both are heinous, sneaky organizations that prey over people's money, destroying people's chances and ruining the world's economy as they hog all the wealth of the world, leaving the economy stressed, distressed, and depressed as they watch on. People can clean houses for money or live and die jobless - they don't care. All they care about is collecting people's money in the sneakiest ways, growing richer than the state while at it.

Reason of review: Problems with payment.

Monetary Loss: $75.

Preferred solution: Deliver product or service ordered.

Goodlife Fitness Cons: Sneaky, Stealthy, Does not care, Bill you twice during one period.

Location: London, Ontario

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Guest

Please send me an e-mail at gl3883@***.com I understand your concern and have a plan in mind. Keep your transactions and bills from them. Thanks, Nancy

Guest

They've been charging me for 9 months and I've asked them to Cancel my membership over 25 times, they didn't even tell me about the $99 cancel fee until I had contacted them 20 or so times already. They finally cancelled my membership and told me that they will not refund anything that was charged incorrectly because it was my responsibility to cancel and they didn't recording any of the contacts I made to the Goodlife branch to cancel my membership therefore they can't believe me.

The last 3 workplaces I've worked out promoted Goodlife fitness when I joined the companies and special rates. It's pathetic that they are getting people workplaces to promote healthy living knowing full well that people have good intentions when starting a new job and many will likely use the membership a couple times and then never again and they will keep charging these people and when they get fed up enough to tell them cancel this *** right now they will say no you can't before the year is up...did you not read the fine print of the contract you signed with us.

you need to pay $99 first. Sadistic business model!

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1742876

Please send me an e-mail at gl3883@***.com I understand your concern and have a plan in mind. Thanks, Nancy

Guest

totally agree

Guest

AMANDA BURTON MANAGER ABUSES DISABLED MEMBER

Guest

I had the same experience in goodlifefitness, they are fraud

Guest

We had a similar experience, also in Ontario, Canada, and I agree with your comments and opinions. My daughter has been a full-time college student and wasn't working.

Goodlife Fitness nevertheless talked her into a membership whereby they were taking $28.25 out of her account twice a month, a serious drain on her finances.

It had gotten to the point where she couldn't afford the monthly membership payments, and a couple of payments had been returned NSF. She spoke to a CSR to cancel the membership on a Friday and asked them to wait until the Tuesday after the long weekend to put through the automatic withdrawals. The CSR promised to do so, and my daughter was able to deposit money over the weekend to cover the payments, and it should have ended there.

But unfortunately, ***the Goodlife CSR broke her promise to wait*** and 3 Goodlife Fitness payments (the 2 missed ones and a Goodlife NSF charge) were all put through on that Friday--and the bank (RBC) charged a $45 NSF fee for EACH of the 3 payments.

This unexpected $135 in bank fees wiped out the money she had put in for the Goodlife payments and more. She did not find out about this until the next day, when Goodlife again tried to put through a payment and again it was returned NSF because the bank fees had put the account in overdraft. Of course, the bank again charged an NSF fee. It became a vicious circle of attempted withdrawals and NSF fees that she could not keep up with.

We put money in her account to cover everything and hope to be finished with the whole sorry mess.

It's been a hard lesson for a young woman just starting out financially to learn. Imagine how it would have continued to mushroom and spiral if her parents hadn't been there to stop the financial hemorrhaging.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-989379

scary!

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