Complaint Review: Bally's Total Fitness - Phoenix Arizona

I contacted Bally's because my insurance company agreed to purchase a 3 year health club membership for which I was entitled to receive. When I contacted Bally's In January of 2006, I SPECIFICALLY outlined to them my needs and requirements to see if they could provide these for me. I told them I was considering L A Fitness and was basically "shopping around". I told them I needed to have a membership that would provide me the most services they had to offer including use of other Bally's Clubs nationwide as well as including my wife and children since I am extremely disabled and depended on their assistance with my rehabiltation. I told them that the amount of money my insurance company paid had to include these requirements. They told me "DON'T WORRY, WE WILL TAKE CARE OF IT, NO PROBLEM, ITS A PIECE OF CAKE, ETC."

During the time it took for the Bally's manager to submit the paperwork and get final approval I visited the club a total of two times I believe. It took a long time to get the final approval ONLY because this manager never submited the correct paperwork my insurance company required because he never really believed that he could make such a fast membership sale based on an insurance company paying for the entire amount. After I kept calling Bally's over and over concerned about my membership I was "turned over" to a rude woman by the name of Shelly. I was informed my Shelly that she's been dealing with insurance company billing for "years & years" and she didn't think my insurance company would pay for a Bally's membership.

When I told her to just submit it to my claims adjuster, which she hadn't at that point, she finally did. A few weeks later I was contacted by Shelly who told me that the insurance company cut Bally's a check for a 3 year membership. She told me that the insurance company would not pay for their "nationwide usage" to other Bally's clubs as well as this membership would not include my immediate family usage. I IMMEDIATELY TOLD HER THE MEMBERSHIP WAS USELESS TO ME! BEFORE I TOLD SHELLY TO RETURN THAT CHECK TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY, SHE ASKED ME IF I WANTED TO HAVE HER RETURN THAT CHECK AND CANCEL MY MEMBERSHIP TO BALLY'S. I TOLD HER ABSOLUTELY!

During that time frame of January 2006 to June of 2007, I was dealing with critical health issues of mine and never thought about it any longer until June of 2007. I then contacted my insurance company and told them I was going to obtain a health club membership to L A Fitness and needed to be furnished with the proper paperwork they required of the health club to be paid for a membership. It was THEN they informed me that Bally's cashed that check last year and they couldn't pay for 2 memberships.

I immediately called Bally's and spoke with several "manager's" who never returned my phone calls.

I called the "corporate office" and, after maybe 2 hours of my persistently calling them, I finally was told to "explain" my position. After telling them the entire story, and explaining to them that I never even received a "membership package", membership card, or even an invoice which had some numbers on it confirming my membership, I was told that a "LIZ TORREZ" will speak with me. After several calls to her voice mail, with several messages left by me demanding they return my check to the insurance company so that I am able to obtain a health club membership with a reputable company, I never received a call form them.

DON'T BE FOOLED BY BALLY'S TRAINED SALESPEOPLE WHOSE PRIMARY GOAL IS TO EXTRACT MONEY FROM YOU ANYWAY THEY COULD. I HAPPENED TO BE A 100% SERVICE CONNECTED DISABLED VETERAN WHO NEEDS THIS MEMBERSHIP TO RELIEVE MY PAIN WHICH RESULTED FROM A COMBAT RELATED INJURY. BEFORE YOU PAY THEM A VISIT, JUST THINK! IF BALLY'S COULD DEFRAUD A CRIPPLED ARMY VETERAN, DO YOU STAND A CHANCE!!!

Paul

New River, Arizona

U.S.A.

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