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Copihue
Citizen
Username: Cop
Post Number: 161
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Friday, December 5, 2003 - 12:36 pm: | 
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Last year I signed up for a series of personal training sessions at Bally's in Short Hills. I had gotten hurt with weights a couple of times, so I decided I needed personalized instruction setting and using weights. When the sessions ended, I continued using the program which had been designed for me by my trainer. Half way through the year my program as well as all the rest which were kept in a cabinet in the gym, as instructed by the trainers, disappeared without notification. I left several messages for my trainer to ask about it, and he never responded. Half a year later I ran into him again, and he told me he never received any messages and that the cards were destroyed by the previous supervisor of personal trainers. Why? no explanation was given. I explained that I paid for the plan so that it was my property. He responded that the person who was responsible moved to Florida and that my program was old anyway. I mentioned that I did not intend to chase the individual to Florida, that I signed the contract with Bally's. I called the corporate office in Chicago, and I was told to speak to my trainer once again. Today I saw Al Ferrara, the trainer and new supervising personal trainer for the gym, and he changed his story: this time he tells me that the gym is not responsible for personal property. I thought this man was my friend; I was astounded that he never took responsibility for telling me to put the card there or it would be discarded.
It's getting to be a pattern for this company to fail to take responsibility for its actions and commitments. Not long ago they closed the gym in Livingston and they forced all of us without the time to go to Wayne or to wait for a parking spot in Springfield to sign a new contract in Short Hills with a new fee, much less favorable terms and less services. Given the success of this past action, I am inclined to conclude that the physical trainers got rid of the cards to force us to sign up for another 10 sessions at $65/session.
I am wondering if there is another MOLer who's card was also destroyed, who could tell us about his/her experience with this same issue. I am also wondering if individuals have any ideas they would like to share regarding this matter.
It would have taken the personal trainer 30 minutes to work with me in creating a new program, but he immediately went on the offensive and never considered working with me.
Pack your own chute.
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kevin
Citizen
Username: Kevin
Post Number: 127
Registered: 2-2002
| | Posted on Friday, December 5, 2003 - 1:39 pm: |
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Maybe it's time to consider a new gym? If you search the threads, Motion Fitness in Millburn seems to be recommended most and supposedly has their act together.
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cjc
Citizen
Username: Cjc
Post Number: 532
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Friday, December 5, 2003 - 2:35 pm: |
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I gotta say, Cop. Every story I've heard of or read on Ballys includes severe customer displeasure. They were fined and ordered to give paybacks to customers in 1994. Sounds like things haven't been entirely fixed. |
loliva
Citizen
Username: Loliva
Post Number: 7
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, December 6, 2003 - 11:31 am: |
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I never heard one good thing about Bally's. You may want to consider Cando Fitness in Short Hills. This an excellent facility and is located on Morris Turnpike in Short Hills. |
Copihue
Citizen
Username: Cop
Post Number: 171
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, December 6, 2003 - 11:49 am: |
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As soon as my membership is up, I am moving out of Bally's.
Pack your own chute.
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anon
Citizen
Username: Anon
Post Number: 848
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, December 6, 2003 - 12:54 pm: |
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Once again evidence that exercise is not a good thing! Red Skelton once said that he got all the excersize he needed by being a pall bearer for his friends who exercized. |
stefano
Citizen
Username: Stefano
Post Number: 390
Registered: 2-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, December 6, 2003 - 8:11 pm: |
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"If you don't drink and you don't smoke, you're going to feel pretty stupid lying in the hospital dying of nothing." --Redd Foxx |
Copihue
Citizen
Username: Cop
Post Number: 179
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 9, 2003 - 3:09 pm: |
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That's funny, Stefano.
I just got a call from Bally in Chicago, and they are going to give me one free personal training session, so that I can reconstruct the workout routine that was lost when they threw out my card. This is what should have been done to begin with. I am happy.
Pack your own chute.
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pontoise
Citizen
Username: Pontoise
Post Number: 89
Registered: 2-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 10, 2003 - 1:48 pm: |
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Hey Copihue, I emailed this thread to Ballys corporate. I have, unfortunately, been a member since 1984 and your post was typical of how poor their customer service is. I was so ticked when last month I went to Short hills not realizing it was a "club". What makes that dump a club? When I last checked, I had the highest membership available and now I would have to upgrade to go there...Ugh! I am selling my membership to the highest bidder! |
Copihue
Citizen
Username: Cop
Post Number: 182
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Friday, December 12, 2003 - 4:58 pm: |
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You bring up a good point, Pontoize, about having to upgrade the Bally's membership in order to utilize the Short Hills Club. The Club has less ammenities than Livingston used to have, but because hardly anyone is willing to pay for the upgrade, it makes the equipment easy to access and the parking plentiful. Since I have a shortage of time, these attributes were decisive in my case.
I've also been a Bally's member since the early 80s, and when I bought the membership it was fairly expensive. Then they dropped the prices and enrolled everyone in the country in their Clubs. That spectacular growth strained the service to a max, and the problems mushroomed. I knew something had to go. I always got my money's worth, so I have no complaints, but it was a shame to see that the management of ten years ago or so destroyed a good brand with short sighted policies.
Pack your own chute.
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