Got My Bally's membership for $613...good or bad deal?

[zmatrix]

Ok, I just signed up 3 years up front for a Platinum membership for a Bally's health spa in Southern Ca. I signed up along with my wife, but she was a renewal(after 5 years of inactive status) and I became, I guess, a family add-on even though her membership was not technically allowed to add me on.

The Platinum does not include a one time transfer of membership and I am limited to Bally's in So Cal whereas the Premier allows the transfer and one has full access to clubs nationwide. Otherwise they are mostly the same. I will be renewing at $18 a month even though my wife's renewal is only $8 a month even though she was a Platinum membership holder.

The sales/rep guy told me that they mostly sold Premier and Premier Plus memberships and that Platinum were the older packages which he said he was fortunate to access for me. Dunno if he was lying or not.

Now I do not know too much about club membership but I was told that some people were able to get 3 year memberships for much less than what I paid. Was this a good deal or did I settle to fast because initially, he tried to sell me the $899 premier package. Anyone have the same experiences?

 

[Angrymarshmello]

I'm not sure you could have gotten that cheaper but for $18 a month unlimited, that's a pretty decent deal (if you're willing to stay motivated and go)

 

[RaoulDuke]

I'd say you got owned. Sorry. I started paying 35/mo at the balleys here, and after a year i'm down to 24, and after another year i'll be down to even less. The only thing is I haven't been restricted to buying so much time in advance. If i want to switch to another gym i can. Also if i move i can goto another balleys. i don't know how the Platinum works out though. Happy workouts though.

 

[zmatrix]

lol...staying motivated is the key thing to make this worthwhile I guess.

 

[isekii]

the platinum membership is valid at any bally's..... and it includes all their services etc..

 

[Bleeding Jawa]

<< The sales/rep guy told me that they mostly sold Premier and Premier Plus memberships and that Platinum were the older packages which he said he was fortunate to access for me. Dunno if he was lying or not. >>



I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but he DID lie to you. Once upon a time, in my less honest days, I was a manager at a Bally's club here in Michigan. As a manager, I have ONE job - SELL NEW MEMBERSHIPS...NOT: take care of current customers, NOT: keep the club clean, NOT:help you with your workouts...SELL MEMBERSHIPS!!! If I wasn't selling well on any given day, I would be harrassed by other managers, or scolded by the Regional Manager...if I wasn't selling well during any given month, I would be demoted or moved to a different club. ALL THAT MATTERS AT BALLY'S IS MONEY!!! Every single person there is paid on Commission...except for the front desk person &amp; the locker-room attendants. When I used to work at Bally's, I made as much as $700 in one day and as much as $7500 in a month during the better times of the year...this is before I had even graduated from college. The sales people are taught to do just about anything to sell you a membership...RIGHT THEN!!! If you walk out the door to think about it, you are 90% less likely to buy. They have 4 basic memberships(at least used to): Fitness, Platinum, Premeir, Premeir Plus. Obviously, they would like to sell you the more expensive ones, but if you don't bite, they will &quot;drop their pants&quot; and sell you a cheaper version (like the Platinum). Usually they will have a preprinted &quot;Pitch Sheet&quot; that will have the current financing specials (if any) for that month. They will show you: &quot;Option 1&quot; &quot;Option 2&quot; &amp; &quot;Option 3.&quot; If you don't bite on one of those, they may try something else. Or they may &quot;Ask their manager&quot; if they have anything else available--I guarantee that every sales person in there knows EXACTLY what everything costs, how they are financed that month, and HOW MUCH COMMISSION THEY WILL MAKE WHEN THEY SELL YOU A MEMBERSHIP YOU DONT NEED!!! They will generally tell you ANYTHING to sell a membership. Basically, think of your sales rep as a &quot;Used Car Saleman dressed in a Jogging Suit.&quot;

The one thing you DID do right was pay for the whole thing at once (instead of monthly payments)--you save a ton on interest charges &amp; monthly dues, plus it will likely be cheaper if you renew after 3 years--oh yeah &amp; the salesman made more commission (probably about $80) since you paid-in-full (Called a &quot;PIFFER&quot; as he would have called it, slapping hands with his co-workers once you left).

....ANYWAY...If I were you, I would cancel (I believe you have a 3-day window). A 3-year contract is insane...especially if you find out you don't like the club. If you want to try it out, ask for a 2-week pass...they will likely give you one for free if you give them a hard time. If you were here in Michigan, you wouldn't have too many choices for health clubs, but in California, people actually care about how they look, so there are health clubs all over the place...Bally's being one of the more expensive. Find someplace close to your workplace or home that charges on a month-by-month basis...if you like it, you can change over to a yearly membership &amp; save a little.

I think that probably answers your question..and then some.

 

[zmatrix]

Thanks for the info bleedingjawa. Is there a plan that's less than what I paid? I still have up to tomorrow to cancel. I guess I will think about it.

 

[ratkil]

They are definately hard sell there. I ended up getting talked into a three year plan that was fairly reasonable. I then proceeded to find a gym that would go year to year much closer to my house. I was on the third day to cancel and it was about 5:15pm. I ran over to the Bally's to cancel and the manager had me sit down, he then proceeded to say he had to check something, he was gone about 20 minutes (I could see him out talking to the receptionist), then he comes back in and tells me I can cancel but I would have to mail the form in to the corporate office to do it and it is probably too late to mail it (thus the standing and talking for 20 minutes until well after 5:30) So I ran over to Mailboxes ETC across the street and had them send a certified letter which allowed me to postmark it still on that day. =D

 

[WordSmith2000]

With Bally, they give you this neat little membership card. Problem is, after a couple of months, the card is only good for helping you get into locked doors; 'cause you aren't going to the gym any more.

Get your money back and buy a home gym. The biggest advantage to owning a home gym is that you can hang your shirts on it after you get bored with trying to be fit in a couple of months. You cannot hang your shirts on a Bally's membership card after you get bored with it.

In other words, all you will be left with in a couple of months is a coat rack...but it is better than a little piece of plastic. I have other pieces of plastic, so I bought the home gym. It looks so cute with my laundry hanging on it.

 

[Bleeding Jawa]

Here's how they break down:

Fitness - Allows full access to one single club. (If you move away, you can transfer it to a different club in the new area).

Platinum - Allows full access to all the clubs in your area. (If you move, you can transfer to different area)

Premeir - Allows full access to all clubs in USA.

Premeir Plus - Same as Premeir, but allows you to transfer (or sell) the membership to another person--one time only.

I believe the fitness membership is around $419 or so if it is paid in full (or $20 a month x 36 months = $720).

I think joining a club is great, but a 3-year contract is too big of a committment...not to exercise, but to a single club. When I was a manager, all I did was listen to people bitch about everything, but really I couldnt help them much because I didnt get paid to help them...in fact I didnt get paid AT ALL to help them...just to SELL SELL SELL. That isnt to say the Bally's in your area isnt nice (I dont know), but you may not realize you don't like it until you are a few weeks into your 3-year membership.

ALSO...VERY IMPORTANT...I believe that you DO have to send in your cancellation to the corporate office. They make it REALLY REALLY inconvenient to cancel (&amp; rarely tell you that it is an option, because they dont get paid if you cancel). I would suggest that you do get the package certified in some way if you do decide to cancel &amp; do it ASAP so it isnt late.

 

[zmatrix]

Damn, didn't really consider all those points. I am gonna check out the Ballys after work today to see how crowded it is. If it looks like a zoo, then I think I will cancel my membership tomorrow.

Boy the sales guy is gonna regret ever selling to me if I cancel cuz I took up 2 1/2 hours of his time.

 

[Bleeding Jawa]

With ANY health club you join, ALWAYS visit at the time when you will normally workout. If you stop in and buy a membership on a sunday morning, but plan to workout at 5-6 PM on a weekday, you will be very disappointed. Although some people do come to the club to socialize, most initially join in order to work out, and you will find that most clubs will be busiest right after work (4-7 PM)...you may not even be able to get on the machines you want. Many women, especially, are very discouraged by a club that is over-flowing with people.

 

[Bleeding Jawa]

Just consider yourself lucky...if I would have gotten ahold of you, I would have sold you a &quot;Premier Plus&quot; for yourself, your wife, and your dog and would have made a nice $300 commission for 20 minutes worth of work.

Good Luck with the membership...and with your exercise program!!!

 

[TuffGuy]

$30 for one year at ucla.

 

[Ferocious]

heh, I am one of the first 100 people who joined up at a Bally's that opened up in my area about 12 years ago or so. It was called Scandinavian back then.

Special deal...full access to everything all the time for $99 a year guaranteed to never go up.

I haven't hardly worked out for 3 years but I still pay it because I don't to want to lose that price point....and I really hope some day to get back into it.:frown:

 

[Muadib]

I haven't hardly worked out for 3 years but I still pay it because I don't to want to lose that price point....and I really hope some day to get back into it.

Heh, my deal is not unlike yours, I pay $120 a year. I haven't been in over 3 years Are we suckers or what?

 

[Bleeding Jawa]

Does anyone else remember the episode of &quot;Friends&quot; where Ross tries to get to get Chandler to cancel his membership that he never uses? Funny stuff, but SOOOOO true!!!

 

[FettsBabe]

I was a member at Gold's and I cancelled after 9 months, but I had to fuss, B*tch and Whine for months for it to finally happen. Several letters to the corporate office and owner, but I finally got it done. Cancel it now, and find somewhere that will allow you to go month to month.

 

[Spoooon]

I've a membership at Gold's Gym. Paid something like $400 for 4 or 5 years, I can't remember. But, I've been working out almost every day since I joined about 2 1/2 years ago.

 

[Enkrates]

I have a home gym and do my cardio by running every other morning.

 

[zmatrix]

I did visit the gym after work because that's when I had planned to go and man was it crowded. There were people waiting inline for machines and then there were those who were waiting to wait in the line.

Now I am seriously considering canceling the membership. The only reason I agreed with my wife to join was that the Bally's was on the way home and is only half a mile from my work. Our plan was to work out for an hour and then go home. But if we can't get on any machines, there is no point.

lol...it was a zoo in there today.

 

[RossMAN]

Aside from the membership fees how does Bally's compare to 24 Hour Fitness? In terms of equipment, staff, swimming pool (if they have one), personal trainers, etc.

 

[erub]

i joined the YMCA as a student membership. $12 a month gives me access to all of their top notch equipment and free &quot;orientation&quot;/training sessions whenever I want. It is really crowded late in teh afternoon though. But I like it, even if it is kinda full of snobs (part of the area of Dallas that it is in - Highland Park - not the Y's fault)

 

[Demosthenes]

ahhahahaha.. Highland Park. Sorry I live in Lake Highlands, just thought it was funny to see that mentioned on the board