Gold's Gym (Bountiful, Utah) Golds Gym Utah Gold's Gym FIRED two employees for lying to me, but still won't cancel my personal training contract! WORST Customer Service in America Award! Internet

I just went through a similar thing with the same sales guy, he wasn't fired.

I renewed my gym membership at Gold's gym a few weeks ago. I was not looking to sign up for Personal Training, but when I went into the gym to renew, the person signing up my renewal left me in the cubicle and I was approached by a Personal Trainer. It was obvious this was sales tactic that they used, but I listened to the trainer's sales pitch about training and decided that signing up wouldn't be a bad idea, after-all he made it sound appealing.

He told me he would be my trainer and how he looked forward to working with me to help me reach my goals. He told me they would be one hour sessions and I could choose how many times a week I wanted to go. I asked him to show me the pricing for training session 1x a week and 2x a week. He said if I did 2x a week he could do them for a better price.
Ultimately he quoted me $30 dollars a session and than said he was able to get it down to $25 dollars a session, but I had to sign a 6 month contact. 

I agreed to 6 months, 2x a week, $25 a session (so $200 a month). Once again, he told me they would be one hour
sessions. 

When it came to paying, he said I had to pay 2 months up front, first & last month. I wasn't expecting that, but paid it
anyways. He hyped up the bonus of doing this b/c than I would only have 4 months balance remaining and this would 'unlock' 8 additional training sessions as a bonus. 

He told me to call the following day to schedule an appointment b/c he couldn't find the appointment book that evening. I called the following day and talked to someone at the front desk. I said I needed to schedule a session with Jesus Magnana (the name on the contract). She said she wasn't familiar with that name and put me on hold, when she came back on the
line she told me would get me scheduled for the following evening, Thursday. 

I showed up the following evening for my first scheduled appointment. Jesus (Carlos) was there but said he wasn't aware I had an appointment with him and said he had to get on a conference call. He told me to go work out on an elliptical for 40 minutes and we would reschedule my session. We rescheduled my session for the following Tuesday.  I went and
worked out on my own. The whole duration of my workout I noticed him lingering around the front of the gym, never getting on that conference call he claimed to have. 

Tuesday I go into the gym for my scheduled appointment and ask for Jesus. No one knew who I was talking about. Than I am
told he goes by Carlos and he is no longer at that gym, he transferred. Did he know know this the two previous interactions I had with him when he stated he would be my trainer throughout the course of the contract? Obviously he did. 

Luckily there was a manager who offered to give me a session and was really nice. He never gave me any straight answers about the run around I had received, but promised to set things straight and get me with a new trainer. He scheduled me another appointment, third on now, with a trainer stating this new trainer would be my set trainer.

So this evening I go in for what is my third scheduled appointment. I go to the front desk and they could not find my name
in the book, I had to point out where the manager wrote my name in since I watched him write it in the time previous. I am then told that there are no trainers scheduled at that particular time and they aren't sure what happened.
There was a trainer with another woman that walked up to the counter. They asked him if he was training and he stated he was done for the day. 

The woman he had been training overheard the fiasco I was dealing with and started telling me how the same thing had just
happened to her and how upset she was. She had gone through the same thing I had! This makes me wonder if this is common business practice?

After looking into the name of the guy that signed me up, Jesus Carlos Magnana, I discover he has previous complaints regarding the same issue of scamming people. It appears this sales guy for Gold's gym is a complete silver-tongued liar. 

I am really upset to have been treated like this, and by all places from a gym where people go to try and feel better about
themselves. This has made me feel everything but better about myself. 

I ended up getting a training session from a nice trainer, but know wonder if this is going to be an issue every time I show
up to the gym.

I also was completely lied to about the sessions, being told I was getting hour long sessions 2x a week for 6 months at
$25 a session. Today I am told the sessions are incremented into 30 minute segments and if I want an hour long session I have to utilize two sessions, which makes it $50 a session. 

I should have done more due diligence before signing anything with this gym. I am highly disappointed in their business
practice and based of other peoples experiences and reviews, I highly doubt this gym will do anything to make it right. 

Very upset and assuming they switch managers and employees from store to store on a consistent basis for a reason. 

Gold's Gym is a nice gym for a membership, but avoid their Used Car Salesman tactics! 

Just canceling your credit card is not going to make the problem go away. Gold's will damage your credit and may eventually drag you to court, adding in all of their bogus fees and lawyer costs. By that time you may be in a better job situation where they could garnish your wages.

Since you are in Utah, I would file a complaint with the Division of Consumer Protection. Here is a link to their site: http://www.consumerprotection.utah.gov/complaints/index.html
You need to file that complaint immediately, don't wait.

It sounds like there are multiple people out there who have been conned by Carlos Magana and his associates at the Bountiful Gold's Gym, and that Gold's is aware of the problem (fired the two employees), but that Gold's isn't doing anything to remedy the people who were scammed by their former employees. If enough people complain to the Division, the Division might open an investigation. The Division may also be able to subpeona the manager (Brian) that you talked to verify your story.

Don't beat yourself up too bad for getting conned by these guys, and don't assume that just because they have your signature on a piece of paper that they own you. If their sales people lied to you, you should fight it. Don't wait for them to come after you, go after them.

Cancel the credit card or close the account that is being charged.  A credit card company or bank can easily close the existing account and issue a new account.

I had a similar problem last year with the personal trainers at the Bountiful Gold's Gym. I have hired a lawyer, and I think I have information that might be helpful you. If you would like to contact me, send e-mail to mark at wmglaw dot com

Best of luck to you, hopefully we can help each other.