Pushy Gym Sales People

[AngryABCGirl]

So perhaps it's my fault I am being a cheap Asian and using one-week free trials at every gym around my area because I'm moving back to Norcal shortly and don't think any short-term membership would be worth that.

So I go to Gold's Gym because I suppose it's the mecca of bodybuilding. I ask them if I can try it out for one week and they only give a five-day pass. Then they keep trying to push their Labor Day Special + personal training on me for like 40 minutes and trying to "get to know me and my goals." They asked me why Gold's Gym and I talked about how my old gym overcharged me, and the salewoman and the trainer made this sad puppy dog face saying "oh I'm so sorry and said we care about you and your goals and we know whatever gym you go to you will pick ours." Then they proceeded to bash every other gym in the area and tell me why they were bad. Then the saleswoman was like "hey I look good right? But I wouldn't look so good with a trainer." And I was like "good lord how much more fake LA can you get." I wasn't impressed with the woman's body at all and could probably pick her up and throw her across the room.

The hilarious thing was the woman was from ITALY of all places and the trainer had some weird accent. I wanted to scream "I'm just ripping you off and I'm on vacation!"

The whole thing is odd because I've been out of the country so long from this culture, and usually when I'm at home in LA I'm partying at Asians with Asian events or else drinking at K-Bars so it just at a greater distance and I almost wanted to ask, "Does anyone actually fall for your fake sympathy act?" But I wanted five days free at the gym.

Total Karma for free trial whoring.

[urbia]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with being a cheap Asian. That, and I've always thought that paying for exercise is a seriously messed up concept. Machines are so repetitive and boring. Give me a few good soccer buddies anytime.

Damn I can't give you free trial whoring karma at the moment until I spread it around.

[mr. x]

well, what part of socal? I am gonna be living in Westwood soon and a buddy of mine suggested just using his UCLA gym card since he uses their's. I just might do that.

[Tao]

you can try out a gym for free? wow i'm totally gonna do that next time

[cloudzero]

I wasn't impressed with the woman's body at all and could probably pick her up and throw her across the room.

:biggrin: how could u be picturing that in your head and still keep a straight face?
i couldn't when i read that

[Banana]

So perhaps it's my fault I am being a cheap Asian and using one-week free trials at every gym around my area because I'm moving back to Norcal shortly and don't think any short-term membership would be worth that.

I'm not brave enough to do that yet and should have my Asian membership card revoked.

I also suck at math.

[AngryABCGirl]

well, what part of socal? I am gonna be living in Westwood soon and a buddy of mine suggested just using his UCLA gym card since he uses their's. I just might do that.

This is the Gold's gym in Pasadena. I use to go to the LA Fitness in Alhambra but they hella kept tried to keep charging me when I moved to Taiwan and it was shady. The LA Fitness is a much better gym in my opinion, bigger and more equipment, plus it's mostly young Asians and Latinos so it's more comfortable vibe than all the weird over muscled middle-aged creepy white guy's at Golds. I think any college gym, esp one like UCLA's is superior to any commercial gym.

[AngryABCGirl]

:biggrin: how could u be picturing that in your head and still keep a straight face?
i couldn't when i read that

I was actually giving her a dirty look.

[AngryABCGirl]

:biggrin: how could u be picturing that in your head and still keep a straight face?
i couldn't when i read that

I was actually giving her a dirty look.

[mr. x]

at home in cupertino I use my mom's company gym which belongs to Apple which is great cuz it's chill. Try and get a company gym access if you know people

[Adaon]

I'm not brave enough to do that yet and should have my Asian membership card revoked.

I also suck at math.

I suck at math too. Which is why I usually say to the trial gym membership folks "Oh. My trial membership's over? Okay. Peace out."

(Grant 24 Hr Fitness had a membership special goin' this last wk. 3 friends joined from it online. Iono. Check it out)

[Arex]

This is the Gold's gym in Pasadena. I use to go to the LA Fitness in Alhambra but they hella kept tried to keep charging me when I moved to Taiwan and it was shady. The LA Fitness is a much better gym in my opinion, bigger and more equipment, plus it's mostly young Asians and Latinos so it's more comfortable vibe than all the weird over muscled middle-aged creepy white guy's at Golds. I think any college gym, esp one like UCLA's is superior to any commercial gym.Have you been to the LA Fitness on La Cienega? That one's pretty nice.

[applehead]

Have you been to the LA Fitness on La Cienega? That one's pretty nice.

ive been hearing gushing reviews of
that gym from other people. We have one
In nyc also

[Arex]

^That's the gym my wife and I go to (LA Fitness, but not that specific location). They seem nice but I really have no basis for comparison since I've been going there since after undergrad after I got suckered into getting a membership by an acquaintance who worked there and I haven't spent any significant time at any other gym.

[AngryABCGirl]

Have you been to the LA Fitness on La Cienega? That one's pretty nice.

I've been by it before, but it's kind of out of the way for me to go to the gym. I do very much like the LA Fitness in Alhambra though, plenty of equipment and it has a very good vibe and nice classes. I'm thinking about checking out Equinox sometime in the near future when I move back here officially, but I don't really like working out with bousy LA white people. They all have some bizarre complex. I hear good things about the downtown 24 hour fitness.

[applehead]

i once had a gym sales person who did a double
take when i said "oh i need a pool. i'm a swimmer"
he goes "what. You? You're a swimmer?!?!"
i mumbled " i mean i like to swim"

the look on his face was priceless. my sister and i
had a good laugh when we left.
i cant imagine some of the funny stuff they probably hear.

[mr. x]

i once had a gym sales person who did a double
take when i said "oh i need a pool. i'm a swimmer"
he goes "what. You? You're a swimmer?!?!"
i mumbled " i mean i like to swim"

the look on his face was priceless. my sister and i
had a good laugh when we left.
i cant imagine some of the funny stuff they probably hear.

Was he calling you fat? :confused:

[cloudzero]

i dont know what applehead looks like
but i think fat floats

[pikachupacabra]

I've been by it before, but it's kind of out of the way for me to go to the gym. I do very much like the LA Fitness in Alhambra though, plenty of equipment and it has a very good vibe and nice classes. I'm thinking about checking out Equinox sometime in the near future when I move back here officially, but I don't really like working out with bousy LA white people. They all have some bizarre complex. I hear good things about the downtown 24 hour fitness.



Plus, if you go to that gym you can see Bolo Young work out. Dude is still ripped for being like 100 years old or whatever (he starred in a lot of Bruce Lee movies)

[monkeygone2]

rude sales people, busy bodies, people who act like there's a fitness hierarchy... commercial gyms can really suck, sometimes.

as for “free trial whoring” @ commercial gyms...
i met this one sales person several years ago who kinda liked me. she gave me a box of free passes to bally total fitness & took the time to give her authorized signature on each card. i gave them out as stocking stuffers.
i gave out so many, the gym discontinued the passes. but i know people (w/ the help of their excellent bargaining skills) are still using my stocking stuffers to this day, for free workouts.

have a couple left, so if anyone thinks they can talk their way into the gym...

[AngryABCGirl]

rude sales people, busy bodies, people who act like there's a fitness hierarchy... commercial gyms can really suck, sometimes.


Hahaha the saleswoman even tried turning their disadvantage at not having a pool saying, "Pool and sauna is just for the spa. We're serious about working out here. This is a gym, not a sport club were people go and chat, we're serious about working out here, you're not looking for that are you?" I think she got a share of ugly looks from me of confusion and suppressed laughter. Used up my last day of trial membership today, time to move on.

[applehead]

i dont know what applehead looks like
but i think fat floats

aaaaaaaaahahaha
but can it swim? Lol

[cloudzero]

if you fart

[Adaon]

Hahaha the saleswoman even tried turning their disadvantage at not having a pool saying, "Pool and sauna is just for the spa. We're serious about working out here. This is a gym, not a sport club were people go and chat, we're serious about working out here, you're not looking for that are you?" I think she got a share of ugly looks from me of confusion and suppressed laughter. Used up my last day of trial membership today, time to move on.

I'd want to dare her to tell that to any swim team out there. She's obviously not using her thinking muscle.

[applehead]

Hahaha the saleswoman even tried turning their disadvantage at not having a pool saying, "Pool and sauna is just for the spa. We're serious about working out here. This is a gym, not a sport club were people go and chat, we're serious about working out here, you're not looking for that are you?"

oh yeah. i've heard that before too.

[ahsingjai]

This happened to me at 24hr fitness. I came in with the free 2 week pass sign up but was interested in their 3 year plan if the price was right. 600-700 dollar for 3 years sounds good. Cuz that would equal around 17-20 dollars a month. This girl was about to give to me at 650 after some negotiation until this giant black manager stepped in. I guess that was plan B for intimidation.They tried to force a 950 dollar plan on me.

He was at least 5 times my size with eyes that don't blink. I spent about 30 minutes hammering a price. He asked me, if my health was more important or my money. I SAID MY MONEY!

I guess he isn't a really good sales because I would never of trapped myself like that. At the end, I just got tired of not blinking in this stare off contest and arguing so I just told him I just want my 2 week pass. He got silent mad and start pounding the computer keyboard really hard.

[AngryABCGirl]

This happened to me at 24hr fitness. I came in with the free 2 week pass sign up but was interested in their 3 year plan if the price was right. 600-700 dollar for 3 years sounds good. Cuz that would equal around 17-20 dollars a month. This girl was about to give to me at 650 after some negotiation until this giant black manager stepped in. I guess that was plan B for intimidation.They tried to force a 950 dollar plan on me.

He was at least 5 times my size with eyes that don't blink. I spent about 30 minutes hammering a price. He asked me, if my health was more important or my money. I SAID MY MONEY!

I guess he isn't a really good sales because I would never of trapped myself like that. At the end, I just got tired of not blinking in this stare off contest and arguing so I just told him I just want my 2 week pass. He got silent mad and start pounding the computer keyboard really hard.

I heard 24 hour fitness is desperate for members cause of this trial:
http://sanfrancisco.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2007/07/30/daily15.html

24 Hour Fitness settles class action suit

24 Hour Fitness USA Inc. has reached a settlement with approximately 1.8 million current and former California members, ending a class action lawsuit over cancellation fees.

The plaintiffs alleged 24 Hour Fitness' cancellation notice provision in contracts signed before 2006 violated California law. The law, the Health Studios Act, provides that a gym can't require payments beyond the terms of a contract. Plaintiffs alleged 24 Hour Fitness continued to collect fees one or two months after some monthly members canceled.

"It was our contention in the suit that monthly meant monthly," said attorney Michael von Loewenfeldt of San Francisco's Kerr & Wagstaffe LLP, who represented the plaintiffs.

24 Hour Fitness said it treated members fairly and its membership contracts are lawful. The San Ramon-based company decided to settle the suit to "put this matter behind it to continue its business," said Michael Delehunt, a Foley & Lardner LLP lawyer who represented the company. "Certainly 24 Hour Fitness wants to continue its efforts to service its members and focus on its business."

Both the plaintiffs' lawyer and 24 Hour Fitness said it was difficult provide a dollar figure to the settlement because there are several variables. Former members get refunds based on a percentage scale depending on contract they had and when they signed up.

Under the settlement approved by the San Francisco Superior Court on Monday, class members are entitled to choose settlement benefits, depending on their situation, including partial refunds, free personal training or membership upgrades, contract modifications and transferable 30 and 45 day Club Access Passes. The lawsuit was filed in 2005.

24 Hour Fitness has more than 3 million members in 370 clubs across 15 states and Asia, making it one of the country's largest fitness chains by membership. Revenues for the closely held company are estimated at more than $1 billion.

It is the largest fitness chain in the Bay Area, with more than 376,000 members, more than four times bigger than its closest local competitor, Bally Total Fitness.