LA Fitness Grants National Access to Disgruntled Bally Members
Former lifetime Bally members who felt wronged by an LA Fitness purchase will now be granted nationwide LA Fitness access.
It appears that lifetime Bally Total Fitness members, who originally appeared to have been left out in the cold after their clubs were purchased by LA Fitness earlier this month, will have a place to work off the holiday pounds after all.
According to a statement posted on the LA Fitness website late last week and follow-ups from Patch to previously unhappy customers, the company has doubled down on its decision to honor lifetime agreements, now to the satisfaction of almost all those affected.
"LA Fitness has decided to simplify the access rules and give all of the acquired Bally Total Fitness (“BTF”) members access to current LA Fitness clubs as described below," reads the statement, which also bullet points the following guidelines:
- BTF “Local” Members will have access to LA Fitness clubs and acquired BTF clubs in the state of enrollment*;
- BTF “National” Members will have access to those clubs in all states*; and
- Acquired BTF members who only have single club access will continue to have access to that single club (or, if that club has closed, to another BTF or LAF club nearby).
*Except for New York clubs (unless you enrolled in NY) and clubs designated now or in the future as Signature and Athletic clubs.
Late November Deal Leaves Customers Angry
Word of the acquisition originally reached Patch after customers at the Bally's Willow Grove location called in complaints on Dec. 4. LA Fitness had purchased 171 clubs throughout the country from Bally's, including 13 in the Philadelphia region, and all customer contracts at those locations, with the exception of lifetime memberships.
This left many customers, some of whom had paid thousands of dollars for their memberships up until federal law made the creation of such contracts illegal in the mid-'90s, feeling like they had been kicked to the curb.
“We’ve been members since 1984, ever since my husband and I got engaged,” said Upper Dublin resident Joan Tait, who paid roughly $2,000 for a lifetime membership. “There were years where we wouldn’t go at all, but for the last decade or so we’ve been going several times a week and never had to pay anything.”
Customers began to share similar stories and organize on message boards such as the Patch comment section and Ballyssuit.com, an online forum created by Michigan resident Jeff Levy with the ambitions of forming a class action law suit.
LA Fitness Announces They Will Honor Lifetime Memberships
Levy began speaking with attorneys from the Philadelphia-based law firm Berger and Montague, P.C., but before any litigation was filed, Paul Norris, principal for LA Fitness, contacted Patch and others to announce that LA Fitness had decided to honor the lifetime memberships. Norris told Patch this was done not because of a legal obligation, but as a service to customers.
"We don't want to disadvantage our members, especially the people who've been around for 20 years," Norris said. "We're doing it for good will. There's not many [lifetime members], but we don't want anybody to be at a disadvantage."
Over the following weeks, many members began to report that their memberships were now being recognized by the LA Fitness computer systems.
Round Two: Customers Say They Should Have Nationwide Access
Still, many Bally's lifetime members were not satisfied and worried that a clause in the new LA Fitness contract allowed the company an 'out' to begin raising renewal fees. Many members also took issue with LA Fitness allowing access to only one or several area clubs, as opposed to the nationwide access they had as members of Bally's.
Patch spoke to a Philadelphia-based attorney about the complaints, who said that the customers had little legal ground to stand on.
"They're completely wrong about LA Fitness having an obligation to give them nationwide access," said the attorney, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "That claim would be dismissed. That's not the benefit of their bargain, their bargain is access to Bally's gyms."
However, according to its most recent statement, LA Fitness has now agreed to allow nationwide access to its members. Levy says the company should be credited.
"LA Fitness has been one hundred percent [helpful], they've gone over and above what they had to legally do," said Levy. "I had an attorney say to me 'no way you are going to get access to all the LA Fitness gyms, you didn't have that access before so you were never wronged.'" We should be praising LA Fitness."
Levy Says Ballyssuit.com Will Remain for Additional Issues
Some members on Ballyssuit.com continue to file complaints against the company, but other members involved in the process say that these are rare "worst case" scenarios. Many involve members whose lifetime memberships were originally purchased at a Bally's location that hadn't been purchased in the deal, but had been regularly using a different Bally's that was shutdown. Levy says he is still working with these cases on an individual basis, and has a direct contact to an LA Fitness representative who is responsive on requests.
"I get the [customer's] info, name, phone number, and can take that right to my [contact] and it goes right to corporate," said Levy. "He comes back and tells me if it's not going to get fixed and why, or he says that it is fixed and they're now in the system."
Levy originally planned to close the Ballyssuit.com site in late December, but says he now plans to leave it up through January in order to continue assisting former Bally's members. He told Patch that any readers who still have questions and complaints should post to the site's message board if they're not receiving satisfactory help from customer service representatives.
Levy says that he has administered the website out of a desire to help other customers, and despite being offered money from several grateful individuals, has refused.
"I did this out of a pure motive," said Levy. "Because of [news articles] and the Ballyssuit website, it gave the greatest gift of the season to Bally's Members."
In This article
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LA Fitness
2961 W Germantown Pike, Norristown, PA -
Bally Total Fitness
151 Easton Rd, Willow Grove, PA -
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D
2:14 am on Thursday, December 22, 2011
I have a long-time contract with Bally’s since 1988 and today L.A. Fitness refused to allow me entry to the gym unless I signed a new contract with brand new terms. This is NOT acceptable. When L.A. Fitness assumed the old Bally’s contracts, they assumed those contract terms. Fastest way to rectify this is in small claims court. There is strength in numbers. Why wait months to rectify this when in a matter of weeks you can have a court render a decision. When L.A. Fitness bought out Bally’s they also bought out ALL obligations, including your contract. Go to small claims court to have that contract enforced.
This is NOT a bankruptcy where there is no one to hold accountable. L.A. Fitness has bought your contract and if they won’t honor it they are in violation of your contract. Plain and simple. In 30 days or less you will get your resolution through small claims court. Do it now. Its only $30 to file and you can do it online.
D
2:15 am on Thursday, December 22, 2011
I have a long-time contract with Bally’s since 1988 and today L.A. Fitness refused to allow me entry to the gym unless I signed a new contract with brand new terms. This is NOT acceptable. When L.A. Fitness assumed the old Bally’s contracts, they assumed those contract terms. Fastest way to rectify this is in small claims court. There is strength in numbers. Why wait months to rectify this when in a matter of weeks you can have a court render a decision. When L.A. Fitness bought out Bally’s they also bought out ALL obligations, including your contract. Go to small claims court to have that contract enforced.
This is NOT a bankruptcy where there is no one to hold accountable. L.A. Fitness has bought your contract and if they won’t honor it they are in violation of your contract. Plain and simple. In 30 days or less you will get your resolution through small claims court. Do it now. Its only $30 to file and you can do it online.
Char
1:30 pm on Thursday, December 22, 2011
I've joined Bally's Premier lifetime membership back in 1994. I joined at the NJ Ballys which was not transitioned over to LA fitness. I called Bally's corporate before the transitioned occurred to make sure I will be transitioned. I spoke to Luis Guilleno and he agreed that I haven't been at the NJ Gym for over 10 years and to be exact it was more like 15 years. My home address has always been in LI and at the time I joined I was told I did not need to change anything since I can go to any Bally's nationally. Luis agreed that my home gym should be in Levittown, NY so he said I should be transitioned. Came Dec 5th, LA Fitness said my name was not transitioned and they can't do anything until I can be transitioned so I called Bally's corporate and they said I was not transitioned since my home gym is not one of the gyms that went to LA Fitness. They refused to transitioned me and my brother who's under my contract even though we haven't been to the NJ gym. When I registered on their website I also put my home gym as Levittown, NY. Bally's decided that they will issue my a refund for the months of Jan, 2012 to December 2012. and refuse to transition me. I wanted to be transitioned since my brother and I need the gym for medical reasons.
David
11:15 pm on Thursday, December 22, 2011
This is a half-truth at BEST. The Bally Fitness members who had signed up for nationwide access at a club that LA Fitness purchased can no longer go to ANY Bally Fitness and can ONLY go to an LA Fitness club. That doesn't work when your town DOESN'T HAVE A LA FITNESS CLUB. Do you understand that Kyle Bagenstose?
What a smoke job you have done for LA Fitness.
David
Rennie Andrews
11:09 pm on Saturday, December 31, 2011
I have a Bally Fitness Lifetime membership (Premier Plus). I checked approx. 2 weeks ago and I still had access. What kind of Bally's membership do you have ? Did you verify your membership with Bally Fitness? Ren
Rodney
4:10 pm on Tuesday, January 3, 2012
I have been a Bally Fitness member since the early 1990's. I had long paid for my membership plan and was only paying for the membership fee monthly;which was only ten dollars a month. Since, I had been in an accident I had not used the membership on a regular, but did not cancel it either. Every month the monthly fee was deducted from my account. I see that Bally new that they were going to make this move, but failed to give their customers a way to continue. Now, L.A. Fitness is say that I have to pay for a new membership all over again;It's not going to happen. I recently called the L.A. Fitness in Matteson, IL about my membership and he just hung the phone up in my face. Is the the appreciation that we deserve? No, I don't think so....
Luray
7:46 pm on Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Huh. I've been a member of LA Fitness for seven years and I don't have nationwide access ...
Bennett Patch
6:10 pm on Thursday, January 12, 2012
Mr. Levy,
Your assistance would be greatly appreciated regarding my New York Premier Plus membership purchased 25 years ago while living in New York. This membership allowed me access to all clubs nationwide with an annual renewal rate of $60.00 per year. I have been living in Florida since 1997 and have been using Bally's clubs in South Florida since 1997.
The article in the Norristown Patch states that you work on cases like mine on an individual basis and you have a direct contact with an L.A. Fitness rep. who is responsive on requests. The article also states that L.A. fitness has now agreed to allow nationwide access to its members.
Please assist me with trying to obtain the same level of satisfaction that I have read about in the NorristownPatch. I currently am not able to transfer my membership to L.A. Fitness.
If you contact me at the email address below, I can give any details you might need.
Bennett Packman
bennettpack0557@hotmail.com
susan vaughan
9:44 am on Saturday, January 21, 2012
Mr. Levy,
I too, hold a premier membership in NJ, purchased in 1984 - I would be happy with access to just one club in Cherry Hill!! I have been told by Bally's member services that LA Fitness is not honoring lifetime memberships, yet the web-site and numerous articles continue to say LA will honor your card. I have been to the Cherry Hill, LA Fitness 3 times to speak with management. The web-site states if you attempt to "register" and it does not show, to bring your card in and they will create an account....not so. I have been told, if it does not show up in the computer this week from Ballys to their system, there is nothing they can do and perhaps it is the type of membership I hold. Ironically, my daughter's transferred immediately with an expiration date of 2071- same type membership! I was also told the "transfer" of information for members had stopped mid stream and they weren't sure if it would continue or not. I have been given a one week pass and told if my information does not transfer, I will then need to pursue purchasing a completely new membership either there or elsewhere. I would greatly appreciate any intervention or insight that you can offer toward LA Fitness acknowledging my membership.
Look forward to your input. Please contact me - Susan Vaughan at vaughanmas@comcast.net
Lori
11:30 pm on Sunday, January 22, 2012
I am in the same situation as Bennett, please help Lorifriday13@aol.com
Venessa
10:16 am on Tuesday, January 24, 2012
I too am in the same situation as Bennett. I purchased my membership in the late 1980's. I moved from New York to the Washington, DC area over 20 years ago. I have received bills from Bally's and paid my dues each year I have lived in the DC area. I have been working out at Bally's facilities in the DC area for over 20 years. And now, I cannot use these facilities because of where I purchased my membership in the '80s? We should have to option to decide where we want our membership. Please help. Thank you. venessa_anne@yahoo.com
P Robinson
8:53 pm on Friday, March 16, 2012
Pamela
ok I am just finding out about this buyout and its Mid March 2012!!!! NO BODY INFORMED MEMBERS OF THE BANKRUPCTY? FUNNY CAUSE THEY ARE STILL TAKING MONEY OUT MY BANK ACCOUNT!!!....
I am a lifetime member and have always been able to use any Ballys state to state! Also, I pay about $106 a year. so now what? My contract says I pay that for lifestime of my membership! I am extremly disappointed that not even LA Fitness found it necessary to inform members of the huge change. Please help me to understand what to expect. Thank You. artnview@aol.com
Ann
2:01 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
Mr. Levy,
I am in the same situation as Bennett and Vanessa. I purchased my membership in the 1980's in Colorado, then moved to Tennessee, and have been in Florida for the last 12 years. There are no longer any Bally's in the state of Florida and I am being told because I joined in Colorado, where Bally's is still active, I am out of luck. They would be happy to sell me a new membership but cannot offer anything close to my Premier Membership fees and renewals. I also knew nothing about this change until my neighbor advised me to go into the club and get my new card. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. madroche@verizon.net
Judy Hartman
1:27 pm on Saturday, April 7, 2012
I started out with a lifetime premier membership with Jack LaLane in 1987. This was transferred to Ballys at some point and as if January 2012 to LA Fitness. My annual renewal was $120. LA Fitness charged my credit card $204 for my annual renewal (my consent was given to Ballys and not for $204). Now they want me to sign a new contract with a $204 renewal. They told me I had to sign though as of yet I have not and have still been using the club. Any thoughts on that? If they purchase my contract don't they purchase the terms? Why do I need to sign a new contract?
pappy
11:59 am on Friday, April 20, 2012
Does anyone know where I can file complaint. I paid my membership anually for $99.00 but when LA Fitness took over all the cardiac machines when broken were not being fixed so we were promised new machines in April. It is now April and they are saying September. I dont even go to the gym because the very few machines they do have working are always busy. I have called and tried to place my account on hold and I was told I cant put my account on hold until after my prepaid membership expires and at that time I will only be paying $10.00 a month and I am charged $10.00 a month for dues does this not seem ridiculous? OMG where can I file a complaint
nancy
8:34 am on Thursday, May 17, 2012
I have been working out at Ballys in new york I have a payed up lifetime membership purchased in NJ My club was bought by La Fitness I never made a Ny Ballys home gym They are closing all the Ballys and want me to upgrade because ny life time was nt purchased in ny If they close all the Ballys do they have to assigne me an La fitness gym without the upgrade I am being forced to concider when my membership is up in november/
nancy
8:37 am on Thursday, May 17, 2012
I am living in ny and without worning got closed out of Ballys as one by one they closed I had a life time membership Is there any recorse what are my legal options beside upgrading Is there a class action suit being formed
Debbie
10:54 am on Friday, May 18, 2012
I live in MI and all the Bally's were sold to LA Fitness. Due to injury I didn't realize they were sold. I then went to get my membership updated to LA Fitness only to be told It wasn't bought in MI but in NC. My contract was sold to Blast Fitness. They are only allowing me to use the "home" facility where membership was originally bought. They don't even have any facilities in MI. They also informed me that they will only honor Bally's members for a year at which time members will have to pay Blast pricing with new membership. Trying to reach Jeff Levy to see if he can help.
Please contact me at Debbietea@yahoo.com
Lisa
6:13 pm on Friday, May 18, 2012
I also had a Bally's lifetime membership as well as a yearly one for my daughter. I am moving from MI (where there are LA Fitness locations) to Henderson NV and there are NO Ballys or LA Fitness there...now what?