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I got a letter to come back to Planet Fitness so I went to join with my husband. They denied my membership because I only have a credit card!

My husband and I did away with our bank account months ago due to high fees and hearing this really makes me Irate! So you can't prepay unless they're offering it as a special, you can't use a credit card, and you can't pay in cash month by month. What big corporation doesn't take credit/debit credit cards?

Talk about single-ing people out! Guess I need to find a better gym!

Location: New York, New York

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Jenavieve Jxm

Credit suppose to be more safer than bank account. It never run out of money ! Personal bank account some time run out of fund ?

Guest

You quit the bank because of high fee's, yet you use a credit card. Makes no sense at all.

Credit cards charge a lot more then banks. There is a reason they do that.

If a card expires, they can't get their payment. They can thru the bank.

Guest

Dupra, who claims to be a banker, I think probably actually works for the company because his arguments don't make sound fiscal sense, and I'm sure most banks don't condone for you to give out your numbers willy-nilly! The real reason is if you have a true dispute with the company, you have no recourse to be reimbursed for fraudulent charges.

If you go to the Consumer reports web page and look up Planet Fitness reviews, they are loaded with people being wrongfully charged with no recourse to follow. The place is easy to join but not so easy to quit. There are all kinds of reviews about people moving to a place with no PF, so when they go to the website to disenroll they are told that they must go in person to that specific gym to do so. For many, this was like 8 hours or more away.

The only other method is to provide a detailed Certified letter (a regular letter will not count) in the mean time they keep charging away. There were some people being charged for 2 years because they didn't know how to stop it, and after calling PF many times were told until they send the Certified letter they will keep on charging away. When she threaten to cancel payment, they told her that's fine because they will keep charging and just turn it over to collections.

Granted this lady was not too smart about how she went about the process, but the world is filled with a lot older people that just don't understand today's commerce ,and the big, mega corporations should not be taking advantage of their ignorance! Take a look at the consumer reports reviews on this company--they will shock you!

Guest

I ran into the same problem with them. I think accepting only one type of payment is unethical unless it's cash...you know that legal tender stuff!

I do not want anyone going directly into my checking account and making withdraws. I don't have a problem providing a credit card # because they are insured if their database gets hacked-the same is not true if you gave out your checking account numbers!

We the consumers can't allow these big, mega corporations to push and bully us around! They need us more than we need them--It's time to take a stand.

Guest

Planet fitness SUX

Guest

I just joined mon, cuz of a move my reg gym is not close. I used a debt card.

Not sure who ur debit card is thru, but if u have an online account u can pull up ur account number and routing number. U can also call the card for this info.

This is the info they need. I had the same question when called, but when asked lady straight out all i needed was that info.

Guest

This place sucks, they won't let me buy a gift membership. The dude said, lots of people ask but they offer nothing.

Must be nice to be able to turn money away. Retards.

Guest

Listen you can whine and complain but face reality!! Why do you think they donโ€™t accept credit cards?

Itโ€™s because YOU the person using it can and does disputes the charge. And who exactly do you think gets screwed when you do this? Not YOU. Not the credit card company.

Itโ€™s the business that gets shafted!! They are tired of you the consumer STEALING!!! Now many businesses are refusing to take credit cards for that exact reason. I saw many local businesses in my area move away from credit sales.

A few local gas stations now refuse to take credit cards for fuel purchases. You the consumer forget you used your card at the pump and call and dispute the charge and the gas station is out however much fuel YOU STOLE. So itโ€™s understandable why they want a checking account. They just want to be sure they are going to get paid for the service they render.

Why is it so terrible that they want to get paid? When YOU do it you justify any action as protecting yourself and literally NO ONE writes a post about YOU. Maybe use your brain and some common sense. Point In fact: you can exercise without paying to use someone elseโ€™s equipment and facilities.

Since you want to use thier equipment then be expected to pay. You have similar protections against them if they take out more money through your bank as you would with a credit card. You are basically blowing this up due to YOUR IGNORANCE and nothing more. Do you pay EVERY bill with your credit card?

I doubt that because no one wants to pay a 13-29% interest rate on top of the bill.

You use a checking account so calm down. Just because they do something different then YOU would prefer doesnโ€™t make them a bad business or out to steal your money.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1638981

Actually, you have much less protections when you use a checking account. You can still be charged for services you cancelled.

I know because planet fitness has done so to me. My bank says never give your checking account to a business, because you give the business the right to charge you at will.

The bank cannot stop it, or get the money back from the business. So cut your fire and brimstone *** out, you Planet Fitness employee!

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1657404

Yupp

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1657404

I am a banker and this is just incorrect. You were likely either not paying attention when they read you the contract or you yourself did not read it before signing.

Things like, cancellation before the 10th in order for a payment to not go through for that month, or cancelling a 2 weeks before your annual fee to avoid that. Those stipulations are laid out in your contract and people just choose not to pay attention. I have to deal with so many clients who swear they never signed anything like this and want me to go through their statements with them so that they can dispute the charges, and they always lose because whatever gym they are a member of has their signature on the electronic contract. A big reason that business are switching to direct withdrawal is because customers don't keep up to date with their cards and end up getting late fees when they expire, even though you usually receive an email telling them to update their card and they just get ignores.

These are literally my least favorite, most annoying and most easily avoidable issues I deal with in my office all the time. Lol

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1657404

That's funny, as I am going thru the same problem with a debit card right now. I had to cancel my card, and there is no recourse, because of it being a card. If I had used my bank account, they could have stopped it.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1638981

I pay everything with a credit card. I do not have a checking account at all.

But hey are my bills, and I pay off the card before interest posts. Never paid interest on the card.

Plus earn cash back awards. Have not bought / owned checks in years.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1638981

Itโ€™s fishy

Guest

i too do not like the idea of giving my bank account, I was all set to sign up until I saw they would not accept a monthly payment with my credit card. With all the identity theft (which I have already experienced) I don't feel comfortable realeasing my credit card number to a fitness center, let alone anyone. I guess I will not be joining unless they change their membership rules.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1593364

Agreed. In this era of not-so-secure websites, banks being hacked, etc., I donโ€™t see a reason why I canโ€™t pay in full annually for use of the gym.

Giving them my routing number and checking account number is an invitation for a *** to happen. I guess Iโ€™ll go elsewhere.

Guest

its so unfortunate. I cant believe you need to have a bank account to open a planet fitness account.

online data is being compromised every day, its much riskier to have your bank account details than a credit card.

there is no guarantee they would not compromise our bank account details. I would prefer they had my credit card details which has a fraud prevention rather than my raw bank account details.

Guest

I used the Wal-Mart money card and they let me. All they need is a routing number.

Guest

Sounds like this PF is just scamming people. I recently joined our local community center and they have workout equipment just like the gym.

Best thing, it's free. Don't have to have checking account to join.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1559296

That is true. I didn't think of that, but joining a community center gym is much cheaper and they don't make you give sensitive bank account details.

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