Villa Sport Fitness - Fairview — Attraction in Garden City

First off, their billing department is the WORST!

Back in 2015, I was on a year contract including a personal trainer. I had wanted to bump down from 4 appointments a month down to 1 per month. This was after a few months of appointments. I figured I had learned a lot and could practice on my own.

After a month, I realized I was still being charged for four appointments. When I asked my personal trainer (who was a fantastic person) he told me that he did change me to 1 appointment per month, but he was not in charge of billing. I talked to billing, but they wouldn't refund me the fees that I had been charged for that month, since I hadn't talked to them originally. I had not been informed that I had to talk to billing, the way that my personal trainer had said "sure, I can do that" gave me the impression that it was taken care of. He should have instead said "I can change your appointment frequency, but not how much you get charged."

Fast forward to the past few months. I have been trying to cancel my membership because I will be moving soon. Apparently there is only one person who is capable of cancelling memberships, which I find unbelievable. Furthermore, memberships can't be cancelled when they are on vacation or out of the office. I stopped by on the morning of November 8th, and I was told that the membership cancellation employee was on a three-week vacation. Ridiculous, but I didn't mind waiting.

On January 20th, I arrived at Axiom at 12:45 PM. I asked the front desk for billing, so I could cancel my membership. They told me that the operations manager, Michelle Howell (the only person who can cancel a membership), had just stepped out to go to the bank, but that I could email her to cancel my membership. I went directly home and emailed her at 1:10 PM. No response for the rest of the day.

By Monday January 23rd, I still had not received an email. She had been in her office from at least 1-5 PM (or maybe even 1-6) on Friday, so I found it a bit strange that she had not replied. No matter, I sent another email with the contents of my previous email, stating that it had not been addressed.

Today (January 25th) I still had not heard anything. I decided to go in person to Axiom and see if Michelle had taken another vacation, maybe that's why I had not received a response. I arrived, and there she was at her desk, talking with another client. I told the front desk that I would like to speak with her to cancel my membership, and they told me to have a seat. After five minutes, she came out and began socializing with the front desk employee, in plain view. Fifteen minutes later, she came over to me and asked me what she could help me with. I told her that I had been waiting twenty minutes, and that the front desk was supposed to tell her that I was here, but she just said "sorry, I had another client." I didn't realize that employees were also clients.

As she filled out the cancellation form, she mentioned that I would be charged for the next month, as my payments were withdrawn on the 5th according to her computer (on the 15th according to my bank and my membership contract), and it is the 25th of January, meaning that I had not cancelled 15 days in advance. I told her that I paid the last month according to my contract, and she said that it "didn't count." I'm not sure what that money goes to if it does not count, as on my contract it states very clearly that it is for "last month dues." After my contract expired, there was no stop in payment where I was not charged for the last month of my contract payments, so I assumed it counted towards the final month of when I would cancel my membership. Apparently that money no longer exists, and therefore "does not count."

It took me a few months, or five days if you want to go from when I have proof, either way it is unacceptable. Don't ever, EVER come here. They'll take your money and won't...

The gym equipment is decent, not the best, but decent. The way they seem to make money: terrible.

When I got my haircut today I was talking with the stylists about my gym membership issues. Three of the barbers immediately said "Axiom" in unison. And they all knew the name of the collection agency (ABC Financial) that Axiom uses & they said no one should ever get a membership there.... which tells me that Axiom's poor way of doing business is a common & well known fact in Boise. Too bad new people like me have to learn the hard way.

I was sad to find out that my boyfriend had a bad experience with Axiom directly after I became a member. I didn't want to go back after hearing what he went through. When I signed up my card was expiring that month, the guy said to remember to bring it in or I would lose my membership the next month. So, I didn't renew my card, because I no longer wanted a membership with them, & I figured that it would be automatically canceled like with most memberships. Nope, not with Axiom, they keep your membership going & immediately send your dues to collections.

When you get the membership, you pay for your first month & your last month up front. I only went to the gym 1 day, and this is my "2nd month" since they kept the membership going. So, you'd think that when I wanted to cancel more than 15 days before my supposed 3rd next payment, they would use the 1st & last month that I already paid for. Nope, apparently I can't even cancel my membership until I go in and pay again. I would never give them my new card number, not with the way they run things. Guess what, there's an extra ten dollar fee if you pay in cash.

Get a membership here only if you absolutely have to. There's decent equipment & trainers if you want one. But know that you'd be supporting a business that may mess up your credit score if you miss a payment, they don't automatically cancel if you miss a payment, and that the "first & last month's payment" that you pay on the first day is really just your first month's payment and a way for them to be able to sell you the package better by saying there's "no initiation fee", and if you stay for 3 months you'll get another 1 time fee.... so it may even add up to more than other initiation fees at other locations.... do the math.

Also, don't let them rush you through the contract, read every word before signing. Don't let them read you the contact in their own way. Read it yourself.... maybe ask to take it home & share with friends & family before signing to make a more informed decision.

Another downside: there's no towel service, so if you're a busy business traveler that has to shower at the gym & can't carry a towel, get a...

I joined the gym in March asking for a basic membership over my lunch break. I was not able to actually work out that day because I was first taken for a tour of the gym (SPOILER ALERT: It is a gym. It has exercise equipment, classes and a small pool). I then sat down with their people to make a very basic membership. I expressed that all I needed was a place I can hit the treadmill at lunch a few times a week.

I then made a horrible mistake and signed up for a promotional offer to do personal training. I made it very, very clear that I would purchase only the one package as a means to jump-start my fitness goals as I was losing weight after having a baby.

Imagine my surprise when another charge of $165 came out of my bank account. I went in and spoke the sales rep who said I needed to put in a 30 day notice, which I did at that point explaining, again, that I cannot afford $165 a month on top of my $22 (which was sold as $20/month, but that's not the point here).

Okay. Great. I put in my notice deciding that I would absorb the cost and use the training sessions. That was fine until yet another $165 came out of my bank account.

I went in to speak to the manager and operations manager explaining that there had clearly been a mistake thinking it would not be a big struggle to refund the money since I had now told them twice that I did not want a renewing contract.The manager agreed your contract was "unclear." Especially given I had to provide 5 different signatures across two lunch breaks before I was allowed to actually exercise. The other manager essentially told me, too bad. I had signed a contract and despite having been clear from the start that I only wanted the original 8 training sessions and having put in my notice, I was going to have to live with the cost.

The worst of it is that I can't even quit the gym because I am now several hundred dollars in. I simply wanted a place I could work out at lunch. That was it. I feel like I have been lied to and cheated out of hundreds of dollars. This is how the staff is treating your members. It feels very much like they are commissioned and are trying to squeeze an extra buck.

The only thing positive I can say is that the trainer is really good. She does a good job. My complaint is not with her. This is a...