Planet Fitness — Local services in Alaska

TLDR: These people will scam you and steal from you. Don't trust the low monthly fee, it isn't worth it. This place is sustained by people doing shady things and hoping you are too busy to notice it. If you look through the low star reviews here, you'll see so many other people who have had this happen to them, going back years. This is not an isolated incident, or a case of user error. Planet Fitness has a predatory billing setup and they prey on people who are unable to stand up for themselves.

I want so badly to leave a five star review. I lived in Anchorage for the year of 2017, and signed up for a basic membership just to have somewhere safe to run. In that respect, it's a perfectly functional space. When I signed up, I signed up for a year-long membership, dues to be drawn directly from my bank account (There wasn't another way to pay), and I was assured that when my membership expired I would obviously not be charged any longer. It would be my responsibility at that time to renew it as a month-to-month account. They specified that it would be my responsibility to keep the membership going, not my responsibility to keep it from going.

This sounded good, because I knew I was planning to move in the next year and I didn't have use for a long-term membership. When I moved away, I had a very long discussion with the front desk associate about the fact that I was leaving, couldn't transfer membership because they didn't have a facility where I was going, and wanted to cancel early. I was informed that I couldn't do that, but that I could either pay the cancellation charge now, or wait for the membership to expire. It was only a couple months, so I wasn't too fussed about it. They said it would expire and the charge would stop, and made a note that I've moved away, so I trusted it would be fine and decided to just let it run out. At the point I left, I'd been assured twice now that my membership would expire in the spring of 2018 and that former members were not charged for monthly dues. It would be insane to charge a non-member for membership dues, right?

Obviously if that were the case I wouldn't be writing here. Over a year after I moved away and was told my membership would naturally expire, I was still being charged. When I called in to cancel, I was told I was not allowed to cancel over the phone. Apparently the fact that I cancelled because I was no longer in Alaska was utterly lost on them because they kept demanding I report in person. They also stated that I would never be repaid the unauthorized charges they'd made during the year that I've been away. After much arguing, and me not budging on this, the person on the phone sighed and admitted I could send a representative to cancel on my behalf (aside: how is sending a random person more secure than calling from the phone number associated with my membership?). I ended up scrounging up and sending SEVERAL before I finally received an emailed cancellation notice. I've since attempted return contact regarding the cancellation, because nowhere on the paper does it specify that I will no longer be charged. I have also inquired about the remittance of all unauthorized charges, because I consider this to be theft. I have yet to receive any response.

This review might be removed, because negative reviews so often are, but I'm not going away quietly, because what they are doing is so wrong. So to whoever can read this before it is taken away: These people are able to charge so little for monthly memberships because their business runs on charging people who no longer go there, hoping that they won't notice. They take your bank account information and continue to charge you, never accepting payment from a credit card or checks, because those can be cancelled much more easily. They'll lie to you repeatedly, and do anything they can to keep skimming money from you. Their entire business depends not on providing good service, not on being honest, but on doing shady things and hoping you are too distracted to notice it. You're so much better off...

I would give a 5 but I am very upset . I have been coming to this location for around 3 years now. Today I came in for a tan and a work out before I would head to work . I hadn’t tanned in a couple weeks . I know my skin and my body and have a condition called Ehlors Danlos syndrome and fibromyalgia, so I am very careful . I approached the gap at the counter and she proceeded to ask me full time ? I said no ! 6 minutes please . She then asked me again , “how much time ?” As if she didn’t hear me . I said louder , 6 minutes please. She was very short with me. Didn’t even make eye contact. Said number 3 . I went in as usual and put my goggles on . Hit start and with my goggles on closed my eyes like I always do . It seems like it was longer than 6 minutes and I was staring to severely overheat to the point of the shakes . I opened the doors because the start button doesn’t end the session. I am guessing that’s why there is an emergency shut off buttton . I just wanted out . Before exiting I looked at the time and it said 8:53 . I felt like I had been cooked . I proceeded to get dressed and went and told the other counter person since the one who had done this was leaning on the counter quite relaxed . She didn’t apologize or anything . After reporting it to the other employee, showing her how I was burnt and shaking, feeling like I wanted to pass out , I put on my hoodie but couldn’t bear to put my coat on I was so overheated. I went out to my truck where it took me 20 minutes to calm my shakes before I could drive . Now I’m home after tattooing in pain . Not only pain of a burn , but now having a severe flare up . I did not catch the employee’s name . I will be going back to get the name and I will be writing a formal complaint with pictures included . This is not ok. We are leaving our safety in your staffs hands . She constantly looks like she doesn’t want to be there . She shouldn’t be there , It is harmful and neglectful. I can’t imagine if it had happened to someone on their first time tanning . I did not consent to 9 minutes. I asked for 6 which is the minimum . I have not one time ever asked for the maximum time . I am heavily considering canceling my membership. It’s not worth risking my health. I use this to help replace the vitamins from the sun we lack . I have severe anxiety and depression. I come here to better my health. Now, I’m untrusting and am anxious to return I’ll try to attach pics here that are...

TLDR; Good prices. Clean. Equipment availability issues. Soap dispenser broken for two months. Rude staff (perhaps having a bad day, but not my concern). Can't recommend.

I've been a member of PF for over a decade. The place is usually very clean and they have the best membership prices by far. However, they've had an equipment availability issue in the past, and it seems this is still an issue at times. The Northern Lights location has had a broken soap dispenser in the men's bathroom for over TWO months. This means there is only one functional dispenser. Being that we're in the midst of a pandemic, this is unacceptable. To make the situation worse, just today I asked an employee in the bathroom if a new soap dispenser is on order. He looked at me as if I was speaking a foreign language and then with an attitude and even some aggression said, "I don't know." I then asked him who I should ask and again with an attitude he said, " I don't know, not me." I recognize the guy as a long time employee and was pretty stunned at how he conversed with me. I decided to end the conversation there because it was obvious he was not willing to act like a paid employee. Not sure if the guy is having personal issues but unfortunately that's not my concern. He was completely unprofessional.

The bigger question is, why has the soap dispenser still not been replaced or fixed? Who is in charge of this? Does anyone even care? It's pretty difficult for people to maintain social distance when everyone is lining up for the one and only working dispenser in the bathroom. It's details like this that make me feel that the place has a management problem. I don't have other gyms to compare it to so perhaps its on par or better, but I can't...