CrossFit Harbor East — Local services in Baltimore

After dealing with health concerns and having moved to a new state, I decided on this gym a try as I like to support small businesses and was looking for a community. Shortly after a few classes, I signed up for the membership. Still in the process of working with health professionals, I found out that my health concerns were directly affecting my fertility. I reached out to the owner about cancelling, as HIIT workouts were exacerbating these issues, and received very little, if any, help. I mentioned that I could provide a medical note and was told "We'll see what we can do" and that was the end of the conversation. Fast-forward from September to now and I was still being charged late fees on top of a membership that I physically could not use and had made it very clear in several conversations. I even made an effort to be transparent about the cost of medical and fertility treatments only to be met with something akin to "Well the balance is still due." Shortly after, I was being threatened with sending a bill to collections.

There are no exceptions in their contract for inability to participate due to medical issues, nor is there any mention of cancelling in the event of moving. I prefer small businesses because I like to support local and they usually tend to possess more humanity than chains. Case in point, I supported a small crossfit gym before I moved to the area. Prior to starting, I had torn my achilles. I tore it again, not while frequenting the gym. My membership was cancelled, no questions asked. Once I was healed, I began back at that same gym because I was proud to be apart of an establishment with compassion, humanity, trust and above all a sense of integrity.

This establishment has not fit that trend. Had this situation happened with a large chain, I'm sure the paperwork would have been annoying but I'm pretty positive that my issues would have been met with clear and concise recourse for the situation instead of a "We'll see what we can do."

EDITED Worst of all you decided to respond to my review, lying and saying that I made rude and inappropriate comments to staff all the while simultaneously lying about our exchanges. Providing services for free would mean that I was attending and not paying and it can be easily verified when I stopped attending. If the solution was simply providing documentation, we wouldn't be here. I'm not some entitled, incessant consumer that would even utter "I shouldn't have to". Moreover, the only phone contact I have ever had with employees of your gym has been with you and you alone; call logs can easily be verified as can message threads can be shown. It's quite sad and wildly indicative of your character that you would respond in such an insidious manner to somehow save face. How gross.

I reference your lack of exemption for moving out of state because you were also informed that I no longer lived in the vicinity of the gym. This can be easily verified in a photo to be attached momentarily. You response was that I still have X amount of time in my contract. The fact that you are lying is evidence enough that you know your policy is unfair and unjust. Otherwise, you would have just stated your policy. It was a simple courtesy you chose not to extend so you chose to lie when I gave a review of my experience. I paid and settled my account with you today and you still chose to say such horrible things. In that way, and others, you have acted in a way that is unbecoming of a small...

Avoid this gym at all costs. In my 5-year experience of CrossFit this is one of the worst gyms I have dealt with. I was in town for work and contacted them to drop in for open gym. I emailed to ask if there were any open gym times and the response was “Yes, if you've sign up for open gym then you can come anytime you want.” I had to sign up online and pay a $20 drop in fee then I go there, no one is there, and the gym is locked. They have a phone number but no one seems to answer when you call. So I email and the response I get is a link to the class schedule. I then asked for a refund and I got a BS response that they would forward my request to their “billing team”, which for a gym this size (run by a few people) the billing team would be the incompetent individual (Michelle Parker) that I was emailing. I then look at my credit card summary and they billed me twice for the drop in. I was able to get a refund by working with my credit card company in the end.

If you are thinking of joining or dropping into a gym in the Baltimore area do yourself a favor and go to any other gym than this one. There are many other gyms in the area so there is no need to waste your time and money dealing with this one. Furthermore, if you are thinking of starting CrossFit make sure to try a few and look at the credentials of the coaches. The certification for becoming a CrossFit trainer only requires you to go to a weekend workshop. The gold standard certification for working in the strength and conditioning is the NSCA CSCS (National Strength and Conditoning Association Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist) certification. This requires a 4 year degree in an exercise science related field and the certification exam is rigorous with ~60-70% pass rate, compared to 99% pass rate for the CrossFit certification. If you look on their website none of the coaches credentials are listed which most likely means they only have the CrossFit certification. With the technical lifts and intense workouts that characterize CrossFit you want to make sure you join a gym with knowledgeable coaches who are capable of modifying movements and workouts to keep you safe. Based on my dealing with this gym they can’t even handle something simple like coordinating someone drop in so good luck if you expect them to be able to teach you how to snatch. Avoid this gym...

TL;DR -- Avoid this place if you don't like getting a run around. If you're planning to drop in there during travel, note that their open gym hours are by keycode access only given to members, NOT DROP INS, despite their website saying nothing about it.

I had almost the exact same experience as Joel Martin's review, right down to the being "referred to the billing team," and the double charge; except when I mentioned the double charge they told me I was wrong. I emailed them a week before my trip and SPECIFICALLY mentioned their Saturday/Sunday open gym hours, which their website shows to run almost all day (until 8ish pm). Their reply said to just fill out the waiver and come in and train.

When I got there on Saturday evening about 5pm, the doors were locked and lights were off. Sunday, the person I was traveling with who also did the online waiver, went to go try training again. Again, door locked. But this time there were people inside who let him in so he was able to train (I was working). In speaking with a couple members that were there, my friend was told that the owners/managers aren't exactly easy to work with.

Fast forward to when I've returned home from my trip, after never having been able to train, and nobody answering their listed phone number, I look at my bank statements from the trip and see I was charged twice. I emailed them about how they were closed and I couldn't use the fee I paid, and that I was charged twice. A couple days later the reply I got was that the open gym hours are for normal members only and not valid for drop ins. Remember, I specifically mentioned the open gym hours in my very first email and nothing was said to me. In addition, NOWHERE on their website does it state this. To the contrary, it says drop-ins can attend "ANY" (their caps) class. In their reply, they also told me that they checked their system and I was not charged twice. Apparently my bank statement lied to me? Also said they'd refer my refund to the "billing department."

It's now 18 days after I've returned from my trip, and they still haven't resolved the issue for me, even with the 2 reminder emails I've sent (which went unanswered), which included a screen capture of my bank account showing a double charge. I've now had to bring my bank into the mix in order to dispute the charges, which they're luckily...