Workout Anytime Panama City Beach — Local services in Panama City Beach

First and foremost, I have been in very few gyms. The actual gym seemed to have very little free weights, but a plethora of all types of machines and treadmills. The lockers and restroom were gross, but they are included in basic cost and functional. People at the gym seemed friendly and helpful no one was rude or impolite. The gym is relatively small with the amount of "free space" even during the late hours, and its crowded even at like midnight. (I did only go 1 day during 11-12, so that point is very anecdotal). The staff is polite friendly and were helpful. The main issue I have and the reason I am giving 3 stars is the customer service, and what feels like a "bad business" contract. I live very close to Workout Anytime, less then .2 of a mile, walking distance and was excited to start my gym membership. I opted to try the 14 day trial but sadly that didnt include the "anytime" and was only available during staffed hours essentially 8-5. So I decided since I wouldnt get any use out of the trial due to work time restraint. I decided to do the 20 dollar month to month service (basic); after confirmation from an employee that if I didnt like the service I could quit anytime and there isnt any additional fees. Now I later did my application online. The online application contract information is included under the "terms or notes" that you usually just agree and move past. Essentially all the information about this gym membership is located in fine print in the contract. THIS IS WHY ALL THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS. I wanna emphasis that ALL of this IS CLEARLY LABELED, listed and explained in the contract; however some of the demands/loopholes are ridiculous for someone trying to operate a genuine customer care business. First you get a 3 day period after signing the contract to cancel the contract for any reason. The reason that this option is NOT particularly friendly is because you must send certified mail declaring you want cancellation. THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO CANCEL ANY TYPE OF MEMBERSHIP. Calling or coming in person to declare that you want to cancel is not allowed. It also labeled in the contract that if it arrives on a weekend or holiday, then it would not be accepted. Lucky for me mine arrived the next day. But that required me to ride my bike (I dont own a car) an extra 2 1/2 miles to the post office out of the way - just to hopefully get my membership cancelled in time. Not to mention ~4 dollars to send a piece of mail certified. The reason I went asap is because I realized the way the month to month contract is worded. The way the month to month contract works is if you wanna cancel after this 3 day time line. You must give 30 day notice that you want to cancel also by using the CERTIFIED MAIL option. From what I assume would require paying an additional month of membership that you essentially would not use. Like lets say I start on the 1st then want to quit 15 days in. Your stuck for an extra month's worth. Now the final point is that there is one more fee after 45 days. You are auto enrolled into a 1 time 45 dollar charge of "annual rate fee." This is to "ensure" the customer that their rate wont increase as a member if the gym gets new equipment or upgrades (at least thats what I think it is). My point being that if you want to do month to month - to "try it for a few days" like I did I thought at most I would need to pay like close to 40 maybe 50. According to the math if I had gone for 20 days then decided to quit. Id have had to pay in total about 90 dollars. (20 + 20 + 45 + 5) =~90. This gym seems great for those that already know they need a gym, and are using it for simply the tools it provides, however if you are uncertain or new it seems very easy to get lost in the "fine print." Again, ALL my complaints were in the contract that I read and signed; however the fact the contract's non-intuitive demands of payment, fees and, cancellation makes me dislike recommending this to anyone other then those that are experienced long term gym members that know what they are...

Misleading Practices, Hidden Fees, and Refusal to Cancel Honestly

I signed up at Workout Anytime because they explicitly told us there were no annual fees — in fact, they proudly claimed to be one of the only gyms in the area that doesn’t charge an annual fee. We were told our signature was only to authorize monthly payments, and no paper contract or fee disclosures were shown to us at the time of signing.

Later, we were surprised by a $106 annual fee that we never agreed to or were told about. We later found out they had used our signatures on a contract we had never seen, and then claimed they had "emailed it after the fact" — which is not how legal disclosures or consent work.

When we called on May 17, 2025, to request a cancellation and refund of the fee, the staff member Evan refused to cancel the membership over the phone. He said the owner would call us and that we'd be emailed a form to cancel ourselves — even though we had never been told of this process when we signed up.

Their actions violate Florida law (Statute § 501.017) which requires full written disclosures at the time of contract. We have since reported the issue to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and filed a credit card dispute for the unauthorized charge.

If you’re thinking about joining — ask for everything in writing before you sign anything. Better yet, find a gym that respects your rights and doesn't rely on...

In response to the comment from owner

You were not the one who signed me up as I had never met you face to face. The guy who signed me up was in the military and you said he left after that week. I never spoke to you, so all that you say below is a lie. You never told me any of the specifics and neither did he. Horrible, and I do mean horrible, experience.

I signed up at this club during early August on vacation. I was informed that my membership would be able to work at the workout anytime back home with the same access. I have had tons of trouble with this and have had to make 3 phone calls now to sort this out. I was not aware of a “rate fee guarantee” charge as I clarified with the employee who signed me up that the initial start up fees were all that I would pay over the monthly fee. This was incorrect and false information. As I have read with several other comments on here, this is a very untrustworthy business. Please stay away from here. You will regret signing up if you do. I also tried to cancel my membership and they want to route it through an online process, which is obviously a lot more hassle than it should be. Who has time to login to wait for an email then login and cancel and then wait for the confirmation when I should be able to make a 2 minute phone call and cancel my membership. Very shady business practices. I own my own business, and this is NOT the way you...