Anytime Fitness Downtown San Diego — Local services in San Diego

Anytime Fitness Review - Beware of Misleading Sales Practices

I feel compelled to share my experience to help others avoid the same situation I found myself in. The sales and contract practices are concerning and potentially deceptive.

I was told this was a month-to-month membership and could cancel at any time not only is it not a month a month but it has an automatic renewal that you have to cancel in writing or it will automatically renew. I am no longer using this facility due to lack of equipment and overcrowding, and then was told that this is a one year contract.

The Issue: Misrepresentation During Sales Process

What I Was Told: The sales representative clearly stated this was a “month-to-month membership” that I could “cancel anytime.”

The Reality: After reviewing the actual contract, I discovered:

This is a 12-month binding agreement (March 2025 - March 2026) Early cancellation requires paying 50% of the remaining contract balance Monthly payments are $55.98 ($27.99 biweekly) Additional fees include an $84.99 down payment and $59.99 annual “Club Enhancement Fee”

Red Flags for Potential Members

Verbal promises don’t match written terms - Always read the entire contract before signing High-pressure tactics - Being rushed through paperwork without time to review Complex fee structure - Multiple charges beyond the advertised rate Automatic renewal - Contract auto-renews unless you provide 30-day written notice

Financial Impact

What appears to be a ~$28 biweekly membership actually commits you to:

Total first-year cost: Over $1,500 (including fees) Substantial cancellation penalties if life circumstances change Automatic renewal at potentially increased rates

My Recommendation

Before signing ANY gym contract:

Demand time to read the entire agreement at home Get all verbal promises in writing Calculate the true total cost including all fees Understand the cancellation policy completely Consider whether you truly need a long-term commitment

Consumer Protection Note

This experience highlights why many states have implemented “cooling off” periods for gym contracts. Unfortunately, these protections often have very short windows (5 business days in this case).

Bottom Line

The misleading sales practices and contract terms make me unable to recommend this establishment. There are many fitness options available with more transparent, member-friendly policies.

Protect yourself: Read before you sign, and don’t trust verbal assurances that contradict written terms.

This review reflects my personal experience with the contract and sales process. I encourage others to thoroughly research any fitness commitment...

Looks great. A little bit of a maze to get to from the parking lot but it's free parking downtown so no real complaints there.

My biggest issue is that the employees denied me membership, for reasons unknown to me. I am part of the Active&Fit program through my insurance. This location appeared on the active&fit website and I added it because it is the closest gym to my home. When I went in person to talk to an employee to finalize my membership(as I have done in the past for Chuze, LA Fitness, Crunch, Planet Fitness without ever having any issues. All part of the active&fit procedure) I was told directly that I would not be getting a membership because they do not accept Active&Fit. I told them there must be a mistake because the website clearly list them as a gym that does and they were not listed before. Also every Anytime Fitness in the surrounding area is also on this list. She said that they do not accept it at this location, and would not budge but could not tell me a real reason why other Anytime Fitness accept active&fit but they don't. I left obviously annoyed and thinking maybe since they are new they are still working out some...

I love going to Anytime Fitness! I can go the the gym LITERALLY ANYTIME!! Lol! The staff are helpful, friendly and supportive. It’s where I spend my Me time. Going to the gym everyday keeps me moving and I have a great trainer, Joe. My trainer has been helpful, supportive and pushes me to do my best. I learn something new every time and when I have questions about the foods and exercises and I get an answer each time. I am grateful the staff and trainer that I have. I am seeing results and feeling strong and confident each time. It’s been a positive environment for me and I’m grateful. The location is perfect too because it’s near my work and every day before work I get my workout in before and get ready there too. I also like that it’s more private in regards to you don’t see the street. I love the fact that you can also download Rockbot and get to choose a song, it comes in handy when I forget my headphones lol. I hope future and current members get to also have the same experience. Thank you...