Amped Fitness (Sarasota) — Local services in Sarasota

PLEASE READ IF CONSIDERING JOINING THIS GYM Good gym that offers a positive environment and kind staff members. I will continue to go to this gym because of its proximity to my home. HOWEVER, there are multiple concerns new members should be made aware of before joining.

First, the gym offers new members a “body scan” which tells you all sorts of info including body fat percentage. If you are like me and most people who join the gym, you may not be in the best shape and have more body fat then you anticipated. THEY WILL USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLOIT YOUR VULNERABILITY AND PUSH AND COERSE YOU INTO GETTING A PERSONAL TRAINER. —After my body scan I told them I did not want personal training because of the cost. The staff member repeatedly made comments like “If you cut out fast food or restaurants you can afford this easily.” “It’s all about how serious you are about getting in shape” “If you’re really serious about this you should get a trainer” —If you plan on joining this gym DO NOT allow the results of the body scan TO determine if you want a personal trainer. Don’t allow staff to talk you into PT unless you're 100% sure it’s what you want.

Second, after being coerced into signing up for PT, I was assigned to train with Shane. I was supposed to meet with him the following day, however he cancelled. We set up multiple times to have our FIRST session and he continually cancelled the evening before or the day of our session. It’s been close to a month and I still haven’t met with him. — Shane texted me this morning (12/02/2024) at 5:30am to cancel our session once again. I was completely fed up and went to the gym to cancel my remaining sessions of PT. — After discussing the issue with staff, they informed me it would be $250 to cancel my sessions, despite the fact that I paid for a service that was never received. The regional manager was contacted, and refused to waive the cancellation cost despite the circumstances. — I asked staff members if there were any compromises we could make to avoid or reduce the cancellation fee. After offering multiple reasonable alternatives, I was essentially told to either pay $250 or continue with PT. Backed into a corner I was forced to pay the cancellation fee.

Third, many of the machines are broken or damaged and many of the amenities do not work consistently, AMPED has made no visible effort to ensure these problems are fixed. In particular, the men's sauna often has an absolutely foul odor that literally smells like someone defecated in there, making it impossible to enjoy this amenity...

I canceled my membership two years ago, but the gym continued charging my work card without my knowledge. Since the card was discontinued and tied to my job, the charges didn’t affect my credit score, so I had no idea it was still being billed. I recently decided to renew my membership and discovered that the $180 charge was still on my account. When I explained the situation, the manager, Clayton, told me I never canceled the membership properly, even though I’m confident I did. He gave me two options: either pay the $180 to renew my membership, which I was never planning to do, or enter a “debt forgiveness” program that would clear the past charges if I signed up for personal training at $54 a month. I was told in person that I could cancel the training at any time. Since the gym is open 24/7, close to where I live, and my friends go there, I agreed to the second option. My plan was to make the first payment, get my membership reinstated, and cancel the training right after since I didn’t need it. However, when I tried to cancel, Clayton refused. He claimed I agreed to a three month commitment and, to make things worse, told me the cost was actually $54 biweekly, not monthly. Now I’m being forced to make five total payments, amounting to $270, which is $90 more than I ever agreed to pay. I feel I was completely misled and fed false information just to get me to sign up. When I came in to discuss the issue calmly and respectfully, Clayton was dismissive, rolled his eyes, and spoke to me in a condescending tone. He was trying to put me on the spot, yelling across the counter to an employee, "Albert, did I ever say to a customer that they can cancel a trainer at any time?" Albert said, "No", and they looked at me, and I said, "Well of course he's going to agree with you, he's your employee". I tried to negotiate a solution, offering to make two or three payments just to be fair, but he refused to work with me. His attitude throughout the conversation was unprofessional and disrespectful. This entire experience has been extremely frustrating. It feels like this gym, under Clayton’s management, takes advantage of college students and people who just want a convenient place to work out. I strongly recommend getting everything in writing if you choose to sign up at this location, and be prepared for a lack of transparency and poor customer service when dealing with management. Edit: I have included a picture of Clayton just so you guys could see who to avoid when coming...

This is Teresa Braud - ! had such High Hopes when this AMPED Fitness opened and my hopes have been going down hill. When I joined, it was stated that machines would gradually be changed out over time . . . I see MAYBE three different new machines out of all that remained from the four older gyms that previously occupied this space. Some new mats and hand weights are all that have been added. Machines Break and are rarely fixed and if they are it takes MONTHS to get them fixed. The stomach machine upstairs where you pull the two sides down to crunch. The one side arm has been missing for ONE YEAR and still has not been fixed. The automatic security door is a JOKE . . . it has not consistently worked since the gym opened. Three of us were here at 4:00am on Monday (July 8) and all of our phones worked and the white circle lit up but the door was stuck and would not open. Only one person was inside and he heard us banging on the door and let us in. We asked him how he got in and he said the door opened for him. So sick of this!!!! Now for the past two+ weeks right in front of the Ladies Room there is a leak in the roof and for the past two+ weeks four buckets have been there to catch the water and the mat is still soaked. WHEN THE HELL IS THIS GOING TO BE FIXED???!!!! When is anything that needs fixing going to be fixed??!!!! What are our fees paying for?? Someone should be on the Front Desk Every Day Overnight so if problems arise they are aware. Totally Disappointed in this Club. I stay because I've been through five different gyms at this site. It is convenient and I like the fact that it is big and people aren't on top of one another. Also need to get rid of the spray bottles and get paper towels – those blue clothes are loaded with freakin’ germs!! I won’t even touch them – Ugh!! I just wish we got what was promised to us in the beginning . . . a CLEAN UPDATED EQUIPMENT GYM WITH A SECURITY DOOR THAT ALLOWS FOR 24-HOUR WORKOUTS . . . False Advertising at its Best. AMPED...