The new LA Fitness, which will open soon right next to Edith Macefield’s old house, has blanketed Ballard in flyers encouraging folks to sign up. “There’s a bare mid-riff, hard-hatted, teeth-whitened, hair-lightened blond in contractor apron and work boots by the words: Coming Soon to Ballard!” explains Peggy Sturdivant on her blog, At Large in Ballard. Perturbed that LA Fitness was trying to bring a taste of Los Angeles to Ballard, Peggy called the number on the flyer. She says she ended up speaking with the general manager, and she asked him what would become of the Westlake LA Fitness branch. He said it would “probably” close and those memberships may be transferred over to Ballard. (By the way, this has been the subject of discussion here in our forum.)
LA Fitness making a few waves
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I’ve been at this gym for 6 months now and can’t stand the headaches that they have given me. LA Fitness has a practice of double billing clients hoping that they won't catch mistakes. They ignore cancellation and continue billing despite numerous attempts at cancellation. This is even with their so-called “cancel at any-time” policy. Their gym looks nice, but the lockers are always broken, the machines, treadmills and swimming pool is always full and their staff is mostly distant and focused on themselves instead of maintaining the gym. Also, the b-ball court is extremely small with no room to move and there are only three lanes of swimming.
Class instructors are 50-50. Some are professional, but there are many that have just started and risk injury with their lack of knowledge.
The pros – new equipment, but it’s hard to enjoy when there are too many people sharing the equipment. No wonder much of the local news grimaced at LA Fitness’ huge corporate building for taking away Ballard community space in exchange for big business dollars.
Give it a try if you like, but watch your bank account and have back up documents and a third party overseeing communications along with other legal steps to ensure they don't take full advantage of you like they have most of their clients.
I like to work out close by, so 'm currently shopping for other options, such as Olympic Athletic Club, 24-hour fitness, Prorobics and Crossfit close in the same area.
I like the club but for God's sake please give us more than 5 channels on the cardio machines. You're holding yourself out as a “Signature Club;” I'm paying Signature Club prices, but all I can get is sports and news when I do the treadmill? Come on – your competitors have many more cable stations than just local stations and CNN.
Am I the only one who thinks they keep the temperature in this club uncomfortably warm? Don't they charge enough to afford A/C?
Oh, and if one more of the personal trainers approaches me to ask if I've had my “free” training session, I'm going go postal on 'em!
maybe because you are working out more you are warmer? you burn more calories when it is warmer. embrace it!
Peggy,
I was looking in to becoming a trainer at LA Fitness when the were first getting ready to open, then postponed, then ready to open, then again postponed. This was the first sign of a poorly run business. Once it did open & I went in to check the place out, it was evident then to me this was NOT the place I want to represent or have representing me.
I talked with you briefly about the studio I am working out of in Wallingford, Fuerte Fitness on the corner of 45th & Stone Way. I am one who appreciates the smaller, personable, locally owned businesses. I despise the cookie cutter big businesses who focus on numbers rather than a quality product/service.
We are coming up on our one year anniversary. I would love for you to come in and give your prospective on the studio.
Come check out a locally owned gym!
-ken@musclerep.com
(206) 327-9213
fuertefitness.com
LA Fitness
1416 Northwest Ballard Way
Seattle WA 9810
I saw an ad for LA Fitness in which a free 3 day trial to check out the gym was offered so, I decided to check it out. After a lengthy, prying and unusually invasive interview with a staff member I was given a short tour of the gym. Afterwards I was led back to the sign-up desk and in a manner befitting a cult brainwash technique was bullied in an attempt to force me to immediately sign up for membership. When I resisted and asked to be able to just check out the gym for a few hours, reminding them with an analogy of test driving a car before actually buying it, the general manager went into an attempted humiliation technique by suggesting that I since I’d just come in for a “freebie” he could throw me a day pass! I’ve been residing in Tokyo, Japan for almost 10 years now as a working actor. I also keep a residence in Manhattan, NY, as well as, Venice, CA. I’ve lived and traveled in over 50 countries over the past 25 years. I came into LA Fitness with my most polite demeanor and Japanese-like manners. I was treated horrendously and disrespected worse than I have been anywhere in my entire adult life. The fact of the matter is that I was indeed coming in with full intention to join! I plan on residing in Seattle on and off for the next few years to take care of my aging mother. How foolish of that degenerate staff member and general manager! If anyone from LA Fitness reads this beware! You have a beautiful club. But, the staff needs some serious shaking up!
P.S.- To anyone thinking of joining any LA Fitness club be sure to goggle them first. The list of similar complaints and class action lawsuits should be enough to convince and deter anyone!