This is a health club that sees its patrons as "marks" rather than customers.
Consider its ridiculous cancellation policy: After they debited my account for a full year (during which I didn't use their services at all) I finally got around to cancelling and discovered I couldn't do it over the phone. I must come to the gym to sign a piece of paper (which undoubtedly includes another high-pressure sales pitch, like when my "personal trainer"/sales monkey tried to get me to buy a bunch of unnecessary supplements). Or I have to send a registered letter (which requires waiting in line at the Post Office.)
When I complained that this was an unecessary hassle that only benefits them, regional manager Jennifer Feery reminded me that I signed a contract explaining their asinine cancellation policy. She refused to waive it. She said there was nobody above her I could call. She said she was sorry I couldn't understand the contract (subtext: "You're a complete moron whose only value to us is your monthly dues.") Smart PR, huh?
I was irritated when I called, then majorly pissed after I hung up because of her incredible arrogance. I'm not one of those cranky consumers who thinks the customer is always right. But here's an example of how not to handle a customer complaint.
Not only will Pure Fitness not get another dime from me, I'll blab about this experience to everyone I know.
Now they've got a hopping mad ex-customer who plans to file a complaint with the Washington Attorney General's Office about exploitive billing practices.
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