Kartoe S.
Posted
**Told an account was canceled—then billed for two more years.**
**Told an account was canceled—then billed for two more years.** EOS offers good equipment at an attractive price, but my experience with billing, cancellation was frustrating. I had been paying for both my membership and my former wife’s. A few months after our divorce, I went to EOS in person to make sure my credit card was no longer linked to her account. She was no longer using the gym, and staff assured me her account had already been canceled. I assumed she had taken care of it. About two years later, while reviewing my bank transactions, I discovered I was still being charged for both memberships. When I returned to the gym, staff explained that they might have given me incorrect information: her *guest account* had been closed, but her actual membership had remained active. Despite acknowledging that possibility, they declined to refund the charges unless I could prove the earlier conversation. What proof was I supposed to have? I had gone to the gym specifically to address the account and relied on the answer their staff gave me. The fact that she hadn’t checked in for approximately two years didn’t change their response. They also couldn’t complete the cancellation at the desk. I was directed to a website to locate the agreement and go through additional steps. Then I was told there would be “one more” charge because the required notice hadn’t been given. My next issue is paying for amenities I can’t access without staff assistance. I recently switched to the new San Tan Valley location because it’s much closer to home. It’s a nice gym with plenty of equipment, but it uses a digital NFC tag instead of the standard barcode for entry and access to certain amenities. My tag doesn’t work. Staff told me to update the app, then delete and reinstall it. I’ve done that several times without success. They eventually took my name and said IT would address the problem. Meanwhile, I need staff to check me into the gym manually. I also can’t independently access the recovery and massage areas included in my membership because those require a working tag. Staff say I can ask them to scan me in, but having to find someone every time is not a practical long-term solution. Initially, staff told me approximately 2,500 members had the same issue and that I needed to wait. When I followed up, that number had grown to 4,000. Why should I care? I’m still paying for amenities I can’t access on my own. Finally, there’s the lack of follow-through when equipment features stop working. At the Ellsworth/Riggs location in Queen Creek, Arizona, the Life Fitness treadmills and stair climbers have an Apple Watch connection feature stated right on the equipment: “Connect your Apple Watch.” I like this feature because it keeps my watch and the machine from reporting completely different workout numbers. Eventually, it stopped working on all but one of the treadmills. I reported it to staff, but nothing came of it. They seemed unfamiliar with what I was describing, even though it still worked on one treadmill and all the stair climbers. I don’t know what the repair required, but I expected someone to take the issue seriously and follow up. I previously belonged to Lifetime Fitness, and EOS is significantly cheaper. I also prefer having more space devoted to workout equipment rather than pickleball courts, basketball courts, and cafés. The facilities themselves offer a lot for the price. But good equipment and convenient locations don’t make up for poor handling of billing disputes or unresolved access problems. I still use EOS because it’s close to home, but based on my experience, whenever there's another convenient option, they will definitely lose me as a customer.


