Results based on 228 votes. Overall Average Rating of: 3.92/10

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1. Customer Service 2 Equipment Status 3. Cleanliness 4. Mirrors 5. Ab/Stretch Area 6. Water Fountains 7. Bathrooms 8. Changerooms 9. Parking 10. Lighting 11. Music 12. Accessories 13. Friendliness 14. How Busy is it? 15. Payment Plans
Comments: Ann:2/8/2010 - Hi Wiils, please feel free to contact me at answers@extremefitness.ca with your membership information so we can try to assist you with your situation. Thanks
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wiils:2/7/2010 - Do not ever join or think of visiting Extreme fitness, it is a scam. You get hooked once you give your credit card information. Even after you cancel your membership they will keep charging you. If you don't make payment they will handover the bills to the collection agency. Some one has to take action before this get spread. I wonder why they still exist, wouldn't the govt authorities and consumer protection authorities and credit card companies know about this. This kind of practice will permenently damage the industry. I'm spreading this nesw about the Extreme fitness to all my friends and all meetings I go for. One need to take action to stop this before it goes beyond control. Recently I saw program called 'Market Place' in CBC or GLOBAL. This program bring all the bad product and unethical business to the light. I'm not sure how to rachout to them to cover a documentary on this. Please some one who read this take the message across the 'Market Place' program producer.
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Ann:1/27/2010 - Hi Tim, My name is Ann and I am a representative at Extreme Fitness. We would like to thank you for your positive comments about our Delisle Club. It is encouraging to hear our members are enjoying the services. We would also like to explain the Pilates Reformer class that has recently been introduced. This program was implemented at the request of some members who wanted private classes at specific times. The members were also involved in determining the cost of the classes. We still offer our regular Pilates classes for all our members and the cost is included in your membership. We hope this assists you in your comments and that you will continue to enjoy your membership with us. Thanks, Ann
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Tim Stoate:1/23/2010 - I have been at the Delisle club for over 6 years and my satisfaction today is higher than it was before - I find staff friendly and courteous. I do not use the personal training as I refuse to sign long term contract and they will put the pressure on you to do so. I would really like them to have a consistent program of putting weights away as many of the overly paid customers couldn't lift a finger to them back - ironic isn't it! They recently started charging an outrageous amount to take Pilates Reformer classes - works out to $20 per session or $1,000 per year (taxes in) - you can get that at Stott without a membership! I look forward to many years of good work outs and service!
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Johnny:1/11/2010 - I go to the thornhill one, the thing I don't like is that if you go about an hour before close, they have the cleaners there. The cleaner will be mopping the floor right behind the treadmills while I'm using them or vacuuming the carpet while I'm on a machine. They should just tell them to start working after hours, after the place is closed, like grocery stores do. I complained to the staff that its easy for someone to slip on the wet floor, but nothing was done, they always say they'll do something but never do. Another issue is lockers being used without locks on them, you have to guess which locker doesn't have clothes inside and god forbid someone sees you open their locker, they look at you with that terrorist look. Once in a while you get the musclehead attitude, I've been here two years and I'm used to it, as far as the money goes, I've never been charged more than I should have at any month, I'm kind of glad its near me, its a nice place to go in the winter months.
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:1/11/2010 - Signing a contract with them is a huge mistake one can ever make!! They told me I pay $150 a month for 4 sessions of training, then I realized that $150 just covers 2 sessions. They also said I can use 2 sessions with nutritionist with the plan, but they charged me $110 for those two sessions, in which I was told just cut the sugar, get protein, get vitamins, etc; the thing I already knew. I canceled my credit card, and I am going to dispute this issue in court!
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Nikki:1/7/2010 - Extreme Fitness North York are scammers. After I cancelled my membership they continued to charge me monthly for six months, and the charges were HIGHER than what I had been paying monthly on my membership. I had to fight the charges and go into the gym several times to talk to a manager. I was not happy. Please check your credit card statements carefully after you cancel and/or after your membership is up.
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ashley:1/3/2010 - extreme fitness pickering is the worst gym ive never been to. i went everyday for ten days to cancel my membership and the manager was never available to speak to me!!!!! therefore tricking me into a full year membership bc i could not cancel without his approval.
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Adam:1/2/2010 - I have read a few posts and all point to the same – Extreme Fitness is the biggest Con every. Their sales and marketing is nothing but a scam. They say one thing and do something else. Their $8/month is a scam. How come a Government agency has not closed them down? I think they are just fringing on being illegal. Stay a mile away.. nay ten miles away from them. To check out a fitness club – check and recheck and visit and revisit. See if they have high turnover of staff, check the cleanliness, go at different times to see what it is like – traffic, parking, staff behavior, etc. Check out the shape and condition of equipment, observe the staff, etc. If you do anything good this year, stay away from Extreme Fitness.
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JJJJJJJJJ:12/27/2009 - the shittest gym i ever been too. horrible customer service, they are all scammers including the manager. they promise the money back and say u have to wait 3 weeks for the transaction (my ass) after 6 weeks u still dont get your money back. so if they charged ur credit card or scammed u , just phone up ur credit card company to fix the problem . never trust those dirty basters at the gym even those who say they are from head office w/e. extreme caution and avoid extreme fitness at all cost. terrible terrible place. if somone agree with me here, i really want to punch the manager's face hard at danforth and pape, baster..
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Tina:12/12/2009 - On facebook someone has started a class action lawsuit against extreme fitness pleaseeee join, they just took over 250$ from my account this month its time to put a stop to this hidden scam!!!
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JC:12/1/2009 - I go to Pape and Danforth. Its not the worst gym in the world, but its not really a pleasant place to work out. The lighting is too dark. It takes them forever to fix the TVs on the equipment when they break. Its very busy at peak hours. And they never organize the free weights so its very hard to find bars, matching dumbbells, etc. Also they tried all kinds of very high pressure sales tactics on me and stretched the truth when telling me about the contract (luckily I read it before I signed it). On the other hand its very close to the subway and they have towel service (which you have to pay extra for). And there are not many other options in the neighborhood.
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DDDD:11/2/2009 - FIX THE SAUNA IN THE RICHMOND HILL LOCATION, YOU IDIOTS!!!! Put a timer on the freaking wall...why does a member have to warp wet paper towel on the thermometer to enjoy a decent steam room experience. (Which last time I checked doesn't even work).
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JC:10/22/2009 - ABSOLUTLEY HORRABLE!!! DO NOT GIVE THEM YOUR CREDIT CARD ON FILE. MY CARD WAS FRAUDULANTLY CHARGED (3 DAYS IN A ROW FIRST DAY FOR $87, SECOND DAY $169 THIRD DAY $191) $447 IN 3 DAYS! I HAD TO FIGHT AND THREATEN THEM WITH A LAWSUIT AND EVEN GO AS FAR AS REPORTING MY CARD AS STOLEN TO HAVE IT TAKEN OFF FILE I DID END UP GETTING THE MONEY BACK BUT ONLY AFTER A BIG FIGHT. THEY GAVE ME 6 MONTHS MEMBERSHIP CREDIT AS A GESTURE TO COVER UP THEIR “MISTAKE” (WHOOP DE CRAP) NOW THE 6 MONTHS ARE OVER, I HAVE 2 MONTHS LEFT ON MY 1 YEAR CONTRACT AND WANT TO PAY OFF THE 2 MONTHS AND CANCEL EARLY AND THEY ARE NOW SAYING I HAVE TO PAY FOR THE 2 MONTHS PLUS THE 6 MONTHS BECAUSE CREDITS CAN NOT BE USED WITHIN THE OBLIGATION PERIOD ON THE CONTRACT?? WTF?!? THEY GAVE ME THE CREDITS FOR THEIR SCREW UP AND NOW ARE TRYING TO REVOKE IT AND MAKE ME PAY EVEN MORE? I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DISTRICT MANAGER TOMORROW TO SEE WHATS GOING ON AND IF THEY TRY TO SCREW ME OVER AGAIN I AM GOING TO THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU, A LAWYER AND TO THE MEDIA. ITS ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Brandon:10/21/2009 - I've been going to the Richmond Street gym for almost a year and a half now - I've never experienced anything like what I'm hearing here. No high pressure sales tactics, no hassles, nothing. In fact, because I was switching over from Goodlife (which is a shiiiite gym) they gave me a couple free months on top of the three they gave me. The trick in dealing with any sales person is to remember that YOU have complete control in any situation. They cannot grab your hand and MAKE you sign anything... Sure, I've definitely heard of some high pressure sales going on, but that's common. That's commission-based SALES all over the board. At any time you're free to walk away or ask any questions you want. If they don't answer them to your satisfaction -- OR, especially if these people make you feel pressured, you can walk. No skin off their back. When I signed up they were very clear to me about what I was getting myself into, they explained how the payments would work, etc. pretty clearly. Now, to be clear, I'm not trying to crap on people's experiences... I'm only trying to inform anyone who might be looking to join a gym in the future -- any gym. Keep doing your research, make a solid list of questions, AND, it doesn't hurt to know your rights as a Canadian Consumer (of which you have more than you think). In Ontario, you have what's called a 'Cooling off period' that gives you up to 10 DAYS to cancel a business contract. This was granted to you in the 'Consumer Protection Act' of 2002. Check this website for more information -- KNOW YOUR RIGHTS AS A CONSUMER (again, you have MANY!) Good luck out there folks, don't be afraid to assert yourself! ;) Check out the website here: http://www.sse.gov.on.ca/mcs/en/Pages/Cancel_a_Contract.aspx Cheers! Brandon
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nina:10/9/2009 - i hate the one on danforth i cant wait for my 1 year to be up i have 6 months to go ....do anyone know if i need to cancel it after one year or the contract is void after that?
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amanda:10/7/2009 - Extreme fitness is a complete ripoff. I was told that I would have a three month trial basis, and could decide If i wanted to renew my contract. I was 17 at the time and had no parental signature for me to even be eligable for a contract. It was the yonge and sheppard location some idiot named Jay was so pushy for me and my friend to sign up, he was enthusiastic at the time and we signed. We gave our bank account information, on no circumstances did he say that the contract couldnt be canceled. We found out about this offer when my friend recieved a random phone call saying that she had won two free passes at extreme fitness for three months free. It was no win it was a promotion that was going on in the gym. We had the understanding that we would be paying alot less money per month then we actually had to pay. This is the worst gym, they care about the dent in your wallet and dont care about anyhting you have to say after you have given them your bank information and your signature which at sometimes you may feel like you were rushed to sign in the first place. Never go to extreme under any circumstances and dont let them get you into all that personal trainer non sense either.
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Theena:10/3/2009 - The unethical way of conducting business, worst place to be in. Do not ever give your credit card information. you will get bills after bills. Tips: Call your credit card company and dipute your payments to the extreme fitness club. Also you can lodge a complain to the cosumer protection authorities. To be on the save side , do not even think of just visiting for any reason.
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travis:9/22/2009 - A lot of people seem to be complaining about Extreme Fitness. I personally haven't had any such problem with them. When I signed up they clearly indicated that there was a one year term agreement in order to recieve the free months. Everyone is saying that they MADE them sign it, but this is not the case, like any contract, you have a choice if you are going to sign it or not. If you didn't want the term, then why sign the contract. I know when you get a cell phone at a discounted price, you sign a term agreement and this in turn gives you a promotion. Same thing with extreme fitness. The gyms are clean, and the equipment is in good shape. I even find the staff to be very friendly and even will often address you by name. Sure there are sales people who try to sell you a training sessions, but they can't make you do anything you don't want to do, so if you don't want it, JUST SAY SO. And if you do sign a contract, then don't start complaining after and claim it is the business's fault you signed it. YOU ARE THE BOSS OF YOU!! That's all I have to say. :)
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jf:9/16/2009 - Not a friendly place. No wonder, so many members complain about the service (this blog and another one: http://www.blogto.com/fitness/extreme).
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karim:9/16/2009 - LAWSUIT***LAWSUIT***LAWSUIT*** If you are interested in joining a class action lawsuit, where are aim is to shut down this gym and prevent any more people from having to go through this nightmare, email me at karimkarim71@gmail.com
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Jo:9/13/2009 - Joining Extreme Fitness is the worst mistake I have ever made. The staff is extremely pushy and they make you feel like you are in really bad shape when we know that our body is fit and just need some cardio training, which we can do on our own. They offer a "free" health assessment a the beginning, but it's just just a strategy to make you sign up for a personal trainer. They make you feel like what you do on the equipment is all wrong and will have injuries if you don't hire a professional trainer to help you even when you're only using the simple cardio machines. Luckily, we were smart enough to cancel the personal trainer program the next day. Beware that you can never cancel your membership once you have sign up for it. Well, you can cancel it, but you have to pay all the monthly payment up front!! They charged me twice on my credit card for the membership 4 months ago, and have not sent me the refund when they said they would in 15 days. Extreme Fitness is a corrupt corporation, which only cares about sucking as much money from their customers as possible and not care about the well-being of their customers at all.
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Zoe:9/2/2009 - I didn't google enough for the reviews of this gym until I am a member, which is a mistake!! I was also fooled by the 2 or 3-month free tactic and ended up to sign a 12-month contract. At the time, the sales rep (Sherif) and the female manager (forgot her name) were friendly in a sense (except being a bit pushy). They promised to give me two gym bags, one for my sister who referred me and one for being a new member (at the time in January 2009). For the past nine months, both my sister and I have been going there to get the bags but always get the same answer along the lines of "we ran out", "we don't know when they will come". The female manager is very rude. Then I got very fed up and told Sherif to e-mail me firt thing when the bags come. He never did. Just two days ago, my sister went directly to a male manager and asked for the bag. She finally got one, as the male manager said he is allowed to give her only one even though she explained the whole situation. She also told me that she saw other people leaving with the bags as well. So I quickly e-mailed Sherif on the same day, stating that people were getting the bags and I should get mine now. He e-mailed me right away saying that they ran out of the bags and have to wait another 2-3 weeks. This is so ridiculous!!! He was supposed to e-mail me when the bags first arrive so I can go get it. He never let me know that the bags were here, and when I e-mailed him, he kept giving me this execuse of bags running out. And all these time, Extreme's flyers to capture new victims have been circulating and on the flyer, it promises to give new members a gym bag and the water bottle(s)!! I was so mad that I called Extreme at Sheppard and Yonge this morning and asked to speak to a manager. Unfortunately, the manager I was transferred to was the rude one (the female manager). She was so rude to me saying that the bags are first-come and first serve, and if they don't have the bags, then they don't have the bags. What kind of membership manager is this? It's very ironic that on their career page, they mention something about customer retention. I will not renew my membership next January for sure, and thanks to those other people who posted online about their lousy experiences with Extreme, I will cancel my credit card so that they won't illegally renew my membership.
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Michelle:9/1/2009 -
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Poul:8/19/2009 - Rude, pushy, hard sell approach. Dunfield location is a disaster with weights, if you can find them, all over the place. And the gym smells, especially in the changerooms and carpeted areas. Meat market enviroment.
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FK:8/18/2009 - worset gym ever!!!!!!
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annie:7/31/2009 - When I joined, they said there will be new equipment. They should have been more specific. They should have said New Upholstery on OLD Equipment. Hahaha. How CHEAP.
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anton:7/29/2009 - It is being run like criminal gang or organized crime.
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sarah:7/15/2009 - Becareful and avoid these people at North York Location: Al Emadian, Greg Samuel, Sia Venet LEARN FROM US AND DON't JOIN ...... It happened to me too. They made me sign a one-year contract with 3 months for free. Now that I think about it, the 3- month- free wasn’t really free. I tell you what hey do. The trick is that they break the cost of that 3months period and added to the rest of the months. But when you are signing the contract hey say you are getting free months,, which is totally BS. Now that I’ve terminated my membership within 7 months of my contract, they have voided my freezed months and charged me for those, plus charged me for the first supposedly free 3 months period as well, because I am moving and terminating my contract early. But still I was one of the lucky ones who didn’t fall into their tricks of trainers and towels and multiple gym access, nutrition advisor BS. … Who do they think we are…. I am putting a STOP on my credit card immediately after writing this comment for you. It feels nice to be free at last….
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Har:7/15/2009 - I have never been a member of extreme fitness. Apparently, my membership was auto renewed. (originally a ballys membership, but closed down, and memberships were handed over to extreme fitness) 2 years after my 1 year membership was over i get a call from collections saying i owe them a couple hundred bucks, an that its going to screw my credit. I didnt recieve no 90-30 day notification about renewall (Consumer Protection Rights). No extreme fitness membership, no member mail. But now i have to cough up money that i shouldnt have to. And if thats not bad, i have to pay collections so my credit doesnt get destroyed, then have to prove that extreme fitness is messin with me to get reimbursed for their mistake. Extremely scamuSs movements.
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jay:7/6/2009 - WORST GYM in TORONTO. WORST Customer Service. WORST Managers.
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Ugh:7/4/2009 - My boyfriend tried their 2 months for $8 or w/e the deal was, then came in at the end of 2 months and said "ok, i liked your gym trial, now i want the 1 year membership" so they said no problem and did the paperwork, then next month he gets billed $70 for the new membership and $230 for the 2 months for free membership which they DID NOT CANCEL or close! His credit card was maxed out, credit score ruined and the gym card was blocked since they couldnt charge him anymore, so now he cant even use the gym where he is paying for TWO memberships. it took them 4 weeks to refund him w/out any offers for free months or anything, a "sorry" did it for them. Then ME - i had an annual membership where i pay 9 payments (so 9 months) and get last 3 months for free. so i lost the contract and that redemption coupon for 3 months, so i go in and tell them this (since 9 months have passed and i want to make sure my 3 months are FREE), so the first guy looks and says "give me a sec", leaves, second guy comes looks clicks then leaves, then a THIRD guy comes, looks clicks, asks me my story again, then says "oh ok, i see here the three months, ok, you're all good" and i say "ok, so no more payments right, like i'm done paying? i've payed 9 payments and thats it" and he says "yep, you're done, no more payments" and i'm like "wow, so really i didnt even need to have come down here to do this" and he's like "no you didnt" so i leave, i check my credit card 3 days ago and i am CHARGED on june 29th, my regular fee of $70!!! What happened of charging on the FIRST of every month? i know its canada day, so what happend to the 30th of june? was that pre-canada day holiday at Extreme Fitness? so i'm pissed, i call the gym, i dont flip out, i'm all calm and the GENERAL manager says "there's nothing i can do for you, you didnt redeem your coupon" and i'm like "are you kidding me? have you been listening to what i've said?" and he's like "ok, the best i can do is give you one more month for free" and i'm like "i dont want free months, they're obviously NOT free, i want a refund and i want to CLOSE my membership" and he's like "ok, come in tomorrow" and i'm like "ok, 5pm good? and he's like fine. So i come in at around 1pm, i was in the area so i decided to get it over w/. i come in and there is "one of the managers" at the counter and i tell him about the 5pm appt and he's like "FIVE PM?" cause there will be NO MANAGERS there at 5pm... omfg. so me and him go up and talk, he counted with his FINGERS the months on which i paid, it took him about 15 min. to count, i was soooo bored and confused as to why he's counting, it says on the screen 10 payments, i only had to do 9 payments, everything is counted for him. then i say "i want to close my membership, i dont want the free months" and he's like "oh, i cant close your membership, i have to wait until october, thats when its 12 months and you're done then" and i'm like "excuse me? the guy who opened my membership said i can cancel at anytime, i just have to pay the remaining payments and if i paid them then i can cancel the 3 free months, but why would anyone do that, its free so w/e, its my choice" and he's like "what was his name?" so i told him (who cares what the name is) so not even 3 min later i tell him, so can i close my membership today? and he's like "oh yeah, no problem, i can for sure close your membership" and i'm thinking WHAT THE HELL, you just said YOU CANT DO THAT. anyways, the refund he did (it was sent to head office so i'll probably receive it in a month like my boyfriend did - even though the manager said 2 weeks)so the refund he did very reluctantly, he wanted to know the date i came in, the time and all the names of the three jack asses who didnt know shit. the only reason he did it for me i think is because i just sat there and waited quaetly, so he figured i'm not going to say "ok, you figure this out and i'll call you tomorrow". So today is the HAPPIEST day of my life, i CLOSED my membership AND i got my "future" refund. i have papers signed and everything. but i am still very worried that those bastards are going to charge me for what ever reason like me closing membership on friday and that day is NO GOOD to do that or some b/s like that. as for my refund, my boyfriend got his in a month, so i'll be waiting for it like a birthday present. and this just made me so paranoid, like i'm supposed to write down NAMES of staff i talk to from now on anywhere i go? how about the date and time? should i bring a tape recorder? and now i'll be checking my credit card like every week for the rest of my life making sure EXTREME FITNESS is not charging me. Me and my boyfriend made a new saying when one of us gets screwed we'll say "what, did you get EF?". I am fully ready to like participate in some article or something, and so is my bf is someone wants to write something on them in like Toronto Star or something. IF we all get together, ppl will know, it might turn into a really big story, someone has to stop them publicly. Contact: thumper_mdc@hotmail.com
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ent:6/19/2009 - Everything is fake here, staging to steal your money ,ruin your credit and suck your energy. If you want to get sick, this place is a shortcut. I got phone call from them that I get one month free membership so I need to claim my prize. I had an appointment with my friend at the same time, so I let my friend wait outside, I thought it is only going to take a couple of minutes for me to get out. The reception are a bunch of rude girls that it looks like they work at those night clubs, because when I walked in, they looked at my outfit enviously and no one wanted to talk to me, and give me a look that they want me to disappear out of their sight quickly. When I turned, luckily for that salesman Jay who called me up, he ran out and caught me at the door, so we sit down, he started to ask me questions, including the country of origin of my parents. I told him I have friend waiting, if he has questions, we can do some other time, he insisted to drag me for a tour, he was literaly breathless when we were up at the yoga room, and I started to worry about his health condition. Meantime I worried that my highheels may get trapped by those steps and equipments and my friend's car meter is running out. He said I looked like a bit comprehensive, I told him it was my highheel issue,I can not make mistakes. So we sit down again, he told me my first payment is going to be Sep 1, as those flyer said, so I asked where is my prize then, he execuse himself for a minute, a manager next door (they work in an open concept area)called him in then sent him out, I just realized that manager was eardropping all the way of our conversations. So now I got 5 month free, the first payment is Nov 1. , the manager even came to us with a box of chocolate, healthy dark chocolate, I took the chocolate, I need some energy to face my friend's waiting disappoint, fill a form with my nick name, told them I will be back with a void check the same day, and they released me. The rest couple of hours of the day, they called my phone number 4 times. Tips, Before you visit extreme fitness, drop all your id and your wallet at home, tell them your nick name only and wear dress shoes. Pass the word around, we need real heathy gym in Toronto, Extreme Fitness just doesn't fit the town.
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anon11:6/13/2009 - It looks like that the old strategy of Premier Fitness Clubs is now being used by Extreme Fitness. It just probably needed a little tweaking to avoid being fined by the federal Competition Bureau. It is sad for the consumers. See the 2007 ruling below. http://www.cb-bc.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/02518.html Premier Fitness Undisclosed Fees Investigation Successfully Concluded Competition Bureau Reaches Settlement with Fitness Club Chain in Ontario Ottawa, November 27, 2007 – The Competition Bureau announced that it has reached a consent agreement with Premier Fitness Clubs, resolving the Bureau’s concerns over some of the company’s advertising practices from 1999 to 2004. The agreement was filed today with the Competition Tribunal. During the course of its investigation, the Bureau determined that Premier Fitness Clubs did not adequately disclose additional fees that consumers would be obligated to pay in some of its advertising of membership offers on the radio, billboards, storefront signs, and in newspapers and flyers. Consumers who were induced by free trial offers ultimately had to pay a mandatory “fitness assessment” and/or had to sign up for a one-year contract in order to receive the “free” 30-90 day trial offer. As a result, the actual price of memberships was greater than what the advertisements led consumers to believe. This contravened the false or misleading representations provision of the Competition Act. Premier Fitness Clubs owns and operates 35 clubs in Ontario. “The Bureau is committed to ensuring that consumers are not enticed to make purchases based on misleading information,” said Andrea Rosen, Acting Deputy Commissioner of Competition. “Truth in advertising is fundamental so that Canadians do not sign contracts or make purchases only to find that additional costs have not been disclosed.” Following the Bureau’s investigation, Premier Fitness Clubs has voluntarily taken steps to correct its advertising practices in order to conform with the law. This cooperation, along with the consent agreement, have resolved the Bureau’s concerns without having to proceed with costly litigation. Under the terms of the 10-year consent agreement, Premier Fitness Clubs is required to: -pay an administrative monetary penalty of $200,000.00; -publish a corrective notice in three Ontario daily newspapers (the Toronto Sun, the Toronto Star, and the Ottawa Citizen); -display a corrective notice in its clubs and on its Web site; -implement a new corporate compliance policy to cover its marketing practices; and -not make false or misleading representations in future promotional materials. The Competition Bureau is an independent law enforcement agency. We contribute to the prosperity of Canadians by protecting and promoting competitive markets and enabling informed consumer choice.
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Donna:6/9/2009 - Well, I didn't think it would happen to me, but alas, I've been hoodwinked by Extreme Fitness! I was working with a personal trainer, which was costing me 180$ a month (steep, but somewhat manageable). Anyways, my personal trainer told me my sessions would be coming to an end, and I should renew to ensure a smooth transition. I sit down with a manager, scrutinize the contract, it looked fine, so I decide to continue. 15 days later when I get billed, direct deposit style, my account it virtually raped. Checking my account statements, I see Extreme Fitness has charged me a bunch of times, over 600$ worth of fees! So I rush into the Extreme office thinking they've made a mistake... nope, apparently when I signed, they are still charging me 180$ a month for the first 5 months a session, and now an additional 300$ for the next sessions, essentially shouldering 600$ a month with gym fees tossed in there. I'm flabbergasted, told them they didn't tell me I'd be double-billed if I renew services, thought I'd be billed in the same manner as before. The manager had assured me they could break up the costs into smaller installments before I has signed, so I ask him to do that. He tells me no, tough shit, go to your bank, get a credit card and start paying off your dues ASAP. SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS a month? I barely make 400$ a week as a fledgling freelance designer, who can support costs like that? I spent 4 hours of my time trying to quit Extreme Fitness yesterday, (as well as most of the weekend playing phone tag with managers, or dealing with people who didn't have any authority to cancel my account) Spent the Monday chasing runaway managers and trying to jump through hoops. While waiting for an hour for a manager to emerge from his office, I poke my head in to realize he'd slipped out! Pissed, I sat in his office, and on his desk there was a giant stack of letters, all dated from June, essentially saying, "I canceled my account and you're still billing me; You're double billing me, cease and desist!", etc... I finally managed to corner the manager while roaming the building and we went to see the head honcho together. My paperwork to "move" looked fine, and I could quit, IF, I pay them 171$ to cover my "free" three months that were on gym membership. They also told me, there was no guarantee my account will actually be canceled, it was the discretion of head office to approve or deny, they were simply sending my request to them... Anyways, I was frustrated, yelled at them, called their scam, told them I was closing my bank account, and dared them to bring their collection agency after me...
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Richard:5/23/2009 - Extreme thornhill are a bunch of crooks. my contract expired in December, and I finally got around to cancelling my account in february. They continue to charge my visa for training sessions that I paid a LONG time ago, I've tried calling my bank... but they tell me there is nothing they can do about it. I've talked to this "nathan" clown who promised me the the charges would stop. Does anybody know what i can do? you can email me at ext__@hotmail.com thanks in advance
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Ellie:5/21/2009 - If you're serious about a complaint, you should not complain on just blogs - to make your case stronger, or even to at least try to get some form of justice, complain to the Better Business Bureau. Best case scenario - your issue is resolved as you wanted. Worst case scenario - you're in the same boat as now, but at least you tried. I'm filing my complaint against Extreme Fitness today for their dishonest sales practices (and no, I'm not the first one to do so). The more complaints there are, the more proof that the Better Business Bureau has against Extreme Fitness. Check out Extreme's Rating on the Better Business Bureau http://mwco.bbb.org/WWWRoot/Report.aspx?site=160&bbb=0107&firm=1036564#ratingdetails Here's the link to file a complaint(make it against Extreme Fitness Inc): https://odr.bbb.org/odrweb/public/getstarted.aspx
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kae:5/18/2009 - a friend of mine back in june 2007 recevied a flyer in the mail from extreme fitness promoting a free for 3 months deal. we decided to check it out at the location on eglinton close to yonge in Toronto, Ontario. we went there and apparently after the 3 months, you as the customer can decide whether or not your going to continue with the gym and that would be the point where you would start paying a monthly fee. The sales person we spoke to named Nino was very friendly and seemed very genuine in helping us. After he explained 'half-assed' about what the gym consists of, he told us we would have to sign a contract. i was skeptical and told him i would rather bring the contract home and review it with my mother. In a sort of annoyed voice he told us that we wouldn't be able to take the contract with us and we had to sign it now. He highlighted some sections on the contract about the equipment and new sound systems that were being installed, but didn't put much emphasis on the money that had to be spent. After we spoke with him a bit more, he told us he needed a credit card number or void cheque. I said but wait a minute, if it's free for the first 3 months and you DID say after the 3 months we decide if we're joining or not, why do we need to have our credit card number? he gave some reason that I was obviously dumb enough to fall for, and I gave him the number. My friend didn't have her visa so we put my number temporarily on hers as well. After we talked some more, my friend and I left and we were very skeptical. Signing up for this gym seemed too easy. After we discussed it, we decided this wasn't for us. Two 18 year old girls who were working and would be going to college in the next few months, really couldn't find the time for the gym. Sometime in July, I called the Dunsfield club and asked to speak to a manager. The receptionist asked me what the nature of my call was and i explained to her that I had 3 months free and I wanted out. All of a sudden, the manager wasn't available, he was in a meeting. so i said okay and called back about 5 hours later. still the same response, manager's in a meeting. This continued for about 2 weeks until I'm like this is complete bullshit so me and my friend found ourselves down to the gym. I told the receptionist what we were their for and she said he's just about to go in a meeting. so after waiting there for close to 2 hours and knowing that we're being duped, we decided to leave, but not before asking for head office's number. When i get home i call the number the recptionist gave me and low and behold, it's a fax number. Now with working and stuff we sort of forgot about it because accoring to Nino, the guy who signed us up, no money would be taken off my credit card. about october now, i see on my visa statement that $160 (80 for me and 80 for my friend) had been takin off my card. Now i'm extremely pissed now because Nino did say after the 3 months, you decide if it's for you. Now mind you after the day we signed up, we hadn't gone to the gym. And if we were so called 'members', where were our membership cards?? so we go to the gym and ask to speak to Nino. I tell him that there's a charge on my credit card and the friendly, enthusiastic, scammer that we once witnessed, was now speechless, not enthusiastic anymore, and telling us he can't do anything about it, we have to talk to the manager. So I decided that i was going to contact head office, which is supposedly located in Thornhill, but when we call the Thornhill office, they say their not head office. So we called the yonge and sheppard extreme fitness and asked them for head office....and they gave us the thornhill office?? like wtf?? what kind of game is being played here. so i decided to call back the gym we had signed up for and ask to speak to the manager, but i realized once you say you want to cancel, no manager is available. so i finally after many weeks got an appointment with the manager named Stefan at the end of October. I went in i told him him listen i am a student, i work, i have responsibilities at home, there's no way i can make time for the gym. I told him me and my friend were duped, we feel scammed. and he told me well you signed the contract you deal with the consequences. i said well listen your salesman Nino didn't put enough emphasis on the money part and he was rushing us to sign the contract, plus if it's SO EASY and SO CONVIENIENT to sign up, why can't i cancel???contracts can be broken you know. he said wll your on a 12 month contract! now at this point i'm thinking of socking this fool in his face but i kept my cool and explained again that i have no time. his response, well im sure u can find a few hours in your day blah blah blah. and im like this fool isn't hearing me, so let me just leave. so now we're in mid november and me and my mom are having conflicts, so i decide to move in with a relative in brampton. i'm not sure when i'm going back home, so i decided to buy a P.O Box at the post office, so at least i dont have to change my address but i can still receive mail in it. So i make another appointment with jackass Stefan (this is december now) and show him my po box that shows i will be living out of the city, which i believe is the only way you can cancel your membership. so he tells me theres no gym location in Brampton but it's still in a 40 km radius from another. I'm like are you a dumbass??? i go to school in etobicoke, live in brampton, and you think i'm going to travel all the way to the closest location, the vaughn location??!!???plus is not like i have a car, it's public transportation, I take. well after all that, we are now in January and i'm trying to maybe contact head office one final time, and then possibly take this a bit further. I am now 19, i work on weekends, because travelling from etobicoke to brampton doesnt really leave much time for anything. and from october to now, $160 has been takin off my visa, which totals about $640. Nino sucks and Stefan royally SUCKS!!!.....ANYWYAS IF ANYONE IS READING THIS AND CONTEMPLATING JOINING EXTREME FITNESS, DON'T!!!!AND IF YOU DO, READ THE CONTRACT OVER 5, 6 ,7, HOW MANY TIMES IT TAKES YOU TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR SIGNING UP FOR. AND IF YOU NEED TIME, INSIST ON TAKING THE CONTRACT HOME!!!!DON'T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE ME AND MY FRIEND MADE, BECAUSE YOU WILL REGRET IT.
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lknapp:5/14/2009 - Hi, I am a freelance writer writing an article about misleading advertisements at healthclubs, and I 'd like to speak with someone who has had a bad experience with Extreme after falling for their aggressive marketing tactics. Contact me at lonnyknapp@gmail.com
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lknapp:5/14/2009 - Hi, I am a freelance writer writing an article about misleading advertisements at healthclubs, and I 'd like to speak with someone who has had a bad experience with Extreme after falling for their aggressive marketing tactics.
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John Smith:5/12/2009 - Address and Contact Information Extreme Fitness Club Services Manager 905-709-1248 ext 280 pdow@extremefitness.info Corporate Office Address 8281 Yonge Street Thornhill, ON L3T 2C7
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Gino:5/8/2009 - Stefano which trainer over a Bloor did this? I suspect that my trainer was doing this but wasn't sure.
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Pissed Off:5/6/2009 - Im sooo pissed off at Extreme. They are a bunch of vultures that have terrible tactics and are a bunch of crooks. I just saw an authorization that was luckily declined on my credit card, so I am gonna get a stop payment cause I cancelled my membership in the 10 day cool-off period. Never again. I wish I saw this website with all the great complaints before going there and I would have NEVER GONE THERE!
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Stephano:4/28/2009 - I was ripped off by the personal trainer at Bay and Bloor who payed himself for the sessions that I bought. He decided to do his own accounting and pay himself with my sessions. He booked me into training sessions that I never attended and was paid for them. When I complained the management said that he did train me. Management has refused to help me. This has happend twice already at this same gym. Is there any other customers that have experienced this? I am in the process of seeing a lawyer
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Legal Aid:4/18/2009 - Our company specializes in providing legal aid in situations that may not necessarily involve courtroom appearances to be resolved. We have dealt with numerous gym memberships and contract imbreachments in the past. If you are interested in taking a legal action or just a legal consultation, call me at (647)990-6782
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BobJones:4/16/2009 - Worst Gym Ever. You better put a stop-payment on your credit card if you even THINK about leaving because they'll illegally bill you as much as they can. These guys should be shut down.
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iHATEsushi:4/13/2009 -
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Ann:4/5/2009 - the music is sooo tasteless and veeery loud. is it for death people? i could not stand that, neither other people whom i talked to in the club. the stuff in Danfield club is very rude, they do not care about anything
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Tash:4/4/2009 - Do NOT fall for their 'free 4-month membership' scam, which you 'win' after filling out a ballot (they have those little boxes all over the place - STAY AWAY FROM THEM). I was told repeatedly by the guy who processed me (Brooks was his name) at their Yonge & Dundas location that the contractual period was ONLY 4 months, that I had no obligation to continue after the 4 month period, and all that was needed was 2 weeks written notice, and nothing would be charged to my account. It doesn't matter at all if you read through your contract and ask for clarification - the terms of the contract were misrepresented when I asked for clarification or explanation - basically, I was lied to. My work schedule went haywire after that, and after a month I realized I wouldn't be able to fit the gym into my schedule. I took my written notice of cancellation to the gym, where I was then informed that a)Brooks no longer worked there, b)I had 'signed' a YEAR'S contract with 4 month's free, and the two week's notice only applied once I had completed that year. I spoke to the manager, Alex Kumar. He was completely unreasonable, rude, patronizing, and repeatedly accused me of being in breach of contract, even though I explained over and over that I HAD asked for clarification on those terms right from the start, and their representative clearly lied. As luck would have it, my credit card was compromised, and was therefore invalid at the time, so I just refused to give him the information for my other card. It then turned out that the contract they had on file with me DID NOT HAVE MY SIGNATURE ON IT. So he ultimately agreed to cancel the membership - AFTER treating me like a liar and cheat BOTH times I had to go and meet with him. Their behaviour was absolutely disgusting, which is a shame, because it looked like an amazing facility otherwise.
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mad man:4/1/2009 - I tried to cancel my membership and also my partners today. I went to talk to manager at Yonge and sheppard. His name is AL EMADIAN (SUCKER). He pissed me off. I tried to explain my situation, that I have less hours at work and wasn't able to pay my credicard anymore. He said: TOO BAD SIR, BUT I CAN'T DO ANYTHING FOR YOU. A manager that doesn't know how to deal with customer. Also the staff is rude, never can help you, reading book, chewing gum like a horse...hate, hate, hate...and I couldn't cancel my menbership and still have to pay until oct of 2009.
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T:4/1/2009 - I'm not sure what everyone is complaining about. These gyms are ok - they have contracts - READ THEM...it's nothing new. I had no problem cancelling a family members contract - they just stopped the payments with no questions asked. Make sure that YOU are pleasant and responsible when you go...it's not all up to them.
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:3/30/2009 - The Yonge and Eglinton club has declined in quality since Extreme Fitness took it over. There are too many members and too low a quality of staff who look bothered by questions or requests to fix things. There is only one real Stairclimber and despite lots of other machines sometimes you have to try two or three to get everything working properly. They are cheap on running air conditioner and one of the exercise rooms has to have its door open so exercizers don't overheat. The yoga classes allow people to come in late disturbing the meditation of others. This is the McDonalds of sports clubs.
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NotASucker:3/23/2009 - Thankfully I read these comments. Called the North York club to ask about memberships. They told me about the $8 per month pay as you go promo. I made an appointment to go in and sign up. Was told I needed to bring a credit card or void cheque. I told them i'd rather pay one month at a time and he said it is their policy to have a credit card or void cheque. I said I'm not willing to do that and we ended the conversation. I'm surprised they let me hang up but I guess they have no interest in getting business from someone who isn't a sucker.
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elliot:3/18/2009 - Their customer service is the worst. They have few locations and most of the time the gym is over crowded. You have to wait in line to user some of the facilities. When you want to leave the gym they are very rude. The Manager Elliot at 3495 Lawrence avenue location states: “I am the main person of the gym there is nobody else you can talk to or complain to”. Later I found out he is too scared to give out numbers. I will not join this gym ever again and will not recommend anybody to join. Here is the numbers you can complaint to or state your concerns to: Extreme Fitness Inc (Head Office) 8281 Yonge Street Thornhill, ON L3T 2C7 (905) 709-1248 Just dial 0 for a representative.
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Lizette:3/16/2009 - PLEASE e-mail me at caterpiller@live.com if you know of any way i can get out of my contract, ill go totally broek if i have to pay everything ive stupidly agreed to pay. im over 18 but im still dumb about legal stuff. i feel totally taken advantage of. my parents never supported me going to this gym, does that matter if im over 18? i NEED to find a loop hole. PLEASE help me,. ill do anything!!!
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Alex:3/14/2009 - When did customer service become about insulting the person you're hoping to collect money from? They could start treating their patrons with respect, and begin billing honestly rather than pocketing your business then hanging up on you when you call to cancel.
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EcoFit:3/12/2009 - Terrible Terrible Terrible! You can't win. We wasted thousands of dollars before we found Home Health Canada, and now we have the "gym at home!" They put a great treadmill in our house and their personal trainers gave us programs that got us fit fast. We work out whenever we want and the monthly fee we pay is still less than the gym fees! Best thing we ever did. Save yourself the trouble and do the same.
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Extremetrainer:3/11/2009 - Coming from an EXTREME FITNESS PERSONAL TRAINER ...WHERE DO I START... HMMMM... this company will take you for all you are worth and not give two shits! THEY SLAVE US LIKE WE ARE FRESH OFF THE BOAT... AND WE WANT OUT!!! They will double bill you at least ONCE a month and say it is a glitch, when in all reality it is the person who sold you your membership or training that is double billing you so that they can get a commission off from you! QUICK... GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE!
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Sophia:2/27/2009 - This gym should be shut down and sued by all of the members who have been cheated from it. Too many people have voiced their complaints about fees charged to them by this gym even after they have advised of membership cancellation but sadly, by not uniting and taking a stand, this gym continues to profit by using unethical tactics like the aforementioned example. In my case, my one year membership at the Wellington Street location expired in August 2008 and coincided with the due date of my baby. In May 2008, I requested the gym in person to cancel my membership as I was physically unable to exercise during my pregnancy. The person who I met with agreed, however, indicated that he could only place a freeze on the fees until my one year contract was up. He asked whether I wanted to resume my membership on a monthly basis and I declined knowing that I would not be able to exercise with a newborn and since there was no Extreme Fitness near my home. He told me not to worry. Woe is me for trusting him. A couple of months after my baby was born, I noticed that monthly deductions were made from my credit card. When I called the gym manager, he declared that was the case because I had not come in person to request cancellation and when I explained that I had, he insisted that my earlier visit was made just to request a freeze and that I should have known that my membership would continue on a monthly basis for which I would be charged. When I advised that was untrue and illogical since I knew I would not be able to exercise so soon after having a baby, he said that my pregnancy and postpartum situations were not his concern. I am appalled at his behaviour and disgusted at being cheated by this company. Unfortunately, the channels of escalating my concerns appear to be limited but for now I advise everyone to be wary about joining this gym.
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Sophia:2/27/2009 - This gym should be shut down and sued by all of the members who have been cheated from it. Too many people have voiced their complaints about fees charged to them by this gym even after they have advised of membership cancellation but sadly, by not uniting and taking a stand, this gym continues to profit by using unethical tactics like the aforementioned example. In my case, my one year membership at the Wellington Street location expired in August 2008 and coincided with the due date of my baby. In May 2008, I requested the gym in person to cancel my membership as I was physically unable to exercise during my pregnancy. The person who I met with agreed, however, indicated that he could only place a freeze on the fees until my one year contract was up. He asked whether I wanted to resume my membership on a monthly basis and I declined knowing that I would not be able to exercise with a newborn and since there was no Extreme Fitness near my home. He told me not to worry. Woe is me for trusting him. A couple of months after my baby was born, I noticed that monthly deductions were made from my credit card. When I called the gym manager, he declared that was the case because I had not come in person to request cancellation and when I explained that I had, he insisted that my earlier visit was made just to request a freeze and that I should have known that my membership would continue on a monthly basis for which I would be charged. When I advised that was untrue and illogical since I knew I would not be able to exercise so soon after having a baby, he said that my pregnancy and postpartum situations were not his concern. I am appalled at his behaviour and disgusted at being cheated by this company. Unfortunately, the channels of escalating my concerns appear to be limited but for now I advise everyone to be wary about joining this gym.
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Andrew:2/18/2009 - there are so many better options - the focus here is on selling not servicing - ignore the flyer that you get in your mail everyday
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mr pissed:2/10/2009 - this gym sucks its the worst gym out threre they have horible arogent staff and once u get in to their plans thats it youre lost. THEY JUST SUCK BECOUSE U CANT CANCEL NOTHING SO UPSET WHIT THEM.
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Michael:1/22/2009 - I only wish I had read this before I accepted a "trial" 10-day membership with the option (verbal) of phoning the salesperson and opting out. I did so only to discover charges against my credit card a month later. After phone messages and written requests for cancellation and a refund, I've got no response. Under NO circumstances should you consider even entering the building.
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barb:1/21/2009 - This place is awful. I didn`t sign a contract and nor will I ever. High pressure sales, sucky staff, they are still trying to call me. I even sent them an email which did no good with the company. They did not even respond. I noticed someone said that all gyms do this. They dont. I had been gym searching for weeks and at NO point did i encounter anything like this. I am now a member of goodlife where the staff is courteous helpful and dilegent.
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Mike:1/14/2009 - Poor customer service. Lots of people in peak hours. Lack of guidance
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Sharon:1/14/2009 - They are so pushy to the point where you have to tell them "STOP PLAYING GUILT GAMES AND STOP GIVING ME A SALES PITCH...this is what I want and if you can't give it to me fine." I'm not a rude person...but with them you have to be rude. The receptionists are idiots. They are too focused on chewing gum or painting their nails or playing with their hair than the serve customers. One girl is probably smart and the males are always working. The only saving grace this gym has is their wonderful maintenance staff who volunteer information about changes in classes or problems when they see the receptionists blatantly ignoring customers. I already have a cancellation notification prepared for 3 months before my contract expires -they have to sign and awknowledge my letter too (one copy for them and one for me. HATE HATE HATE THIS GYM.
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kally:12/28/2008 - Thank you everyone for posting your complaints regarding this gym. I was thinking about going it there and seeing the facility. You have changed my mind. I will not be going there anytime soon.
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Gus:12/28/2008 - Their new promo is illegal, you cannot advertize that people won a free cruise, and then make them join to get the prize. Lets nail these guys. Email your complaints to the link below http://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/frm-eng/PJSH-6X9KQY Big fine for them, serves those guys right
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M:12/25/2008 - DO NOT JOIN THIS GYM. DO NOT TAKE THEIR FREE TRIALS! DO NOT GIVE THEM ANY ID OR CREDIT CARD INFORMATION. THEY WILL EXTORT, DEFRAUD, THREATEN, PHYSICALLY ATTACK, STEAL YOUR MONEY AND RUIN YOUR LIFE! http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=750179707&v=feed&story_fbid=39311209707#/group.php?gid=6368482280
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Amanda Blacktopp:12/22/2008 - I hate this gym. My trainer was awesome, but the accounting done at this gym is brutal. It took 2.5 months to get back MY money!! Plus now they are still randomly taking MY money out of my accounts when they see fit. I havent been a member since May. I do not reccommend this gym at all!
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JG:12/21/2008 - I've been going to extreme for about 3 years. The facilities are good, but as most have commented, the staff are horrible. Only now, when I actually needed some customer service do I see how terrible they really are. After a 30 minute argument about how "sometimes you have to work around what extreme needs" I told them that I will not be renewing my membership and left only to hear the sales rep call me an asshole to his buddy. Overall, the gym is pretty good, but I wouldn't recomend it purely because of the terrible staff
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A.A:12/19/2008 - Bitchy front-desk staff and unfriendly trainers at Danforth location
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Natalia:12/12/2008 - The worst customer service ever!!! I decided to cancel fully paid personal trainings, they were absolutely useless. The coach wasn’t ready and I never got a program on a paper. He was joking all the time, instead of coaching me. I received a change request receipt on Oct. 6, 2008 for a refund in the amount of $210.00. It is written on the receipt that I should receive my refund within 15 days. It has now been more then 2 month and I have still not received my refund. I have called the office many times and they keep telling me the money should be coming soon just to try to get rid of me. The manager never returned my calls, and pretend like never got them (I really doubt it) I’m very upset about the Thornhill location. Never deal with manager by name Nathan! Lousy lier! If the company can’t afford to return silly $210.00, what kind of management is it? Another thing I hate about this club – it’s overcrowded! So, sure enough, I cancelled my membership.
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Gina:12/10/2008 - I HATE THIS GYM. HORRIBLE SERVICE. SCAMED MY MONEY. I HATE THEM SO MUCH
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Joey:12/10/2008 - The employee's who work at this gym are a bunch of clowns. When I went in to cancel at the Sheppard location they tried to make me wait for management to cancel my membership. I waited about 5 mins and noticed they were busy with eachother and not customers, so they make you wait thinking you may change your mind. So I went up to reception and said you guys have 2 options cause I can't wait here forever, either I fax my cancellation or you get someone to cancel it. She thought I didn't know my comsumer rights as per government which governs it, which are fax is sufficent along with proof of fax for cancellation. So some guy interogatted me wanting to know why I wanted to cancel, I simply said, cancel, I don't need to provide a reason, I'm within the 10 days cooling off period. He tried and he tried, he was didn't know the term frugle meant cause I Said to him that I changed my mind and don't want to pay $63/month, regardless if it's 3 months free. What it comes down to, it's a company I don't want to deal with never again. I went to Yorkville Club, which is 1000x better and friendlier staff with no attitude.
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rsb44:12/9/2008 - the worst, sleaziest gym ever. Their sales tactics are criminal and they don't even pretend like they care. Extreme Fitness is making Bowflex rich.
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george:12/8/2008 - I use go to Oxygen fit ness on the Danforth got really pissed off with all the TV's and music being played so fucking loud all the time even my trainer quit working there. Now thet it has been taken over by EXTREME FITNESS it 's even WORSE!!! If you have spce at your house of appartment build your own work out exercise room and fucking forget about these "fitnees clubs" they all just want your money and attrct the most ingnorant rude idiots. George
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bill:12/5/2008 -
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Reiner:11/28/2008 - Got robed 2 time last year don't go to this place any time soon
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Allan:11/23/2008 - Thornhill branch, men's showr, the shower heads are missing for 2 months and not replaced, the treadmills, the TV does not work,equpment does not get repaired, manager NEVER returns calls or deals with issues, unfrinedly stuaff.
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aaron:11/21/2008 - extreem is a great gym! the people are fake but the payments are terrible! they double charged me only once! and even charged me after i cancelled! terrific! i would certainly recommend this gym to all the stupid fuckin retards out there who like to get legally scammed out of their money.
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Avelino M. Bobadilla Jr.:11/19/2008 - PLEASE DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH EXTREME FITNESS!IT WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT TO GET ANY REFUND MONEY FROM THEM! I work with a company that has a corporate membership with them...so I thought they will not give me any hard time. I WAS DEAD WRONG! After my fifteen days trial, I told them that I do not want to be a member. They told me that everything was cancelled and taken cared of. The next thing I know, is that they have sent my workplace my application membership...so work, started deducting money from my pay stub. It was a good thing that after I have explained to my workplace that it was sent to them (my application) by mistake, as I cancelled my intent to be a member. MY SAVING GRACE IS THAT I DID NOT GIVE EXTREME FITNESS CLUB MY CREDIT CARD NUMBER...AS I HAVE BEEN WARNED BY A MULTITUDE OF PEOPLE THAT HAD A BAD EXPERIENCE WITH HOW BAD EXTREME FITNESS WITH GETTING YOUR MONEY AND NOT GETTING ANY CUSTOMER SERVICE TO HELP THEM OUT WHEN THEY ARE TRYING TO GET THEM TO STOP DEDUCTING MONEY FROM THEIR CREDIT CARDS! My ordeal started on June 2008...and I have been in touch with their corporate account employee, Ms. Marcie Perez but to this day (Nov. 18, 2008)...I still have to get a refund of my money. I WILL NOT RECOMMEND EXTREME FITNESS TO ANYONE! It was only because my workplace was able to quickly stop the deduction from my pay stub...that I have not been a victim to an ever continuing deduction of membership dues (even if I have not signed up for a membership with them).
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WOW:10/8/2008 - Whoever thinks that they are paying less then $8 per each hour session with a personal trainer is obviously an idiot! lol Someone made a good remark about an IQ test required for postings... here's a prime example.
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extremeripoff:10/8/2008 - i became a member a little over a month ago and i regret it! i went to the gym due to some knee problems. the consultant gave me a PT program telling me that he will be giving me the best price possible. the way i understood it, i was gonna pay $300 for 40 sessions which i shall accumulate in 5 months. i said yes thinking id only be paying it for five months only to realize that i have to be paying it for a year!!!! i cant imagine paying 300 after 5 months but then again i take responsibilty for being so stupid. however, they have mislead me with the prcing as when i first signed up for the PT, i have not heard of them mentioning $75/session + tax with my PT. they also insisted on a nutrtionist which they didnt even care about in booking me in after i signed the contract. now, i want to stop the PT service as i realized ive been getting more emphasis to becoming the next lara croft than fixing my knee problems! grrrrr...... a complete joke i tell you..i can only hope that they cancel my PT contract and continue with my membership even if i dont have that much trust in them anymore..and by the way, there is less staff visibility which is kind of a shame as i expect them to be teaching newbies on how to use the equipments.
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GWiz:10/5/2008 - These comments are really interesting. I'm a happy member and really enjoy the clubs. I do feel they're a bit sleezy about being pushy but was expecting it when I went in. Gyms have been doing this for years, sales people get paid on comission. Getting people into a financially stressed situation sucks. But some of these people need to take responsibilty for themselves. My contract clearly states how long it is for so I don't understand how someone "accidentally" signs up for a year and not realize it. The "smart start" fitness test is a total scam designed to make you feel like you need training. Gyms have been doing this stuff for years, this is nothing new. If you don't want or can't afford training as an adult you CAN say no! Training with a good trainer is excellent, but remember it's in their best financial interest that you sign up.
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Naz:10/4/2008 - Most of the people here are upset because they cannot cancel a contract that they signed and committed to. Maybe if people read the contract before signing, they wouldn't have these issues. There should be a mandatory IQ test to qualify for comment postings.
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Cal:10/2/2008 - The trainer that spoke with me was really rude and I live a fairly healthy lifestyle even sans a fitness center, but in his attempts to get me to sign up with a personal trainer and a nutritionist, he made me feel pretty awful. I rebounded quickly, but what a roided up XXXX he was. And thinking I signed up for three months (as that is what the girl led me to believe) I actually signed for a year. WONDERFUL!! I haven't even used it in the last month as I've been too tied up and today I find out that I have to pay them for the next 9 months... I am not impressed. They don't even give me the option to cancel, even after I went in a spoke with someone today... I am thinking on what to do as I just cannot afford the time and money right now and didn't think I would be faces with this fiasco... So frustrating. I do have a few ideas though. If YOU, yes YOU (reading this right now), are experiencing the same torment and anguish that I feel and signed up with the RICHMOND location, I think we could help each other. Please email me at c.sage@ymail.com. It is companies like this that corrupt our society, and for the sake of principal my contact (and yours?) must be canceled.
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Happy Member:9/28/2008 - I also workout at the Danforth Extreme Fitness. Been there since it was Oxygen. It definitely went through some rough times with the renovations when it first was bought by Extreme Fitness, but it's been good lately. Joseph also made a good point about the manager... his name is Tim, by the way. I've been going to health clubs for years, and it's absolutely true that the state of the club is in the manager's hands. I was having issues canceling my daughter's membership for 2 months, and getting a refund for unauthorized charges. It looked to be an honest clerical error, but trying to get it resolved was hell! Finally, the new manager Tim was able to solve my dilemma, and was very professional and courteous in the way that he handled it. I'm very happy with the end result. The club has also had many maintenance improvements since new management has arrived, and I'm anticipating more good things to come. Let's hope Tim manages to stick around for a while, as the turnover in these clubs is definitely "extreme".
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Joseph:9/27/2008 - I've personally had an excellent experience at the Danforth location. Nice equipment, clean, and the manager(think his name was either Tim or Tom)seems to really make an effort to provide great customer service. Some of the salepeople are a little pushy, but the manager ended up talking to me, and setting me up on an excellent promotion. Once again, my first 2 weeks have been fantastic!
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Emille:9/26/2008 - Poor customer service for sure especially at the Thornhill location which is supposed to be the head office, but you can't speak with the incompetant person working in the office, you have to speak with the testosterone overdosed membership personel.
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charles yoganathan:9/20/2008 - Watch out for the scarborough location. Specially people named Randy whom like to think its his gym
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Sam:9/19/2008 - OKAY - TIME'S UP FOR THIS CLUB. LET'S START A CLASS ACTION. ANYONE INTERESTED? THERE ARE LAWYERS OUT THERE WHO WILL SUE THESE CLOWNS FOR US.
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Class Action:9/13/2008 - Steve DaCosta has been in this industry for a long time. He was a co-owner of Premier Fitness, until a Class Action suit against Premier forced them to make concessions with the plaintiffs. So, he and his partners agreed that he'd leave Premier and start his own clubs - spread the same scam to another geographic market. Lawsuits are public record. think about it - approximately 5000 members per location X $49 base per month X 13 locations PLUS all the personal training fees = lotta money flowing into Steve DaCosta's pocket. Does Extreme Fitness really need to screw members who want to leave? Could he not spend some money to train better staff for customer service? We were screwed years ago by the multi-year membership scam by Premier - where they signed up hundreds of members, then declared bankrupcy, then open the gym again, claiming different ownership. Members had to pay again, because, well, it wasn't the same owners. Why there hasn't been enough outrageus to start another class action suit is beyond me.
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Dario:9/12/2008 - north york location. Sketchy business practices and I was scammed out of 40 dollars for two months when a "Free Tryout" of an upgrade turned into extra fees without notification. I was not notified that I would be billed initially or ever.
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nicole johnson:9/11/2008 - I entered the extreme fitness club with a flyer that promised no obligations and no excuses--60 day, 16.00. This was my 1st time in any EF club. The sales consultant Cathy Tassone explained my options and I told her I'd like to try the club before committing to a membership. She and her boss Gordon Roblin lied to me about the promotion and said that I had to sign a one year contract. They then charged my credit card and tried to have me sign the contract agreeing to pay 96.00 per month beginning Nov 1st with a 1 year commitment. They told me this was my only option. I showed them the flyer and said that what they are telling me contradicts the promotion. Gordon told me he owned extreme fitness and that he knows what he was talking about. I asked Cathy to refund my credit card and cancel the contract. Cathy refused and then began yelling at me. She brought Gordon back over who said he didn't want my business at all if I wasn't going to sign a 1 year contract.
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Holy Cow:9/8/2008 - Almost every gym I've ever been to has a high pressure sales pitch. The $8 thing is a promotion! Do you think they could operate a facility only charging members $8 a month? They are way more aggressive about the training thing than most places. I walked in to check out the promotion and was offered a "one time deal" of $56 a month that I had to sign then. It was a much better deal than I was paying at my Goodlife membership so I jumped on it. I skimmed the contract and signed. Was easy and didn't feel any pressure besides the usual BS of having to jump on the deal that would probably be the same for the next guy that walked in after me a week later. Like anything you an negotiate. Tell them a figure you paid at your last gym and lowball it and they'll make something that sounds appealing. It seems that most of these posts are from people where English is a second language. Could it be that they prey more on "new Canadians" than others? Depending on the location the staff seems fine to me. Some have been kinda snotty, but for the most part the staff at the Bloor location are really nice. That's my home gym and have been going there for a few months. They greet me and most know me by name. I'm pretty happy with my membership and enjoy working out. The front desk staff at the Danforth has been known to eye roll on occasion which sucks, but also somewhat amusing with the right frame of mind! Don't interrupt their personal conversations to ask for towles..they HATE that! But stuff like that is to be expected in a big company with several locations, the industry in general seems to employ it's fair share of eye rollers. The contest box things you enetered have been going on for years. Bally, Goodlife all of them have done that since at least the early 80s so not sure where the big shock is there. You win some sort of trial membership that requires a tour which eventually leads to a contract being pushed in front of you. If it's a good deal jump on it, if not you can say no. If you really feel like you've been cheated organizing a class action lawsuit isn't a bad idea. For the idiot who posted the you tube video, squeeling and dropping the F-bomb every 10th word really doesn't give you any credibility. I'm sure they cancelled your membership because you were so annoying. Then dropping dog poop in front of the building and stomping on it? You have much more serious issues in your life than Extreme Fitness.
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Xtreme Sucks:9/6/2008 - After reading all the blogs about Extreme Fitness, I really hope that you (reader) will make the wise decision NOT TO get a membership. When I first went to the Sheppard location, the enrollement part was pretty easy. I needed a membership and they were selling one. No pressure. They then decided to sell me personal training sessions. I told the sales person, that I wasn't sure if I needed any as I was planning to work out with my husband. The sales person left the room and then entered the manager who bluntly asked me if I was afraid of my husband, if my husband made all the decisions... Needless to say that I was insulted and shocked by the comment. I was told that I could go to the Delisle location as it is close to me, but by the time I went they informed me that I needed to upgrade my membership to $100/month. So much happened since then that I just can't wait for 3 months to go by so that I can CANCEL... If you are reading because you already enrolled, then I feel your pain : )
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Doug:9/6/2008 - Just got a call from Extreme fitness, 7:30pm Saturday. I've apparently won a 3 month trial, by allegedly filling out a card on the street. I've never filled out anything, it's another scam like marketing ploy.
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Ben:9/5/2008 - Advertize a no obligation membership, but all the sales people refuse to sell it.I guess they do not get paid on these, so they just flat out lie to get you to sign there contract. If you ever get caught in there trap just cancel your credit card or put a stop payment at the bank.(Better yet change bank accounts.) Owned by americans now, so they will do anything to get your money. The COO is Taso Papas tasop@extremefitness.info 647-274-3709 CEO is Jim Solomon jsolomon@falconheadcapital.com Better yet email the real bosses in New york. There all on the falconheadcapital.com website We should do an email campaign to the head of falconhead David Moross Tell them to go back to New York.
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Anka:9/2/2008 - I got a 3 month membership there because they had a special, just cancelled it today, wish I read this site because I had the exact same issues with them. Apparently the despite what was discussed the form I was slipped was a 9 month membership, they didn't refund me my deposit saying i breached the contract by canceling. Sales people are way money thirsty and will apparently say what ever they feel like. The one at yonge and eglinton has been renamed to the DUNFIELD CLUB - different name same unfriendly douche bags! If you're getting a deal they're probably lying.
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Charles Huang:9/1/2008 - My Revenge Video for Extreme Fitness http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56ArAqck74A
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Ali:8/29/2008 - Cons: I have a huge problem with extreme fitness (Thornhill) dumbells, barbells and disks are always scattered around. No staff is there to tidy it up. And members have no obligation to put their weights back in the place. You have to look for a weight you need for like 5 minutes until you find it somewhere in a corner and you have lost the energy that you had few minutes ago so you have to start over. Not enough benches is placed according to the high demand. Music absolutely sucks. They never ever put energetic music such as (trance, techno, hip hop, etc.) and the volume is too low. I can't believe they put Akon music sometimes which is really slow and makes you sleep. Ventilation is not good at all. I do a lot of cardio besides my freeweight workout. Sometimes i feel i want to choke up due to the lack of fresh air (oxygen!), Mirrors have ridiculosly thick frames so you cant see yourself at all if you stand in front of the gap between two mirrors. Pros: State of the art equipments, no garbage on the floor. It does not smell. nice and clean swimming pool I have been going to this gym for more than a year and I plan to change my gym AS SOON AS my contract is over
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bob:8/20/2008 - Garbage Complain to falconheadcapital.com who own this garbage
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john:8/20/2008 - Forget Extreme fitness.. Im at the Danforth location.. staff is plain rude.. if you have a problem forget it no one will give you the time of day. Staff intelligence = sponge.. they try to get you to go for trainers its a total scam so watch it.. they will always tell you you are out of shape and you need a trainer ! $$ This club will some day appear on an investigative journalism show. out of ten? I give it a 3
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gog:8/9/2008 - fraudulent advertising, extremely rude staff, good facilities but not worth the shit you'll have to go through. stay away.
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Mark:8/3/2008 - Purchased a multiple location plan. Danforth location shined through never ending remodeling and related dirt, over-crowded workout floor, and somewhat unfriendly staff/personal trainer (to be fair: not all suffer from a attitude problem ;). However, quality of machines and free-weights is good. Location on Richmond is excellent. Staff and personal trainer need a occasional reminder that -- here as well -- with the right attitude this place can be a lot of fun.
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Abbas:7/18/2008 - Here is an issue I currently have with Extreme and yet, they still billed my friend for my "new" membership: July 15, 2008 Dear Trevor A. Pattison, On July 3, 2008, I attended the Extreme Fitness Pickering location as a guest. I went with a friend of mine who had a guest pass for me. Ross from Extreme Fitness advised me that since I did not have any identification with me, I had to sign up for a membership which I would then be able to cancel. He implied that I could not attend the facility as a guest without I.D. and coerced me into signing a membership. When I look back, I find it bizarre that I had to sign up for a membership and could not attend as a guest only because I did not have any identification with me. How can an individual join the club without identification, but not attend as a guest without identification? I went back to the club on July 8, 2008 to either cancel my membership or have the club match an offer the downtown club was offering me through my employer. They were willing to match the offer, however, I could not complete my visit at the time, since my son (who was with me) was not doing well and I had to leave. Ross from Extreme Fitness advised that I could come back and make my decision within a week. I faxed a copy of the contract to my lawyer and then returned to Extreme Fitness in Pickering on July 14, 2008 with my decision to cancel. I discovered that I am not in an appropriate financial position to join a fitness club, as well as being pregnant and discovering some personal complications I have. I spoke to Ross at Extreme Fitness who advised me that I am too late to cancel, which contradicted what he had told me on July 8, 2008. I then spoke to Trevor, a Manager at Extreme who also advised me that I was unable to cancel. Finally, Trevor said that he would talk to the head office and get back to me. After I left the club, I discovered that an Extreme Fitness staff member had altered the date at the bottom of the contract. Initially, there was no date, and it only indicated “July 08”. Someone from Extreme Fitness had added the number “3” in between on my copy. I was fortunate enough that my lawyer has the original copy with “July 08” written on it. I am very disappointed and find it unfair that I was coerced into signing a membership when I only came to attend as a guest (I had a guest pass, came with a member, but did not bring any identification). I was also given contradictory information from an Extreme Fitness staff member when I tried to cancel. In addition, without my knowledge, an Extreme Fitness staff member altered my copy of the contract on July 14, 2008. I am requesting once again that you cancel my membership effective immediately and provide written confirmation. If you decide otherwise, I will have no choice but to pursue this issue further.
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Oswaldo:7/13/2008 - A most people says, once they get your credit card you are done, they charge you even if you cancel, and treat you very bad all the time, in other words: THE WORST GYM IN TORONTO, keep away you and your buddies from this scam.
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:7/7/2008 - Extreme Fitness is the worst company I have dealt with. I was mislead by their ads of "NO CONTRACTS" and $8 a month. In fact they automatically gave me a one year contract and the $8 was for only the first 2 months. I am in the process of suing this company in small claims and could use stories of other people being mislead by this company. If you can email me your complaints I would appreciate it. Maybe if I win the case you could use this as an agruement in your own fight with them. Please email me at jamesbrandon@inbox.com
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Workout:6/28/2008 - I agree with many of the comments about the sales (very very aggressive) and management (unfriendly). However, having recently switched recently to EF, from a high end downtown gym that I attended for many years, I can say that gyms do tend to be staffed with snooty (because they are typically very fit and good looking) types - that's what you get. I now attend the Wellington and have trainer there (he's great). The constant renos do suck but having endured over a year of renos at my other gym - that's the the world works. The Wellington is close to my work, has the classes I want - I go in, work out and get on with my life. On the weekends I go to the Richmond and I must say that is truly one of the most BEAUTIFUL gyms I have ever seen. The vibe is great (very urban downtown - not for everyone). I guess if one is a novice getting the very first ever gym membership, EF is NOT the place to go - try Good Life which is much more down to earth and an "everyman" gym (my husband goes). EF are for those who know their way around a gym, are purely there to get in, get out, not there to expect a great "social experience" / "warm huggies" with the staff and share life stories. DEFINITELY not for those who need a lot of hand holding.
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John:6/23/2008 - Staff are not helpful, almost confrontational. Equipement at the Yonge & Eglinton facility is only mediocore, although renovations are supposed to improve it.
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nkma:6/20/2008 - Handed out 10 day pass, but didn't let me have 1 single excersize. Tried to push to give them credit card without reading the agreement first. Extremely pushy sales. If you are really interested, negotiate until they sweat out. PRice can go from 129/mo to under 40! Even if they give you lowest rate, do not signe until let you try the club and you see yourself how it is.
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Sandra:6/11/2008 - The Wellington Location is a disaster. -- the renovation they are now undergoing is completely mismanaged -- first aerobics classes were held in a dimly lit and hot squash court (only about 50% of the usual attendees could fit) and now there have been no ladies showers for the past 6 weeks -- and these are at least 2 weeks behind schedule, with no notice given for the continued delays. They have offered little in terms of members' compensation for lack of services, and this is certainly not what we are paying for, but they still take our money. All the while, they countinue to 'tour' around new prospective members, in the middle of drywall dust and a construction site. Membership freezes are now offered (in the very last week), but this does nothing unless you want to find another gym for a week, which is pretty impractical. They should rebate us the monthly fee, as we continue to suffer through this renovation. Staff are ill-informed and not helpful throughout this process. My e-mails to head office are not returned. Interestly, the Club Managers' business card was 'missing' from the other business cards at the front desk.
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Debbie:6/4/2008 - This is the absolute worst gym ever. I was a member of a Bally's before, that was taken over by Extreme... Their mass advertising campaigns have the gym very overcrowded... It's difficult to get a locker or a machine after work hours. I feel completely ripped off.
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Tom:5/20/2008 - I have quite a bit of experience with gyms, and Extreme Fitness is the worst by far. The quality of the machines is but a small part of a gym. A good gym should have customer service, who can give you a detailed description of their plans. I did not recieve that. First off, They tried to lure me into a contract with a "prize" offer. The prize happened to be 4 free months, after which I "only" pay $96 a month!! $96! The rep was really pushy too. After all that, the rep had the nerve to take away my 10 day pass, telling me it is only valid for 10 days AFTER you sign a contract! I am thinking of creating a website warning people of Extreme Fitness. This gym is bad news, and I am ashamed that so many great gyms are now Extreme Fitness.
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RM:5/18/2008 - Yonge/Sheppard over sold. Now they will not rent small lockerettes because they want people to use them as all the regular lockers are filled daily. (You can't go if you have a suit). If all the lockers are used imagine how busy the floor is...
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James:5/16/2008 - Extreme Fitness is the worst company I have ever dealt with. They mislead people by saying that the offer $8 memberships and no contracts when in fact this is not true. I was mislead into signing a one year contract. I have made complaints to various government agencies and my credit card company and Extreme Fitness has lied to them to cover up their deceptions.
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Benjamin:5/14/2008 -
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Benjamin:5/14/2008 -
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Nicole:5/12/2008 - I went to the extreme fitness and John and Richmond. The fitness assessment is a nightmare. I thought the assessment was to build a work out program, but rather it is to sell you private training sessions. I told them that I was on weight watchers and he told me that it is not a program for active people. Hey buddy, I lost 15 lbs and I am very active. He made me feel that I was a 300 lbs women, but I was only 8 lbs overweight. He insisted that I needed 56 sessions in order to reach my goals. He sent me to another person to discuss price and both them were talking about me in the third person and completely ignoring my existence. It was like,hey guys, I am in the room. The next day I cancelled my membership. Bad karma and negative environment. I prefer to give my money to the YMCA.
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Nicole:5/12/2008 - The fitness assessment is a nightmare. I though the assessment was to build a work out program, but rather it is to sell you private training sessions. I told them that I was on weight watchers and he told me that it is not a program for active people. Hey buddy, I lost 15 lbs and I am very active. He made me feel that I was a 300 lbs women, but I was only 8 lbs overweight. He insisted that I need 56 sessions in order to reach my goals. They send me to another person to discuss price and both them are talking about me in the third person and completely ignoring my position. The next day I cancelled my membership. Bad karma and negative environment. I prefer to give my money to the YMCA.
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George Liu:5/9/2008 - A CLASS ACTION SUIT IS NEEDED. They fraud me big time. They trick you to sign up for training session by telling you can cancel at any time, and forget to mention all the contract that is hidden behind the page. When you want to cancel, they just make you wait for a hour then tell you you can cancel but you still have to pay the remaining amount!!!!!! We need a class action suit to bring the company down.
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kevin:5/7/2008 - EXTREME FITNESS is an EXTREME SCAM! the front counter girls are B*TCHS..rude as shit...trying to get a hold of someone there is like trying to call a celeb. sooo god dam nice wen you sign up..they feed you all the crap ..say some nice shit..they got 2 trainers talking to you saying "we will work around your sced. your avail when you are"..."you can cancel at any time" .."what ever you feel comfertable with"...ALLL LIESS...i dont mind paying close to $100.00 even though it breaks the bank and hurts wen i see the transaction every month...but then they start charging me close to 500$ for a trainer they never even told me about or even contacted me to set time or anything for... when i go to tell them i dont want a trainer they say sorry you signed for it..cant help you!...im willing to just give them they 500$ without even getting the trianer so they stop taking money from my account for the trainer but they say sorry were taking it all year!...when i asked for a head office number ...they refuse to give it to me...they say they are the head office...nothing bigger then them...ALL SO F*KEN RUDE.....im tryin anything to get out of there !!! if any1 got ideads please let me know!!
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Gym Enthusiast:5/7/2008 - Only my personal experience, but let's just say my girlfriend and I used to both work out here, now we work out somewhere else. Parking after work: Add at least 15 mins to your workout Trying to get out of the parking lot: Add at least 5 mins to your workout Wait time for signing up: Under 5 mins Wait time to cancel: Over 2 or 3 weeks. "Must be with the person you signed up with", appears to be at their convenience as well, b/c if "they're not in" for any reason, you can't cancel Wait time for machines: If you're waiting just to park, I don't think I have to elaborate here Price: Over-priced for what you're getting Experience: Would not even bother trying it out again even though they're offering one month free to Metropass holders. More of a place to socialize than workout.
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BX:5/4/2008 - Sigh...I just fell into the trap........I want to cancel my membership!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.....don't know if they will alow me to do it....so terrible after seeing this..I wish I had read those before.....so regretful
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Jimmy:5/2/2008 - Management is BRUTAL, so many tricks to get you into the club and give them money. Stay away.
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manpreet:4/29/2008 - PLEASE PLEASE READ THE ABOV posts. I did not and now regret it. The gym is ok, I've seen better, but the real drawback are the contracts. I repeatedly told them I was only going to use the gym for a few months, as I was moving. They said it wouldn't be a problem, no fees, no charges. I go to them to let them know of my move date and voila! I have a ridiculus bill to pay! And then the hassel of getting out was a completely different story. Ontop of that they are ripping me off by two weeks for the the last month but making me pay full price. How the Hell are they even allowed to get away with this stuff....I am seriously complaing to the gov about bad business practice.
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Matt:4/24/2008 - Extreme fitness has had lots of bad reviews and here is one more. Their shady business practices seem to have caught up with them and people are taking notice.
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Rick B:I've been going to Extreme Fitness now for a little over 2 months and I have very little in the way of complaints. The only real problem is the current state of renovations at the Dunfield location (Eglinton & Yonge). The changeroom was moved to a studio but there are no shower facilities available. So I've been going to Bay & Bloor since the beginning of the month. There's no problem with the place, I get extra towels with no hassle, the machines are available and there are plenty of free weights. The main problem there is the weights are always mixed up but that's minor. I will say it's a little more expensive than I had hoped, but how much is your health actually worth to you?
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Dora Jimenez:There is an outside info: No annual contract, No hiding fees!!!!????? What??? they push you to sign a hinding fees of many hours training, without telling you, and then they push you to sign an annual contract, with three months for free!!?? WOW and if you want to leave, guess what , you already sign and you have to pay . We need a Class action, please e-mail me we have to demonstrate that they cannot go away to rip off more people. Its a hassle, its too expensive,and they LIE to You. They want to exercise your POCKET!!!!! We have to complain with the trainers collegue or association. What they do do get certification? How they can become such a rip off people. if I go to a massage therapist they disclose their fees. Its ilegal and we are not obligued to pay, because its illegal not to disclose when they are making you to sign a contract. My husband joined and they lie to him. LET'S UNITED AND DO A LAW SUIT.
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Steph:I signed up at the Dunfield location and it's absolutely beautiful! I have never had a problem with any of the staff and eqipment is always free. I also work out at the North York location and i was shocked when i read all the complaints about the gym. The bathrooms are a normal size for a stall and the equipment is up-to-date. Before i signed my contract I made sure to READ it! If there is something that you were not sure about in the contract you say something BEFORE you sign it NOT after. Anyone who has been a member at any gym knows that no promotion last forever, and thats exactly what it is, A PROMOTION!! If you've seen the size of the gym there is no way they would be able to keep the gym as a nice as it is and the machines up to date. Whenever i've had any issues sometimes i've had to wait for staff to be free but given if you go ask for help at the busiest time of the day it will be harder to get service right away. I have personal training as well and they customize the package for something that the client wants. Its not just random numbers. I think its always important to do your homework before you commit to something but also know that staff changes and so do services. Just because 1 person didnt like something doesnt mean that you wont. Use your own judgement for anything and you shouldnt hvae any problems. If it seems shady get out. If you're happy stay.
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Ian:A friend had a hard time quitting. The sales people try every excuse. It freaked me out so much I decided to quit immediately. I encourage every member to quit as soon as they can. The facilities are great, BUT YOUR GOING TO PAY WITH YOUR TIME AND MONEY AT A PRICE YOU DIDN'T ANTICIPATE. BEWARE!
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Ian:
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Beverly:I went for my fitness assessment and had to wait 30 minutes. Later, I found out that the person that should've been assessing me was laughing and chatting with another trainer. When I got my assessment, the person tried to sell me this nutrition and work-out plan, and made me feel pretty bad about myself. When I go there, they are NOT friendly. I know maybe two people that are friendly-ish all the time, but other wise I only got smiles or spoken too when I wanted to get my membership. The trainers are unfriendly and don't stick with you. It is often crowded with obnoxious and extremely vain people. The people working out and working there are rude and uncaring. If we're paying them, why should we be the ones suffering?
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E:Younge/Bay not a well maintained gym. Group exercise room always extremely hot and most staff are unfriendly. Tried to contact individuals at the gym and main sight via email with no personal response. You get the feeling that they just don’t care and only want your money. Will be changing once commitment is completed.
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Mel:I got suckered into personal training. The contract wasn’t clear when I signed it – but – I take full responsibility. I got suckered into 52 weeks, 2 times per week training at $75 + tax a session. I was paying $195 a month. I was under the assumption I was paying monthly for my trainer – little did I know that I was actually accumulating such debt because I actually had to pay per session. By the end of my 52 weeks I would have owed around $4,500!!!!!! To make a long and complicated story short – my trainer was late 90% of the time. Instead of a full hour of training – I would get 45 to 40 minutes – on a good day I’d get 50 minutes. To keep my mouth shut – my trainer would tack on extra sessions for free at the end of my 52 weeks. About my third month into it I had to quit the personal training due to unforeseen circumstances. They were nice enough to let me cancel – but I would have to pay for the sessions I used ($1,900)!!! Not only was I charged for times I shouldn’t have been charged but my trainer failed to mention about his tardiness and the promised extra sessions so I fought with everything I had. Thank goodness my trainer was late because I don’t think I would have had a chance in hell against them. After a few days of yelling, screaming, and stress – the dropped the payment to 20% of the full total which I felt was fair and now I’m out of the contract. PLEASE do not get the training. It’s not worth it. For $1,900 I should have had a rock hard body – I didn’t even lose a pound. Read a book – get a subscription to a magazine – watch exercise tapes to get tips – do anything except hire these crooks. Also – READ YOUR CONTRACT THROUGHOULY!!!! Also – it’s their word against yours. These trainers need to have a punch clock to ensure honesty. Very bad gym – can’t wait for my contract to be up – I will never join there again.
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:Never use extreme fitness, I don't know how they are still in business, the people will lie to you to get you to sign a contract. As soon as you do they won't care about anything else except milking you for as much money as possible.
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:I would never recommend this gym to anybody. The associates (Tannaz Taghizadeh) will explicitly lie to you in order to get you to sign a contract that obligates you to pay much more than any amount they say you will have to pay. I wish I had never walked into that gym, overall I give this establishment an honest 0/10. Hopefully people will eventually realize what Extreme Fitness and the employees are trying to do and take appropriate actions by never setting foot in that gym again, I know I wont.
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Susana:WOWWWWW, thank you so much for posting these comments. My husband was going to join the EF gym opening up on Younge and Dundas because they offered him a special price of $8/per month. I would NEVVVVVER let him join after hearing these nightmare stories. I would perfer that he continue to workout in a professional, well managed gym such as Goodlife. We both pay $40/month and we get towel service, the staff are always friendly. There was one chick that made a comment (I believe her name was Karen)...She said that the "members are rude" and that we should treat them with respect and that members should understand that it takes time to renovate..lol I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to figure out that you work for Extreme Fitness. Sounds like your the "rude manager" that everyone is talking about. I suggest that you, and all your unprofessional staff members who are rude to their PAYING CLIENTS..take a customer service course, or I give Extreme Fitness a couple years and your OUT OF BUSINESS. I know that I would never join, and If I ever heard about anyone thinking of joining, I would refer them to this site. I work in downtown, just next to the Richmond and Wellington location..and I will spread the word that this company is a joke.. Haven't you people learned the power of - word of mouth??? tse tse tse..what a joke! - I feel for those of you who had to go through hell, and who are still going through hell with them. I'm just thanking God that my husband didn't go for the scam!
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Amy:I bought a 2 month promotional membership last summer - the flyer said it would be 40$ for two months. When I came in to purchase the promotion, I had to sign a contract for a "lifetime" membership. This meant that after the initial 2 months, I would be charged $149 a month on my credit card if I did not cancel. ( note that my friend's regular membership is 75$ a month so why I would have to pay twice that price is beyond me). So I told the sales guy that I was moving out of Toronto at the end of the summer, and there was no way I would be continuing on after the 2 motnhs promotion. He said "no problem, just give us 2 weeks cancellation notice before the beginning of the next month so we don't charge your credit card". I said ok and made a note of the day I had to cancel the membership by. I read the contract and it said membership could not be cancelled verbally. So I sent them a fax on a friday to cancel and said on it "if any problems please call me at 647-......." didnt hear back. so on Monday I called to make sure they had received it. they said yes they received it but " you can't cancel by fax, it says right on the contract". Manager was extremely rude. I said to her that I had read the contract and it did not say that and she hung up on me. All in all, I had to go in for a one-on-one meeting with a manager only to be issued 2 extra months free - they would not refund my visa. They are scammers!!!!!!
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Rippedoff:Dont bother.Extreme fitness are con artists in disguise.Fraudulent billing,bullying reps, and they will do anything to talk you out of quitting.Class action lawsuit needed to take this company down.They will piss off the wrong person and then lawsuit time and as a result the company will fold.Gyms havent changed one bit in 20 years.They were a scam 20 years ago and are still a scam now.
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Shelly:Well, I started at the T-hill location at the very start. I love the layout of that place. Everything's on ONE level. I'm at the Shepp one now. Hate all the damn stairs... hate the tiny lockers. They need to make them big like T-hill. The Stabilaty balls need attn (every place lacks that maintanence though... BIGGEST BEEF--> Stupid Women HORKING in the showers!! Yeah- real class. I worked at the NY Y for 9yrs. They're a RACIST & sleazy organization... Lots of X YMCA members are now Extreme members (humm)
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milena:
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Dan:Don't join Extreme Fitness-Richmon (probably the other too). Their strategy is to get people to join and commit to 1 year worth of payments. Once you join, they will try high presure tactics to get you to join a personal training program. If you use machines, good luck getting one. The air quality system in the spinning and aerobic classes haven't worked since the club opening. I don't think it will ever be working. If you do aerobics classes, there is constant flow of people walking in and out of the classroom to get equipment. It's disruptive. Why you would store the equipment in the class as opposed to outside the class (like every other gym) is beyond me. When your done your workout, you'll have to wait in line to shower. I would quit if I could. I can't so all I can is put up with the BS until my contract ends and prevent anyone else from getting taken by these con artists. In summary "DON'T JOIN EXTREME FITNESS".
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Chicago:I'm a new member to EF and I do find the staff very unfriendly but i'm not there for them so i really don't care. The only quams I have with this chain is that they have very limited parking (Richmond Hill) location, and they pull prices for membership out their assess. I have a trainier costing me a little over $100 mthly. My sister who is in great shape and has less work to do than me, but just needs to tone up was offered a mthly rate of $499!?? What does my occupation have to do with anything and basically that's what they rely on to come up with what they will charge you.
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Yazie:Honestly the sheppard n yonge location is a total disgrace...wehn i first walked in i thought it was a neat gym to attend... TOLD me tht i won 2nd place in a draw ....Very typical cuz tht wat i've been hearing from many ppl tht have recieve the same offer. I signed myself to my first n last time to a worthless fitness center... 1st. i was told tht wit my contract as a new member i could be available to go to any Extreme fitness location across Gta....lil did i know later tht the manger told me i was only able to attend the yonge n sheppard location=S.... 2nd. aint it funny how i worte my gurl names on the guest list so they could come wit me to workout, buh later on they recieved a call form this fitness stating tht they wond 2 nd place in the draw =S, Seems Like a SCAM!!! 3rd. They wanted me to say up for a trainer becuz without one i wouldnt know how to work by myself wit new equipment tht i never heard about...Tht was another payment charged... 4th point... i finally came in to cacel my membership n traning process. i had to talk to the manger in order for me to do tht. thinin he could have been a nicce guy...i was mistaken... I told him tht i believe this fitness is not suited for me, im payin way to much when i know im not the overweight n i could pay less at other gym if i wanted to, n i told him this location is tooo far for me...He then responded askin "Isnt ur health worth it tho??" dumbass ...NOT this much ....He ttried to me a better deals n told me tht he wouldnt take no for an answer...i felt like my opinion didnt matter....he told me tht he believe in me n told me i can do this...In my mind im thinkin "When does he not say this t all the members tht r workin ouy there?" he believed my opinin was stupid ...(so hes basicly callin me stupid ??) canceling the training contract was mmore easily than dealin wit this high ego dude lol... i waited to caome bac n cancel my member ship n one of the workers asked for who n y was i waiting... i told him tht im waited for the manger n i would like to cancel my membership...he went up to the manager n told him tht i was wiating for him to cancel my membership LITTLE did i know tht the manger sarcasticly gave a Big "Wooahh!!!" n made me feel sooo disrecpectful....Im only 18 n i believe he took my age as a weakness n im pretty sure he believed he could had the advantage to say w.e he wanted to say towards me.... im wrting this cuz i left SOOOO DISAPPOINTED , didnt wanna take no for an answer, I had the descision to tthink before 10 days were over to get out of this contract n i took it as a advantage n decided to NEVER EVER go to this fitness center Ever again !! pOOR customer service, its a shame n patheic that the MANAGER has to be the immature one!!
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Yazie:Honestly the sheppard n yonge location is a total disgrace...wehn i first walked in i thought it was a neat gym to attend... TOLD me tht i won 2nd place in a draw ....Very typical cuz tht wat i've been hearing from many ppl tht have recieve the same offer. I signed myself to my first n last time to a worthless fitness center... 1st. i was told tht wit my contract as a new member i could be available to go to any Extreme fitness location across Gta....lil did i know later tht the manger told me i was only able to attend the yonge n sheppard location=S.... 2nd. aint it funny how i worte my gurl names on the guest list so they could come wit me to workout, buh later on they recieved a call form this fitness stating tht they wond 2 nd place in the draw =S, Seems Like a SCAM!!! 3rd. They wanted me to say up for a trainer becuz without one i wouldnt know how to work by myself wit new equipment tht i never heard about...Tht was another payment charged... 4th point... i finally came in to cacel my membership n traning process. i had to talk to the manger in order for me to do tht. thinin he could have been a nicce guy...i was mistaken... I told him tht i believe this fitness is not suited for me, im payin way to much when i know im not the overweight n i could pay less at other gym if i wanted to, n i told him this location is tooo far for me...He then responded askin "Isnt ur health worth it tho??" dumbass ...NOT this much ....He ttried to me a better deals n told me tht he wouldnt take no for an answer...i felt like my opinion didnt matter....he told me tht he believe in me n told me i can do this...In my mind im thinkin "When does he not say this t all the members tht r workin ouy there?" he believed my opinin was stupid ...(so hes basicly callin me stupid ??) canceling the training contract was mmore easily than dealin wit this high ego dude lol... i waited to caome bac n cancel my member ship n one of the workers asked for who n y was i waiting... i told him tht im waited for the manger n i would like to cancel my membership...he went up to the manager n told him tht i was wiating for him to cancel my membership LITTLE did i know tht the manger sarcasticly gave a Big "Wooahh!!!" n made me feel sooo disrecpectful....Im only 18 n i believe he took my age as a weakness n im pretty sure he believed he could had the advantage to say w.e he wanted to say towards me.... im wrting this cuz i left SOOOO DISAPPOINTED , didnt wanna take no for an answer, I had the descision to tthink before 10 days were over to get out of this contract n i took it as a advantage n decided to NEVER EVER go to this fitness center Ever again !! pOOR customer service, its a shame n patheic that the MANAGER has to be the immature one!!
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anthony:love the place, very motivating atmosphere, never have to wait for equipment and great hours of operation. They have great spinning and yoga instructors.
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Sue:Was suckered into both an expensive membership and expensive personal training. Have a good trainer, but the gym is so busy that there is never any room to work out in and the equipment is always busy AND to add insult to injury - they let guests in at the busiest times. The guy who I allowed to pressure me into this expensive contract, who was all buddy-buddy during the sell, does not even acknolwedge me now and is always working out himself. The change rooms are getting really dirty and there are not enough lockers. I would hate to be a personal trainer there - think they are treated really badly and paid badly too. Very disappointing
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Sassa:The Bay Bloor location is not well maintained. In particular, the women’s wash/change rooms are not clean. Don’t be surprised to find the mess from the day before still there. I have seen r-o-a-c-h-e-s in the women's washroom, which, don’t appear to be maintained after peak hours. At times there are no sanitizers or paper towels available to wipe down the machines. After work, plan to spend 5mins wandering around for an available locker (you line up for them at the Richmond location), before trying to find a cardio machine that actually works. Some machines have been making excruciating squeaking noises for months. Service staff are friendly, however, I have found management rude & disrespectful. I would strongly suggest that you do your research & visit other gyms before signing-up. Extreme has an unsatisfactory record rating with the Better Business Bureau as a result of 95 complaints w/in the last 36mths. You should also visit extremefitnessforum.net
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trudie :I have found that the facilities vary. The Dufield Club while not as postive experience as it was as Sports club s wonderful compared to the Terrible Northyork/Madison location. Line ups for tread mills, no staff you guide usage, very limited stretching area, staff that cannot be bothered if you aren't paying them for personal training and or they don't know how to use the equipment. I even had to wait in line for a shower. The good thing however is the nice salt water pool and a few good staff if you can find them through all the posers.
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Joseph :I really like the Bay and Bloor location. Older equipment, but staff and management seem friendly enough. Not overcrowded, even right after work. As long as people understand the agreement before signing, everything should be ok. People seem a little too harsh here.
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Bob:My comment is how I have cancelled my membership. They continued to take credit card payments for 5 months after that! After about 3 phone calls to different people at different times I thought it was resolved. ONE YEAR after I have left the gym I receive a notice from a bill collection agency stating that my account is "past due". Thankfully I saved my signed cancellation document from LAST YEAR. If you cancel make sure you get it in writing, watch your bank statements, credit card balances and hold onto that written cancellation for at least a few YEARS.
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cindy:Worst gym..ever..very inefficient staff at the North York location.
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Amie:EXTREME SCAMMERS! BEWARE OF THE DANFORTH LOCATION!
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Amerie:They will blatantly lie to you about your conract and promotions in order to lurr you in. And when you want to cancel, they will literally lie to your face that they will refund, cancel etc. without any paperwork done in order to shoo you away for a month so that your credit card will be still charging you they have no mercy! they hire people who are good at this; be prepared for sales managers who have no empathy or remorse when they are ripping you off and lieing to you. whats the point of a quality gym when its run by scums!
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Terence:TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE. It all started from the first day when is signed up and at that time I probably should have reconsidered. The sales people are very pushy and almost insist on you getting a trainer. They won't actually give you your membership card that you paid for until you do a one on one non optional free assessment. Then comes the service.... The customer service was terrible, the reception and workers don't seem to give you any attention unless you are signing up as it seemed like they were in a social setting rather than a business setting. They would rather talk among themselves rather than help anyone waiting. The last part of the staff problems is that they will allow you to sign up with any rep or manager on the spot . The hard part about your membership is CANCELLING it. First thing is that they will not allow you to cancel over the telephone or through a fax machine. They will not allow you to authorize anyone to deal with your membership unless it is a power of attorney. You are not allowed to cancel with anyone except for the manager and you have to have a one on one chat. Of course it is a hulking guy who convinces you not to leave and you must give a reason why you are quitting the gym. When you think about it, quitting your job is far easier than quitting Extreme Fitness. You can do that through fax, verbal notice, written notice, or notify telegraph. Now the gym itself. One at Yonge & Sheppard is average. Not enough machines for the amount of people. The gym itself is small. Although there is a fair amount of machines they are very close together and it is congested. After being with Goodlife there has been no problems but in the end I just ditched the gyms and got my own equipment which solves all problems.
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Christian:I like Xtreme Fitness at Yonge and Eglinton. Staff sucks mostly, they just don't care.. but i'm not there for them, but for the gym itself, big. Never need to wait, bathroom and showers are always clean and available, dont have to wait. big dry sauna. unlimitted towel service... WAY better than Eclipse, with whom i was just before. Isnt perfect, but considering that gyms are overpriced anyway, prefer to waste my money to that location than other places.
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Unsatisfied:I recently joined this gym and am amazed at the poor quality of customer service. If any of you attend the Richmond location downtown, please get in touch with me and we should together go and put in a complain to get our money back. I work long hours and when I take an hour off just to go to the gym to work out I don't want to deal with rude staff who respect and common sense. So, here's my email address, we should all get together and ask for our money back unless they change their customer service overnight...which I doubt it keslea_jones@yahoo.ca Thanks,
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Tommy:Very diappointed. It is a very big hassle to get out from the 10 days grace period after the contract has been signed and try to obtain a refund. Poor customer support at the Richmond Street location. I would not recommend Extreme Fitness to any of my friends.
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:the danfourth staffis dishonest and snobby THe General manager is not very helpful and the sales guy Marco is not honest in his sales pitch
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Florida:Extreme Fitness, what a traumatic experience for me joining this gym! They stir you in with their free trail then when you happen to miss the fine lines of the contract they trap you with huge monthly bills and tie you down to the contract. After 2 months I wanted to end the contract cause I was moving to another location and could not come to the gym anymore and they won't let me end my contract so I end up paying them 9 more months without even going to the gym all that 9 months. What a rip off of my hard earn money! Now I'm afraid to join any other gym, it might end up just like EXTREME FITNESS traumatic experience!
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ldenav:I've used a few of them. My breakdown would be: Dunfield (my home gym...member since the old Sports Club days)- odd layout, but once you get it, it's not bad...nice staff very approachable, starting to see more members though and I hope they have eliminated that awful smell they had on sucessive wknds. Wellington- corporate gyms with small free weights area. Richmond- the exact opposite of Wellington, not very corporate, nice free weights and equip area....could add more free weights though. You also have a mini workout just getting to the change rooms on the 3rd floor in the far corners. Bay-Bloor-haven't been in it in a while, but it has that old gym sense to it..yeah the equipment is old, but it feels like a gym....the desk staff needs to me more attentive though, they misplaced my card one day in that box and it took them about 10 mins to find it. EF is ok, can't really complain, although I do find their gyms are more crowded then the old Sports Clubs/Bally's
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bela:Bela-I'm a former Ballys member since 1996,I first started off at Bay & Bloor. I later moved to Woodbrige and have been at the Interchange location, I was a bit dissapointed when I found out that Extreme fitness had bought out Bally's, however renovations were defenetly needed. As a mom of two, I was very upset to find out through the grapevine (CHANGE ROOM) that the daycare would be closing for 6 weeks, just prior to the holidays, I had no notice and no one to leave my kids with so needless to say I barelly made it to the gym the whole month of Dec. I was told that it would take 6 weeks and of couse it took longer and every time I called to ask, the staff seemed to get annoyed with me and blamed the contractors for the delays. Well I was expecting a brand new gym judging from the great pictures, it's half ass done, pardon my French, the womens change room has a fresh coat of paint and some new tiles & shower heads and the kids room looks exacltly the same, there is some new equipment but for the most part most of it is old, I'm quite disappointed, I have to say that I really like the babysitting staff and there are some nice personal trainers & staff I love working out and I don't have any plans to leave for now, I just hope I don't have anymore dissapointments.
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shatki:EXTREME FITNESS is an extreme nightmare. Like others, I went there because I received a flyer stating that the membership was $15 per month, no hidden fees, no contract, which are blatant lies. I had my tour and was told I would have a membership for $15 per month for 2 months and then I would have to pay $66 per month. I agreed with them about what the flyer stated. They treated me like I was an idiot. I managed to get a month free and then pay $54 per month. I had to have an "assessment" before I could receive my memership card. The assessment was an absolutely joke. He had no idea what he was talking about. He asked where else I had worked out and I told him Curves. He says to me: "isn't that for really insecure women?" I looked at him and said: "do I look insecure?" Then he said: "don't the women there hate men?" What an idiot!!! I looked at him and said: "ya, the only women that go to curves are insecure man haters!!!" He then tries to convince me that I need to have a personal trainer that will cost be $250 a month. So my $15 a month deal is now close to $300 a month. I said no way. He gets a manager. They both badgered me. I felt like I was being gang raped. Then the pushed me to pay $150, then $75. I keep saying no. The manager is getting pissed with me. He says: "you can't afford $75 per month?" I said: "money has nothing to do with it. I don't feel I should have to pay all of this money so I can have someone show me how to use the machines!" Then he starts to get really nice and tries to distract me by asking me about my work and my water bottle. I cancelled my membership on the spot, thank goodness you have 10 days to do this. This place will eventually fall apart. You cannot possible succeed if you are forever badgering people and are so money driven. It is called karma. Stay far away.
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Jason:Extreme Fitness On Yonge and Sheppard sucks!! Do not sign up at all. You will be suckered into a huge bill/contract and the place is constantly packed with people. Some personal trainers will say anything to you to try and get your business. Beware, get out of there!!!
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Paul:Too many pushy/rude personal trainers who tie up equipment and push other members off equipment for their clients -- I was asked on several occassions to move off equipment I was using by trainers in a very rude manner. Understaffed/unattentive front desk staff sometimes causes delays in checking into the gym and getting a towel. The Yonge/Sheppard (North York) location is usually too crowded and too hot and humid! Don't sign up for this location!
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:argh@#$!!!! January 2008 so i'm thinking about joining a gym, i made an appointment to check it out(extremeondanfoth).. The flyer i've been getting for months says -grand opening... join $15 per month - NO annual contract... i also checked out the website.. join for $8 per month - NO annual contract. .. the young (oh my god isn't everything just ..like..gorgeous here) customer service chic was nice enough and tried hard to convince me that the construction work will be done ...next week... hahhah.. the tour - dark, dusty, construction going on, ask other unfriendly staff along the way...when will this be done... there is no way it will be done Next Week.. it looks like it might take half a year at least ... people are still working out though.. then back to the office for the "kill"... all lies.. misleading advertising and i told it to the other very young manager.. the trick is to lure you in and get you to sign into a contract for a lot more money than they advertise.. who knows when the work will be done - i just don't buy it... no good offers on the table... i expressed my opinion and left... had to wait 5 minutes at the door because they were working on it and i thought it could potentially be dangerous to walk underneath while they are working... there must have been a dozen staff up front ...noONe gave a Shit!!!!!! what a f#!@$%%! mess
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Bobby:I have been a member of extreme for more than 10 yrs. I joined before they opened their flagship location in thornhill, it was premier near yonge and steeles, then moved to Yonge and highway 7. Unfortunately, I have seen this gym going down hill...the machines are all getting old, the sales people there are all terrible, just so you know, the membership fee is always negotiable.. these are sales people working on commission, and there are lots of competition out there esp now the goodlife bought bally's chain.. i moved downtown recently and decided to join goodlife, which is a lot better... extreme fitness is a very homophobic gym just so you know and they also discriminate against asians... i got yelled at when i was wearing tank tops working out, but they said nothing to other non-white members... it is a terrible gym
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MM:
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john:Extreme Fitness is a sham: -trainers are inexperienced at best or untrained at worst; during training sessions when I said that i was in pain my trainer commented said "it's supposed to hurt, it's a workout", how surly!
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helen:I've been working out at various gyms throughout the city for over 15 years, and all I can say about the Extreme Fitness Danforth location is that it should have been shut down months ago. The amount of debris, toxic fumes, and dust being generated - while members conntinue to train - is a health hazard! There was zero communication to members about the never ending renovations. The changes the daycare underwent were negative and depressing for both parents and children. After leasing space for several years, the massage therapist was given minimal notice to vacate the space. And, if you can believe this, my husband was informed that he could no longer work out unless he underwent a fitness test (after already being a member for 5 years) -- this "rule" makes more sense to me now after reading about Extreme's shady business practices
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Cath:WHAT CROOKS...DO NOT JOIN EXTREME FITNESS> If you are even looking for a refund to your membershipr, you cannot get a hold of anyone. You have to threaten them or contact BBB or Ministry of Gov't Services to get some action. Their service sucks, they push you into signing up for a year and then they disappear. Terrible gym...they should be shut down.
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Denis:Like mentioned before, make SURE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SIGNING... DO NOT get extra sessions, as the contracts will start to pile up and before you know it, you're paying over 900$ a month. They give very little to no information when asked about the contract, they never mentioned a 10 day period of contract cancellation. The Gym is OK...but do not get involved with personal training and nutritionists.
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lk:The new Richmond club has great equipment but it has horrible services and is poorly laid out. It is not always clean and even their own trainers don't clean up after themselves with spray bottles, nor do they encourage other members to do so. Towels should be unlimited. It's even a hygene issue, in the steam room, one towel only. Then you have to carry your sopping wet towel down three flights of stairs when the person who works there is sitting in the changeroom 'living room' with a flat screen TV, watching it and eating her dinner. This has happened on numerous occasions. It seems to be catering to a young, condo crowd that seems equally happy to be living in crappy built and poorly run buildings. Too bad that people think things are just 'good enough'. No more quality out there. I will be leaving the moment my contract is up. I would highly recommend to go elsewhere. Do not sign up wit them.
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Brian:This gym is horrible. DO NOT JOIN!!! I can understand being under constrution, but you think that they would try to make up for inconveniences with a little more effort. That is definitely not the case! There is often no hot water, and they do a poor job of notifying members when it's unavailable. During the construction the gym is also at times open to the outside causing temeratures ti dip below or close to the freezing mark. There's welding going on, very loud construction/demolition, fire alarms going off, and a big cloud of dust hovering over the work out area. There are no fountains working so be sure to bring water. The equipment is also not being maintained. A perfect example of this is: There's an eliptical trained that makes a very loud noise which resonates throughout the gym. You would think that this might initiate some sort of investigation by a staff member whereby they would take it out of service and put a work order in to have it fixed. Well, it has been that way for over two months, no one ever investigates, and still day after day noise from it reverberates throughout the gym. I find that all staff seem to care about is signing up more members. If after reading this you still are dumb enough to join. Do not pay over $499 plus tax for a year. That is what I paid and I still feel riped off! Spead the word, let's get the nice, efficient, and helpful owners and staff from Oxygen back. At least they cared.
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missy:OMG! they told me that I won second place in a draw! I asked my friends about it too and they said they won second prize at a draw too. Isn't that kinda weird how all three of us won a draw at second prize? sounds like a SCAM to me!
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janine:Do not join this club. I was lied to about towel service, and then told that I was already receiving an exceptional rate. The bathrooms are horrible, worse than the subway! The staff are unfriendly, refused to help me find my WINTER COAT when it was sitting at the counter! There is no reason to join this club with so many others around. Most exciting news is that they are putting in a juice bar, and even that means nothing. If I wanted juice and a sandwich, I'd go to a restaurant.
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James M:Wellington location is great - friendly staff - never a wait for equipment. Beautiful and well-equipped change rooms. No complaints at all.
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kyle:I went to Extreme Fitness because I was told that I had one month FREE membership (that I had won in a draw). After a tour of this state-of-the-art gym, I was told that I had to SIGN AN AGREEMENT to get the free membership. I was STRONGLY persuaded to sign, and that it would be easy to cancel...but I was NOT SHOWN ANY DOCUMENTATION of the terms of agreement, no matter how much I asked. Sounds like a SCAM to me!!!
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mark:I think everyone seems to be extremely rough on this franchise. i go to one downtown mainly and they are nice. give more than one towel if ask. I dont understand what the big deal is anyways you go there to work out not talk to the staff. and every gym tries to get you to join. gym salesman are like car salesman. the equipment is great, very clean and modern places. and if your not happy with your plan you can probably get it reduced if you tell them your going to leave.
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Samara:This was my very first day with the BLOOR location...DO NOT GO!!! the `welcoming staff`are not welcome at all..they were rude to me and spent most of the time flirting with the male customers or staff. I even had 3 girls look up at me as I stood there and they just looked down back at nothing. Finally a girl who was with another customer asked if I needed anything, I told her I was there for my fitness assesmenet (which by the way no one told me it was actually a sales pitch and had zero benefit to me!!!)so the snobby girl told me to just stand òver there`when I asked her where there was she rudly gestured to some far away place and told me my assesore will be with me soon. So off I go to stand in some weird place for 10 min before some trainer comes to me and asks if I was helped, when I told him my experience he even said it was rude and not a good welcome for a first day. i end up doing this assesment, again still thinking this was part of my mebership and I was going to be helped, but then I was hit with the most HIGH PRESSURE SALES TACTICS I have ever seen since I worked as a telemarketer! They almost never let me leave the office without a yes...I was nealry in tears with how ill I felt. I left the office and the gym feel mortified and I HATE I EVER BOUGHT A MEMBERSHIP...I wish someone can tell me how I can get out of my contract NOW while I can...Any lawyers out here...
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cika:The Dunfield Club was taken over Extreme Fitness. The only reason I joined that club was the token system they had for their classes, so they could control the size of their classes. After EF took over you have to be there really early to get a spot otherwise, forget about it, they're packed and people tend to squeeze so close to you that you can't even open your arms to exercise normally.
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Natalie:Extreme@Yonge/Sheppard Pros: no sign up fee, decent equipment, variety of different types of fitness classes (spinning class was great and instructors were really good) Cons: no pre-sign up for equipment and no time limit on equipment use - not only do you have to wait, you don't know how long you will have to wait and this really sucked during peak hours, which is usually the only time most members can go. Any new members should be prepared to add an additional 30 minutes to their work out for all of the waiting they will have to do. You also had to wait in line to get into the spinning class, literally just stand outside the room for at least 20 minutes before the class. You could leave your towel there to mark your spot but of course half of the time someone would not recognize this and there was often some bickering and arguing over people cutting in line and so on. Instructors had to act as bouncers at the door when one class finished and members started to file in for the next class. No joke. Not enough lockers to handle the number of members. Of course, it's a business and I understand that they want as many members as they can get, but it's not fun having to lug all of your stuff with you throughout your workout because you couldn't get a locker. In the year that I was there, the stretch room slowly became another equipment room.They kept adding exercise machines so it was kind of hard to stretch in the 'stretch room' when there is hardly any room to do so. Many members I talked to actually wrote complaints about the limited availabilty of everything due to increased membership and tried to get a pre-sign up system in place but it all fell on deaf ears. Basically, once they have your one year commitment, they don't care about customer satisfaction. I cancelled after a year was up and am now at the Y, not as fancy, but more organized and not sales focused. Oh, and alot cheaper.
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Joseph:The managers are NOT friendly at all, especially when canceling membership. There were many information inconsistencies from the staffs/managers which make me pay for some extra charge to do the cancellation; the managers are not there to assist you, but to suck your money. It also happens to my friends. No matter how much you are well prepared to follow the terms and condition, they can always find ways to charge you more. Because of their horrible customer relations, Extreme Fitness is totally not recommended.
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Ian:Well, I have been taken. I signed up Jan 06, and just today (Nov 07) payed off the membership and training in full. I went to a lawyer, and have a case, however the $3200 I was suckered with is less than the amount a lawyer would cost. I notified them of my visa change, they billed the old visa and after it declined (because it was cancelled), they filed a dispute damaging my credit for 3 months. The Bank (Royal Bank) did not notify me of the dispute, and billed my visa (for a visa I had cancelled). I have proof I notified them of the change prior to cancelling the visa. Also, the GYM had notification of freezing the membership (which I also have proof and a signature from membership) but instead, they filed for collection. DO NOT, do business with Extreme Fitness, you will regret it. As for a review on the North York/Madison location, not well ventilated (very hot), and management has to be dealt with a heavy hand.
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Dmytro:Extreme Fitness was my first gym where I got the membership and started to workout and yes first it was like a maze, but in a week you'll know where everything is. The gym is very clean, they have a great variety of dumbbells in number of pairs. Change rooms are great too, there is a sing that says to always lock your locker and I've been going to that gym for 2 years and always left my stuff unwatched and unlocked and not even once I ever had anything stolen from me. You don't see many teenagers there so the people are nice and share the equipment. It usually gets crowded from 4pm-12am thats when everyone finishes work and rush in the gym to workout. Suggestion, come 10am-3pm the best time with the least people around and all equipment is available. Because the Yonge-Sheppard is a new gym the equipment is new UNLIKE the Bloor Yonge which has old equipment, not enough dumbbells for the amount of people that go there and over all not as exciting. I can't wait for the Yonge-Dundas location to be opened in Jan. 2008. My overall rating would be 8/10.
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Lou:Having once been a member of the Danforth Oxygen turned Extreme Fitness, I share all the same complaints posted here. It was so bad I couldn’t wait to get out of there and cancelled my membership as soon as my one year contract was up. However, the nightmare was only just beginning! Even though I had paid a year ago in advance, I continued to get charged on my credit card afterwards. After two months of calling, emailing and showing up in person to talk to managers/general managers, this has still not been resolved. They are not even taking my calls or returning any of my messages anymore! I’ve now gone to my credit card company to report them for fraudulent billing. While it may have been an innocent oversight when they first put through the charge, they knowingly not doing anything to remediate it afterwards is the real scam! I’ve also checked them out on the Better Business Bureau website and was not surprised to find out that they have many complaints against them and have an “unsatisfactory record” with the BBB over not responding and/or not resolving complaints. Let this be a warning to those that are thinking about joining this gym and esp. to those that are planning to get out of that hell hole – just because you cancel your membership doesn’t mean you won’t still continue to get ripped off and deal with their non-existent customer service! In fact, it only gets worst!
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dan:great love it
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Tyler:Re: Danforth location - absolutely avoid this place! Not only are the conditions sub par, the "upgrades" move at a snail's pace. The 1000sf section is in the exact same stage as it was 4 months ago. Progress does not really seem to be even happening here; it's not like they're building a Boeing here. With the absurd membership growth in recent months, I would assume it's not a cash flow problem. Now that the men's sauna is out of service (for lord knows how long) this is suddenly just like any other gym in the city to me (which is too bad, due to the unique building its in). The $73 I'm paying every month (the full rate carried over from Oxygen) just is not worth it anymore - it's half the gym it used to be.
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Jen:North York location, been there just over four years now. It's busy, but the equipment is there and the facilities are good (I use the steam room a lot). Very confusing layout, but I've gotten used to it. Staff are decent enough, some recognize, others don't. I just renewed and it was pretty hassle free. Thornhill - I've been a few times, no issues. Basic layout, all the machines are in the main area. Haven't had any interaction with staff there. Richmond location, I just visited and it was very nice. I went from about 7pm-9pm on Monday and it wasn't very busy. Everything was sparkly and new, though they could do with more weights. I found myself scrounging for them, when I don't have that issue with the Shep location. Steam room is huge. Reception needs a bit of an upgrade. Lost my card, (got a new one on the spot), had to ask my name about four times to remember it. I spelled it out too. Sorry so many of you guys have had such negative experiences! I was hunting for info on the Yonge and Dundas location when I found this site. Hope Extreme reads these and takes your issues to heart.
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A.C.:
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Dave:Extreme Bay and Bloor is the WORST GYM I've ever been. , I found the new staff unfriendly and not particularly respectful. My experience with the management indicates their lack of competence. FIND ANOTHER PLACE!!
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sarah:Sure, dea, we all believe you and we're rushing to sign up now!
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dea:I just joined the new Richmond extreme fitness. I have been working out in clubs across the world and have never seen anything so great. The atmosphere is so hip and motivating, i just want to work out for hours. The staff are friendly and super nice. I would recomend it to anyone.
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niamh :extreme fitness @ 635 danforth ave.has been under construction since nov. 2006 due to this, the steam rooms have been out of service in the ladies for almost ayear now. the ladies change room facilities have been temporarily moved to the 3rd floor .the staff are generaly friendly but the general manager(salt and pepper hair with moustach) is arrogant.while working out on sept 26th i was repulsed to watch him in full view through the accounts room windows,pick at his teeth and suck his fingers.just disgusting!
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Alethea:For those especially who belong to the Danforth location, check out www.extremefitnessforum.net
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Anthony:I've been @ the yonge/sheppard extreme since it opened. Every year the price has gone up, yet the quality has gone down. The receptionists are generally rude, should you interupt them on one of their many personal calls expect a scowel. The trainers consist mostly of steroided out monkies who seem to have little knowledge. The showers are absolutely pathetic, ONLY ONE WORKS, as a previous post indicated, the rest run no hot water, and or pressure. Extreme's marketing is also indicative of their culture, they try to "trick" people with a $19 a month "trial" offer. Clearly there is no capacity issue with extreme -they are focusing only on short term profits, forget trying to get a machine between 5pm - 8pm weekdays. Terrible service, unfriendly staff, poor shower facilities, over crowded - when my membership is up this year - I will NOT renew.
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Glenna:Since Extreme Fitness took over the Oxygen club, the gym has gone downhill and fast. Renovations seem to take forever (except the ones for the sales area). There is absolutely no communication with members, so we never know what is going on. None of the changes have been for the better. It's crowded at all hours (even at 10 p.m.!), noisy, smelly and the machines are ill-placed. Cardio is now on the top floor and it's like a sauna there. No fans in sight, just an over-heated stuff place. I am so disappointed and would quit if I had an alternative. I have complained about rude or unfriendly receptionists and the behaviour of other members. No one seems to care any more and it shows. Signing up an endless stream of new members at low prices is bad for business. Equipments gets over-used and no gym loyalty is created. It is really disappointing to see what has happened to a wonderful neighbourhood gym. Staff new everyone by name and had a smile for you. You could bring your bike inside if you forgot your lock, borrow a spare lock and even park your dog there! They would always go the extra mile. And as for the daycare....it went from being a warm and caring place to a cold and unfriendly one overnight (at nearly double the cost). My young children (3 and 5) won't go. And they treated the daycare staff abysmally. It's really inexcusable. Overall, a sad story of corporate greed. I have tried the new gym on Richmond and it's the same thing - overcrowded and underserviced. I wish this could be changed somehow!
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eric:When it was Oxygen, the Danforth location used to be the best managed gym in the city, now its turned into a midevil dungeon. Save us.
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Eleni:People are so eager to nit-pick at everything negative. Personally I have never had a problem with staff. I do agree that sales can get intense, it does get busy, and renovations have been going on for a while and due to this space is more limited. After reading some of these comments I think some of you a truely ignorant and self-absorbed. Above all its a business, and not everyone are going to be happy. For example some like the music, some don't. Towel service with Oxygen was charged as an extra, why would that change? Because you have been there for years with another company you should have special treatment? NO, deal with being an equal, you are no more special then anyone else in there. And it is bad enough the building is old, but they're expanding over 1000 sq ft WITHOUT interupting your service, do you think that is easy and can be done over night? NO, sorry things like that take time, any contrator can vouch for that. Lastly, staff are just as frustrated as members. I have heard the way MEMBERS speak and treat staff and if it was me I would not serve them at all. MEMBERS tend to be more rude and in most cases have ridiculous and unrealistic demands. Treat people the way you would like to be treating. If you are being rude and snappy staff has every right to respond to you in the same manner. Renovations are temporary, and equipment are all being changed once renovations are done. Members just need to suck it up and try being understanding. Think of it from a business prospective, if you are capable of doing so. And I'm sure if you approach the staff and speak to them as equals in a calm and professional manner, SANS the rude snappy tone in your voice, they will respond to you in the same way and be more than happy to help you.
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H.Lempert:Make sure you get receipts-I was told I was in arrears for July and August payments - I brought in receipts twice as proof of payment and they still say I have not paid - the manager said I will have a bad credit rating if I don't pay even though I have proof of payment. BE VERY VERY CAUTIOUS!
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I_quit:Danforth location is horrible. They're running it into the ground. Crowded, dirty, unfriendly and under renovation forever (significan workout space has been lost to sales office / function)...my sincere advice: stay away.
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Alethea:Oxygen Fitness was not perfect but it was a friendly community independent gym on the Danforth. Ever since Extreme took it over, it has become nothing more that a membership sales facility, with no regard for those clients who take strength training and fitness seriously. The place has been under endless renovation -- since November 2005 -- and every week we lose more space and equipment. Meanwhile, more newbies are being suckered in with a $19 offer while we oldies who built this once-wonderful gym are getting shafted. Thank you Corporate America for wrecking a bunch of great Canadian-owned gyms.
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matt:Having been a member of Extreme Fitness for a couple of years, I was disappointed to arrive at the Wellington Location which is close to where I work and denied access to the facilities because my membership needs to be upgraded. Evidently, without fair warning, Extreme Fitness locations are going exclusive. I was embarassed and disappointed. Extreme Fitness is not doing good business. Anyone aware of what's going on at the exclusive Wellington location? The showers are "see-through". Hmmmm....
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G, Suvari:Extreme Fitness LIES to get people in with the $19/month membership...then tries to push them into a much more expensive one!
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pietro:the Danforth gym was taken over by Extreme Fitness without any notice to members. It seemed to my like a coup.Management is an ivory tower. Renovations are causing severe inconvenience. Equipment is crowded into an area too small to be used safely. This coupled with absimal lighting makes for unsafe conditions. In cxonclusion, the only extreme is the bullshit.
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Karen:Gross comments...sometimes so unsophisticated negative comments printed here. Yeach.
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Robert:I advise my friends all the time, run away from Extreme as quickly as possible. Neither staff nor management care about customer service. Some of their actions could be considered downright shady, and they have no problem screwing members over. I had to threaten them with a complaint to the Ministry of Government Services to get them to answer a simple question for me.
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JP:
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Capricorn:Extreme took over Oxygen Fitness Danforth, and it has been a nightmare ever since! Don't join here. They deleted my account, 3 times, hoping I couldn't prove I paid. Apparently people lost their memberships that way. My friend lost 3 months because of it. They are very friendly to get you to join, then treat you like TRASH once you've paid. The WORST COMPANY I HAVE EVER DEALT WITH! They keep taking equipment away, and not replacing it. They say they will replace SOME of it, ONE DAY. Meanwhile, I paid for a full membership. Also, even though I have paid more than some new members, they tell me I don't get towel service like all new members do, because I was an Oxygen member. And do I get to use other Extreme gyms like everyone else? NO! Why not? I was a former Oxygen member. The list goes on and on and on... see www.extremefitnessforum.net
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Paul Bradley:DO NOT GO TO EXTREME FITNESS, THEY WILL TRAP YOU. THEY WILL NOT LET YOU LEAVE UNTIL YOU SIGN SOMETHING UNDER UNDUE DURESS!!! A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT NEEDS TO BE STARTED.
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Mehitabel:This place has really gone downhill since Extreme Fitness purchased the Danforth/Pape club from Oxygen Fitness. There seem to be more staff than before, mostly trying to sell memberships. Unfortunately, I found the new staff unfriendly and not particularly respectful. My experience with the management indicates their lack of competence. I have hopefully managed to resign my membership and stop the monthly charges to my credit card, but given mistakes already made I am not so confident. The club is no longer as clean as it was when it was Oxygen Fitness, and some of the workout areas are smelly and poorly ventilated now. In the evening, the music volume is cranked up so high that the speakers crackle. It became a thoroughly unpleasant experience to work out at the club for me, bad energy, bad all around -- so I quit Extreme Fitness to join another exercise club in the neighbourhood.
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bender:Horrible staff attitude; never explain to you about contracts, 10 days of resigning does not work, they will force you to take the membership/course; Manager lies and hide details in anyway possible to get you paying their salaries; unfriendly personal trainer and will flex every of their muscles possible in front of you. Feel free to join them if you are a millionaire and want to support these rats instead of getting urself healthy
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toboy:I worked out at the Yonge & Sheppard location for about 2 years. Experience there was awful. Moved further uptown and decided to check out the Thornhill location. They were so unprofessional and rude I asked for the manager to complain. How did he react? He couldn't care less about what I had to say so I left. At least at the yonge & sheppard location they were rude after I signed up. At this location they were rude even before signing up. Oh did I mention that when I asked if I could have a tour the receptionist replied "are you going to sign up today or not?" .. I said not today and they almost *literally* kicked me out. Oh and someone broke into my locker at the yonge & shepp location and took the $ out of my wallet. I have more stories, I'll leave it at this..
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pepita:This is the WORST GYM I've ever been. At the time to sing up they are very friendly afterwards they don't care about anything. FIND ANOTHER PLACE!!
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abouttojoin:I was about to join this gym based on a great deal i was being offered, but then realised it would actually work out much more expensive and inconvenient than my current gym, in the long run. It was like having the welcome mat pulled from under me, friendly smiles dropped. Im glad i didnt join, very aggressive sales staff eager for you to sign.
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Albert:I've been at this gym for many years (used to be Oxygen Fitness). It was a nice neighbourhood gym. Now it's a very commercial enterprise, full of staff trying to make a sale. The gym is now overcrowded with people taking advantage of free/cheap promotional rates, and the full-paying members must bear the brunt of this. The best lockers are used by the staff, the equipment is badly spread out (make it dangerous to walk around), the cardio machines are rarely free... it's become a nightmare.
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Thomas:The North York location is an abomination. The men's showers are the worst I have ever seen! Out of the 8 showers, only ONE actually works. The other either have NO PRESSURE AT ALL!!!!!!! Or will not run hot water. From 4pm - 7pm forget getting a machine, the gym is so ridiculously busy.. To top it all off, expect two "JUNK MAIL" Flyers a month telling you to "JOIN EXTREME FOR 2$ A WEEK". Very poor business practises.
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angela:I attended Oxygen Fitness regularly for 6 years (this Toronto location was just bought by Extreme Fitness). I thought xtreme Fitness would make things better. They did not: they have lots more pretty faces in the front desk to sell memberships but they have created a very long convoluted bureaucracy, brought a lot of young inexperiences staff to "show off" who can not even answer simple questions and client service has gone down precipitously. If i did not have an excellent trainer for several years from the previous gym, I would not be staying there.I am lucky that I train at 6:30 am, so I do not have to wait for equipment. Has become too apersonal, too commercial and far too americanized. Not my style of facility.
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Bob:Positives: Decent equipment and reasonably clean Negatives: incredibly poor customer service, overcrowded, obnoxious and unqualified personal trainers, equipment constantly broken and never repaired, changerooms too small (lineups for showers) General Comments: I've been going to this gym for a few years due to location. While the equipment is decent, this is a volume gym where they allow as many members as they can sign up, don't even bother showing up during peak periods (morning and early evening) as you will be waiting in line for everything, the staff are rude - they aren't there to help members, but rather to chat up the trainers, and there are too many trainers who are constantly tieing up the equipment and not allowing members to work through, the equipment constantly breaks and isn't repaired, a bunch of the treadmills and elipticals have been broken for months so don't be fooled by the amount of equipment on the floor, the gym is also poorly set up - like a long maze.
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Sal:I like the gym equipments and also go to group fitness classes regularly. Instructors are very energetic and friendly. HOWEVER, gym managers are not friendly at all. Beware contracts... Staff very forceful when it comes down to convincing you to sign contract.
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RussDNailz:This was a trial period for the time I was there. Guest passes. I was almost forced into a contract in the location in Richmond Hill/Thornhill. Staff are not obliging and they love to flex their authority muscle. North York location is just a maze. Everything is scattered everywhere and the big manager will only scowl at you for acknowledgement. Extreme Fitness has left me with a negative impression and it's done the same with many people I've known. Look elsewhere for your fitness needs.
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mark:WATCH OUT: make sure you read all the contracts before you sign. They dont tell you what you write and by the time you realize it, its too late! you get all kinds of flexibility from people when you're about to sign the contract, but once its signed, they dont care about you. charges start piling up. WATCH OUT FOR THIS.
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Sheila Kos:The bathrooms on Yonge/Shep location are tiny, just enough to pee. However the location in Richmond Hill is amazing. Lots of machines, clean, friendly, great pool. At Yonge/Shepp location there is a irky small teeny woman with long brown hair, med/dark complection, really bossy with staff, never smiles unless you smile at her, too fake. And I really do not care for the new manager, caucation with stalky build....too arrogant
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Jalex:
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Lil:Not very friendly, gym is fun to work out in but when assistance is needed, be prepared!
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Kara:
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