POTENTIAL MEMBERS: READ BEFORE YOU'RE TRAPPED!!!
I feel compelled to share my experience at Fitness First Macquarie Park to help others avoid the FRUSTRATION and DISAPPOINTMENT my partner and I encountered. What started as an exciting fitness journey quickly turned into a lesson about hidden fees and questionable business practices.
During signup in November 2024, we explicitly discussed our UPCOMING TRAVEL PLANS with staff. Despite specifically mentioning our need to freeze our memberships during this period, we were never informed of the $5 WEEKLY FREEZE FEE. This crucial information was only revealed after we had already committed to a contract with a lock-in period.
Let me be crystal clear - this isn't about the $5 or $10. We all spend money on extras in life. This is about the ABSOLUTE DISGRACE of a business that has zero ethics and treats people like disposable ATMs. The sheer audacity to hide fees and then act like WE'RE the unreasonable ones is mind-boggling!
⁉⁉⁉ Anyway, furthermore, the deceptive practices run even deeper. During signup, they enticed us with a "special discount" - claiming we'd pay just $34 per week if we joined right away. Sounds great, right? Well, imagine our shock when checking our bank statements weeks later to discover an additional $5 weekly "account holding fee" being quietly charged. SINCE WHEN DID A GYM BECOME A BANK that charges account holding fees? While we initially tried to overlook this sneaky charge since we planned to be long-term members, our patience completely evaporated when they blindsided us with yet another fee - the membership freeze charge that was never once mentioned during our lengthy signup discussion. ⁉⁉⁉
The most infuriating part? When we tried to address these issues, we hit a wall of indifference. Their solution? Pay up or pay even more to cancel - because apparently, we're "breaking the contract" by not accepting their hidden fees. They conveniently hide behind an "agreement" that was supposedly sent within 48 hours of joining, after we had already signed up. Their entire business model seems built on TRAPPING MEMBERS WITH UNDISCLOSED FEES and then holding them hostage with hefty cancellation penalties.
‼‼‼ We ultimately had to pay a $195 cancellation fee to end this frustrating experience. If you're considering joining this gym, I strongly urge you to:
* Get EVERYTHING in writing before signing
* Ask specifically about ALL possible fees and charges.
* Read EVERY LINE OF THE CONTRACT, as verbal assurances seem to mean nothing here.
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Don't make the same mistake we did of trusting verbal communications. Save yourself the headache and consider the many other gyms in the area that practice transparent business.
I'm taking the time to write this detailed review of our recent experience because I genuinely don't want others to face the same frustration and disrespect we endured. When a business treats its members like walking wallets rather than human beings, they deserve to be called out. Every word here reflects our real, recent experience - and I sincerely hope it helps you make a more informed decision than we were able to. Your time, money, and dignity deserve better than this. read more