24 Hour Fitness, 2701 Halloran Fort Worth, TX…read more
I have been a 24 Hour Fitness member on and off for over 20 years. After my recent experience with management at the 2701 Halloran Street location in Fort Worth, Texas, I will never return.
On October 8, I was charged $257 for an automatic membership renewal, plus a $16 fee. I noticed the charges on October 11 and contacted the club's General Manager, Neha Dhankhar, the next day. I explained that I didn't realize it was set to auto-renew, hadn't used the facility in months, and requested a refund.
I understand renewal policies, but a company that values loyalty exercises reasonable discretion instead of hiding behind fine print. Unfortunately, my experience with Neha proved this company does not care about customers.
From the start, she was combative and dismissive. She immediately defended corporate policies, claiming two notification emails were sent last month. Throughout the call, she repeatedly interrupted and talked over me. When I asked if she would at least contact Member Services on my behalf to request an exception, she refused, saying it would accomplish nothing. When I noted that I'd appreciate management making an effort for a 20-year customer anyway, her exact response was: "I don't work on feelings."
That statement perfectly summarizes the total lack of customer service here.
My decision to cancel was heavily driven by the deteriorating condition of this facility. During recent visits, numerous machines were broken. On one occasion, 6 out of 7 ellipticals were out of service, working leg machines were hard to find, and the sauna was frequently broken. Furthermore, a business named "24 Hour Fitness" no longer even operates 24 hours a day at this location. Yet despite these severe downgrades, my renewal rate increased by roughly $50 over last year.
Even more alarming is how these charges were processed. Over six months ago, I lost a card and updated the payment info on my account. Yet on October 8, 24 Hour Fitness apparently attempted to charge my newer card, assessed a $16 fee when it failed, and then charged the $257 renewal to my previous, replaced card--the exact card I had explicitly removed from their system months ago. It is deeply troubling that a replaced card was retained and used for active billing.
When I told Neha I intended to escalate this, she initially refused to give her full name and kept lecturing me. I ended the call and went to the club in person to cancel my membership and demand escalation details. While the membership was canceled, management refused to remove my stored payment cards, claiming that because my membership was inactive, "there would be nothing further to charge." This is an entirely unacceptable excuse given their highly questionable billing practices.
During my visit, I requested that my complaint be forwarded directly to District Manager George and Regional Vice President John, along with written email confirmation that my concerns had been escalated.
This is about how a company treats a decades-long customer who promptly disputed an unwanted renewal. It is about unacceptable payment data retention practices, a refusal to escalate, and a complete lack of professionalism from club management.
I am demanding the following resolution:
* A full refund of the $257 renewal and $16 fee (Total: $273).
* A written explanation of why my previously replaced payment card was kept and charged.
* Written confirmation that my stored payment methods have been permanently purged from their active billing systems.
* Confirmation that this complaint has been reviewed by district and regional management.
I am fully prepared to pursue this via credit card chargebacks, corporate escalation, and formal consumer protection complaints. 24 Hour Fitness just permanently lost a longtime customer over $273--not just because of the automatic fee, but because local management chose to handle it with hostility.
