I've been a professional personal trainer since 2009. I ran the entire training department for…read morelarge corporate gyms, and I still train clients I've worked with for over ten years. Any of them can vouch for me. In my entire career, I have never had a single billing dispute with a client. I know this industry from the inside, which is exactly why my experience at The Box has been so disappointing.
I came to The Box in early 2024 on a strong recommendation from a close friend, and at first I loved it. My coach, Coach Yuka, is excellent, and I valued the many sparring partners I got to share the ring with. From day one, though, I noticed the owner frequently no-shows on clients and talks far more than he actually trains. As a trainer myself, I clocked it immediately, but I figured it wasn't my problem and kept it to myself. After everything that followed, I think it's worth letting people know he is not a serious coach. My issue is not with the training staff, who are great. It's with the owner and how the business is run.
Every single person I sparred with at The Box was a good sport. The owner was the exception. When I got in the ring with him, rather than boxing technically he repeatedly lunged, and at one point threw his shoulder into my face after breaking up a clinch he had started. I hurt my back so badly I couldn't walk the next day. He let his ego surpass his professionalism, and what should have stayed a respectful exchange in the ring turned into something he then carried into how he treated me as a paying client. After that, I canceled my membership, and Mario confirmed the cancellation.
A year later, reviewing my finances, I discovered he had been charging me the entire time. He agreed to refund me but only returned half of what I was owed. I let it go because I planned to come back and keep training.
When I returned, I came with my family. Previously I paid about $60 a month for myself and my kids, so I expected something reasonable. When I asked about my missing refund, he said it had gone toward "enrollment fees." As a professional, I can tell you it is not standard to charge enrollment fees to someone who only trains privately once a week rather than using the classes and facilities. Those clients are typically given a discounted rate.
We finally agreed, in writing, on $180 a month with no enrollment fee, to be charged on the 20th. Without any notice, I was charged $297. I tried to confirm the amount beforehand and the receptionist ran the card anyway. When I put the discrepancy in writing, that we'd agreed to $180 and I was charged $297, he never actually addressed it. Instead of fixing the charge, he replied with a long breakdown of "the actual numbers" and how much value I was supposedly getting. I didn't ask for a sales pitch. I asked why I was charged a different amount than we agreed on. That question never got answered. Instead, he cornered me and claimed I now owed $780 for a month we'd used, even though he had already agreed to credit me that month. So rather than refunding the payment I'd just made, he moved the goalposts entirely.
Billing here is a nightmare. When it's time to collect, they're relentless. When it's time to honor an agreement or process a cancellation, they vanish. I've worked in this field for over 15 years and have never seen a client treated this way. I can't recommend doing business with this owner.
