Were it possible to give negative stars, I would.
Where to begin...
This review isn't about the gym's amenities, per se. Or even about this particular gym. My preferred location was the one on William Cannon and IH 35. That location was grittier, roomier, and felt more like a place where a person could throw weight around without judgment and train with intensity. This new location was always really bougie and felt more like a "fitness center" than a gym. But I digress...
I began social distancing on the 13th of March. I follow the news closely and thought it best to refrain from the gym. While I had been there a few days before attempting to be hyper-vigilant and wipe everything down a million times, I decided staying home and training with dumbbells made more sense as I live with my 5 year old son and 65 year old mother who has hypertension and had surgery for an unruptured aneurysm. Three days later all Gold's Gym locations in Texas closed. At that point no statement was made about payment freezes. Twelve days later on the 28th, Gold's Gym sent out an email informing members that membership dues at company-owned (but not franchise) gyms would be frozen on the 24th. I trained at a company-owned gym, I was charged on the 25th, and according to the member page, was going to be charged again on the 25th of April.
I Tweeted at Gold's and their CEO, and was eventually blocked by their accounts (likely because I would respond to other posters and advise them to do as I had done, and contact their Congressional reps, state consumer protection bureaus, news media, and if it was within their reach, an attorney. Eventually I was contacted by someone on IG, and I insisted on getting a name, because I don't know anyone who engages in customer concerns about financial transactions with nameless, faceless entities. I always get a name and title and make note of the time of any interactions. Eventually, I did indeed get a name. And, I got my money back and a cancellation of my membership. So, though their email claims refunds can't be handled until gyms re-open, that is false.
This global pandemic is revealing a lot about people, and it's also revealing a lot about our purported corporate "citizens". Any company that would take money away from people during a time of mass firings, housing insecurity, and uncertainty, does not deserve your time, much less your money. Look at Gold's Gym's social media (if you're not blocked like I am), and you'll see post after post of people asking why they're being charged for a gym they can't use. And the response from Gold's Gym? Silence.
I love to train. It's hard being away from heavy weight. My I refuse to give what little money I have to a company exhibiting such poor professionalism and engaging in base behavior for the sake of profits. If you can, train locally. Austin is full of very fine local gyms. If not, choose a different chain, because this one has shown its true colors, and they're ugly. read more