Totalfitness Reviews 297

The club has a ridiculous policy that parents are to stay pool side while the lesson is going on. In current busy lives we want to make most of our time. I was a member of david lloyd and my kids go to gymnastics, tennis amd no one have this policy more over we can't do any other work like replying to emails etc while at pool side as we can't use phone. This is worse than high school. Swimming instructors and lessons as such are great. I think it's time they move in to 21st century. Instructor in water and a life guard present unsure what they are going to gain by insisting parents stay .feels like penalising parents for being members of club and trying to be more productive with time.

I’m not a keyboard warrior but came on here to commend the membership department for the sympathetic and friendly well they have treated us when we had to freeze our membership for a while.

I’m shocked by some of the comments. Guess you can only speak as you find, but our local gym in Chester does what it says on the tin. A good gym, a decent pool and courteous staff. My partner uses yoga classes which are excellent.

Sorry for those with bad experiences but we would commend TF in Chester and the membership dept for their service.

I'm not surprised why you got that many bad reviews, the gyms are dirty and the staff are rude. Trying to cancel my membership last 2 months but still taking money of my account. Spoke to members and all they say someone going to call you. Been waiting over a 3 weeks for them to call me

I pay for 3 family memberships and have been customer for years. My son was home from University and we asked the club whether he could join us for a game of table tennis. Two different responses but both negative. Spoke to a manager who claimed that money needs to change hands otherwise the insurance is not valid. Utter rubbish - seen loads of people buzzed in before and also have had previous okays to do this the odd time. So short sighted and no common sense. They will lose 3 memberships for the sake of 30 min table tennis. No goodwill or discretion. Will take our business to a better run more friendly place.

I am incredibly frustrated and disappointed with my experience at Total Fitness Bolton. Today, I raised a serious concern with Olivia at reception about the sauna and steam room closing times. I was told these facilities close 15 minutes before the club closes, but over the past week, they have consistently been shutting down 30 minutes early. When I pointed this out, Olivia had absolutely nothing to say and just kept repeating, "It’s not something we can control." This response was dismissive and showed a complete lack of accountability.

When I asked to speak to the manager to resolve this issue, Olivia conveniently claimed they were in a meeting. I then asked for the names of the managers I could speak with during my next visit, and shockingly, she claimed she didn’t know who the manager was that day and therefore couldn’t provide any names. This is absolutely unacceptable.

To make matters worse, we don’t receive any partial refund for the facilities closing ahead of the advertised times. If the sauna and steam room are consistently closing earlier than promised, we are effectively being short-changed as paying members.

Not only does it seem like staff are not on the same page about operational timings, but the lack of transparency and unwillingness to escalate a genuine concern to someone in charge is appalling. If the facilities are not running according to the advertised schedule and the staff cannot or will not address member complaints, what exactly am I paying for?

Total Fitness Bolton needs to seriously reconsider its approach to customer service and operational integrity. I would not recommend this gym to anyone who expects consistency or accountability from their service provider.

Hi, I was a member many years ago. My wife , myself and we used to take the children were little at that time and they were coming for free.
I remember we ammended our contract because my wife wanted to do something else and I carried on for several years. I remember I amended passed a few years to a non pick times because it was suiting me with my working hours and also, it was cheaper that way.
I am sure one year I freeze it for a couple of months and then passed few more years when I decided to stop going. Some not relevant issues here about the gym which in my opinion it was great and had it all.
I don't remember to have any issue with the cancellation of the contract at that time. Is this really bad now?

After I read the reviews it seems that this is now a big issue.Is it? I used to go to the one in Altrincham branch.
I was thinking in returning but the only thing that puts me off a part of the poor reviews is the transparency with the prices.
I think a website should provide the prices of their services. A company does not need to know your DOB and everything else that they are requesting to provide you a price. You can put the prices split in ages.
Please, please, please Total fitness in Altrincham provide your prices on the site and I will change my review to a 5 based on my old times.
I am a bit sceptical about some bad reviews here and the problem is that all the reviews are coming from different branches of different Total Fitness. So, this does not reflect the one at Altrincham but the reviews don't make you any favour either.

One thing has not changed much are the times. Perhaps you could improve some of the late times on Friday and at the weekends. Some people that work during all the week perhaps they prefer to go and stay longer instead of going to the pub. Example the Gym Group allows you to go late.

I hope this helps to some other readers.
In my opinion prices should be crystal clear in your website. Pass this to your managers. Perhaps you get more people like that and waste less time answering emails and calls.

Albert

Total Fitness Sports Gear somehow got our debit/credit card number & tried charging our card three X's when I've never even heard of them. I tried to go on their website & all it would do is stay on the open screen, no way to contact them. This place is a total scam!!!

Absolutely terrible gym and the customer service is as bad. Not been to the gym for 5 months and still being charged. Spoke to customer services and was informed that will continue to be charged for a 5th month which has put me I debt for the amount of over £300. Tried to come to some form of reasonable agreement but it was like talking to a robot. Absolutely scamsters. Would never use the Altrincham total fitness gym again or recommend this place to anyone. Machine are old and dated and better gyms in the area for less than half the price. Hopefully the chain will be closed down soon.

On 24th September, I cancelled my contract. This meant paying an extra £20 or so to cancel early, but that’s what I wanted to do. I received an email saying my last payment would be on 1st October. Fast forward a month to 1st November, and £50 has been taken from my bank account. I sent an email straight away, with no response. I then called this morning to speak to someone, and was asked to read out the email stating I had been told my last payment would be on 1st October. It’s almost like I wasn’t believed! I was told it was the wording in the email that was wrong, but that my refund would be honoured. Very good of you, thanks. Too right it should be honoured - that’s my money and I did NOT authorise that payment, and have in black and white that no further payments should have been taken after 1st October. I was then asked to send a screenshot of the email confirmation of my last payment date, via email, so that they could honour the refund, and then that would be issued within 3-5 working days.
I won’t hold my breath, as I didn’t even receive a response to my initial email. I had an automated email confirming receipt, but surely someone has seen these emails, and it would be nice to get some communication stating my refund is on its way. £50 is a lot to take off somebody unexpectedly and without their consent - isn’t that theft?
Anyway, I will be taking this to the Ombudsman AND reporting the company to Trading Standards if my refund isn’t processed this week.

Been going to Bolton TF for years, have seen many managers come and go. The recent manager is a waste of space. Has no interaction with members whatsoever and when challenged either ignores requests or lies!! The gym is a total disgrace and dirty, was never like this previously. Pool attendants spend more time cleaning the pool area floor and take no notice of people in the pool, a disaster waiting to happen. Recently received an email asking for comments, completed this and where it stated if I wanted someone to contact me to discuss, I requested this but yet to receive a call (6 weeks ago). Head Office need to get their act together before it goes completely downhill. I've already stopped spending money in the cafe, so that's around £70 a month I'm saving!! This review will most likely get ignored just like the manager ignores its members. And yes, this is a genuine review and I have not received an incentive for writing it. Shocking!!!!!

Scam company.
I've been a member for years, clubs looking tired, prices going up and the stories about how they treat the staff make me very concerned

Awful, club is shoddy and tired.
It seems I’m not alone in cancelling my membership legitimately and still being charged.. Even had a email confirmation from TF to confirm last payment date of 1st Oct, still taking money out my account… Think I have learnt my lesson with this recurring payment system seems if you take money this way there is obviously a reason.. Smarten up TF , use direct debit and provide a bit of customer service.
Will be reporting to the financial ombudsman as this seems to be an issue for many, fraud.

I'm 72 and into my second year. My local is Wilmslow. I'm a semi retired lawyer and use the cafe area for my work which has booths and lots of plugs. The food's good too with choice. I swim. That's it. The pool is clean and never overcrowded and a delight. At £51 a month it costs me about £1 a lane but that's my choice. I always leave feeling much better and revived. The staff are great. Everyone tries. Well done Total Fitness. And no one has urged me to write this!

I have been going to Total Fitness in Lincoln for almost 20 years.
I have noticed the decline in the past few years. The biggest complaint is the noise from classes which is so loud that it overrides my (noise cancelling) headphones when I’m working out. I also have to leave when I’m in the hydropool (which should be a relaxing place) when the class starts in the pool and I left early today when the noise overwhelmed the entire building. Numerous people have complained to the staff but they seem reluctant to do anything about it for some reason.
The touch sensor on the showers is another source of vexation as it doesn’t work very well.

BE AWARE...if you want to change the payment date to match your salary pay date these greedy scumbags will charge you £77 for the privilege...my advice?.. choose a different gym.

Showers, kids pool, main pool and jacuzzi pool *all* cold on Sunday 29/09/2024. After getting cold in the pools I went to get warmed up in the sauna. Other sauna user said that boiler had broken down. Why wasn't I told at Reception before going in? Today, 01/10/2024, website says they are still waiting for boiler parts and all water temps. are down as before. Is this up to date info? Called the Altrincham branch number 3 times to check but got no reply - it took 3 mins. to ring out each time. So both Reception and membership office is completely unmanned/can't be bothered. What a rip-off. Facilities are below standard if not unusable and no service by phone either. And no-one has offered me compensation.
Have just been waiting over 18mins in a phone queue for option 3 (membership) and even they, on a centralised number, don't pick up. Very understaffed. How am I supposed to know when the pools are back to normal?

Facilities good but you need to be on your toes when considering the contract and leaving. Terminated because of house move and extra charged appeared later over issues. They were totally disingenuous and devious. Never again !

Got told when signing up that I was in a no commitment contract that I could cancel whenever. Decided to cancel due to not been able to afford and total fitness are saying I’m in a contract. They are saying I have to pay months of membership otherwise a dept collector will be involved. Disgusting the fact staff haven’t been trained.. either that being lied too. And won’t end my membership.
The customer service is horrendous.

Avoid! This gym!!!

My daughter attended a lesson here, I explained she was nervous and uncomfortable with the water, I got told from the swimming instructor to ‘let him know once I get her in the water’ about 5 minutes later another child came and my daughter didn’t get a second look from the teachers. When she did get in the water she got told immediately to put her head under which was uncomfortable for her and then got left screaming in the middle of the pool whilst assistance got given to another child. She then refused to go back in with the teacher who did that. I spoke to the manager afterwards and was told to see how she gets on for another month and if she doesn’t like it they’ll change teachers (it’s £56 for a monthly bookings) when we were changing others commented on how bad the lesson was for her and the response from the team. I then spoke to the manager who said I’ll need to pay for that lesson however he will refund the remainder of the month, I didn’t agree with this as I didn’t feel she had a lesson and in fact they just made things worse for her. He then agreed to refund the full £56, it’s been two weeks and there has still be no refund and when I’ve rang to try and talk to him he’s ’not available’. All in all awful experience.

Dreadful experience at Preston Total Fitness. It was hotter than hell and impossible to work out properly, as they don’t have a proper air con system. Preston staff said head office would not let them lower the temperature. Head office couldn’t have cared less. I had a massive battle to cancel my membership and my request for partial refund of the joining fee and subs has been ignored. Lots of clunky old equipment that needs fixing, tiny crowded steam room and sauna, poor choice of peak time classes. Now at Preston Nuffield which is far superior. Beware if you are thinking of joining this gym - customer service is abysmal , it’s massively overpriced for such poor facilities and extremely difficult to end your contract