Boston Sports Club

Illusion is defined as, "something that deceives by producing a false or misleading impression of reality. Boston Sports Club has perfected "illusion" in the way it presents itself as a state of the art workout facility. There is every kind of weight bearing equipment and trainer packages to orientate safe use. There is a wide variety of exercise classes, all included in your membership fee. My first impression from the outside was I've got to belong to this gym. Its name even impressed me!

On May 1, 2012, I signed up. The staff was very nice. I was given a tour, a list of classes and the individual signing me up couldn't have been more professional, efficient or friendly. I asked about a Personal Trainer, as I hadn't worked out in a while and felt the need for a guided exercising program. I was told about a " great package" of six sessions at $49 a session, which would be debited from my bank account each month. My friend then presented me with a printed contract, asking me to sign next to the X on various lines. Pointing her pen at the wording above each line, where I would sign, she summarized, "This says you are purchasing a package of six sessions with a Personal Trainer at $49 a session............"

I appreciated that she was explaining the wording, as you know how lengthy contracts can be. I trusted her explicitly.

The sessions with my PT commenced soon after that. I had chosen to meet with her once a month. On the day of the last session, my PT confirmed that, "Yes, we're done," and I continued on my way, stopping at the front desk to make sure there would be no more $49 debited from my bank account, as this had already occurred six times. To my inquiry, the person at the front desk said let me get so and so and out came the same individual who had signed me up, except that this wasn't the same friendly, professional, person anymore. She told me that another $49 was being debited (even as I sat across from her with my mouth gaping open). I asked why and she told me in a condescending voice, "It's in the small print. Sorry." The small print, by the way, which isn't really small, was the contract wording she had so helpfully summarized while conveniently omitting that it was my responsibility to give BSC 30 days notice to stop the $49 debits for the SIX SESSION PACKAGE AT $49 A SESSION.

I have entered into numerous contracts over the years and, knowing that, as a typical customer, I was not about to read an entire contract, a customer service representative has pointed out pertinent information to me, hidden in the "small print" that he felt I needed to know. Apple, Charter and Verizon among others have done this. Have to say, it is only now that I appreciate them for that.

I won't be mentioning the location of this particular BSC. Having just read 29 other reviews at this website, I suspect BSC's carefully constructed illusion encompasses all of the Boston Sports Clubs.

Needless to say, now that the bubble has burst, I no longer enjoy going to the gym, but I am not about to let $700+ go to waste or to be harassed and bullied by one of your pit-bull collection agencies.

On January 1, 2013, I noticed a mysterious $29 debit on my account, aside from the one for my membership. When I asked the reason, (Are you ready for this?) I was told the $29 is an annual fee charged to all members to ensure that our rates won't go up "$2.00 or $3.00 a month!" DO THE MATH, BSC! $29 divided by 12 months equates to $2.41 a month. $29 divided by 0 for the many members, like myself, who won't be back for any more of your under handed nonsense equates to yet another rip off.

12/9/12

the club in Andover is HORRIBLE!!!!

95% of the staff has never exercised in their life (and it shows) and therefore they do not understand how a weight room should be maintained (or they don't care). I have never belonged to a gym that didn't dedicate any staff member to maintaining the weight area. Members leave weights on machines and all over the place, staff members walk right past it and don't care. it's not just weights either, people leave bosu balls, platforms, mats, towels etc.. all over the place an BSC has no one to pick it up. Every time I go there I have to unload someone else's weights before I can use a machine. It's like I work there. Weights are NEVER racked properly either. The staff has NO CLUE that you don't rack 5lb plates on the same location as 45lp plates. they just don't know better. They certainly know how to stare into there phone and text message though, because that's all I ever see them do.

I went there the other day, there were 7 staff members standing around the front desk chit chatting, no staff members in the workout area and the place was a gigantic mess. I think every plate loaded machine was loaded up and almost no one was using any of them.

Aside from Planet Fitness, this is easily the worst gym I've ever been a member of. And to think, I didn't join Golds Gym because I wanted to pay a little more and belong to a well run facility, boy was I wrong!

BTW, I spoke to the manager about this 2 months ago. He told me he agreed with me 100% but BSC won't do anything about it. He said the "trainers" are supposed to do this but none of them ever do, ever. He said he's frustrated but will try to do something about it. This guy actually uses the gym and works out pretty hard. Well, he's since been replaced by an overweight guy that I have NEVER seen in the workout area, he sits in his office, text messaging.

Stay away from this place!

unthoughtful, poor management in Boston area, canceling 2 groups classes that members enjoys without getting back to the members or having someone check out the members numbers in the class, is so unconsidered, unprofessional, and irrespecutful.

i've been for 3 years with this company, but recently they become so unprofessional.

the two classes i love and so do everyone i know who comes to the class, are the cardio boxing on Sunday at the Newbury location and the abs on Saturday at the boylston location.

i hope those classes will be back and the management at least take our opinions in consideration for once.

Newton, MA

1 star rating

3/12/2011

DON'T GO TO THIS GYM. THEY ARE PROFESSIONAL CHEATERS.

I read their ADs on Metro newspaper that BSC offer 1 month free for new members. When I come, I was told by member consultant Anne Cobb that I will have 1 month free and I only begin to pay next months with 1 year membership commitment. But she lie to me and I have to pay all months with NO FREE MONTH and money for PROCESSING FEE AND ACTIVATION FEE , when I come to complaint, she said sorry and sorry and told me to wait next month rebate. Next month :NO REBATE MONEY!!! I told to the USELESS GENERAL MANAGER JAMES "BALD MAN", he tried to push responsibility like a soccer player passing his ball. He blamed any reasons that he could imagine that all problems are created by you and the most important is THEY WON'T NEVER RETURN MONEY TO YOU. So, YOU SHOULDN'T GO TO THIS GYM AND SEE YOUR MONEY STOLEN EASIER THAN THIS. THEY TAKE YOUR MONEY EVERY MONTH BY YOUR CREDIT/ DEBIT CARD AND NEVER NEVER RETURN.

ONCE AGAIN, DON'T GO TO THIS GYM. THERE ARE MANY BETTER GYM IN BOSTON.

BSc are not nice folks to do business with, at least as far as I am concerned. I had a major problem when I tried to leave, and got an email from the Branch Manager in Downtown Boston saying he had dealt with it. But I am STILL getting harrassing, aggressive calls from their Collection Agencies asking me for money that BSC agree I don't owe. So I emailed the BSC Downtown Crossing manager and also called him = He won't return calls, (he gets the receptionist to screen complaints out) or emails. NICE?!!They should tell you before you join that to leave, you don;t just need a long notice period, they claim you need to have a Leaving Interview, or you will be harrassed for HUGE FEES.!

BSC has a nice gym but if you move or cancel membership or try to leave for medical reasons. unless you follow steps exactly which includes mailing letters and proper notice even if you are month to month. they will charge you hundreds in fines. And have collection agencies calling you day and night. What a nightmare to get out.

Customer service doesn't care they even scream at you! DO NOT JOIN! Plenty of other great local Gyms

I would not recommend the BSC at Government Center to anyone. There were two instances in my membership in which I received horrible and misleading customer service.

The first was when a trainer approached me about personal training. I told him I was not interested and he refused to stop bugging me. He told me to just do a trial and he would not ask me to commit to anything afterwards. I made it clear that I was not interested in PT service but agreed to do the trial just to get him to stop bothering me while I was working out. I did the trial and it was fine and when we were done I was ready to go home. The trainer however barraged me with 30 minutes of quesitons regarding why I did not want to sign up for more sessions. I told him I could not afford it and he continued to bagger me until I was left in tears.

The second instance was just today when I was trying to cancel my membership. I took 30 minutes out of my morning to come in to the club and cancel because I know that you have to cancel in person. The manager was not available at the time and I did not have time to wait so I asked the employees at the desk if I could leave my information to cancel. I explicitly asked them if that would be sufficient to cancel and they said Yes. They informed me that their manager would call me in 30 minutes and confirm the cancellation. An hour and a half later the manager called me and insisted that I set up an appointment to come in again and cancel. He was very rude on the phone and refused to even admit that his employees gave me the wrong information. He refused to cancel my membership on the phone.

Overall, this was a horrible experience and I wouldn't recommend BSC or any My Sports Club to anyone I know.

Decent gyms and equipment - terrible service through the company though. I moved and could no longer go and they charged me a huge cancellation fee and were really nasty about it - and that was after being a loyal member for years.

BOSTON SPORTS CLUB NEWTON is the worst customer service staff. No one smiles there. We went there with my 8 year old son and turns out we can't swim because its not family swim time which is incidentally only 5 hours a week so you have to time it. Even if there is only 1 person in the pool, they told my son to get out of the pool. When I spoke to the person in the front desk, a real heavy girl named Ashley, she made us wait and ignored us. Finally she tells us BSC Newton is not a kids facility. No one smiles there. We go to BSC Wellesley and everyone is friendly there. No one is friendly in BSC Newton. Horrible!!! Not worth the money!

I have been a member of the Boston Sports Club in Waltham for a while. I'm not sure why they have a Customer Care Manager there since she doesn't know how to smile and at least fake it. Everytime I walk by the check in desk those wonderful people make my day. Part of customer satisfaction comes from the front line of that check in. My suggestion is to get someone with a personality for that Customer Care position. Believe me, I'm not the only one that sees it either.