Business ProfileforCrunch Fitness - Waterford

I am submitting this complaint primarily to report a fraudulent charge from Crunch Fitness and also to share my horrible customer service experience when I calling the location in Waterford, ********. I joined on July 9, 2021 through a Gym Pass offer by ********** Blue Shield (Blue 365 Gym pass). What the Gym Pass does is that it allows you to join a network of Gyms at discounted prices and waves membership annal fees. Since I joined Crunch I have been paying a $17 monthly fee however on June of this current year, I decided to inquire about a membership upgrade at Crunch. The representative was very friendly and provided detail information on what the new monthly pricing would be, I asked if the upgrade would have any effect on my current membership because I was getting the special pricing through the Gym Pass to which he responded that everything on my agreement would remain the same, assured me that I would not be assessed annual fees. Little did I know that I was being scammed. Since I upgraded, I started to receive monthly charges of $39.99 which I am fine with because that is the quote he provided me, however yesterday I noticed that $98.98 were fraudulently taken by Crunch on September 8, 2023. I immediately called the Waterford location, which is where I purchased the membership and the upgrade and spoke to a gentleman who informed me that for billing inquiries I would have to call or go today to speak to a manager. I do not have the luxury of spare time; however, I called today, and unfortunately had to call twice. The very firs time I called, a lady answer the phone and I asked to speak to a manger, she informed me that the manager was busy that I could wait on hold or that she could take my number for a manager to call me back to which I responded that I could wait. She did not put me on hold, it just sounded like she put the phone down for a couple of minus as I was able to her a small personal conversation between her and another individual, then the phone was just hanged up. I call right back after I was hanged up on and the same lady answer the phone and I told her that I had just called and that I was hand up on to which she replied, I know the manager is still busy I will put you on hold (she did not apologize for having hang up on my which is fine). After a few minutes of being on hold the Manager came to the phone and aske how he could help. I explained my concerned with the fraudulent fee to him and provided my membership information. He pulled my agreement and started asking me if I new the individual that upgraded my membership and how did he looked like, and I told him that I did not know him and usually was not focusing on how people looked like and was distracted that there was no way I would remember how he looked like. To which he replied that he could not figure out from his signature who would have upgraded me. He said that the individual had erroneously change the terms on my exiting membership and there was no way to recover my old agreement information. I told him that I just needed it fixed. To which he replied that he would take a note for his GM because he could not fix that for me because Crunch did not like to reverse annual fees for his member. When he said this, I lost it, so I told him very frustrated and upset that he had to be kidding. I told him that why would Crunch refused to refund money that shouldnt have been taken and was taken because of an error on their end. Then he said it is what it is and that I would have to go in and physically prove that I was a Gym Pass holder, that otherwise there was noting they could do to reimburse what was illegally taken from my account. Not even once he sympathize with me he just kept saying it is what it is, what you want me to do?, I told you we will rectify it but you need to bring proof, I told him that I did not even know what I provided when I signed up, to which he said if you are a Gym Pass holder you should have paperwork or something that we can use, if you dont bring that there is nothing we can do. He also said that even if it took me a few days to get that to them it was fine that I could bring it and they would investigate it, however, in my perspective, it is not fine. How is it fine to take money from someones account, I am not also fine with putting the burden of proof on the affected party, and it is also not fine to not have any sense of urgency to return money that was fraudulently taken from someones account, this is causing consumer harm. I asked for the Corporate number where I could submit a formal complaint and he refused to give it to me, he keep giving me the Waterford location management contact email, then I keep on explaining to him that I had the right to submit a formal complaint, and then he told me that he could not continue to talk to me because we were just talking on circles so I just hang up. I am not ****** concerned with the behavior of the employees I spoke too because I was very frustrated and I could have also worsened the situation, or maybe this is the norm for Crunch however, I believe there really is systemic issues that need to be investigated. The first issue I see is that it does not seem like Crunch has a good record retention, well they retained what is in their best interest and not necessarily the best interest of the consumer because they did keep my Checking account # on file to overcharge. Another huge issue is that they do not have a reliable method or control to identify employe that makes updates to consumer memberships, and lastly Crunch financially ***** its customers by shifting the burden of proof to them and holding them responsible for Crunch employees mistakes. I really hope you can assist me by elevating my concern to the Crunch corporate office and the government agencies that regulate Michigans Fitness centers to be able to get the corrections needed on my membership and to obtain my refund.