Planet Fitness - $1 to Join, $10 a Month; No Contract

www.planetfitness.com

For a limited time (Oct 11), they are reducing the initial fee to join to $1. There are two plans: $10/month for one club; or $20/month for all their clubs and other benefits. There is no contract, but next Oct (2010), they will charge your account an annual fee.

Although nationwide, they are not a very large chain (about 15 clubs open, another 10+ on its way). They advertise themselves as a "no judgment" fitness center (meaning it is not geared toward heavy lifters).

I did a search for this, but did not see anything posted.

It is hard for me to rate this club, since I have never set foot in it, but I have been looking for gyms in the area, and this is by far the cheapest deal I have seen. The site I'm planning to join is not even open yet, but judging by the pictures for the other sites, it's a pretty decent club.

Hopefully, there's a location near you.

Opening Soon!
Carlisle, PADublin, OHJacksonville (Cobblestone), FLKennesaw, GAManchester, CTOrlando (Dr. Phillips), FLPompton Lakes, NJPort St. Lucie, FLSan Francisco, CAStratham, NHTroy, MI

Now Open!
Albuquerque (Coors Blvd.), NMAlbuquerque (Montgomery), NMBelmont, NCClifton Heights, PAClinton Township, MIDedham, MAGulfport, MSManassas, VANew York (Dyckman St), NYNewark, DENewport News, VAOrlando (Rio Pinar), FLOrlando Metro West,FLSan Antonio (Bandera), TXSewell (Washington Township), NJ

Actually, I think you misread their website. There are far more than 15 open (you've only quoted the recently opened). Do a full search.

BEWARE. I went to PF and was given a CONTACT to sigh for membership. I asked to take it home to read it on my own time. Manager said NO. I called PF corp office in N.H. & was told that was not allowed. All I need was $1 & a credit card. After belonging to 3 "FITNESS CENTERS" that have gone BUST, DON'T GIVE THEM YOUR CREDIT CARD EVER. They will not accept cash payments.

slycat said: Annual Membership Fee of $29.00 will be billed on or shortly after October 1st.

...so they will charge u $29 next Oct?...oct 2010? weird..

They charge the $29 on 10/17 the following year and say its a "hold your rate fee".

If I'm PARANOID, why was contract produced before I could join? Do U work 4 them? Why could I not take it home to read? NO CONTRACT....

"There is no contract, but next Oct (2010), they will charge your account an annual fee."

DocBo said: If I'm PARANOID, why was contract produced before I could join? Do U work 4 them? Why could I not take it home to read? NO CONTRACT....

"There is no contract, but next Oct (2010), they will charge your account an annual fee."

You are paranoid. I work out there 3 times a week and NO I do not work there. You sound like someone who has been burned in the past. I like PF because they have all the equipment I need to work out (3 times a week) and they are close to my place.

Please do not take advantage of this deal, PLEASE! The only way that PF and other chain gyms survive is by monthly/annual memberships. I've noticed that when their membership gets low they intro one of these deals to increase membership ... and therefore monthly revenue. If you and others knew how good of a deal this was you would probably take advantage of it ... and crowd up my gym. I pay less than $150 a year to go the gym as often as I want! I figured it averages about $0.90 a visit to keep healthy and in shape. You, Polishdreamer and others can join and would end up crowding up the gym. PLEASE DON'T JOIN!

sohelpmejebus said: Joined under the $1 promo a few days ago. Place is very clean, lots of machines and a helpful staff.
They also offer free classes.

I love the "no committments" thing.

I completely agree. I especially like the fact that the gym has a lot of older, out-of-shape people (a good cross-section of society) versus the meat markets of other chains.

cigga24 said: slycat said: Annual Membership Fee of $29.00 will be billed on or shortly after October 1st.

...so they will charge u $29 next Oct?...oct 2010? weird..

They charge the $29 on 10/17 the following year and say its a "hold your rate fee".

so if i joined for 6mths and quit...i would not need to pay that $29 fee ever then?

just read to cancel you need to send a letter CERTIFIED....wtf?

marvs5: thanks for correcting me. i know i read *somewhere* that they had about 300+ clubs open nationwide, but there doesn't seem to be a way to see the full list.

DocBo said: BEWARE. I went to PF and was given a CONTACT to sigh for membership. I asked to take it home to read it on my own time. Manager said NO. I called PF corp office in N.H. & was told that was not allowed.
DocBo: i understand your skepticism. i've never stepped foot in this gym, so i asked if they had a trial period where someone could work out for free before joining. they do not. i understand their side as well, though, since $10/mo is practically a giveaway. i thought there was nothing in there, but when i see the pictures of established sites, it looks like a pretty decent gym.

cigga: i thought the pizza thing was a joke. you're going there to work out, but they fatten you up (and guarantee prolonged membership) with pizza!

but i have to say that i will probably give this place a try. the 'no contract' and '$1 to join' is tempting in itself, but the lady i spoke to (and someone here confirmed) that classes are included as well.

I went to cancel my YMCA today and headed over to PF to start there, but they wanted to charge me $29 start up fee! Told me the $1 start up fee ended Wed, though their website says otherwise... Any reason I shouldn't just sign up on the website?

Edit:
Just signed up on their website. They awesomely make their text white so when you print nothing shows up! Easy to remedy, but still....lol

Just use debit card only for them , Ive been going for about a year ,I think there great !!! Especially if your on a tight budget !

My son was a member there, I was very concerned they would give him a hard time when he cancelled to go to college.
He just took in written notice 10 days before the automatic credit card billing, as the contract specified, and was done.
The one he went to had pizza day on the first Mon. of the month and bagel day on the 2nd Tues. He was happy with them.

i'm not seeing the $1 enrollment and $10 per month. going through the website and choosing the club closest to my location (zip 94111) gets me $49 start up fee and $15 per month with the $30 annual fee starting in October. is this deal dead?

https://www.planetfitness.com/easyjoin.aspx?specialpromotion=1

Rate Guarantee Fee of $29.00 will be billed on or shortly after October 1st.

Signed up to be black card member for $1. Both me and my wife can both workout for a total of $19.99/month. Plus she wants to tan which she was paying more just for tanning somewhere else. Overall, PF works for us!.

I googled planet fitness by where I live and this was the top result.

PLANET FITNESS CONDUCTS A METHOD OF BUSINESS THAT IS NOT WILLED AS TRUSTWORTHY

well, i must agree , i do not believe a Trustworthy merchant of ANY sort should by their own conduct of business expect their clients to offer up ACCESS to their credit card accounts, to withdraw payment on a routine basis, and at the very least making it the ONLY option of payment.

If there are NO COMMITMENTS claimed and NO CONTRACTS, and everything is honestly revealed, why must PLANET FITNESS insist ONLY on electronic payment? , of which they have ACCESS to draw the money from their clients accounts.)

Firstly, No one has any business or access to an individual's account except the individual himself. If a merchant will not support the economic system and the physical currency of America, the U.S. dollar, they have no business DOING business in this country, and to further mention there are STILL Americans in this country, these people VALUE their natural and unalienable right of privacy, and believe in keeping their transactions and purchasers private, by withdrawing from electronic transactions. LASTLY and most importantly, why should people have to sacrifice a portion of their own identity's,privacy,security, to a corporation that wants their business? maybe the braindead dont mind. Planet Fitness can go suck a bug.

merchants like these look out for, you got it themselves and themselves only.

osujim99 said: Signed up to be black card member for $1. Both me and my wife can both workout for a total of $19.99/month. Plus she wants to tan which she was paying more just for tanning somewhere else. Overall, PF works for us!. So if I read the site correctly, your wife has to signup as the Black card member since she wants to do tanning, and she can bring you as the guest but you cant do tanning and massage chairs?

If I read it correctly, you cannot go without her present?

hulkomania said: PLANET FITNESS, WHAT KIND OF FACILITY IS THIS, FOR PEOPLE?

what kind of facility is this? for people? people are obliged to share their identity, and violate their own right to privacy,(something GUARANTEED in our CONSTITUTION) people have to show ID?, so that a merchant/business can get peoples business? rules for what you cant and can do to yourself when your working out? sirens that go off? sounds like a prison ward to me, or a sick cult of rules and regulations.

THE PEOPLE GREATLY QUESTION THE INTEGRITY OF PLANET FITNESS, AND NOT AMERICAN IN PRINCIPLE

Heh... Anyone else get the idea, with all the peculiar CAPITALIZATION and incomplete thoughts, that Hulkomania is a guy who struts around the gym grunting?

Huh??? Who let this guy in???

hulkomania said: PLANET FITNESS , QUESTIONED ON THEIR TRUSTWORTHYNESS AND INTEGRITY IN THEIR CONDUCT OF BUSINESS PRACTICED

We must all firstly, question ANY merchant or order of business, when they oblige an individual/consumer,
to give up ACCESS to their accounts to pay for the service, services offered, including an individuals ID, IDENTITY and PRIVACY. If an individual can not pay for a service offered by their own WILL with CASH, and without sacrificing privacy,security and their own identity, and the right NOT to enter the BINDING of CONTRACTS for services offered, should people NOT question the trustworthyness of that Merhcant/Establishments method of the business practiced?

It is the GOOD WIll of a GOOD AND NOTABLE business to EARN the trust of the people of its community, and cater to those people of what is BEST in those particular peoples interest. and then perhaps the business shall be worthy of the business of those people.

Always keep in mind , "without the customer,the business cannot stay in business".

People should ALWAYS question what must be given up of themselves to obtain a service offered to them. If it requires more than of your own money, is it WORTH it?