La Wow, A Horrible Experience.

[howmuch]

Hi all,

Iv'e just got back from visiting a very well known fitness centre in major Ratchayothin, to enquire about the cost for joining, on a short term basis, say 6 months. Anyway, i already know there gonna try the hard sell as many people have told me before hand.

i explain to the sales assistant the situation that i only want to use free-weights, and don't need a tour, she then proceeds to sell me a long term contract so i explain again, "i don't want a long contract as i will be returning home soon" she then says i can have a 3 year contract for 10,999 Baht!

This is too good to be true,out of curiousity i ask for the brochure "No, don't have" "special price, only today" i ask, can i think about it "No, pay now, only by credit card, you have card" which i duly produce but for some reason a debit card isn't good enough? anyway to cut a long story short, this goes on for another 10 minutes

Thats when i smell a rat and tell her, "its ok, i will leave it for now" at that moment i get up and notice members of staff staring daggers at me but some look embarressed by it all and can hear loud exchanges in Thai being relayed, then the little miss madam huffs and throws her pencil on the ground and walks off in plain veiw of Thai customers!.

Can you believe it! all the time, i kept my cool, didn't raise my voice just kept a blank expression (it helps being married to Thai ) as i left but inside i was fuming.

Needless to say, i wont be joining said Gym with the load music and trashy paint job.

has anyone else had an experience like that? and whats with the no brochure or price lists?

Edited November 12, 2008 by howmuch

[kmart]

Name the Fitness Centre / Gym.

[jts-khorat]

i duly produce but for some reason a debit card isn't good enough?

Many local point of sales systems will not accept debit card as the merchant is not insured against fraud and it is also often impossible to refund monies back if problems arise. At least this part of the story sounds legit.

[howmuch]

Name the Fitness Centre / Gym.

Is it not obvious?

[JimsKnight]

Hi all,

Iv'e just got back from visiting a very well known fitness centre in major Ratchayothin, to enquire about the cost for joining, on a short term basis, say 6 months. Anyway, i already know there gonna try the hard sell as many people have told me before hand.

i explain to the sales assistant the situation that i only want to use free-weights, and don't need a tour, she then proceeds to sell me a long term contract so i explain again, "i don't want a long contract as i will be returning home soon" she then says i can have a 3 year contract for 10,999 Baht!

This is too good to be true,out of curiousity i ask for the brochure "No, don't have" "special price, only today" i ask, can i think about it "No, pay now, only by credit card, you have card" which i duly produce but for some reason a debit card isn't good enough? anyway to cut a long story short, this goes on for another 10 minutes

Thats when i smell a rat and tell her, "its ok, i will leave it for now" at that moment i get up and notice members of staff staring daggers at me but some look embarressed by it all and can hear loud exchanges in Thai being relayed, then the little miss madam huffs and throws her pencil on the ground and walks off in plain veiw of Thai customers!.

Can you believe it! all the time, i kept my cool, didn't raise my voice just kept a blank expression (it helps being married to Thai ) as i left but inside i was fuming.

Needless to say, i wont be joining said Gym with the load music and trashy paint job.

has anyone else had an experience like that? and whats with the no brochure or price lists?

I went past the ritzy glitzy one on Sukky near the Emporium a few days back, it didn't appeal to me. I'll just keep doing my own thing at the apartment and keep hitting those streets

[torrenova]

Another thing about using credit cards is that it is much harder to stop a recurring payment. I once had one and was informed by the credit card company that even cancelling the card and getting a new number would not stop the payment until the originator decided to stop it. Threatened with court and costs they backed down but I think this could be part of the reason here as well.

This chain is well known for not having a price list and will attempt to scam you for as much as they think you are gullible enough to pay.

[polecat]

I'll just keep doing my own thing at the apartment

Make sure you pull the curtains.

[kmart]

Name the Fitness Centre / Gym.

Is it not obvious?

Not if you don't live in Bangkok.

[bkkjames]

Name the Fitness Centre / Gym.

Is it not obvious?

Not if you don't live in Bangkok.

WOW, they don't have California Sour Grapes upcountry?

[polecat]

Xactly!

[girlx]

OP I had the same experience with California Wow at Paragon- I won't set foot in there ever again.

[AndyBlueEyes]

In the past, there have been many negative threads on TV about CW especially on the Pattaya forum. They do have a lot of good equipment in their clubs but to get a good deal you have to be willing to do some hard bargaining with the lying <deleted> on their sales staff and management.

[Orangutan]

The salesman and most of the trainers at California WOW are scum..I go there four days a week.

-O

[bkkjames]

The salesman and most of the trainers at California WOW are scum..I go there four days a week.

-O

Mr O, your sentence makes me wonder if you are a sucker for punishment?

[polecat]

The salesman and most of the trainers at California WOW are scum..I go there four days a week.

-O

Mr O, your sentence makes me wonder if you are a sucker for punishment?

Maybe he's a salesman or trainer?

[kmart]

The salesman and most of the trainers at California WOW are scum..I go there four days a week.

-O

Mr O, your sentence makes me wonder if you are a sucker for punishment?

Might have got a special deal on a "Combo Humiliation / S&M package?"

[davejonesbkk]

10k isnt bad at all for a 3 year deal even if you're just there for say 6 months or so. But no way would I give them my credit card, stick to cash mate.

[Macx]

Well, it's probably old news for some of you, but I just found out that my 24Hr Fitness membership privilege of free visits to California Wow in Silom, Bangkok has been revoked. No more free visit in Thailand, though they say California Wow in Singapore will still honor the card.

Three friends with 24Hr membership have also confirmed this.

Anyone else with anything new to add?

[MikeSR]

pay cash in advance and you will then have ZERO problems with credit card charge bs

you demanding a 6 month contract is pretty silly

why not demand a 28 day contract

or a 42 day and 7 hours contract

you mention that you "only want to use free weights"

why not demand a "treadmill only" contract

or a "you cant drink from the water fountains because you bring your own beverage" contract

when you go to the grocery do you demand to pour half the jar of peanuts out and pay half price?

looks like the prices have come down - when siam paragon's wow first opened i guess it was more exclusive and the "thai rates" were way higher than 10k for 3 years

[zaza]

pay cash in advance and you will then have ZERO problems with credit card charge bs

you demanding a 6 month contract is pretty silly

why not demand a 28 day contract

or a 42 day and 7 hours contract

you mention that you "only want to use free weights"

why not demand a "treadmill only" contract

or a "you cant drink from the water fountains because you bring your own beverage" contract

when you go to the grocery do you demand to pour half the jar of peanuts out and pay half price?

looks like the prices have come down - when siam paragon's wow first opened i guess it was more exclusive and the "thai rates" were way higher than 10k for 3 years

karl up son ;the OP is old enough to know and ask for what he needs by himself-which he did-

he didn't ask you to accompany him ; so spear him your wise lecture of "do and don't"

I think you are being rude to him more than the staff whom he was complaining from.

Edited November 12, 2008 by zaza

[bonobo]

I have heard many posters to complain about California Fitness. But I must admit that I have never had a problem. When I joined at the Pin Klao branch, my salesgirl was polite and calm. When I pointed out I didn't want the yoga, she dropped that and never pushed. I got a fair price for what I needed.

The staff there has always been polite and offer me a smile when I come in. My first salesgirl usually comes over to say hello and ask how things are going for me. I really ahve no complaints.

On the other hand, I used the Silom branch, and I found the saff there much more standoffish, and while this may sound odd, i found the patrons as a whole there gave off a weird vibe. And when I tried the Ekkamai branch, they didn't even have towel service there.

[sbk]

Posts have been deleted. No flaming please!

[petedk]

And when I tried the Ekkamai branch, they didn't even have towel service there.

They are going to introduce this in all the branches. Exisiting members will still get free towels but new members will have to take their own. That's what I was told by one of the staff.

[Briggsy]

I use City Fitness. No BS, no pushy sales staff.

[AndyBlueEyes]

Well, it's probably old news for some of you, but I just found out that my 24Hr Fitness membership privilege of free visits to California Wow in Silom, Bangkok has been revoked. No more free visit in Thailand, though they say California Wow in Singapore will still honor the card.

Three friends with 24Hr membership have also confirmed this.

Anyone else with anything new to add?

I recently came across the following info about CW and explains why CW is no longer accepting 24 Hr Fitness cross memberships.

The Thailand California WOW Xperience is a publicly traded company, in contrast to the privately held branches of 24 hour fitness and its fully owned subsidiary California Fitness. Calif Wow X operates 11 branches: 9 in Bangkok, Thailand of which 1 is female only, 1 in Pattaya, 1 in Chiang Mai. The Thai company has opened 2 branches in Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City, District 5 and as of October 25 2008, in District 1.

Formerly: Seoul(3), Daegu(1), Korea.

Starting from August 2008, cross membership agreements between California Fitness along with parent 24 Hour Fitness and California WOW Xperience are being terminated, though memberships can be transferred until that date. This completes the split into completely separate gym companies. California Fitness and 24 Hour still maintain their cross agreements.

[BigSnake]

Silly for anyone to pay Bt10000 plus when you can just take a brisk walk around your local park or your plaza/shopping mall. These folks are train to give you the hard sell, on my encounter, my reply no money never on a credit card in most cases that does the trick. Some are down right pushy best flee the scene QUICKLY!