When I first found out that Women's RAC had sold to Athena's Army, I emailed Women's RAC saying I wanted to cancel due to COVID. They told me I had to cancel through Athena's Army. I tried twice to get ahold of them and got a strange rambling form letter (see photos). Here are some quotes from it: They have "no website, email tools or even internet, music or cable...[with] some of the nice unique pieces of fitness equipment taken out". "We will build a BETTER gym...but we need your support to accomplish this" indicating they need our money to start up their gym. "THAT said, it's a sensitive time for everyone, staff included...some instructors, like Marie Quinton and Susan LoFurno, have circumstances that compel them to wait and see how this opening goes before coming back...but if members say, I want to see who comes back before I decide, well, I don't know how can that work?" There are more but these three indicate they weren't ready to open and the gym was not in the condition that the Women's RAC was when we signed. How can they charge membership for a gym in this condition? Why should we fund their growing pains? I have gone back and forth with them and they are combative, whiny about "why do we want their business to fail", unprofessional, and frankly - a little scary. They double down on bad customer service. They have posted disinformation about COVID on their Facebook page saying the cure is exercise and they sent an email saying even if they are shut down with Covid restrictions, if 100 people show up on Thanksgiving they will open "come hell or high water". They disabled reviews on their Facebook page because they were getting so many negative reviews. They emailed me back saying COVID doesn't void a contract (completely ignoring my concerns over the condition of this gym) and then threatened me with collections explaining how that ruins my credit score. They literally signed the email "Good luck". Small claims court everyone? read more

Athena's Army - First email. - Gyms Near Me - Rochester, New York

I've been a member of the RAC for about 5 years. I do not recall signing paperwork saying that "Athena's army" can bill me. I asked for a refund I was told no. They told me that they would cancel my membership, I'm still being charged. They don't answer the phones then they threaten to send the account to collections. These people are the absolute worst. These people suck. I have an email that said that my membership was cancelled... yet I'm still being billed and being treated like shit. I don't even live near this place read more

Athena's Army - Here's the email - Gyms Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Now, to be fair I haven't actually been in this facility since it transitioned to Athena's Army from the RAC for Women. I am basing this review on how communications have been handled and the overall lack of professionalism that I have seen from this company the past few months, The RAC for Women had sent out an email late spring/early summer saying that they were shutting and everyone could get a refund back. I paid for a full year back in December, and had only used 3 months of my membership, so I was eager to get that money back. I was then told that I couldn't receive my refund back because the Pittsford location, the one that I signed up with, was being taken over by another gym. I was somewhat annoyed, but was hopeful that I could work with the new company. The interactions that I had with Athena's Army started alright. They started out being understanding of the situation and offering to put memberships on pause. I was able to put my membership on pause from October- late December. I had wasted about 3 months of my membership trying to put my membership on pause because no one would email or call me back. I finally just went into the gym and requested a pause. Meanwhile, I emailed back and forth with the BAC and Athena's Army trying to get a refund for my membership. It was useless. Each just kept sending me to the other, saying that the BAC had my money and that Athena's Army had my membership and information now. It is all just silly. My issues with Athena's Army are really due to the emails that they send out. They are clearly not written by any PR person, but sound like they may be from the owner. They are very opinionated, and not written in a way that would entice former members to stay. In an email sent after Thanksgiving, whoever wrote the email basically blamed members for instructors quitting. The email stated why would instructors stay when 80% of you have left since October? I found that quite rude. Members have every right to quit, especially during a pandemic when they don't feel safe. I have attached a picture of one of the latest emails that I found outrageous. I found it extremely unprofessional that they posted a member's email. No, there's no name associated, but that person has every right to their opinion, especially when sent in an email and not posted all over social media, like someone could have done instead. Their personal opinion should not have been used to try to prove a point. I also found the response to the email unprofessional. They could have simply chosen to ignore that email instead of sending a snarky response back. No one needs that, especially now. I understand that it's a hard time for everyone. Small businesses are hurting, but so are people. People have lost their jobs, and we all have to try to have some sympathy, empathy, and understanding. We are in the middle of a pandemic. We averaged over 600 positive cases a day for about two months. It is completely understandable that people would not what to go back into a gym. Maybe people would have stayed if Athena's Army had been a little more compassionate and understanding. Also, no one made them buy this gym. I find it hard to believe that they thought that all of the RAC members would just transition over to a new gym during a pandemic. The RAC members were very loyal, and many had been going to that gym for decades. It seems like Athena's Army saw a good deal, took it, but didn't think everything through and are now becoming defensive because it's not going well. I'm not going to recommend whether you decide to sign up for a membership or not because, as I said, I haven't actually used their facility. I can only offer the experiences that I have had with this company. read more

Athena's Army - Gyms Near Me - Rochester, New York

Please stay away from this gym! My contract with the RAC for Woman ended months ago (couldn't renew because of the pandemic and the gym being closed). When Athena's Army bought it, I decided to cancel over the summer (not planning on going to the gym during COVID). Between an EXTREMELY rude and unprofessional phone calls and emails, they charged my account for a few months AFTER I ended an outdated membership. Nothing in writing was presented to me about this. Now Athena's Army is sending bullying posts to the old RAC for Woman Facebook page demanding people pay or your credit will be ruined. How on earth can they stay in business? There are plenty of great (and professional) gyms in the Rochester area, don't give them your business or you'll seriously regret you did! read more

Athena's Army - Gyms Near Me - Rochester, New York

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BEWARE! As another review mentioned, they are billing old Pittsford RAC customers but do not answer phone calls or emails when you inquire about it. After the RAC sent out an email officially closing their doors, they mentioned that the new owners would "honor" any memberships if you wanted to continue. They did not explicitly say that all memberships would be transferred over without further notification. My emails have been unanswered but when I finally got through about the issue over the phone, the receptionist was smug and unsympathetic. As far as I am aware, the members of the Greece RAC are not dealing with this issue so Athena did not buy out all RAC contracts-- only the bank accounts they have access to? Very dishonest (and almost scam-y) business practices. read more

They continue to send harassment through emails. I had to cancel my credit card and block them. See photos read more

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OK so I didn't even know who these people were until I started getting random calls from them at my home saying call them about my account. I ignored of course thinking it was spam as I didn't have an acct with them. I had to change my card # last April for identity theft. Then after the gyms were closed in March for covid, I heard RAC was going out of business. I just assumed my acct dried up. I never rec'd any info from Athenas or RAC saying they were being bought out. Now I get a collection notice from them and cannot call them as they are closed again for covid. I am p***ed. What a terrible way of doing business. I have a perfect credit score and this better not affect it. I would not recommend this business to anyone considering a gym membership. They should have sent letters and e-mails out to people informing them they bought the RAC. read more

Do not join! I used to belong to the RAC and attended the Greece location, however because I signed up at the pittsford location my contract got sold to Athena's Army. Their customer service is nonexistent. Despite them closing one of their locations, the Greece location they would not honor the cancellation of my contract without a fee despite them not being able to hold up their end of the membership. The owner is rude and condescending. He preys on the old members of the gym knowing they will pay the fees because it is not worth hiring a lawyer to fight back. The emails he has sent out are rude and incredibly unprofessional. It is clear that the owner has poor business and communication skills. read more

I was a RAC member for years and was almost always happy (with the exception of the daily asking if I had a friend who would like to try out the club and join... but ok, I get that, it's a sales thing..). I continued to be billed during the shut-down and understood, ok, they need to cover expenses. I called today because I do not want to go into a gym, I do not know when I will be comfortable doing so and was literally yelled at and lectured by a man who told me that he's "sick and tired of women coming into the club and cancelling because of covid, it's a terrible excuse..." then he want on to give me his "facts" about transmission rates (because I'm sure he's in the medical profession as well as athletics) and fake news related to shut-downs, telling me that people are sick like with the flu, death rates are exaggerated and the filtration system at Athena is better and safer than other places. He TOLD me (not a question, do I) go to wegmans, Walmart and target and those places are not as safe as their gym. (For the record, these places deliver or have curbside services.) I explained that my 88 year old mother-in-law lives with us and I need to respect her wishes and keep her safe... he told me I was yelling at him, he didn't like my tone and that I would be unhealthy because I was not working out. That's when I told him that as I was speaking to him I was looking at my elliptical and yoga matt and use both daily. He told me the amount I "owed" to end my membership during his rant and I let him continue to blab (I almost hung up but then he became entertaining, I imagined him getting red in the face like a cartoon). When he was done I said "my check will be in the mail." I immediately wrote a check and a typed a letter requesting that my membership end. IF I was going to go back to this gym after vaccines are available I won't now. Zero customer service, lots of unsolicited opinion and apparently not women-friendly. I can't remember the last time someone spoke to me in such a condescending way. Clearly he has little respect for women. Do yourself a favor and join another club, pay membership to a place that cares... there are plenty Rochester. PS - From what I heard the place is dirty and they have removed a lot of equipment but I can't share this as my experience, just passing it on... read more

The worst customer service I have experienced in many years. This club couldn't care less about members and has burned SO many bridges with the mishandled transfer of ownership from RAC. DO NOT SIGN A CONTRACT WITH THIS COMPANY. You will regret it, I promise you. read more

This gym is incredibly unprofessional and the fact that they transferred memebrs contracts over without asking is ridiculous. I was under the impression that my contract was null and void after the race closed down. The actual gym is closed under Cuomo,yet they are still charging me and the only way I can reach them is through email. I'm all about supporting local businesses but this is ridiculous, it's a pandemic and I can't afford a gym membership right now. read more

I have experienced a similar situation as described below. I noticed a charge on my Visa from Athena's Army in October. When I called to inquire about the charge, I was told that they bought my gym membership and credit card information as part of the acquisition. I immediately called VISA and have a hold on all future charges, and was refunded the first charge. Athena's Army has harassed me on a daily basis demanding payment before they will cancel my membership. I never received a letter welcoming me to their gym, inviting me to meet the new owners, or given a deadline to contact them before charges began. I never joined Athena's Army! You should not join this gym either!!!! They have no ethics and could care less about the welfare of women's health. As a longtime healthcare provider in Rochester, I have urged all my patients to avoid this gym. read more

I was a happy member of RAC. It was a simple gym that was cheap, perfect for someone who didn't go frequently. Due to covid, my year-long membership would've ended in May, but actually ended in October. It took months and hundreds of phone calls and emails to the monstrosity of a "company" that is Athenas Army, to actually cancel my account. After cancelling, I was still charged and had to dispute it with my bank. From the first email I received, I was shocked. I have never in my life been treated that way. The customer service isn't at all customer service, and is forceful and verbally abusive. The owner, "John/Jon" never gives his name, but is verbally abusive and will never answer your questions directly. I do not use this word lightly, but he is an evil human who does not care about others. DO NOT join this gym. Good luck to those in the difficult situation of trying to leave the cage of this gym. He is an appalling human who owns an absolute sham of a gym. read more

Beware. Athena's Army purchased RAC's Pittsford location and started billing RAC's past clients claiming they had the right to do so "by contract." This was after the RAC had closed its doors and offered its equipment for sale to the public. They did not give members an opportunity to opt out of having their contract transferred. If you were a Pittsford RAC member before Athena's Army purchased the club, check your credit card as you are likely now being billed by Athena's Army. If you are not interested in being a member Athena's Army is requiring your to give notice and then to pay the cancellation fee - for a club you never joined. What a way to do business. I'd give them 0 stars if I could. read more

Avoid this company at all costs! I have had the same experience as others. This company is billing me without my permission. It took months of repeated phone calls to finally talk to a person because they didn't answer the phone for the first couple of months after they took over for RAC. Even after someone said they would settle my account I still got harrassing phone calls telling me I owe them money. I am disgusted with this company. read more

This gym has replaced a previous one that had to close to the covid 19 pandemic. It is basically an extension of the RAC, as all the facilities and equipment has stayed the same. This is an amazing place to get fit, lots of space, great facilities, all for a decent price. The membership fee is a bit higher than it was before the pandemic, but I imagine that will change once things ease a bit with the pandemic. I would highly recommend this gym for a chill workout, it's no hassle and a good environment to get fit. Also very convenient location, I appreciate that they have stayed in business throughout the pandemic. read more

If I could give them no stars I would but rating is required to write a review. I was a PIttsford RAC member for 12 years and always felt respected and I respected RAC staff who were polite, friendly and seemed to enjoy working at the RAC. When COVID hit I stopped going. No need to explain why. When they re-opened as Athena's I did nor feel comfortable returning and should not need to explain why. I was billed for several months and didn't call to cancel because it's COVID and I felt badly. When I did call to cancel what I was or, who I was subjected to was beyond unacceptable. I was told that my RAC membership automatically renewed itself and In order to get out of my membership that they renewed without my consent was to pay a cancellation fee. This was demanded and I was threatened with their ruining my credit if I did not pay this. So you get what I'm getting at- go to another gym. I'm telling Everyone I know about this experience so the $70 I spent to unjoin a club I never joined was money well spent! read more

The RAC for Women was acquired by Athena's Army. The policies, customer service and ethics of this company are deplorable. There was no transparency in this acquisition and members were informed by email, which may or may not have ended up in their junk mail or even be delivered at all. Unsuspecting members had no idea that the new gym was open after closing for the pandemic and were automatically billed annual plus monthly fees. When asked to cancel plan and refund charges, Athena's Army refused any refunds. I would strongly encourage anyone to avoid this new gym. read more

Horrible. I used to be a member of the Pittsford RAC. Now I am being charged by this gym without any notice and no ability to contact them. They will not answer my calls or messages and continue to charge my account. At the very least this is entirely unprofessional. read more

I echo the sentiments of the previous reviewers. I was a RAC member and my membership was up for renewal during the summer of 2020. Despite gym closures due to Covid, I attempted to contact the RAC to cancel my membership as I no longer live in the area. I did not receive a response to voicemails left. I later learned on the news that the gym had sold. I never received notification from RAC nor the new owners of the transfer of my membership but at the same time realized my card was being charged by the new gym. I contacted the new owner, explaining the info above and asked for my contract to end. I was told to fill out paperwork and that I would be charged a "gym enhancement fee" as well as an additional monthly fee before being released from my contract. I argued that I would not pay to enhance a gym I would not be attending both due to distance from my new home as well as Covid concerns. Communication with the ownership devolved from there, including a tense conversation where I was told to get out of my contract I needed to provide proof of my new address. Apparently, My membership was unknowingly transferred to some sort of cult that you can never leave. Eventually (after a report to the better business bureau) I was told I could complete a form and pay the above amounts and my membership would be cancelled. I completed the form and begrudgingly paid the enhancement fee and November membership dues (just to be done with the hassle of dealing with the management)...only to discover that I was charged for both December and January. I returned my signed cancellation form on November 17th. This is terrible business...bullying, scamming people under the guise of an ambiguous "gym enhancement fee" and then not honoring the paperwork they provided to terminate my membership. They have been combative, unprofessional and I question the legality of the techniques they used to obtain memberships from the RAC as well as their continued practice of collecting monthly fees from people who have legitimately cancelled their memberships. read more