Let me just preface this long, NEGATIVE review with the fact that my girlfriend and I have been coming to Mountainside Fitness for over 9 years. She had a membership before we met and when we met she had been going for 6 years. She talked me into joining, so I joined. Now we're at 9 years.
The first "issue" we had, which really wasn't so much of an issue as it was a failure on MSF to stand by their word, happened a couple years ago. My girlfriend's son broke his toe on the bouncy house at Kids Club. Okay, no big deal, things happen. We are pretty certain it wasn't really any fault of the staff. But what the staff decided to do as a sign of good gesture is issue us 3 months of membership credits. So, of course we agreed. Turns out, we were still charged and I did not notice it till many months later. I called them, they apologized and said that this time, they will be sure and issue the credits. They did.
Secondly, and this was more recent, my girlfriend had personal training set up and she did not know that she was basically in a contract and could not exit out of the contract without a formal, written, signed statement. So, she continued to get charged, and at the time, it was especially hard on us because she had just lost her job, so she made the decision to simply cancel the personal training but wasn't aware she had to basically make a written statement. She was frustrated, and we've been paying the dues collectively for over 9 years. She went to the personal training manager to speak with him and he was very condescending and flat out rude about the situation. No empathetic skills whatsoever. He stuck to the facts, being that she signed a contract and there was nothing they could do about the past personal training drafts out of our bank account. The fact that the "manager" at the Gilbert location was flat out anti-empathetic about our situation and didn't even bother to acknowledge this extenuating circumstance is what really bothered us. It was basically "we don't care about your situation - you signed this contract, and we're sticking to it". That was the vibe. Frustrated, we spoke with the manager at the Gilbert location (nice guy, mustache, didn't get his name) and he LISTENED without interrupting, was VERY empathetic to our situation, and even though MSF was NOT obligated contractually to refund us, he offered to give us 3 months of membership dues credits ALONG with officially cancelling the personal training. He really made things right and we were ready to previously just cancel our membership just due to the fitness manager's attitude towards the situation.
Months passed, and once again, we continued to get charged monthly. I called, and the manager once again was very apologetic and assured us that THIS TIME, we won't see dues come out for 3 months. So far so good, I think this time worked.
Finally, and this is the straw that broke the camel's back, my girlfriend checked her bank account and saw that CONTINUED personal training drafts coming out even though we cancelled it back in February 2025! She called MSF and spoke with Sam, who has always been super kind and helpful and she looked the account up and indeed saw the cancellation form and the paper trail confirming it. She advised to come speak with the fitness manager to make this right.
So now, she has to take time out of her busy day to come talk to the SAME GUY that was entirely too unempathetic months prior to fix a mistake made by MSF.
This was THREE times they promised something but failed to fulfill.
Moral of the story - if MSF promises to do something, they probably won't until YOU notice it and make a fuss out of it.
We will absolutely be cancelling our membership and be looking elsewhere. read more