Chico Sports Club

I should have known that joining and communication would be an issue from the start. I signed up on a weekend they took payment and copies of my work badge for the extra discount they offer for caregivers and different corporate accounts. Im a senior assistant for multiple care homes. I got a phone call a few days later asking for proof i worked there. She wanted a check stub so I submitted it. apparently, that wasn't good enough. I went over and beyond besides giving blood by having my boss write a letter of employment. Right there I feel like it wasn't a binding contract i never signed again or heard from membership after that again. Fast forward I called at the beginning of July because I had a stroke and was in rehab hospital and on the 5th of july my dad passed away suddenly . I called three times to talk to membership to let them know what happened. I never got a call back. I left a message and i asked the front to leave a message to never get called back finally they called i missed it and called right back. I spoke to stephanie in membership, and I told her what my situation was. What I got was straight-up attitude and disrespect. She was rude and no compassion. She Asked me to bring medical documents from the hospital stating i can't use the facility she expects a doctor to write a letter. I'm sorry I'm not doing all this for a gym membership doctors are busy and my word should be enough. I asked her if she wanted to see my dad's ashes and death certificate. All I want is to cancel and maybe given a little grace on not being charged anymore. I did email again to have it canceled but have not heard or seen an email in response.

Overall, Chico Sports Club is okay, not great, for all the reasons you can read elsewhere. I do have one major issue, however, with the club management, which has left a very sour taste in my mouth.

I joined the club last summer and paid for the year in advance. That seemed a reasonable thing to do, even though I suspected I'd be moving in about a year. As it turns out, I barely even got started at the club because my out-of-state move occurred much earlier than I anticipated. For more months than I care to remember, I barely made it into the club because I was consumed with downsizing and preparing my home to sell in order for me to be able to move before the end of the year.

I addressed this matter to the business manager in November, requesting a refund for approximately half the year or less, despite my infrequent use of my membership. According to her, it is against policy to refund any portion of payments made for a full year. Interestingly, if I understood her correctly, I could have gotten a refund if I was a monthly paying member and I could prove I was moving.

That makes no sense to me. I think this policy is just downright poor business practice and, even worse, lousy customer service. It completely erodes my otherwise favorable opinion of Chico Sports Club. If I remember, an annual membership paid in advance is in the neighborhood of $500+. Surely, some of that should be refundable if the reason is legitimate. Why not?

The business manager said the no refund policy was in the fine print of my contract. When I objected, she said she would "ask" the manager/owners if a partial refund would be possible. It took over a month and a half for that to happen, and only after I dropped in to check on any progress just before I left Chico in mid December. I just got the call this week (mid January) to say, nope, not possible. All I can do is sell the unused portion of my membership to someone else, but that would be entirely on me with no help from the club. I'm in Portland now. That ain't gonna work. And I never got an answer to "Why not?" Just, "That's the policy." I'm very disappointed in Chico Sports Club and would be hesitant to recommend it to anyone based on my sour experience.