Retrofitness Update---January 22, 2010

One of my popular blogging topics, based on Search Engine results, are those I post on Retrofitness. In fact, my single most popular search engine phrase is "Retrofitness sucks." As you'll see in my review, that's far from the case---I think they're actually pretty good.

Here's a 2010 update.

I've had hundreds of people read my stories about my experiences with Retrofitness in Moorestown, including people I believe were the owners who posted a comment, in response to a complaint I had, that said "you're an asshole."

Just some background.

My wife is a loyal member of Retrofitness, has been for over 2 years, and I was a member for 1 year.

I've been a member of about 4 fitness clubs, and I have to say that Retrofitness and Riverton Fitness, in Riverton, NJ, are the best I've belonged to. Of the others I've seen, the Racket club on Krewstown Road in Northeast Philadelphia is undoubtedly the best, but it has a lot more facilities and space than these 2.

Let's get back to Retrofitness in Moorestown (on Main Street).

It's a pleasant club, has good equipment, some free weights, a movie room, clean bathroom, a couple of showers, a tanning room, an on site babysitter and chiropractor. Sounds good, and really is good.

Each treadmill has its own TV, and for the most part, they work.

To my knowledge, they have no classes--yoga, kickboxing, spinning, etc. If you want these, you'll need to check somewhere else.

Staff is pretty helpful, although don't ask them to post your Avon catalogs on the front desk for you.

Like most businesses these days, the owners are absentee---I never saw them, only heard their names whispered, and except for the guy who called me an asshole, never really heard from them either.

Retrofitness has a connection with a group called EFT, a company of personal trainers.

http://www.theeftgroup.com/

I never used EFT myself, but my wife does.

They charge $30 per half hour session, and the trainers I saw looked pretty fit. You sign up for a package of training sessions---a 1 year deal, which I believe gets you 4 sessions per week, 12 months per year.

You pay your first and last month up front, and then your credit or debit card is charged each month. The 1 year contract expires in 1 year, and it's automatically renewed to a month-t0-month unless you provide 30 (or is it 60) days notice via Certified letter.

Retrofitness works the same way--a 1 year contract, with some money up front, and debit or credit each month.

My only complaint with Retrofitness while I was there was that they ignored my letter that I was quitting the club, and kept charging my credit card, and they neglected to fix a broken water fountain for several weeks.

I recently had a problem with EFT in regards to my wife when they seemingly charged her twice for that last payment in her 1 year contract---despite several calls to the company, I still don't understand why they charged her for December when that was her last payment, but the company assured me they'll fix it. We'll see.