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| - This review is primarily reflecting on this particular location, the franchise overall, and will be written from a comparative beginner's perspective to other facilities I've used in multiple states. It will concentrate on a delicate spectrum of quality and value.
The Good:
In my home state of California, and most states in general, one can easily spend a combined $100 a month on a combination of massage parlor memberships, tanning salon memberships, and gym memberships. At planet fitness, you get all three benefits (minus a live massage therapist) for the unbelievable price of $21 and change deducted from your checking account every month for their black card all-inclusive Membership. This fact alone is amazing in terms of value.
You do pay an annual membership fee but I think it's only about $45 each year, and divided over the 12 month year, it only puts your actual membership at $25 and change monthly. Still an incredible value.
What I like about this gym; simplicity. No surprises, simple machines, broad spectrum of hours of operation (most of them 24 hours I believe), and friendly environment.
Gyms automatically face a stigma of being "dirty", and there is some truth to this no matter where you go. You're going to a facility shared by other members and everyone's goal is to sweat; no brainer that it probably isn't the cleanest place in the world regardless of which gym you're at. I will say that every time I've gone to this Solon branch, I've never seen a person not wipe down the machine after they use it. Does it happen? Probably, I just haven't seen it. Plus it's a good idea to get into the habit of cleaning a machine BEFORE you use it, just in casies. The fact that planet fitness provides a rag and cleaner bottle hanging on EVERY machine is a huge plus to me. They put the power of cleanliness in the hands of their members in addition to going around every few hours and touching things up themselves. Overall, this place is the best bang for your buck in my opinion.
The reason(s) I won't give 5 stars:
There are a couple of reasons I won't give 5 stars. These reasons are primarily important to me, and not necessarily something I can see being a deal-breaker for other people.
Your billing options are heavily limited. This is no bueno to me. Firstly, they bill all accounts on the 16th or 17th of each month (I can't remember which). And when I called to have this adjusted, I was unpleasantly surprised to learn that your billing date cannot be changed or adjusted. At all. Not even canceling and signing up on the date you want to be billed. They simply don't permit any other billing date. This is highly inconvenient for those of us who budget money and autopay all bills either at the beginning of the month or at the end of the month. You've got this one bill coming out in the middle of the month. As a consumer, I like companies that hop on the bandwagon of giving their clients more control over what time of the month they pay.
Second, they only take one form of payment; an automatic bank draft from checking accounts. This is a very narrow, limited option. While I can understand from a business standpoint it's the cheapest, I would gladly pay an extra $1-2 per month to cover a transaction fee for my bill to come off my credit card instead. In a world of earning points and miles, this would be far more convenient. I was a little surprised that along with bigger commitments like my car payment and my student loan payments, my gym membership also had to be drafted from my checking account. Just seems too restrictive and unnecessary for a $22 monthly charge.
Anyhow, that's my take on this gym. Planet Fitness, if you're reading this, give us more options for billing if you'd like 5 stars from me. Until then, overall, you're still my favorite gym thus far.
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