HOUSTON – It’s that time of the year when people head back to the gym, but one Houston man says he can’t work out when he wants because his gym isn’t open when he needs it. 24 Hour Fitness has 18+ locations around the Houston area. Of course, they shut down during the pandemic but now that they are back open, why aren’t they back to being open 24 hours?
“I don’t want to pay for something I’m not using,” 24 Hour Fitness customer Shawn O’Dell.
Shawn O’Dell signed up for 24 Hour Fitness for the swimming and the hours. Before the pandemic, the gym was open all day, every day. It worked great with his overnight schedule when he signed up in February of 2020.
“By the time I get off work, it’s two or three in the morning,” O’Dell explains. “It’s more convenient for me to come to swim after hours.”
But now, nearly two years into the pandemic, while other gyms are back to normal, his gym still hasn’t gone back to 24 hours.
“I talked to the managers. No one doesn’t know. I call the call center, they don’t even know. I emailed the district manager and have not gotten a response back,” O’Dell said.
The gym did give O’Dell a discount for a few months, but he’s back to paying the regular rate.
“I’ve just had it up to here with 24 Hour Fitness,” he said.
The question: When is 24 Hour Fitness going back to 24 hours?
A spokesperson for 24 Hour Fitness didn’t say when or if any clubs would re-open 24 hours but she sent this statement:
“The fitness industry has worked hard to follow COVID-19 city/county/state mandates, in order for consumers to continue enjoying their fitness journeys in a healthy and safe gym environment. At 24 Hour Fitness, we put our member’s health and safety first. Club member usage patterns and local COVID-19 protocols are among the factors we utilize to guide our business, including open hours of operation. In this particular case, we have been able to satisfy the club member’s immediate needs.
We continue to listen to our club members and watch for opportunities to adapt 24 Hour Fitness clubs to consumer/member fitness needs as the U.S. begins to emerge from the pandemic.”
Other customers upset with 24 Hour Fitness
The Better Business Bureau gives 24 Hour Fitness 1.2 stars out of five.
They’ve had more than 1,200 complaints in the past three years. The most recent ones are mostly about COVID protocols, but there are a few that mention the hours.
“They know how to take the money out to pay my dues but they don’t know when they gonna go back to 24/7 operation,” someone said.
24 Hour Fitness filed for bankruptcy protection to allow the company to reorganize in 2020. And what’s more important is the contract that O’Dell signed. On page number four in tiny print, it reads, “Not all facilities or services are open or available 24 hours a day and 24 hours may alter the hours of operation.”
