Sweat Fitness

DO NOT SIGN THE MEMBERSHIP AGREEMENT, THEY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU AND IT SHOULDN’T BE LEGAL!
When you sign up in-​house, they have you sign an electronic pad that autosigns the agreement that, by the way, you don’t get to see until after you sign it. The person at the front desk says «O this is just saying that we’re not liable if you hurt yourself, etc», so you sign thinking that’s true. WRONG. What my signature actually was put to was saying was that I agree to pay the full $ 540 for a year membership and cannot cancel. How is this legal? $ 45/​mo was already high so I figured I would try it for a month and cancel the membership if I didn’t like it. In the small print on the agreement it says that the only way you can cancel is if you move more than 20 miles away (which you have to prove with a lease) to an area that does not have a Sweat fitness OR if you injure yourself so badly that you physically cant work out (which again you need proof for). Falling on hard times and looking to cut back some of your costs? Too bad. I tried calling their parent company that handles payment and they shut me down. So now I’m required to pay the full amount and cannot leave, even though PSC is the same distance away and less than half the cost! On top of all this, I changed credit cards so one auto-​payment got declined. Within a week I updated my credit card info but I had already been hit with a $ 23.50 late fee. What the heck???
I could understand dealing with all this if the gym was good, but it’s not. The place is cramped so when ever you start an exercise someone is trying to push by you. It’s always so humid and gross that the windows completely fog up. The dumbbells have all the grips ripped off them, the cable cross isn’t adjustable, the handles all squeak, and the room with the heavy bag is always full with a yoga/​pilates class. Don’t make the same mistake I did and sign what’s essentially a blank check.

All of the staff I encountered at Sweat were super friendly and helpful. The gym is clean and a man was always cleaning, which I appreciate. However, I have two issues with this gym:
1. The size of the Fitler Square location — small and doesn’t have as many weight machines (also older weight machines).
2. The quality of the equipment.
Each time I went I had to try at least 2 treadmills before I got one that didn’t make an awful noise upon starting it, or that didn’t have a wonky belt. The machines look great but many could use a tune up or could serve to be replaced. I also didn’t like that this gym has very old elliptical machines — these too always felt wonky and would hurt my knees.
I’ve been a gym member for well over 15 years — I know how these machines are supposed to work– and these could benefit from better technical maintenance. If the gym was cheap, I wouldn’t fault it on these points, but for the amount that’s charged, the equipment should be better.

I’ll start by saying that the facilities are good and the trainers are quite helpful. It would be unfair not to.
My problem is with their AWFUL customer service. Never mind that there’s some absurd 30-​day waiting period to cancel your membership (I ended up paying 2 months PLUS a $ 100 «cancellation fee»). I signed the contract, and that’s ultimately on me.
The reason I terminated my membership is that I got a job in New York and, obviously, would not be able to go to their gym. They called me a couple of times to ask if I would consider coming back, and I politely told them I had moved and requested they take me off of their phone and mailing list — I even gave them an email address. That did not stop them — I still receive emails and phone calls asking me to come back. It’s so incredibly frustrating and rude — and indicative of how obviously inconsiderate they are. How difficult is it to take me off of your mailing list?
If I ever move back to Philly, I’ll be using another gym.

I enjoyed the gym (Center City location) when I was a member back in 2013 — the trainers and front desk personnel were very friendly. However, I moved away from Philly and called whatever 3^rd party company they used to handle their financials to cancel, they were unfriendly and wanted to charge a $ 200 or $ 300 cancellation fee. They claimed it was stated on the back of the form I filled out for the membership but my copy of the so-​called contract only listed my info with nothing on the back of it, no terms or conditions, just a blank page. I was also under the impression when I signed up that I was on a month-​to-​month membership and that’s why I paid more per month. I was so frustrated with their customer service people that I told them to cancel the account or send an email with this info. They never sent me anything so I figured the matter was closed.
Fast forward 2 years later, I get a call from a collections agency today (2015) saying I owe $ 300+ for this Sweat membership because it wasn’t cancelled. I told them that I cancelled the account and that no one sent me anything about any balance owed for the past 2 years and hung up the call. If this ends up affecting my credit score, I will find a lawyer to start a class-​action lawsuit against Sweat since by the looks of it, there are many others out there were scammed as well.
Lesson Learned: Always read Unilocal reviews before signing up for anything and DON’T SIGN UP FOR A GYM WITH SHADY BILLING PRACTICES.

i can’t speak to the billing issues people have mentioned here, since i’m one of those interloping Groupon-​ers (gasp!), but i really dig the vibe at sweat.
the people at the front desk were really nice and showed me around and didn’t laugh in my face or treat me as ridiculous when i told them i liked to lift heavy. there is one squat rack and one smith machine here, plus lots of pre-​loaded barbells (including a 7.5 lb one which i’ve never seen before!). when classes aren’t in session you can use a bigger room at the end of the place to do battle ropes or other things.
i went at a kind of weird time of day (mid morning), but it wasn’t too crowded and i was able to use all of the machines and equipment i wanted, minus the cables, because there was one guy standing there using the cables that are across from each other for literally the entire 90 min i was there. the equipment is definitely kind of old, but it operated smoothly and it had everything that i was looking for.
as a negative, things are kind of close together here, so if you want to do walking lunges or anything like that you will be in everyone’s way unless you go into the class room or the ab room (it’s nice they have that area). people were co-​existing peacefully here with different goals: older women, people who like to hit it hard, out of shape people, whatever. i liked that.
i also liked that they had tons of bike parking, including racks outside and inside.

Philadelphia does not have a friendlier, more accessible gym than SWEAT (Fitler Square). I have been a member since January, 2013, and I have only had good experiences with SWEAT. The facilities are always clean and maintained by the gym’s extremely welcoming staff. There is enough cardio equipment so that I have never seen someone waiting for a machine. Additionally, there is a large group exercise space, as well as a large space for free-​weights and machines. The classes are frequent, popular, and free; the personal trainers are everything that someone would look for in a trainer.
I have had the opportunity to use other gyms in Center and University city, and SWEAT (Fitler Square) provides the best value and overall experience. If you join (or are already a member), get to know Taylor and Balou. They are interesting, engaging, and always happy to help.

Do not join the Sweat Gym chain. If you review your extensive contract, APPARENTLY there is a clause that says that they will attempt to bankrupt you, ruin your credit score, and forbid you from closing out your membership. I was in the process of moving, met their criteria for eligibility to end the contract (moved 50 miles out of the area), and was not able to end my membership.
Look closely, they use a 3^rd party financial agency, so you will never be able to have a reasonable conversation regarding charges. You will wait on hold forever, and then when you think you’ve canceled, your account will remain active.
I have a perfect credit score, always pay my debts, yet SWEAT will attempt to change that. They never allowed me to cancel. I am in the process of paying $ 45 a month and then $ 23 a month late fees, plus cancelation fees.
How could they charge me a cancelation fee and continue to charge the monthly fee? Just avoid this place. The gym itself is nothing special, crowded and has limited equipment if you are serious about working out.

About the gym: Small. I enjoyed the few yoga classes I took there. Barely ever went in the one year. The windows would get foggy in winter as I walked by. So sounds like you do sweat in there. I like fresh air more than 6 pack abs.
Membership issues: there is poor disclosure of the terms. You click on an electronic pad a few times, they email you am agreement and 12 months later you realize your agreement has been renewed for another 12.
Fine print. Even to go to the gym now.

Reading all these reviews is making me incredibly nervous that I’m gonna get royally screwed should I ever try and break my contract, but so far I haven’t had any issues.
Been a member since October, it’s kinda crazy expensive but as a total gym noob I didn’t realize this until after I had already signed up.
The facility (walnut st location) is fine by me, but again, I know nothing about gyms. It’s clean, the machines are abundant enough so you don’t have to awkwardly stand around waiting to use one, and the employees are pretty friendly. Works for me.

I work right across the street, so I first signed up for the convenience factor. Decent enough prices, and friendly people. Didn’t fall in LOVE till recently, when I was convinced to take advantage of the 1 free personal training session and it was so awesome I signed up for a package.
My trainer is great – he pushes me but doesn’t make me feel like I’m a giant failure if I can’t quite do something yet. Totally worth the price, imo, although it will definitely feel like a hefty cost for people who aren’t used to spending more than gym fees for their fitness!
The facilities are all clean, equipment is serviceable, they have pretty much anything I could think you would need, and people here are really nice and ready to answer questions. Mike has answered all my membership and cost questions multiple times and he never gets mad – I got the auto renew taken off and it was easy peasy and any charging errors get ironed out right away.
The classes are free, and the people who come to the gym mostly mind their own business, which is fine by me! And the few times I’ve had interaction with other gym goers, they’ve been super nice about spotting me or giving me some tips. It does get really crowded and you have to be a little firm about working in with people around certain machines or equipment, but overall, it’s a great location! Happy here.

Totally okay gym.
I’ve been to worse and I’ve been to better. It’s much better than the Arch street location and everything is on the same level unlike the Arch street one.
It’s also decently clean and has everything you would need. They probably offer 4 – 5 classes per day which isn’t a lot and they are mostly in the evenings.
All the machines are pretty new and clean. If you are looking for a luxury gym, this isn’t the place for you, but its a great great place to get a good workout in– I do.

I did enjoy the facility for over 3 years — but unfortunately i moved away. i cancelled my membership… months later i get a notice from a collections agency saying i owe them 600 $.
completely outraged — i was a great member to the club — for many years. and when i cancel my membership for good reason (nothing against the club). they not only fail to process my cancellation they don’t inform me for MANY MANY MONTHS and instead of contacting me they submit this false bill to a collections agency.
they have negatively effected my credit due their incompetency.
i have passed this along to my lawyer because they refuse to respond to my efforts to communicate. specifically –Michael Newell Club Director — Fitler Square. simply a shame that they have potential to be a great club — but they completely fail in terms of customer service and billing. they seriously are crooks.

I really wanted to give Sweat a solid review here. The staff is nice, the gym is clean and the equipment is never crowded. However the billing system they use is designed to rip you off and I must caution against users joining for that very reason.
When I joined Sweat, I informed them that I would be moving after 9 months to a location outside of the state. They let me know that they had a year agreement but it would be ok to cancel at 9 months with no penalty. However, when I tried to cancel, I was instead directed to a 3^rd party, ABC Financial, which handles all of their billing issues. Note – after 9 months and being a regular at the gym, this was the very first time I was informed that another party controls the billing.
Upon contacting ABC Financial, I have been jumping through hoops for the past 2 weeks to show them documentation that I have moved. I am on document 4 that I am sending them and all the while my monthly billing cycle is continuing. Moreover, despite it not being ANYWHERE in the contract, I have now been told that there must be 30 days’ (possibly even 60 days’) worth of notice before I institute any cancellation. Again, this is the first time I have been informed of this requirement. When you make every payment on time and serve as a good member (always cleaning up after yourself), it’s really frustrating when you are «rewarded» with shifty billing practices. For shame Sweat Fitness.

I think that a lot of the reviews are about equipment and billing. Mine is about the classes. I really like the classes at sweat. For the price I pay, it is well worth it. First of all, (though I wish the Fitler sq. ones were longer) the yoga classes here are great. Many of the instructors actually teach at the «fancy yoga studios» (Dhyana, Maha) as well, where classes are $ 15 per class. So you know you are getting good quality. The pilates classes are great too.
The circuit training, and bootcamp classes are excellent work outs. I took one spin class and hated it (the cramped room was one aspect of it, the fact that I had no idea what I was doing was another, I prefer Flywheel where you have numbers for torque instead of «turn it a quarter of a full rotation»).
Overall, I love the gym classes here. I do bring my own mat cause the ones available smell. Maybe if I just wanted to use equipment I wouldn’t like it as much and also,
Having read the reviews beforehand I decided to pay my full year membership up front and in cash. This way no one can charge me anything.
So I would wholeheartedly recommend sweat to someone who plans on primarily going to classes! And perhaps, try saving up to pay up front and in cash to avoid issues later on.

Great classes, especially Jen’s «Bootcamp»! This is not a luxury fitness center, it’s a gym. It’s also never feels too crowded despite being pretty small. Haven’t had a bad experience with the Sweat Oranization.

Went here while I was on vacation from Vegas because there’s no 24 hour fitness in PA. WTF 24HF?! I liked this place. Equipment was clean, cardio equipment worked, and weights and benches weren’t tore up. Had a punching bag and crossfit ropes too. I was really surprised how big this place actually was. 10 $ for a day pass too wasn’t bad at all either.

Scam alert!
I signed up for the free 21 day trial membership. Ok. Needed credit card information in case I wanted to continue membership. Ok. Cancelled membership in the 21 day window. Ok. Michael let me know my credit card would NOT be charged. Ok.
Now, I’m currently on hold with my credit card company to file a dispute against an unauthorized charge made by ABC Financial Sweat. Luckily for me, I have saved the original form signed and the managers signatures indicating cancellation. And thanks to previous Unilocalers, I kept my eye out for charges. And then BOOM, there it was. Didn’t think something like this would happen to me, but I just got scammed.
On the gym itself: staff is nice, headphone jacks on machines are loose, yoga mats are ratty and don’t seem to get cleaned, equipment is standard.

Two stars because one-​star reviews may be filtered more often.
Invest in some equipment, maybe with a friend. Find a good mom-​and-​pop gym. Anything but Sweat. We moved recently and had to cancel.
The 30-​day notice requirement and cancellation fee are Draconian, but they’re in the agreement we received before we signed up. More to the point, Sweat’s use of ABC Financial is unconscionable. It shows a sincere contempt for those who must cancel for any reason.
The person I spoke to at ABC sounded drunk, didn’t know Sweat’s policies, and replied with sarcasm to several of my polite questions.
Do yourself a favor and run the other way if you consider Sweat. They assume a sleazy cancellation processor will keep people subscribed, and that shows a genuine lack of faith in their product or respect for their customers.

I have a class pass to the this gym, and it’s okay.
1. It’s small and narrow, so if you are looking for space to do your own weight workout, it can get tight.
2. The yoga studio has windows that look onto Walnut St. If you don’t want people looking at your butt when you work out, you might not want to take classes here. That said, I do like the yoga and zumba classes that I have taken.
3. Spinning room is T.I.N.Y. Some of the bikes were broken. I liked the class I took, but it’s very cramped.
4. Locker room has shower.

The closer City Fitness on South Street gets to completion, the closer I get to giving my notice at Sweat on Walnut. We’ve had a good year, but with the temptation of brand new equipment and clean everything, Sweat can’t compete.
I generally hit the gym anywhere from two to four times a week exclusively to run on the treadmills. I choose the same machine every single day — one that’s closest to the windows and without a TV, which usually guarantees that I won’t have to work out on top of anyone else. So when the guy who cleans the equipment tries to squeeze through the half-​foot between my machine and the wall, instead of simply walking around to the next aisle, my personal space feels a little compromised. I’m sure he’s a very sweet guy; he seems to know the whole neighborhood. But even if he were a professional hockey player, I’d want him to back up off me while I’m trying to get my run on.
Mini-​rant aside, the bottom line is that the machines are mega-​old, the equipment is old, the locker rooms look old… you get the picture. Sweat, you are on borrowed time.