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Planet Fitness

April 09, 2023 07:35PM
I am a Black Card member. I am thinking of cancelling and doing the MS which pay $30 ($5 more than the monthly membership). I have around 50 PF near me and can easily shop them.

I have two phone numbers (work/personal) and two emails (same). I wonder if I can use the one that is not linked...

Anyone done these shops?
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April 09, 2023 07:58PM
They don't include a workout. The one I did (albeit it was before COVID) did not really collect my information just required that I ask about a membership and get a tour of the facilities.
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April 09, 2023 09:49PM
I have done these shops off and on. As jazzyjd said, they do not include a workout, but depending on the associate you may get a nice massage table session :-)

Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product. Eleanor Roosevelt
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April 09, 2023 10:19PM
Do they collect your phone number? If I use my work number versus the number on my account, that should work right?
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April 10, 2023 01:05AM
Most locations have you sign in on an tablet. I never had trouble using my phone number more than once, but probably a good idea to use one not attached to your account.
@Capurato wrote:

Do they collect your phone number? If I use my work number versus the number on my account, that should work right?

Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product. Eleanor Roosevelt
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April 10, 2023 01:06AM
At some PF clubs, to take the tour you are supposed to supply your real name, your real phone number. Some even require your drivers license. They put ID information in their system, they say it's for a release just in case you get hurt on their property. You don't know it but they do an ID check at the same time. The end of the ID check is a text that comes to your phone, to prove it's your phone and the employee wants to see the text that clears you to tour. It all seems very innocent but it's not since they are checking to make sure of who you are. I am not sure what information gets saved in the system or gets deleted. I certainly wouldn't try doing 30 especially in a short period of time.
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April 10, 2023 01:07AM
You might want to review the guidelines thoroughly. In my area the same MSC also does YMCA shops, and current members cannot do the shops.

Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product. Eleanor Roosevelt
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April 10, 2023 11:21PM
@KathyG wrote:

You might want to review the guidelines thoroughly. In my area the same MSC also does YMCA shops, and current members cannot do the shops.

They say that Black Card members can’t do shops (I am a Black Card member). I’m thinking of canceling it and going to the $10 membership and do the shops. At $30-$40 a clip, I can do 10 and essentially workout without any money out of pocket (net gain).
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April 10, 2023 11:50PM
You are technically not supposed to do them if you have a black card per the shop instructions. If you can use a completely different phone and email, go for it. Otherwise, they might spot you or worse, you do all that work for nothing. My ID was checked and I did 4 shops without a problem. Having worked at a fitness club in sales in the past, it may be just about splitting the lead if you join. Say I toured 1 location and didn't sign up, but then went to a different location and signed up. I was able to prove as the first tour and sales pitch that I had that person as a lead and they signed up with someone else. Corporate split the commission. Maybe they don't have commissions, but if they do, that might be what they are doing so it's not all nefarious.

I'm a bit miffed as I did some when they were $25 and now they are $30. Sigh!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/10/2023 11:53PM by cherubino3.
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April 11, 2023 12:00AM
In my area last year, they were requiring a driver's license as an ID when I showed up to get a tour. No driver's license, no tour (I could have gotten information). It reminded me of an apartment shop! I think there have been too many incidents in some areas near me beginning with COVID restrictions (two owners of a competing franchise just went to jail for failing to obey restrictions about 2 years ago; they had gone on TV and actually dared the NJ State Police to arrest them [no joke] and Governor Murphy called their bluff. I am reporting facts, not taking sides.)

Shopping South Jersey, Southeast Pennsylvania, and Delaware above the canal since 2008
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April 11, 2023 12:35PM
There is a new one in my town. I wish I knew who shopped them.
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April 15, 2023 01:14AM
I've done a bunch of these and enjoy doing them. Never had to show a driver's license. When signing in on the table, I put in a fake name and phone number. As part of the tour, they usually give you 10 minutes on the hydromassager, which is wonderful!
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April 15, 2023 03:16AM
That used to be the way it was in my area. I would provide a fake name and a fake phone number. It doesn't work that way anymore. I can only speculate why they now require a driver's license. These are all franchise locations. I have done them for over 10 years, and I was never offered even a single minute on the hydro massage chair. And no one was ever using them either. YMMV
@amyann2 wrote:

I've done a bunch of these and enjoy doing them. Never had to show a driver's license. When signing in on the table, I put in a fake name and phone number. As part of the tour, they usually give you 10 minutes on the hydromassager, which is wonderful!

Shopping South Jersey, Southeast Pennsylvania, and Delaware above the canal since 2008
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April 15, 2023 06:56PM
@myst4au wrote:

That used to be the way it was in my area. I would provide a fake name and a fake phone number. It doesn't work that way anymore. I can only speculate why they now require a driver's license. These are all franchise locations. I have done them for over 10 years, and I was never offered even a single minute on the hydro massage chair. And no one was ever using them either. YMMV
@amyann2 wrote:


I actually already addressed this. Having worked in a gym, it is only about tracking leads and if I tour with someone but then sign up somewhere else, they have to split the commission.
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April 15, 2023 07:09PM
I have done several- 3 different locations actually and never been asked to show proof of ID- in fact the last one the ipad was not working so I did not give any name and the one 2 shops ago did not even ask my name or ask me to sign in.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/15/2023 07:09PM by SueW70.
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