Planet Fitness Black Card perks cut from 15 to 8 locations after merger with LA Fitness announced

[gym newbie tyler]

Got the email this morning that Planet Fitness is cutting Black Card reciprocal access from 15 partner gyms down to just 8 starting February 1st. The merger with LA Fitness was supposed to give us MORE options, not fewer.

Lost access includes the Anytime Fitness on North Clark, the 24 Hour Fitness in Lincoln Park, and weirdly the Snap Fitness locations in Wicker Park and Logan Square. Keeping access to the downtown YMCA and a few others but this feels like a bait and switch.

What's everyone else doing?

My Black Card renewal is up in March and I'm paying

Just hit a decent win on NBA props last week and trying to cash out $950 from an offshore book. They're asking for driver's license, bank statement from last 30 days, and a selfie holding my ID. Submitted everything Tuesday morning but still showing "under review" 4 days later.

Is this normal timing? The site says 24-48 hours for document verification but I'm past that window. This is my first withdrawal over $500 so maybe they're being extra careful, but getting nervous about the delay.

What's been everyone's actual experience with verification times? Trying to figure out if I should be worried or just wait it out.

2.99/month specifically for the guest privileges and reciprocal access. If they're cutting the network in half, are we getting a price reduction? Doubtful.

Anyone know if other gym chains are pulling similar moves or is this just Planet Fitness being Planet Fitness?

[crossfit coach sam]

This is exactly why I tell people to avoid the big chain contracts. You're paying for promises they can break whenever corporate decides to boost quarterly margins.

Planet Fitness has been hemorrhaging money since 2023 and the LA Fitness merger is just cost-cutting disguised as expansion. They're banking on 70% of Black Card members never actually using the reciprocal access anyway.

If you're serious about training, find a locally-owned gym that won't change the rules mid-contract. Yeah, you might pay

5-40/month instead of

Just hit a decent win on NBA props last week and trying to cash out $950 from an offshore book. They're asking for driver's license, bank statement from last 30 days, and a selfie holding my ID. Submitted everything Tuesday morning but still showing "under review" 4 days later.

Is this normal timing? The site says 24-48 hours for document verification but I'm past that window. This is my first withdrawal over $500 so maybe they're being extra careful, but getting nervous about the delay.

What's been everyone's actual experience with verification times? Trying to figure out if I should be worried or just wait it out.

3, but at least you know what you're getting. I've seen too many people get burned by these corporate fitness chains promising the world and delivering McDonald's.

[marathon maya 23]

I actually used the Anytime Fitness on Clark three times a week during my Chicago Marathon training block last fall. It was the only 24-hour option between my apartment in Old Town and my long run route along the lakefront. Having that access meant I could hit strength training at 5:30 AM before work without the downtown crowds.

Now I'm stuck with either the packed Planet Fitness downtown during rush hours or paying drop-in fees elsewhere. The timing couldn't be worse since I'm ramping up for Boston in April and my training plan has me doing two-a-days four times per week.

The worst part is they're not grandfathering existing contracts. I signed up in August specifically because the sales guy showed me the reciprocal network on a map and said "this is what you get with Black Card." Eight months later, half those pins are gone. I'm honestly considering switching to MyStake for my sports betting since they actually honor their promotional terms unlike these fitness chains.

Has anyone had luck negotiating with Planet Fitness corporate over this? I kept all the original marketing materials that promised 15+ locations.

[southside shooter]

Corporate mergers always screw the little guy. Same thing happened when DraftKings bought up smaller sportsbooks - suddenly your favorite betting lines disappear and customer service goes to hell.

[crossfit tony nw]

The writing was on the wall when they started charging

9 initiation fees again after dropping them to zero during the pandemic. Planet Fitness is hemorrhaging cash and this reciprocal network was always their biggest expense after real estate.

I switched to a CrossFit box in Bucktown last month -

25/month but unlimited classes, actual coaching, and they're not going anywhere. Sometimes you get what you pay for. The big chains are just betting that most people won't actually leave over stuff like this.

[rookie bettor sam]

This reminds me of when Everygame actually increased their sports betting limits right after the NFL playoffs started instead of cutting them like most books do. Sometimes you find companies that actually improve their offerings instead of slashing them.

But yeah, gym contracts are notorious for this bait-and-switch garbage. My buddy got locked into a 2-year deal at 24 Hour Fitness right before they filed bankruptcy. At least with betting sites you can withdraw your money and leave immediately if they change terms you don't like.

[bulls fan derek]

Planet Fitness has been pulling this crap for years. Remember when they cut the tanning minutes from 30 to 15 per session without reducing membership fees?