Warning about jillianmichaels.com

subtractionproject
subtractionproject Posts: 64 Member
edited October 18 in Motivation and Support
So, as a big fan of her exercise regimes and podcasts, I thought I would check out Jillian Michaels website today, to see how it would compare to MFP and other similar motivational websites. This disclaimer greeted me upon sign up:

"*Jillian Michaels’ online program is just $4 a week, billed quarterly (every 13 weeks). You will be charged when you subscribe and at the beginning of each following quarter. You may cancel at any time and receive a refund for the unused portion of your subscription."

So, I figured, what the hell! You get a refund for the unusued portion of your subscription when you cancel, and if it's good, $4 a week isn't excessive. So I sign up, and I am billed for the full quarterly amount. I fill out my info, and the stuff it gives me back is interesting but nothing I haven't heard before. I don't feel it can help me any more than MFP and probably not worth the money. So I go to cancel.

There is no 'cancellation' section on the site, only a Contact Us page, with an email address that only bounces back an automatic reply email and no guaranteed reply, and a US number. Now, the number is toll free but I am in the UK. Had I known that cancelling would be this difficult, I never would have signed up in the first place. After a few frustrated emails, I decide to bite the bullet and call. This didn't cost me a HUGE amount, but it is still fairly ridiculous to have an old fashioned system like this in place. Luckily, I am on hold for less than a minute.

I am put through to a very polite lady, who informs me that she can cancel my rebilling, but not my account. Therefore, I am not to be refunded any money at all, and I still have access to my account for the rest of the quarter. She advised me to check my 'Welcome' email that I received upon signing up. In the small print, it indeed says that I will have access to the account for the rest of the quarter, but nothing about refunds. That line has disappeared from the disclaimer. What gives!?

I am currently in discussions over email with a member of the customer service team, but I am severely put off from Jillian Michaels and her products from this experience. I understand that this is a business, and so much money is made from hidden costs and loopholes like this, but really, it's just trickery. BE CAREFUL and read the fine print. Although, it turns out that they can change the fine print from page to page and do whatever the hell they like!

I'll never stray again, MFP!
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Replies

  • Spiritwarrior3000
    Spiritwarrior3000 Posts: 322 Member
    Im from the UK aswell but when i workout it does'nt cost me anything or when i join fitness sites i only join the free ones ;) I believe it should'nt cost you much to become fitter and stronger. i mean i use some gym equipment i have and do lots of workouts that require little or no equipment. i personally believe home workouts can be just as good as working out in the gym.
  • louisey112
    louisey112 Posts: 573 Member
    A friend of mine at work was obsessed with her DVD's (as was I) so she joined her site, but when she showed me what it was, I was like MFP is way better and it's free. So not worth paying Jillian even more money than she's already gotten, believe me. That sucks you lost your money on it though, but there's always fine print somewhere with those things. Stick to the free stuff that doesn't ask for your credit card number.
  • frenchie2727
    frenchie2727 Posts: 46 Member
    I love Jillian DVD's also, so I tried the website-like you, I wanted to try it free then cancel if I didn't like it. I ended up cancelling like a day late and got charged $80-something. Also, I was broke when it pulled out of my bank account so I got charged a $32 overdraft fee. Never.again.
  • subtractionproject
    subtractionproject Posts: 64 Member
    Im from the UK aswell but when i workout it does'nt cost me anything or when i join fitness sites i only join the free ones ;) I believe it should'nt cost you much to become fitter and stronger. i mean i use some gym equipment i have and do lots of workouts that require little or no equipment. i personally believe home workouts can be just as good as working out in the gym.

    Yeah, I am firm believer in workouts for free, which is why I don't bother shelling out for a gym membership. The only reason I signed up was because of that little line in the disclaimer, which then mysteriously disappeared. I am not adverse to paying £3 to have a nosy about, but £34 is pushing it.

    Luckily, I have just managed to gain $48 of the $52 back in refund, which is what I was expecting in the first place. I had to email customer service to do so, and show them exactly where this disclaimer was, and that I was pretty ticked off about the whole thing. I received no explanation with the refund, just an email from PayPal informing me of it.

    Very weird way to run a business! Would be easier to just have an 'unsubscribe' button and be completely transparent about it. I suppose though, many people just accept what they hear on the phone from the representative and don't fight it.

    louisey112, this has really shown me what excellent value MFP is! User based, free platforms are the future. And I'm sorry you fell victim to this too, frenchie2727! It's a pretty nasty way of pulling money from consumers, really.
  • laceyd_miller
    laceyd_miller Posts: 1 Member
    THis same thing is happening to me!! Wish I would have researched before I signed up. Feel like this is a major scam!!
  • sparklyball
    sparklyball Posts: 93 Member
    thank you for posting, i was just about to sign up for the free week trial and thought i'd check out the cancellation, there's quite a bit on the web about it.

    so you think the daily emails weren't worth it? if it was truly personalised i think i'd give it a go but this has kind of put me off. i too find MFP invaluable
  • airen123
    airen123 Posts: 149
    Also, Jillian gets paid to say "high rep low weights" works, where there is no way her body got that way without heavy lifting.
  • judtod
    judtod Posts: 85
    Try calling your credit card company and contesting the payment. I don't know about the UK, but, in the US you would be protected.
  • Lyerin
    Lyerin Posts: 818 Member
    Also, Jillian gets paid to say "high rep low weights" works, where there is no way her body got that way without heavy lifting.

    How do you know this?
  • Bownzi
    Bownzi Posts: 423 Member
    Wow.... glad I found MFP instead...
  • lindseyb317
    lindseyb317 Posts: 56 Member
    same thing happened to me! charged $52 with no warning and no refund :(
  • sewingdiscontent
    sewingdiscontent Posts: 112
    Also, Jillian gets paid to say "high rep low weights" works, where there is no way her body got that way without heavy lifting.

    Totally agree! and furthermore, why would I trust corporations (for whom J. Michaels is the figurehead/spokesperson) who have been poisoning the food supply with garbage to tell me how to lose weight? Biggest Loser is one big commercial! She isn't there to tell you how to look like her. She is there to tell you to buy Special K bars.

    To top it off, I think she is an *kitten*. Really? Shaming people and yelling in their faces? THEN, once they are really feeling diminished, try and sell them your crap products and shady website subscriptions?

    There are some women here at MFP who have achieved awesome fitness levels and they aren't trying to sell me anything or make me feel like any type of loser. I will listen to them. There is more power in The Sisterhood than in any celebrity fitness routine.
  • Dewdropps
    Dewdropps Posts: 111
    thank you for posting, i was just about to sign up for the free week trial and thought i'd check out the cancellation, there's quite a bit on the web about it.

    so you think the daily emails weren't worth it? if it was truly personalised i think i'd give it a go but this has kind of put me off. i too find MFP invaluable


    You can get the daily emails whether you sign up or not. I get 7 daily emails/day (all diff subjects) from Jillian (ok, her site).

    Also, not to sound harsh, but I have never ever seen a membership that would refund you time you didn't use. Generally speaking, if they ask you to pay quarterly etc, then you paid for the quarter. Yes, you can cancel anytime to avoid other charges, but not refund the money..

    Definitely research a bit more before signing up for ANYTHING <3
  • GreenChile3
    GreenChile3 Posts: 65
    funny this topic comes up now when there is a huge banner advertisement at the top of my page for Jillian LMAO
  • shellma00
    shellma00 Posts: 1,684 Member
    Try calling your credit card company and contesting the payment. I don't know about the UK, but, in the US you would be protected.

    THIS!!! I used to work in banking for 10+ years in the US.. you should be covered by your Credit Card anywhere. Call them and report it!! They will make a claim and get your $$ back.
  • binglebandit
    binglebandit Posts: 531 Member
    I don't trust free trials at all. They say free for the first week, and then it always mysteriously takes a week to cancel, so even if you cancel in the first 13 min, you always go over your designated time to cancel before being charged an arm and a leg. My theory, don't ever try free trials. Best of luck in the future, and bumping so others can see. :)
  • jcdyd4u
    jcdyd4u Posts: 6 Member
    I completely agree! MFP is just as good as her site and FREE! Actually I like it better because of the community message boards and groups and stuff. Honestly, when you buy her DVDs you should get a free membership. Like if you buy the 30 day shred, you should get 30 days free. No credit card info required for future payments unless you WANT to renew. Just my thoughts. I just realized my 2 wks free trial was over and I went to cancel as soon as I got that e-mail that I was charged. I guess I missed where it said billed quarterly. I thought the first billing would be $4. I honestly didn't read it because I didn't like the site as soon as I got the membership so had planned on canceling before I got billed. I'm not broke but I also dont have the money to throw away $52 just for a site that I don't use.
  • onwarddownward
    onwarddownward Posts: 1,683 Member
    Weight watchers online did the exact same thing to me. Never agin. I just hope that MFP never charges.
  • kcb315
    kcb315 Posts: 160 Member
    I totally forgot when they were going to charge me after my free trial,, and they charged me yesterday, plus I got personal coaching about 2 weeks ago, and it says on there as well that I will be refunded for the weeks that I didnt use. I emailed them early yesterday morning as soon as I seen I was charged. They also said that I wouldn't be refunded. I emailed back and said I would like to speak to a manager because clearly when I signed up it said that I could get a refund if I didnt use all of the quarter. I better get paid most of the $52, and some of the personal coaching that I didnt use.
  • leomom72
    leomom72 Posts: 1,797 Member
    bump to read later
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
    This is a pretty standard scam technique, so shame on her for using it. In the past it was used to sell supplements and the like for well over the odds, with a very lengthy and costly cancellation process to put people off doing it.

    If you're in the UK and caught out by this, remember your bank can cancel your card and put a stop on the payment so they can't get at your money.
  • karinapeterson
    karinapeterson Posts: 195 Member


    There are some women here at MFP who have achieved awesome fitness levels and they aren't trying to sell me anything or make me feel like any type of loser. I will listen to them. There is more power in The Sisterhood than in any celebrity fitness routine.



    Love this :D
  • MightyDomo
    MightyDomo Posts: 1,265 Member
    Wow, what a rip-off! I cancelled the day before the first week was up, didn't think it was worth it and was not charge a penny. I think I signed up using pay-pal so I cancelled the auto-billing and never did pay a cent.

    Hope they refund you what you should get back, that's baloney!
  • meeper123
    meeper123 Posts: 3,347 Member
    I use to really like her a lot now i just cant stand her. She screws people over quite a lot.
  • FJcntdwn2sknyluv
    FJcntdwn2sknyluv Posts: 651 Member
    yeah from the woman who says (Jillian) she doesn't believe in cleanses or detoxes but sells both with her picture on them.... so yeah!
  • eringrace10
    eringrace10 Posts: 135 Member
    All of these, signed up and the workout system isn't half as good as dvds (just not motivating) also all the info nutrition and fitness err hello what these for forum's and google are for.
  • dmw45
    dmw45 Posts: 73
    I like Jillian in general. I liked Biggest Loser even with all the product placement and bad editing. I use a Bodymedia Fit, I listen to her podcasts and I just started Body Revolution. Sure shes gotta take some of the blame for crappy products she endorses but I doubt she as a person set up the site to scam people. She does seem to be a trainer and she knows shes famous enough to make money off it. I doubt shed be pleased to know people are getting ripped off joining her site. You should try and let her know outside of the site which she may not run,

    Having defended her, because she gives mostly sound advice.... you are free to pick and choose what parts of it to follow. Some of what she recommends may not work for you in your situation at all.

    Its strange to me to see people on this thread painting her as a villain as if everything she does is terrible because its not the case at all. She recommends if youre trying to lose weight you eat 1200-1600 calories a day, you do efficient workouts, and you address the reasons you got fat in the first place.

    Thanks for posting the warning that her site does that to you so we can avoid joining and losing money, but I wouldnt dismiss her entirely because you would be missing some great insights and advice from her if you did.
  • miriams76
    miriams76 Posts: 138 Member
    I'm a member of the site. I quite like it but I don't use the food journal because it does not recognise non U.S barcodes. Everything has to be an approximation or entered in myself. I do use it for her exercise routine though. I sweat through one of those circuit workout way more than I sweat by jogging for 90mins. To do the full five circuits takes about the same amount of time. It's handy to have it on my phone. She has a huge bunch of exercises on there and good demonstrative videos.

    WRT The Biggest Loser and product placement, I found those cheesy inserts quite amusing and more than once or twice, I am sure Bob and Jillian were suppressing a giggle too. It's a small price to pay for a program which really changes people's lives so dramatically for the better. I had no idea that my abdominal fat ( main place where I put on weight) was probably bad fat surrounding my internal organs until I started watching the show on YouTube recently. It not only inspires me but makes me realise that if I don't lose it, I'm going to face a bunch of health problems within next twenty years even if I am not morbidly obese like the contestants.
  • SquigglyMonkey
    SquigglyMonkey Posts: 1
    I am so so thankful for each and every one of you, I decided to sign up and then when I went to cancel it.....I wanted to do it today (same day I signed up) so I could try the site out and if I didnt like it I wouldnt have to pay for it. So I signed up and couldnt find a cancel thing so I looked up how to do it and this was the FIRST thing that popped up. I cant afford random 50-80 dollar charges on my card so I called them and did it over the phone. Thank you for saving me time, and money also allowing me to know Ill be able to pay my bills next month...no more signing up for stuff without reading the fine print.
  • simmolil
    simmolil Posts: 1
    I'm in the same position. How do you cancel the autobilling on PayPal? xxx
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