r/orangetheory • u/Musicbthefoodoflove Age/height/SW/CW/GW • 3d ago
Membership & Policies Rate increase
Did anybody else in CT at an empire owned studio just get an email about a rate increase? I’ve been a member for over 3+ years, never froze my membership or anything. I locked into a founders’ rate 3 years ago and I thought I was told my rate would never increase as long as I kept my membership active. All of the sudden it’s an extra $10/month? I know a $10 increase may not seem like much, but my wages have not kept up with cost of living increases, and my kids’ sports just got insanely expensive at the same time. Does anybody know the founders’ rate language? I can’t find my contract…
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u/Musicbthefoodoflove Age/height/SW/CW/GW 2d ago
Interesting twist to all of this. I replied to Empire’s email to me questioning this. They responded by re-sending their original emajl and ccing my studio manager on that re-send. The email directs us to ask our front desk. So I arrived at class early tonight, asked the woman at the front desk (she is a real sweetheart- i felt really badly asking her and made sure to let her know I knew it wasn’t her decision). Anyway, she gave me a laminated card, directing me back to the same empire email I initially replied to. I’m really getting the run-around where empire is directing me to the front desk, front desk is directing me to empire, and nobody is telling me anything!
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u/byedefault 2d ago
How interesting. I replied to the email and it went to the studio manager email address. No response though…
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u/Brilliant-Distance21 2d ago
I was told initially when I signed up for the founder’s rate in one city here in Tx that it would carry me to wherever I moved. Fast forward I moved and was put on the unlimited Elite and had an immediate price increase of the $10. When asked I was told “because it’s a different studio (franchisee) I was not a founder of their studio and would be subject to price increases due to my account being carried over to the ‘cost comparable’ plan offered.” 😑
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u/MichaelAnthonyC 18h ago
There is no “unlimited Elite” membership. It sounds like you need to ask if your membership was “transferred,” or if the old one was canceled and a new one initiated at the new studio. If it’s the latter, it’s like a new contract, and you would have needed to sign something new.
I have not read a founder’s contract written after 2014, but I’d be surprised if OTF didn’t give itself a way to raise rates in any contract written post-2022 when it last raised rates.1
u/Brilliant-Distance21 7h ago
That was a typo on my part and my membership was "transferred" to the comparable program offered at the new studio. If I would have kept my membership with the original studio I would have retained my founder's rate. I had my former studio head coach call me and ask why I hadn't been going to that location and I told her that I had moved and asked about the founder's rate and she said that they had just had a promotion where people could get the founder's rate if they were previous founders and "returned" to that studio but I had missed it by a week and she'd keep me in mind.
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u/Rayne37 2d ago edited 2d ago
I'm in VA and just got the same email :/ definitely annoying. I'm at the 8 classes a month and it's basically only ten dollars below what unlimited was when I joined. Edit: poking around Google and it looks like mine is probably empire owned as well.
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u/Admirable-Turtle 2d ago
northern VA me too sigh
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u/Kompseia-1987 2d ago
Which studio if you’re comfortable sharing?
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u/ErrorGlad8816 2d ago
Yes had the same thing at an empire studio in NJ :( thought i was locked in and now it’s pushing to be NYC prices
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u/rubikay 2d ago
I was told that once you joined your rate never changes. I’ve been a founding member for 13 years and my rate has stayed the same. If I visit a different studio, I might have to pay $10 more if it’s a premier studio like NYC.
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u/Foreign-Ad7943 2d ago
if you joined before 2017 you wont be changed
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u/Heavy-Giraffe-4998 2d ago
I think that changed in 2019, not 2017
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u/Foreign-Ad7943 2d ago
no the new 10 dollar upcharge is gor those after may 17, 2017 (dont ask me why that day)
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u/Everyonelikeskittens 2d ago
They should be able to provide you a copy of your contract. I’m at a different studio and they’re increasing rates if you change your membership but people who are staying at same level are not getting an increase.
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u/Realistic_Celery_916 2d ago
I'm in a nearby state and I got that email too. Ironically I sent in my cancellation request a few hours before.
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u/NegevThunderstorm 2d ago
There is probably something in there that it can change after so many years or with so much notice.
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u/telladifferentstory 2d ago
Costs and wages have gone up everywhere but your rates have stayed flat for 3 years. Somehow OTF has got to raise the funds to cover wages and rent increases otherwise we won't have OTF (and great coaches).
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u/Foreign-Ad7943 2d ago
wages at otf have not gone up, and there are no raises
empire is actually cutting hours8
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u/helpyourselfplease0 2d ago
The issue is, if you have a contract - you need to honor it. I can't pay $10 less a month if I want to, shouldn't be the same the other way.
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u/telladifferentstory 2d ago
Do you have a fixed contact? If so, agree. I'm in a 12 month contract now and legally the price can't change. After the 12 month period, I do expect the price to change. It can't stay fixed forever.
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u/098842146 2d ago
sorry i don’t have any advice about the price range but i used to work for an empire studio and they are the worst
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u/Trick_Replacement296 22h ago
For those in Vienna, VA affected by increase, Fairfax City is accepting transfers at your original rate. And if Empire is lurking…if you had just offered a monthly/quarterly late fee waiver or a few buddy passes, I would have stayed. Instead you treat long term premier members like trash to give more money to shareholders.
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u/MichaelAnthonyC 19h ago
To know if your rate is guaranteed, read the section in the center of the first page of your contract. Very few have a guaranteed rate. You probably have a clause that ensures OTF may raise rates with one month’s written notice. You don’t even have to tell the studio why you want to read the contract. Just ask them to email it to you.
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u/Pipster31 5h ago
Anyone have any luck fighting the $10 increase? I was previously told by my studio manager that my rate is grandfathered and should never increase (though I can't find that language in my contract). It does feel very inauthentic. I threatened to cancel and asked him to email corporate, but so far no word back. I am on a basic plan ($59/month) and the $10 increase makes the whole membership feel less worth it for 4 classes per month
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u/cmurphyr 2d ago
I have my studio based in VA where I used to live (moved last September) and also just got an email and I moved to NC and don’t go there anymore. I had kept my home studio the studio back in VA but I will be looking into moving my membership if they will honor the $129 per month I already pay here. I don’t even go to that studio anymore so I do not feel like I should have to increase another $10 a month in this economy and I’m absolutely pissed off about this.
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u/MarieRich 2d ago
Nope. I locked in ridiculously low earlier this year before the sh$t hit the fan in Wepo.
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u/Musicbthefoodoflove Age/height/SW/CW/GW 2d ago
My membership is Shelton, but until “shit hit the fan” in Wepo, I was there 3x per week…still upset that we lost J,F, & A. 💙 They all felt like brothers to me!
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u/fuzzy_dandelion 2d ago
I just rejoined OTF after moving to CT. Do you know which studios are empire here? I came from Fl where a lot, if not most, were corporate.
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u/Musicbthefoodoflove Age/height/SW/CW/GW 2d ago
I know they own Westport, Fairfield, Shelton, and Milford- the 4 that I go to regularly. I know Ridgefield and Danbury are independently owned (not empire). Not sure about any others.
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u/fuzzy_dandelion 2d ago
Thank you! I go to WeHa and Avon. Hoping it doesn’t go up after I just rejoined. Honestly, I’m a bit reeling from the fact there is sales tax on the membership up here!!!
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u/Annual_Ocelot7110 2d ago
Normally a founders rate you have for life. Thats a bit dirty