Don't Do CECs Through Idea Health & fitness If you're in the fitness field, you are required to do CECs. Avoid IDEA Health & Fitness Association's CEC program. Good luck trying to contact the organization. It takes 4 weeks via email. You are sent automatically to voicemail when trying to cancel. DO NOT DO CECs through Idea Health & Fitness.

IDEA has lost it's way I attended what will probably be my last convention for IDEA in awhile primarily because I think the organization has lost any empathy it has for it's basic demographic (personal trainers and group exercise instructors). As I walked down the hallways during this year's World Convention in San Diego, I saw a variety of signs with the motto "Inspire the world to fitness" and "let's make it epic!". In addition, part of its mission statement is to reach as many health and fitness professionals as possible" and to create value to its members.I thought to myself, "catch phrases" might be fun, but IDEA has lost it's way if it truly thinks it is capturing the younger, future trainers of the fitness world. Prior to the conference, I actually sent an email to the organization asking them what went through the minds of its event planners when they decided to pick one of the priciest venues in the country to hold its conference. To make matters worse, they negotiated with the highest priced hotels in the area to get the incredible, discounted price of between $300 to $350 a night (note sarcasm). I have to wonder who thought it made sense knowing the median salaries of personal trainers and group exercise instructors, to expect them to pay upwards of $2k for a fitness conference (which is what you are talking about if you use the hotels they partnered with, the registration, airfare, and food). Also keep in mind that these conferences are rarely paid by a trainer's organization. Instead, they pay out of their own pockets and also miss work in the process. The reply I received from IDEA was a rather defensive one from a gentleman named Calvin La. In the reply, Calvin in no way addressed my main concerns (especially the hotel costs which was the lion's share of the expense). Instead, he went on to list where the next 5 years of conventions would be and explain that a cheaper venue like Vegas (site of the 2017 convention) would not take place again for 10 years. He also went on to talk about an installment payment plan for their registration fee (yeah, he truly doesn't get it). It was pretty apparent that Calvin's only concern was to use some regurgitated talking points he was spoon fed that didn't apply to what I asked him (not "where"..."why"). Ironically, prior to the first class, I sat down at a table and the couple sitting there were complaining about how insanely expensive things were (I guess it wasn't just me). The fact of the matter is, if IDEA had any concern for it's members it could have simply negotiated with hotels that were less costly (maybe get the rooms discounted down to somewhere in the $150 range..very doable) and if they happened to be a little further away, I'm sure no one would have minded taking Lyft for a $10 ride to save between $150-$200 a night (again, I have to wonder what goes through the minds of their event coordinators to pick the priciest hotel). This is a business trip...not a vacation. Unfortunately, two of my peers couldn't attend due to the prohibited pricing. In my case, this was merely a reunion of sorts (I have enough CECs to recertify for the next 6 years if they carried them over). I can afford it but can think of better ways to spend my money then to attend an overpriced conference package and am bothered by the lack of concern for younger trainers just starting out. Instead of inspiring the world to fitness, what IDEA has done is simply made its conferences a cash grab of people that can barely afford to pay those costs. With that said, there are plenty of way to get CECs at a more affordable cost. PT on the Net is a good avenue and there are many other online sources. Should you like the convenience and ability to network at a fitness conference, Perform Better also offers one that is typically only 3 days and spans from a Friday through Sunday, so you won't have to miss as much work. And if anyone needs any advice on other sources, feel free to message me. I've been training for 18 years and have been around the block, so to speak. If anyone from IDEA reads this, I really hope you will take this comment to heart and not be as defensive as Calvin was.

This company is totally corrupt This company is totally corrupt. I don’t know when it happened but…read all the other reviews. Same thing happened to me. I even went one step further and turned off my auto renewal. They billed me anyways. I called immediately and they told me NO refund. I will go out of my way to let everyone know. Total scam.

IdeaFit scams instructors and has… IdeaFit scams instructors and has horrible customer service. In 2021 my boss at my gym asked me to register for the online virtual(and useless) convention. What I didn't realize at the time was that it was an Auto-renewal. Shame on me I know but that is how they get their money.Flash forward to this year and I received an email confirming my $199 "order". Not only wouldn't the customer service person refund me or let me speak to their supervisor as it is against their policy. She also wouldn't remove me from the auto-renewal subscription. I had to do it myself.

Do Not Trust These People with Your Credit Card Their membership fee went from $60-something dollars to $290 CDN. I was not aware of this change. They said they had notified me through e-mail 2x (oh yeah, as if that's reliable . . . ). When I appealed to them twice, they would not give me back my money. They can keep the money, but they have lost a customer, and even though they charged me, I will not be using any of their forced membership benefits. I don't care for their magazine anymore either.