Gymboree Play & Music, Jersey City

Wonderful for 1-2 year olds, an indoor play palace with everything just the right size. Linda is especially great at singing and getting kids involved in gym activities. Really pleased with my daughter's experience here.

I am surprised at the negative reviews though they do seem to be more administrative issues rather than about the program itself. I've personally had no issues with billing or Pooja. The times I've interacted with her she seems like a really genuine person and she gives a lot of flexibility with makeup classes (it's basically an honor system) which I don't think she'd do if she was really trying to gouge people for money. I signed up my first child in 2013 - she is an introvert I think Gymboree helped with her socialization skills and gave her a safe zone to freely roam outside of our apartment. I've now enrolled my second child and I am glad to be back - there's new equipment, it's clean, and the open gyms are a lifesaver when the weather is bad and the kids need to burn off some energy.

BEWARE: The owner Pooja Gupta can be very tricky. I say this because my wife enrolled our daughter in one of her programs and we paid by automatic monthly charge to our credit card. After our daugther's third birthday we aged out of the program and stopped going and verbally instructed Pooja to cancel the card payments. Eight months and nearly $1,000 later (after we stopped going to her gym) we realized that the charges did not stop. THE REAL EGREGIOUS ACT CAME WHEN WE RECENTLY TOLD POOJA ABOUT THIS AND SHE OFFERED ONLY TO REVERSE THE LAST MONTHS CHARGE AND KEEP THE SEVEN MONTHS PRIOR CHARGES FOR HERSELF.

Becareful.

I can only talk to my own experience so...YAY for Gymboree! I don't have a billing experience like others have had and I check my credit card statement every month. I have been coming to this Gymboree for two years and have nothing but positive things to say for the people that work there as well as the facility. Like anywhere else there is employee turn around but I genuinely miss the people that move on to other ventures. Luckily they are replaced by equally awesome folks.
My son has met friends he looks forward to seeing and I hope my younger son will too as he just started there as well.

MS POOJA - SCAM ALERT!
On or around October 9th, 2013 my wife signed up our daughter for classes at Gymboree Play & Music. She discussed the terms with the owner, Ms Pooja, and requested that commitment to be of just one month, no recurring charges and no cancellation requirements of any kind after. My wife said repeatedly that she will not sign up if there is any kind of automatic commitment and or renewal policy in place. A friend of my wife was present when this conversation took place and she also sighed up her son for the same class on exactly the same terms. The owner, Ms Pooja, reassured both of them that they are paying for just one month of services and there will be no recurring charges afterwards.
On or around October 25th, 2013 my wife decided not to continue using Gymboree Play and Music, and once again spoke with Ms. Pooja about that. Ms. Pooja acknowledged that and again confirmed that there will be no additional charges after the first month. Again, the same witness was present when this conversation took place and can confirm it.
On May 4th, 2014 I discovered that Gymboree Play and Music kept billing us beyond the agreed upon first month. There were total of six charges in the amount of $98 from November 9th, 2013 through April 9th, 2014 that were not authorized. On May 5th, 2014 my wife emailed Ms. Pooja and questioned these charges. Later, over the phone Ms. Pooja said that no problem, she already refunded 80% of $588 amount ($470.40) claiming that there is a 20% “processing fee”. My wife politely disagreed with this and requested a full refund. Ms. Pooja responded angrily that she will be cancelling that 80% refund, hung up and did not pick up the phone when my wife tried to call back. After some emails she went back to us and said now she can only refund 80% of the four charges made in 2014 ($313.60), no refunds for 2013. Again, my wife disagreed and requested a full refund mentioning that both Ms. Pooja twice confirmed in a presence of another customer (who perfectly recalls these conversations) that there will be only one charge for the first month. We have not heard from Ms. Pooja since then.
Ms. Pooja is a dishonest person and uses unethical tactics to exhort money from the customers. She twice agreed to the terms that were discussed in a presence of a witness, and then denies what she said and refers so some policy of hers that none of us seen or signed. Obviously, we contacted the credit card company and disputed these charged.
Be prepared get you money taken from you without your permission if you deal with this dishonest and unethical business.