WTF is up with fitness centers and trying to cancel your membership?

[NFS4]

My girlfriend signed up to go workout at Peak Fitness in Charlotte back in March. She signed up on a month to month basis ($15 a month). They told her at the beginning that if she ever wanted to cancel her membership, she just needed to contact the company and they would cancel it...

Fast forward to today. She's going back to school this fall, and she has a lot of crap to deal with so she wants to cancel her membership. She goes to the Peak place to cancel her membership. They tell her:

You can't cancel membership unless:

(1) You have a doctor's note or
(2) You are moving

WTF? So she calls the main office/headquarters and they tell her that that is indeed the policy and that she has to EMAIL the company and request a cancellation...and then it will take 60 DAYS to process the cancellation (which of course means that will continue to draft money for 2 more months).

WTF!!! :|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|

 

[booger711]

they want money, what can i say?

 

[beer]

Close the account and open a new one. Takes about 15 minutes total. Granted you'll shell out another 10 bucks in new checks, but it shouldn't have any long-term reprocussions.

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: booger711
they want money, what can i say?

Filthy bastards!:|

 

[MacBaine]

Did she get a lifetime membership or something? For being that cheap, it sounds like that may be the case... better look at whatever she signed...

 

[beer]

ANd isn't she moving anyways??

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: MacBaine
Did she get a lifetime membership or something? For being that cheap, it sounds like that may be the case... better look at whatever she signed...

No lifetime membership. She signed up with a friend of hers and they got a special rate since her friend is a healthcare worker.

ANd isn't she moving anyways??

Umm, no

 

[beer]

ANd isn't she moving anyways??

Umm, no

OK, I was assuming she was going back to dorms or moving into a new apartment or something....

 

[welst10]

This is hardly a surprise. My gf had the same kind of experience with Gold's gym in northern NJ. They were very difficult in the process. Gave the same 60 days cancellation sh1t and all. My gf eventually went and cancelled her bank account to stop payment. and the gym still had a debt collector mail bills over.

 

[MacBaine]

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: MacBaine
Did she get a lifetime membership or something? For being that cheap, it sounds like that may be the case... better look at whatever she signed...

No lifetime membership. She signed up with a friend of hers and they got a special rate since her friend is a healthcare worker.

ANd isn't she moving anyways??

Umm, no

So does she have a contract or something she signed her name on that outlines the terms and conditions?

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: MacBaine

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: MacBaine
Did she get a lifetime membership or something? For being that cheap, it sounds like that may be the case... better look at whatever she signed...

No lifetime membership. She signed up with a friend of hers and they got a special rate since her friend is a healthcare worker.

ANd isn't she moving anyways??

Umm, no

So does she have a contract or something she signed her name on that outlines the terms and conditions?

I dunno, I'll have to ask her.

 

[Shockwave]

If it doesnt say that it takes 60 days in the contract she signed, I'd flat out tell them I'm cancelling and if they continue to bill me I'd notify the Attorney General's office, the BBB and have my bank process and recollect the funds as if it was a fraud withdrawl.
And I'd send them a certified letter stating as much, AND keep a copy for myself showing the date it was mailed and have it signed by a notery.
If they continued to bill me, or gave me ANY guff after that, I'd do exactly as I said I would in the letter.

 

[klah]

Originally posted by: NFS4
which of course means that will continue to draft money for 2 more months

So she gave them a bank draft authorization?
Good lesson to learn @ $15/mo rather than $$$/mo somewhere down the road.


Sadly this is common practice for most of these places.

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: klah

Originally posted by: NFS4
which of course means that will continue to draft money for 2 more months

So she gave them a bank draft authorization?
Good lesson to learn @ $15/mo rather than $$$/mo somewhere down the road.


Sadly this is common practice for most of these places.

I think it's through her CC actually. There's gotta be a way to stop payment, but they already have the number so I dunno

 

[OutHouse]

Health Club memberships are the biggest scam there is. Tomato had a similar experience and somebody posted a link to some forum where people shared their horror stories about trying to get out of the memeberships. Its a nightmare and i hope she can get out of it without too much headache.

 

[Yossarian]

all depends on the contract of course, but it sounds pretty illegal.

 

[huesmann]

Originally posted by: NFS4
I think it's through her CC actually. There's gotta be a way to stop payment, but they already have the number so I dunno

It's called canceling your credit card.

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: huesmann

Originally posted by: NFS4
I think it's through her CC actually. There's gotta be a way to stop payment, but they already have the number so I dunno

It's called canceling your credit card.

Too much of a hassle for this situation (at least it would be for me). I have a lot of accounts/payments/bills/etc. tied to my card and cancelling it and setting up a new one would be a pain in the ass for this mickey mouse bullsh!t