Gym membership bullshit.

[DiGiTaL]

In december 15th..or sometime around that a friend and I went to the World Health Club because they were offering 'free 2 weeks membership'. So I had an extra hour before class everyday and agreed to go.

We go in, personal trainer gives us the tour of the place and It is a beautiful gym...until the pricing came. Even if we wanted to use the 2 weeks free membership we have to pay the registration fee (This is not membership fees) registration fees is a one time thing to get access to the gym. It was $189 or so but since we are students its $143.. So stupid ol' me agreed, paid that much and we got our memberships.

In january they auto-charged my credit card for $65..I didnt know about it and I didnt mind because I used all january to work out, the problem here is I cannot afford it no more. If it was YMCA ya $30 isn't nothing, but in February a new semester started and I am a full-time-student now. SOOOO...I called them to tell them I want to cancel my account and the lady on the phone told me to come talk to them. The next day I go to world health club..

Now, I don't have a job right now, my CC limit is $500 and I have $556 used on it (thanks for world health club). So I go in, at first the girl who I always talk to was going to do it but she sent me to this other guy (higher status in the place i think) and he just told me I cannot cancel my membership. "You have signed up for 12 consecutive months, you cannot cancel it" I WAS SPECIFICALLY told IF I want to cancel my Account, all I have to do is make a phone call and tell them to stop charging me...SO THIS GUy doesn't stop. He went on about I cannot cancel it and its just going to keep charging me..WTF DO I DO now. I'm going to Europe in the summer, and I'm going to university in the september so WTF do i do now.

This is the biggest bullshit I have had so far in my life, financially. I am so pissed, i just have to rant. I dont know what to do, can anyone give me an advice or something. I told them what if I cancel my credit card and he said something about thats not good and some shit might happen to me.

FUck Me Lord no wait Fuck World Health Club lord
I am literally pissed out of my mind. I told the dude that I was told I can cancel it anytime he goes "No no, i make sure i dont tell my staff that"..

I have never hated going to the gym in my life more then I do now..

 

[lucifuge]

did you sign a contract? If so, there's not too much you can do to stop them from charging you. You can cancel your credit card, the only real thing that can happen is that you'll have to pay for the entire years membership at once.
If you have a contract, check it for clauses... there may be a way to wiggle out of it. I had this kind of shit with Bally's a few years ago, but there was a clause in the contract that I used to get out of it.

 

[DiGiTaL]

Its a gym. No one stays for 30 years in one gym. Im a student I even mentioned to them "At most until summer". And she said I can cancel it anytime...so what kind of contract is this.

If I cancel my credit card why would I have to pay it all at once?

 

[Seanp156]

Its a gym. No one stays for 30 years in one gym. Im a student I even mentioned to them "At most until summer". And she said I can cancel it anytime...so what kind of contract is this.

If I cancel my credit card why would I have to pay it all at once?

Did you READ the contract? Your word vs. theirs isn't likely to be in your favor compared to a printed and signed contract. If you signed up for a 1 year contract, you'll have to pay it one way or another unless there's an "out." Most gym have policies that go something like: if you move outside a certain radius to the nearest gym you can cancel or put your membership on hold, same goes for military leave, etc.

 

[DiGiTaL]

No, the morning we were applying with did not have much time and the girl..the sneaky mother fucker just told us to sign here and here. I read a little abit of the top it just said confirmation of payment and a bit more but we didn't have time to read the entire thing.

Maybe I should lie and tell them I am moving out of the city...

 

[Gazhole]

This is why you should read everything you sign. Ask for a copy of the contract and go through it with a fine tooth comb. They cant legally withhold a copy of the contract from you.

Is there anybody like a lawyer in your family? If you can find somebody like that that you dont have to pay for theyd probably be a good person to have a look at the thing.

Isnt there a minimum period of cancellation or something? Like if you cancel you have to give them 3 months notice?

Maybe theres a clause in the contract or maybe even local law stating that if you're not earning (student) you dont have to pay this stuff or something.