Gym Membership!!

Charlie1807

Hi

I am new on here, and was hoping someone could help me!

I have a friend who bought a 12-month gym membership at the beginning of september. she was told she could suspend the membership (with no mention of a charge) whilst she was at university and use the months when she returns home.

She has now moved back to university and phoned the gym to suspend her membership, and has been told that it will cost her £12 a month to suspend her membership. She now wants to cancel the contract but has been told by the gym that she cannot get out of the contract.

Is there anything that she can do? I was sure there was some kind of 28 day get-out-of-contracts-free clause or something similar!

Charlie x x

pinkshoes

Which gym is it? What do their written T&Cs say?

IF she signed a 12 month contract, she won't be able to get out of it, but if she can prove that there is no such T&C saying that she has to pay each month to suspend the membership, then she shouldn't have to pay it.

Is there a T&C about moving a certain distance away from the gym?

KTA123

hi

I joined LA fitness in July and subsquently lost my job - the shop were I was working as a therapist and rented a room - closed and I also lost my part time sales assistant position although they offered me a casual contract at other shop but haven't been given any hours due to recession etc and other staffed. My main source of income was as a therapist and due to the shop closure lost all my clients.

When I tried to explain this to the membership head office - the result wasn't great, they told me that I had to be made redundant, when I explained that it wasn't that simple I don't have a redundancy letter, as a therapist it's not a work contract, although I had a contract with the shop for renting the room etc., but lost my practice and my income. The guy was really unhelpful and said that I could of been sacked! or left as far as he was concerned - but surely that is the same thing being made redundant when a shop closing. I sent them information regarding all this and confirmation that I had only been offered a casual contract without set hours, as a sales assistant but they said that wasn't good enough.

They are now chasing me via a debt collection agency.

Does anyone have any suggestions, as I have no money and just about surviving and this has been stressful enough without them hassling me, afterall this wasn't, my fault and they made me feel like it was!

Can anyone help me.

I could get a letter explaining that the shop has closed and I lost my practice from the head office of the company that shut it but I doubt that would do any good.

I don't have the money to go to a solicitors but think this is disgusting

[Deleted User]

This is how gyms make their money. Either by getting to people to sign up with good intentions and then never going or people who decide they want to leave and find out they cant....

Fire_Fox

As Paulfoel says, commercial gyms make their money from the 90% (literally) of members that sign contracts and stop using the facilities a couple of weeks in. The only way to get out of the legally binding contract you have signed is to read the terms and conditions inside and out and follow the instructions. If you need a doctor's letter or letter from your employer then send this by recorded delivery - some gyms want cancellations to head office some to the branch PLEASE check which.

Be aware that most of the 'debt collections agencies' are actually in-house departments and they are on commission to get money from you by any means necessary (I have seen this from the inside). Also be aware that they have heard every excuse under the sun month in month out, and it's usually not the truth so honest folks get tarred with the same brush.

NEVER communicate with these people by telephone ALWAYS by recorded delivery letter. You will be lied to on the phone, or your message will never get through, or your hand written note to reception will get lost. To reiterate this is a legally binding contract like any other and there is no easy way out.

[Deleted User]

I reckon if even half the paid members of a gym turned up at once, there wouldnt even be standing room.

You always see it in Jan. Loads of new people in the gym with good intentions. By Feb its back to the same. How many of these people find they're stuck in 12 month min contracts.

Personally, its motivation for me to got to the gym so I get my moneys worth !!!