Cancelling a gym membership after 7 days

serious_saver

I am asking this on behalf of a friend (you wouldn't catch me in the gym!)

She signed up for a 12 month membership at Bannatynes last week. She went for off peak as she was only intending to use it in the mornings. She made it very clear exactly what hours she intended to use the facilities.

She thought long and hard about signing up and they gave her the full pitch. Telling her that most classes were included. They would provide towels for the pool etc. A week on and they have now told her that she can't get these as an off peak member. She still hasn’t had an induction because they don’t have enough staff at the hours she has signed up for. She hasn’t had her welcome pack, which the staff say they have run out of but the manager insisted were available when she spoke to him on the phone.

She has asked about cancelling and the manager has basically told her where to go. She even asked about paying the additional £5 a month to switch to a six month contract but they are having none of it.

As it is only a week in, is there anything she can legally do about it?

The staff at Bannatynes were all smiles before she signed up and the second she became a member the service went downhill.

fluffnutter

Does the lack of induction prevent her from using the gym?

serious_saver

fluffnutter wrote: »

Does the lack of induction prevent her from using the gym?

She has never had an induction at any other gym and therefore doesn't know how to use the equipment safely. The lack of induction doesn't prevent her from using it but it does prevent her from using it safely.

Our local council gym that my OH goes to won't even allow you in until you sign up for an induction.

arcon5

I've got to admin, i've been a member of 2 gyms in the past and never had an induction.

Gym contracts are notoriously hard to get out off so she may well not be able to get out. Maybe she can negotiate upgrading her membership to give her access to the classes she wants?

fluffnutter

arcon5's right. Gym contracts can be a nightmare and Ballantynes appear one of the worst. I was hoping that the induction was part of the conditions of using the gym - then she'd be able to argue that they weren't providing the contractually agreed service and hence she was cancelling. But I expect they'll ignore the inconvenient issue of using the gym safely and argue that she's perfectly able to use the facilities with or without the induction.

The issue about what was or wasn't on offer won't win her much support either; they'll just argue that the T&Cs specify what's included at what time and she should have read these carefully. Suggest she puts it in writing now that she wishes to cancel after her contracted 12 months, and keep asking for her induction so that she can at least use it a bit.