Cancel my Gym subscription

madhusudhan

Guys, any suggestions as to how to cancel my Gym subscription? I took a year scubscription couple of months back, but hardly used!! Can any one give me thougths, please

Thanks
SM

Claudie

I am probably telling you something you have already tried but have you had a good look through the T&C's?
The gym I attended did allow cancellations for unemployment and or illness....or 60 days notice?

foxsake

I cancel the direct debits of anything i don't want. and let them pursue me for the money .Usually it is too expensive for them to do so. And after a couple of threatening letters they give up.

But, in your case it probably is a lot of money so thy might want it.

What if you told them you are moving to an area where they don't have a branch?

[Deleted User]

You need to read the terms of the membership as you will have signed a contract.

There may be a way of getting out early if you have health reasons and your GP writes a letter for you - or your employer vouches for the fact you have been posted away (as mine did).

Other than that you will probably find you are tied to the contract and even if you stop paying, they will be entitled to their money.

May be easier to just give them the required notice. If you complain about the standard of the faclities and say this is why you are leaving, you 'may' get one month free or reduced. (The Sky ethos creeping in here...)

loadsacash

Loads of people who join gyms only stay for a few months.

You must, however, check on your terms and conditions and any contracts that you have signed.

Some gyms rather than take a payment by direct debit may take a monthly payment on a credit card, which may make it harder to stop

rushnowt

I had this problem a few years ago it was with Fitness First, i just cancelled my DD and ignored any letters, they gave up after a couple of month, and heard nothing of it since, Now i even get big advantage letters sent asking me i would like to come back, with free this and free that. but i'll give it a miss, i'm fit enough lol ( i wish) :-X

Horsham_Eagle

I had a similar problem about 4 years ago with LA Fitness when I joined their Bury St Edmunds gym, but after a few months moved to Sussex. They would not let me cancel even though I could not visit the gym owing to my move and there was no other local branch to which the membership could be transferred.

I cancelled the DD and got debt collectors letters. In the end I searched the web and the office of fair trading had a piece about Unfair terms in consumer contracts, specifically about gym membership contracts. On checking the defined unfair terms detailed on the OFT document with my contract I discovered that LA Fitness had many of them incorporated into the contract. As such I threatened them with reporting them to the Office of fair trading and I have heard nothing since.

Unfortunately not sure if I still have the document around, changed PC since then, but the OFT do have a leaflet about unfair terms at
http://www.oft.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/87B329CD-6762-438C-B3E1-5702D9972465/0/oft380.pdf

So it seems Unfair terms in consumer contracts are your best bet, unless of course you're able to transfer/sell it.

Best of luck
H.E.

If I do locate the other document I'll post it here.

Horsham_Eagle

Just located the current 'Guidance on unfair terms in Health & Fitness club agreements' as produced by the OFT. It's here (about half way down the page):
http://www.oft.gov.uk/Business/Legal+Powers/Unfair+Terms+in+Consumer+Contracts/unfair+guidance.htm

It is guidance that all gyms that are part of the Fitness Industry Assocaition should comply with.

H.E.

Han_naH

On a more general level... I worked out why they do this contract business. It is because the novelty wears off after six or 12 months for their hard-marketed new member.

So they takes away your right to choose in a bizarre mandatory twist, which is also anti-competitive.

Unlike a mobile phone company, who understandably require a 12 month contract because they are often giving you an expensive phone for free, these gyms are taking no risk whatsoever.

Imagine signing a contract on entering Sainsbury's. You can only shop at Sainsbury's, and if you go elesewhere, they will take the regular shopping amount from your account anyway.

Bizarre isn't it?

This isn't what the free market was meant to be about...