a way out of a gym contract?

[deletedandgone]

So I have 3-4 months left on my current gym membership, and I switched gyms for the following reasons:
- smashed car window, payed $250 to get it fixed, under $500 isn't covered by insurance
- the manager signed up a bunch of folks who I'm pretty sure were ex-convicts, or are currently on parole. Just generally a bad atmosphere.
- the gym was hacked in half since I joined, literally half the equipment was tossed.

I was locked in a 1 year contract, which expires in 3-4 months. The managers there don't care why I'm leaving, so I just told them that I moved. Do you think that just blocking payments to my credit card is a good idea? Is there any way I can say/do something to cut the 3-4 months, or am I pretty much suckered in?

[Talo]

I'm not sure man , but I had some issues with Good life ( about 10 years ago ) in North York and it went on my credit report which ****ed me and I still had to pay them.

So just pay them out if they don't let you off and if they do let you off make sure you get something in writting so they dont come after you later.

[deletedandgone]

I'm not sure man , but I had some issues with Good life ( about 10 years ago ) in North York and it went on my credit report which ****ed me and I still had to pay them.

So just pay them out if they don't let you off and if they do let you off make sure you get something in writting so they dont come after you later.

Cool, thanks! That's what I figured too. $200 isn't worth a messed up credit statement... so I belong to 4 gyms now: 2 at Uni since I'm a grad student, 1 where I'll never show up again and the one where I actually go. Wonderful... *rolls eyes*

[Shortdave]

check out the original contract, if they got rid of a lot of things and didn't replace them then you are not getting what you payed for and they may be the ones who are breaking the contract.

[Sean Summers]

Make sure you put your cancellation in writing and get the manager to sign your copy. Keep it in a safe place. Fu*king gyms are terrible at withdrawing money after you quit.
SS

[St]

Make sure you put your cancellation in writing and get the manager to sign your copy. Keep it in a safe place. Fu*king gyms are terrible at withdrawing money after you quit.
SS

Ya so true.

[JacktheThriller]

got out of an extreme fitness contract smoothly but the ****ing personal trainer i had took her cut months after. watch your finances and block the payee just to make sure the money stops coming out

[Aar0n]

Years ago at goodlife I cancelled my membership with one of the newer employees working at the front desk
.
Weeks after cancelling, Goodlife was still taking bi-weekly payments from my chequing account. I couldn't figure out the problem untill I phoned the main office.. It turned out that the employee didn't send out the terminating membership documents to the min office.

In your case prok, I would call the main office of your gym. Depending on the facility, if your situation justifies early membership cancelling, perhaps they'll give you a break. Worse case scenario and a pain in the ass, sometimes they will ask you to pay early cancellation fees or to find someone to put in place of your membership.

I would not put a block to the withdraw at your bank.

[baza]

Tell them you are moving, that sometimes works... moving somewhere where they don't have any.

[Forever]

Do clean & jerks and drop the BB from overhead until they ask you to leave and cancel your contract lol.

[rated_rko]

yeah they can screw u over... i have had double charges before and when switching gyms my old gym charged me another month and i went and complained and they r like well u can use it still if u want...:S

[deletedandgone]

The good news is, looks like they canceled my membership, I had no charge for December on my Visa, the last month was paid up front, so I guess that's that. The bad news is that no matter what I told them, I still had to pay for September, October and November, but, I'm really glad to be out of that place.

[nitrous]

they often have a clause that if a doctor says you can't physically work out then you will be able to get out of your contract.. haven't ever had to get out of a contract but i would think that if you go to a doctor and tell them your elbows for example are really sore everytime you work out he's going to diagnose that as tendonitis.. the cure for that is to stop working out.. take some time off.. get a note from him saying you can't work out.. bring it in

[Andre]

Here's a piece of advice from a gym owner...

Find a decent and reputable gym and pay your memberships in full... I got screwed once by Premiere and learned my lesson...

[red rocket]

Here's a piece of advice from a gym owner...

Find a decent and reputable gym and pay your memberships in full... I got screwed once by Premiere and learned my lesson...

Yup and if I had of done that, I'd be in the cell right next to the owner of my gym that just went to jail after breaking into try and get his equipment when they closed his gym (which by name has a good reputation :) )

Forgot to mention that he still took me for one months membership the day after the doors were locked. So I am out $75 instead of 600