Gym Membership Cancellation

[Bright Star]

My Fiance has recently gone back to full time education and has has had to leave his full time job. he is in a contract for 12 months with the gym, Fitness First.
he has 5 months left on it but now with no salary coming in needs to cancel the membership but has so far failed in getting this done. as they are adament that because he signed a 12 month contract he is legally binding.

what can he possibly do now? with no salary he will not be able to afford the payments surely they can understand the situation that he has no income coming in. i would help but am paying for the mortgage and all bills on my own until he finishes next year.

many thanks in advance for any replies

[hiya_123]

hiya bright star!

the exact same thing has happened to me, i joined fitness first about 6 months ago now and signed a 12 month contract and i now have a gym at my work (which is free) and cant afford 2 pay fitness first anymore (i have only been there 4 times anyway!) and they will not let me cancel because i signed the contract.

someone told me to cancel it directly from my bank, but im not sure if that is a very good idea?!

do you kow that your husband can transfer his membership to somebody else who is interesting in becoming a fitness first member??

[Bright Star]

hi there hiya! (lol)

I Did suggest he ask someone in his previous work place if they wanted to pay him the last 5 months remaining memebership, and use his card in that time, which he said he will do.

he has joined me in my membership at LA Fitness where they had a two for the price of one membership which is excellent so im paying for mine and he can use it free basically

he also spoke to their finance department who said that if he cancels his direct debit they will sent the baliffs round, which is totally obsurd, how can they obtain money from someone who has finished working. its totally mad that they cannot compromise in exceptional circumstances.

its so frustrating!

i hope you manage to get your situation resolved will keep updates on here for any one else in the same predicament!

[buildersmate]

Understand your frustration but that's what contracts are for. They bind both parties to an agreement. No ifs or buts. That's why its really important to think through before signing such an agreement. Unfortunately they have every right to do as they are doing. Be careful because they may use bailiffs to seize property to the value of XYZ

[Ethel]

Most gym memberships are NOT transferable and if there is a photo of him anywhere then it will not work.

As already stated, contracts are legally binding and Fitness First are in the right here.

Could he get a part time job to meet his obligations? There are plenty of temporary jobs coming up. It is not unusual for full time students to also work.

[bednobs]

these arent exceptional circumstances though. Your fiance KNEW that he was going to leave work to go back to education whilst at the same time knowing that he had financial obligations to meet. ( i dont mean he neccasarily knew before he signed the contract that he would go back to education, but he knew when he dicided to go to education,that he had the gym membership obligation

[lady_p_gold]

Well as you say, it is a Contract, and the whole point of a contract is to make it legally binding. Imagine if your fiance was a fitness instructor and signed a contract with them for one year's employment and then they suddenly said, sorry we can't afford you anymore. It is unfortunate but they are quite within their rights to enforce payment. After all how many of us start things like yoga and then go off the idea, that is the whole point why they get you to sign. All I can suggest is writing to Head Office or something. Sorry.

[Bright Star]

Thank you all for your responses,

i do fully accept the point that a contract is a contract and we are legally binding for 12 months. he is not trying to get out of it purely because he cannot be bothered to attend, and he did not know his work situation was going to end, you see they are sponsoring his university fees but couldnt allow him the 4 days off work he needs to attend university for his final intensive year so they had to let him go.

all i needed was some information on the basis that being put into a cirumstance where you are a regular gym member for years and then having lost your job was there any legal way he could get out of it seeing as though there is no income coming in

looks like there is obviously not, so that will be a wasted 5 months of payments for a service not being used!

[bednobs]

he could still use the gym

[Bright Star]

Unfortunatly he cant use the gym as he has had to give the company car back so theres no way he can get to the gym easily without the car because of the location

that is the worst thing because then you wouldnt mind having to pay but if you cant get to it without the car or are so busy with university work what is one to do?!

thanks for the suggestion though bednobs!