Gym Membership

[fideldyfee]

I joined the gym last night - what can i say, they caught me at a week moment - and i dont know what happened but i signed up for a year minimum at �60 a month. I actually woke up this morning n felt sick, "what have i done?!". Im at work now but is there any chance that on my contract it might say i can cancel in the first 24 hours? if not, is there anyway i can cancel? thanks.

[redhead23]

why are u so worried ? coz of the amount of money ? cant u say you have just been made redundant and will not be able to pay , if i was you i would ring the gym and speak to someone senior good luck xx

[FPY]

I'm assuming you pay by Direct Debit. You could just cancel it at the bank and see what happens.
I left a gym after 10 years following a dispute with management - they told me I would have to give them a mon'ths notice - I just went and cancelled the DD myself and heard nowt else about it.

[fideldyfee]

yep cos of the amount of money. to make it worthwhile i would have to go at least 3 times a week. i dont even like the gym! so it would be a total waste of money.

[FPY]

How long have you "signed up" for?

[fideldyfee]

12 months

[redhead23]

lol u silly billy whatever possesed you ? lol

[FPY]

This from http://www.moneysavingexpert.com

What to watch for when joining a gym

The major flaw when joining gyms is the contract length. Sign up and you're often expected to pay for the whole year, even if you stop going. This is much more expensive than it seems, for example a club with a �100 joining fee and then �45 a month is �640 over the year. And if you think you can just stop paying, think again, they often use debt collectors and impact your credit score. Ask these questions�

How long is the contract term? Is a shorter option available?
Will I be able to postpone the contract for a period if I get injured?
Can I shift the contract to another gym in your chain if I move house?
Is there a cooling off period, in case I change my mind?
Of the major gyms, LA Fitness and Esporta are 12 month minimum contracts, yet shorter contracts are sometimes possible at David Lloyd, Cannons, Virgin Active and Fitness First. The shorter contracts may be more expensive, but if you're new to gyms, it can be worth paying a little more for a few months, until you're sure you'll continue. For further things to check, there's a useful publication by the Office of Fair Trading

[FPY]

Have you supplied bank account details to them?
You could always get yourself kicked out! It's pretty easily done in gyms!

[fideldyfee]

yes they have my bank details. i wish i had known that stuff yesterday!
how can i get kicked out?!

[FPY]

Behave oddly. Shout at people who hog equipment. Wear sweaty clothes. Use offensive "homophobic", "racist", or "sexist" language.

[FPY]

I would check that there isn't a cooling off period.
is it one of the chains e.g. Virgin Active?
As I said, you could just cancel your direct debit yourself then wait to see if anything happens.

[FPY]

I joined a gym when I moved to a new area - I wrote them a cheque for a period of membership (I think it was 6 months but may have been 3) - anyway I found a better gym next day and cancelled my cheque to the first one at the bank: again, I never heard another word.

[whiskeysheri]

Hi, fideldyfee! I joined a gym about six weeks ago and when I signed up, I was told that I had ten days where I could change my mind.

My first payment wasn't taken until the first of the month, so I didn't have to pay for the first couple of weeks. As already said, see if there's a 'cooling off' period; there should be!

Oh, I'm with Fitness First if that's of any help?

[Loosehead]

If it's a comsumer credit agreement, which many Gyms use then there should be a cooling off period, read the contract in detail. I'm curious you say you hate the Gym so what happenned did they hynotise you or something?

[abranei]

Check your terms and conditions for a get out clause. Failing that...

Approach the gym and inform them that you have lost you job
Failing that...

Cancel you DD and hope they dont follow it up.

My sister did cancel her membership and they did follow it up with court action. She ended up paying �2 a month

[fideldyfee]

thanks everyone for your answers. please keep them coming if you have anything else to add. Loosehead: yes, just about. their sales staff are obviously very good at their job!
i phoned last night and i am waiting on them getting back to me after they have spoken to head office. failing that i'll just cancel my dd and see what happens.
abranei: �2 a month for how long? that wouldnt be too bad!
its esporta btw.

[Reverandfunk]

Normally with any contract you sign you have a seven day cooling off period. I'd just ring them and say you want to cancel it.

[abranei]

�2 a month until the total debt was paid off.