Gym Membership Problems.

Gym Membership Cancellation

Hi

My family have recently joined a local gym - signed up for 12 month membership. Since joining, we have experienced the following:
- Sun, 17 May – toilets in male changing room not working
- Caused a problem for my 4 year old son who had to go in the dark, in the toilets
- Every time – dirty towels lying around & rubbish on floor
- Parking – partner (heavily pregnant) waited 20 mins (guy in front 40 mins) on a Weds morning to find a space
- Not warned of parking issues when joined & Had to pay on machine
- Café – coffee machine being cleaned, why??, at 4pm and unable to get a coffee
- Café – no decaffeinated coffee, attitude of staff disgraceful / unhelpful
- Every time – male changing room floor, always wet and very dangerous, both my children have falling over, lucky to-date having not seriously hurt themselves
- Crèche – not advised of charges increase

Both of us very angry at current situation and would have selected a different gym had we known, especially the parking.

Are we in a position to cancel.

Many thanks

Mark

Write to them and explain these issues, and state that they have not excersiced reasonable care and skill per se Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 section 13. Whether you are able to cancel is very borderline, the reason: the breaches have only been breaches of warranty, if there had been significant changes to say the gym facillities i.e. half of the machinery being removed, the breach would warrant cancellation. You can try anyway; but dont hold your breathe.

good reply mculmer

I am a member of a small gym, which funnily enough won a national award a few years ago. All the staff are always friendly, there's a good mix of people (from obvious gym fanatics to pensioners) and aside from the sauna being out of order a few weeks ago I've never had a problem.

Maybe that's the way to go?

I think in cases like this a letter expressing disappointment rather than anger, may reap at least the reward of a discount. It is always worth having a go. If writing to the local branch does not achieve any results, it's worth contacting head office. Despite mounting evidence against it, I think businesses are still a little concerned about their reputation!

I should also note that my local gym didn't sign me up to a contract, it's a rolling monthly membership.

So maybe smaller, local gyms offer better service and membership conditions than the national chains?

I joined Greens Gym in sheffield and at the time of signing the contract I was categorically told that it was an annual membership and that I could end the contract if I were to leave the area. Despite only using the gym for about two months I continued to pay my monthly subscriptionand then at the end of the twelve month period I received a letter stating that I could rejoin at the same rate or if they didn't hear from me they would increase the monthly subscription. I therefore wrote to them stating that I was not going to continue with my membership as I was leaving the area I also responded to a text stating that I was no longer in the country and would not be rejoining. When I got back from holiday there were two letters stating that I owed the gym for two months fees and that they had contacted a debt collecting agency. I wrote to them immediately sending them a copy of my last letter and I also contacted the debt collecting agency who were incredably rude and threatening. Since this time I have been threatened both by the gym and the debt collection agency and this had mad me ill and I am now being threatened with court action. In all I have paid 13 months gym membership and did write to the company stating that I was not going to rejoin but the gym states that as my letter was wrote on the 2nd of the month they are within their right to charge me an extra two months fees!! Could I have some advice please as to where I stand. Thank you.

Georginazn said:

I think in cases like this a letter expressing disappointment rather than anger, may reap at least the reward of a discount. It is always worth having a go. If writing to the local branch does not achieve any results, it's worth contacting head office. Despite mounting evidence against it, I think businesses are still a little concerned about their reputation!

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I did write to the head office and they upheld the bullying tactics of the local gym. I am now going to write to Watchdog and wonder if enough of us write something could be done about the underhand practices of these gymes who trick you into signing contracts with lies and promises? Ironically these gyms are supposed to be within the health and fitness sector and yet they cause undue distress to so many people. I wonder how long it will take them to realise that to treat people badly in the end will lead to a boycot of their gyms. They are after all supposed to be trying to supply a service to us and if they alienate us they are cutting their noses off to spite their face.: