Gym memberships can be a great way to get in shape and have some fun, but when you want to cancel, it can be a hassle.

What would you do if your gym kept giving you the run around when you wanted to cancel, costing you hundreds?

That is what happened to the fitness enthusiast in this story, until he was told to read the contract, and he found a section that not only let him cancel, but also get a major refund.

You’re going to want to check this one out for sure.

Gym won’t cancel me and makes me read my contract

So, around July of last year I am coming up on the end of my contract for a big national gym chain that, lets just say, you can visit anytime.

So, I try and call and get directions to cancel, and get a voicemail box that is full.

I call their 800 number and am told only the local office can cancel me.

I call my bank and ask if I can block auto-debit, but because it is a check debit they can only block a specific amount and there is a fee.

What a hassle.

I scan my contract and it says I have to cancel in writing with 30 days notice regardless of my contract end date.

I am pretty furious at this point because the gym was closed completely due to covid and I was wasting money.

I hadn’t been too concerned while my contract was going but now I just wanted to end my association with them.

I write the letter with my membership number, email, and phone number, and send the letter certified with my fob.

Two months later, I notice I am still being charged, and they have billed me an additional $60 for my “annual access fee.”

I can’t blame him, they are making this impossible.

Now I am livid.

I find the customer service email and explain the situation with specific dates of calls, letters, and attempted visits to the office.

I ask that my membership be cancelled and a refund for the past several months and the annual renewal.

I receive a rather curt response saying they will start my cancelation, but I will have one more monthly charge because there is a 30 day notice.

I respond asking them to read my message and see that is what I did already by mail.

Apparently the local manager has been letting mail pile up as they don’t even have someone at the office part time.

No one has seen my letter.

I say this to the email rep.

She asks me to read my contract and states that even if I can demonstrate the letter was sent I would still be on the hook for the 30 days and the annual fee.

She says I need to read my contract if I have any questions.

And I do.

This part of the contract is very important.

Turns out, near the end of this very long document, is section 20.1, which states the following:

“Unexpected events we are not responsible if Members cannot use our Club because of an event caused by a natural force (such as a fire or a flood) or a road or building closure or something similar beyond our reasonable control. If this continues for more than 30 days, then either you or we may cancel this Agreement immediately by written notice. No Fee will apply.”

Hopefully, they will actually listen to him.

So, I respond with this new knowledge I have and point out the gym had been closed 90 days prior to my original letter, and even greater than my email cancellation request.

I also threaten the following if they don’t refund me back to my original contract end date:

1. I will pay people I know to picket their gym.
2. I will hand out flyers telling people about this provision of the contract so others in the middle of contracts will be able to cancel without a fee.
3. I will publish an article in our local online newspaper about the trouble I have had offering advice to others.

And I make it clear that I have all the documentation including phone statements to prove it is all true.

Sounds like they are taking him seriously.

Three days later I was called by a regional director with an apology and a full refund of over $240 that had been inappropriately taken and a little extra.

For those wondering, I am sharing this now because I understand many people in California where the lockdown was more strict have gone through this and they deserve to know how not to be abused.

And remember, if someone tells you to read your contract, do it!

It should be illegal for these places to make it so difficult to cancel a membership.

Read on to see what the people in the comments say about this situation.

Sometimes banks can be very helpful.

Now this is a great idea.

Lots of gyms are very shady.

This commenter says to picket anyway.

I’m sure they were getting kickbacks from the government.

I hate it when companies make it difficult to cancel.

This is why reading your contract is so important.

If you liked that post, check out this story about a customer who insists that their credit card works, and finds out that isn’t the case.