Contracts are often worded in such a way that they’re impossible to break, unless you move or have a serious medical condition. “If you see gyms as folks who want to make a buck, you’ll see various reasons for why they might structure their contracts the way that they have.”Ī lot of gyms require members wishing to cancel to show up in person or send a certified letter. They decided this was the economic model they wanted, contracted as long as possible,” says Ted Mermin, the interim executive director of the Berkeley Center for Consumer Law & Economic Justice and a former deputy attorney general in the state. “You’ll see decades-old history of how much flimflammery there has been historically in the provision of membership to gyms. In California, there’s a consumer protection law for gym members that dates back to the 1960s. “If you see gyms as folks who want to make a buck, you’ll see various reasons for why they might structure their contracts the way that they have” (The boutique fitness model, which allows people to pay per class or for packages, upended that a bit in recent years, but a contract is still the main way most gyms make money.) That’s the model, and it’s been that way for decades. They’re gonna take fifty bucks out of our accounts for the rest of our lives.”
Ross offers to go with him for support but ends up joining the gym too. There’s a Friends episode that features Chandler bemoaning how difficult it is to cancel his gym membership. It’s always been hard to cancel a gym membership The pandemic has added a layer of frustration and hoop-jumping to a process that was already fraught and opaque and difficult for consumers even in the best of times. Every state and municipality has different rules, making the process a free-for-all. Fawnia’s experience trying to cancel isn’t uncommon, but hers is actually better than some. Chains have also been declaring bankruptcy at an unprecedented rate. In the last few months, several gym chains have been slapped with lawsuits after members alleged they were still being charged while the gyms were closed. We’re in a golden age of at-home streaming workouts, and many gym buffs are opting for that instead, at least for the short term. Although masks can theoretically help, they can be uncomfortable to wear during hard cardio workouts, their efficacy decreases as they become wet and sweaty, and not every state requires them. There’s increasing evidence that aerosol transmission is an important factor in coronavirus infection, meaning that social distancing might not be enough in poorly ventilated areas. Gyms, by their very nature, include people huffing and puffing in very close proximity. “It sucks.”Īs gyms around the country started reopening in recent weeks, members have been questioning whether they feel safe going back. (Crunch did not respond to requests for comment.)Īs for when she might consider going back to a gym to work out? “There has to be a viable vaccine, so I guess I’m probably not going back for like two years,” she says, adding that she loves group fitness classes and misses doing them in person. Eventually she was told the fee would be waived, but at that point she just wanted to cancel, having been so frustrated by the “bad customer service and inconsistent information.” Ultimately, she was able to cancel without any sort of financial penalty.
She was given a form indicating she would have to pay a fee to freeze the membership. Why do you not have remote customer service to handle this?- Fawnia Soo Hoo September 2, 2020Īfter getting only automated responses to her various emails questioning this requirement, Fawnia finally went in.
Hey ironic that you're making me go in-person to freeze my membership, when the reason behind freezing my membership is because I'M TERRIFIED TO GO INSIDE A GYM and catch Covid-19.
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