My son lives off campus near an Anytime Fitness. He signed up and has been using them for over a year so he fulfilled their contract and is on a month to month. He has been trying to cancel his membership for the last 2 months because he moved closer to campus and is using the school gym.
This cancellation is turning into a nightmare. He can only cancel by going in person to visit the Club and meeting with the Mgr who does not work weekends and is only there a couple hours @ day while my Son is in class. He also refuses to meet him when can make it or even leave the form he needs to fill out.
They so far have collected $90 plus they just docked him for $20 more as an "Equip. Enhancement Fee". When I try to help out I get the old "Your not on the account so we can't do anything" BS even though the money is coming out of my account. I contacted ABC Financial who handles the processing of the membership and they tell me I have to talk to the actual Gym and get a certified letter sent by them to allow me to communicate. It literally is a gauntlet to go through to cancel this shit. Now I am at the point where I want to stop the auto withdrawals but i know they will dock my credit for it because they are assholes like that.
Any Ideas?
Why is the manager the only one that can cancel it though? There should be someone else there who can do it. That part is definitely BS.
Why is the manager the only one that can cancel it though? There should be someone else there who can do it. That part is definitely BS.
I agree except they had no problem doing it when we set it up for him. Regarding the Mgr only, It's the game they play at that one I guess. I go online and read all the nightmares associated with canceling that others have gone through. Anytime and ABC Financial do the "you need to talk to the other to get it fixed" game and meanwhile a month goes by and the money gets taken out. It's a pain in the ass
I would also file a complaint with the state Attorney General.
If it's a month by month contract, Just quit paying.
How much do you think it will hurt your credit for not continuing to be scammed?
The letter from the lawyer should have gone out the minute they tried to run you around.
Again, a formal complaint to the State AG usually is enough to get these types of assholes to back off.
You could also sue them in small claims court to get your $90 back.
they hate publicity like that, someone will find the form to get his membership canceled.
Works every time
The notion that cancellation must be done by him in person is a fallacy. It's a BS imposition by a business to make it seem harder to cancel. Barring a contractual provision (and I doubt it), a business cant just invent hoops to jump thru if you want to cancel. You have a right not to continue being a customer. "Store policy" isnt a thing.
A letter is the way to go. State in the letter (signed by the son) that you terminate the relationship immediately, or better yet effective the date you first contacted them, and that any attempt to bill going forward is unauthorized and will be reported to appropriate credit card issuers and/or law enforcement. It's theft.
Sounds like the 'meet w/the manager' is a combo stall tactic where they keep charging you/force the meeting so he can try to talk you back in - but they can't just refuse to meet you to avoid the cancellation. Document your attempts, send certified letter cancelling and dispute the charge/close your card out.
Have you tried contacting management at their home office instead of the local gym manager? IMO that would be the first step.
Also if you are signed on as a financial guarantor then somewhere you have to be consider on the account in some way.
Goof luck
Have you tried contacting management at their home office instead of the local gym manager? IMO that would be the first step.
Also if you are signed on as a financial guarantor then somewhere you have to be consider on the account in some way.
Goof luck
No, that's playing into their game that there is a process. There isnt. A company cant just keep charging you for new product/service on the grounds that you didnt cancel in the manner they desire. Barring a contractual agreement otherwise.
Gyms making it hard to quit are a well known problem. Basically, it's a bit of a scam.
The letter is the way to go.
I do agree with a letter, it would be proof to offer the credit card company in challenging the charges.
Sounds like the 'meet w/the manager' is a combo stall tactic where they keep charging you/force the meeting so he can try to talk you back in - but they can't just refuse to meet you to avoid the cancellation. Document your attempts, send certified letter cancelling and dispute the charge/close your card out.
Exactly what it is to grab a few more monthly dues. The cancellation stipulates a 30 day notice which he has given but they claim he needs to do another one because they don't have it. So he went 38 days ago and recorded himself handing the cancellation form to them which then turned this into the current problem
Have you tried contacting management at their home office instead of the local gym manager? IMO that would be the first step.
Also if you are signed on as a financial guarantor then somewhere you have to be consider on the account in some way.
Goof luck
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Refusal to pay an obligation doesn't mean you wouldn't still be responsible for the missed payments.
Have you tried contacting management at their home office instead of the local gym manager? IMO that would be the first step.
Also if you are signed on as a financial guarantor then somewhere you have to be consider on the account in some way.
Goof luck
Yeah they just blow it off because its a franchise owned branch. A big run around
And yeah Steve that was my argument with ABC financial, they're taking the money out of my account which m3eans I am on the account. I actually called them back and recorded them saying I am not on the account again so if this gets nasty it at least closes of their avenue of using my credit. But that might hurt his which I don't want since he's just starting out pn his own
Absurd I have to go to that extreme to legitimately have my son leave a gym he was paid in full on and had done all contract required actions to cancel
Most cc company's are very responsive in assisting their customers in not getting "cheated" and usually will charge back unfair charges to the store if after investigating your claims they determine you are being wronged.
When I had my retail stores I had to sign an agreement with the company who processed my cc payments and there are clear guidelines we are supposed to stay within that protects the consumer. In other words they can't simply do whatever they want when using them as a 3rd party to bill you.
Absurd I have to go to that extreme to legitimately have my son leave a gym he was paid in full on and had done all contract required actions to cancel
Glad it worked out. Shame you had to go though that aggravation..
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Had my Co. Lawyer send cancellation letters to the Local Anytime, Their corp office, and ABC financial and added any further actions on their part to attempt any more collections of money will result in a complaint to the Atn. General and legal action.
Absurd I have to go to that extreme to legitimately have my son leave a gym he was paid in full on and had done all contract required actions to cancel
Glad it worked out. Shame you had to go though that aggravation..
Thanks Steve, yeah a pain in the ass. The review they got today gave us some satisfaction