How do you cancel a health club?

[Alicia64]

I Googled "how to cancel a health club" and followed the form letter: super friendly but to the point.

 

Then I sent the letter through registered mail on Tues, 8/2 so they probably would have gotten it on 8/4, but I still haven't received the registered mail receipt back.

 

It's a fairly reputable club.

 

What should I do now?

 

Alley

[lexi]

Call.

 

I usually cancel things over the phone.

 

Or stop by.

Edited August 13, 2016 by lexi

[Kassia]

I recently canceled and sent a letter and then called to make sure they received the letter.  You could send it certified if you wanted to be safe.  Going in to cancel is probably your best bet, though.

 

 

[JFSinIL]

Our city-run sports center would not let me cancel a swim membership for our son without a doctor's note.  Otherwise they expected the full year to be paid for in monthly installments even if he could not use it.  That, and moving out of town, only ways to stop a membership. Grrr....

[Lady Marmalade]

Four years ago DH joined one of those gyms who charge just $10 a month plus an annual joiner fee.  He literally went four times over the course of two weeks.

 

The ONLY way to cancel that membership was to send a physical letter.  He called several times over the course of that first year and got the run around before he was told he needed to cancel in writing.  So then he stopped in once to try and cancel.  Nope, have to have it in writing.  Then the second year happened, he still didn't send the letter, and we still were paying monthly via auto-pay.  When I snapped at him about paying for a gym membership that he was clearly not using, he resorted to e-mailing and FB messages.  It took forever for him to get a response, which was... Yep, send a letter to the gym you signed up in to formally cancel your membership.

 

Guess what STILL hasn't happened? I just saw the auto-pay go through AGAIN.  SO I'll just type up and print out a letter for him and mail it in.  Hopefully that will be the end of it.

 

Part of my urgency (aside from the hundreds of dollars we've paid over the years for a gym membership he isn't using) is that DH is getting a new card with a chip and a new number.  From what I've read it's urgent that we get the membership cancelled because if they go to take out the auto-pay and the payment is declined, we get billed for NSF, and these gyms are notorious for taking the account to collections right away.  

 

So yeah.  If the letter has been sent, you should be good.   But definitely continue monitoring the situation.

[gardenmom5]

dd just canceled her's, and went in to talk with the manager.  (but it's a very hands on club). she also told him why she was cancelling. (one of the teachers/co-manager - female)

[Lolly]

For ours, I had to go in and get a stop membership letter from the local manager stating the end date of our contract. I paid the contract out. The membership continues until that end date. We both had to sign it. I then had to send that letter to the headquarters with a return receipt. I am keeping my returned receipt in case they decide I didn't do it properly. The credit card that was used for autopay just happened to have to be replaced/changed account number, so they cannot just keep charging my account! These nationally/regionally based gyms are notoriously bad about scamming people/making it impossible to cancel that it should be illegal.

Edited August 14, 2016 by Lolly

[G5052]

We go to an independent gym, not part of a chain. My oldest works there.

 

You have to go in person, and there's a 2-part form that both you and the receptionist sign. You get one copy, and they get one copy. Done!