Attorney Help! Gym membership

[layinwood]

Ok, here's the story. Three years ago I get a flyer on my door and it's for a gym membership at a small local gym for 37.99 for family. So my wife and I join and it includes child care for the kids at the gym. Well a year later(after barely ever going) I get a letter in the mail from LA Fitness and it says that they bought out my local gym and I was now a member of LA Fitness. Great, I started going quite often because they have a bball court and I play a lot of ball. My wife goes every once in a while but not too often.

So I've been a member for 3 years as of March and for the last 2 years it's been with LA. Last week my wife tried to go in and they told her that her membership had expired and she asked why. They told her that when we signed up that I had paid her membership up front for three years and that mine was a month to month. So, they came and got me out of the gym and told me. I hadn't paid it up front for three years, we signed up together and it was a monthly package. On Saturday the GM called me and said he was wrong a few days before and said that when they bought out my old gym they decided to honor the contracts for three years. He said my wife has to re-join now and pay 30 more a month. Does anyone have any experience with this?

 

[dawgball]

The gym needs your membership, and every person in there has a different rate.

Time to negotiate.

 

[kellyindallas]

Hard to say without having the contract to review. It will spell out all the terms and conditions. If you don't understand it, have an attorney friend review it for you. I've written numerous letters to get people out of memberships, but it's not always easy. Sounds to me from the limited information you've given, your wife shouldn't have to pay anything extra. If you both signed up as part of a package family deal, and they are 'honoring' the contract for three years (the three years being with LA Fitness), she would be part of it still, just like you are.

 

[layinwood]

Kelly, that's exactly what I told the GM.(about them honoring it for 3 years) I told him he owed me one more year then and he said "no it's 3 years from the time you signed up with your old gym". I think it's just bs and they're just looking to bump their numbers up. Unforunately we can't find our contract. I'm not trying to get out of the deal, I love being a member there and most of my friends are members there. I just don't like that they didn't tell me, they just waited for her to come in and told her that hers was expired.

 

[kellyindallas]

Kelly, that's exactly what I told the GM.(about them honoring it for 3 years) I told him he owed me one more year then and he said "no it's 3 years from the time you signed up with your old gym". I think it's just bs and they're just looking to bump their numbers up. Unforunately we can't find our contract. I'm not trying to get out of the deal, I love being a member there and most of my friends are members there. I just don't like that they didn't tell me, they just waited for her to come in and told her that hers was expired.

Yep, they're full of it. Call their bluff, tell them you want a copy of your contract to review what they're telling you. You'll find out whether they actually even have a copy or not. If they do, they have to provide it to you. Then, read it and see what it says.

Tell the guy unless he abides by the terms of the original contract you will take your business elsewhere. These guys take advanatage of the typical consumer because they know they can, and that most people don't understand their contracts. I doubt, frankly, that they even have a copy. If he can't provide you with a copy, he can't hold you to anything.

Let me know what happens. I get so sick of these gym people and their B.S.

 

[IntenseOperator]

just an fyi

Same crap goes on with time-share companies. They buy each other out, disappear for a while so you can't use the product or get in contact with anyone on the item you purchased, and then someone comes calling years later saying you now owe them from your previous contract and they will ruin your credit rating, have a collection agency, etc etc, unless you send $$. They call you from another state supposedly with contract in hand telling you what the terms were.

I told the woman to go fvk herself.

 

[ScreaminPain]

I told the woman to go fvk herself.

FILM AT 11:00......:SIB

 

[Skins1080]

Most of those gym contracts are pretty stringent. If you have a copy of your old contract, take a look at the fine print to see if there is a clause that will let you out.

For instance, with most gyms if you move more than x miles away, you can rescind your contract with little penalty.

 

[layinwood]

I don't want out of my membership. I like the gym and know everyone that goes there. My problem is that out of the blue they are saying that my wife's membership has expired. At first they said she paid up front for 3 years when we joined at the other gym and that I was on a month to month pay plan. I told them that it was bs and we never paid for her up front for 3 years but that we signed up as a family and had a set amount we paid each month. They then came back and said that i was correct but what had happened was they honored my original contract for three years and now we were only paying enough to cover my membership and the childrens club(childcare) so we would have to start paying 30 more a month for my wife. The 30 isn't a big deal, I just don't like places trying to pull one over on me. I would give anything to find my original contract but we can't locate it anywhere.

 

[IntenseOperator]

FILM AT 11:00......:SIB

..


LOL

 

[VermontCat]

Do you have a Planet Fitness in your area? 10.00/month can't go wrong.