Does anyone have trouble canceling Golds Gym membership? GG is ripping customers off. Even when you sign a contract GG can still charge you until you submit a termination form. It is not free to terminate, it costs $25. You have to give a reason to terminate and corporate can decide whether you will be terminated or not. Anyway, there are three main reasons that they may approve: medical, relocation or military. I don't fall under any of them but I got a three month membership so I am not breaking the contact but may not get terminated.
Laura U. - I signed for three months and found out they signed me up for five months in the computer. My contract does say three months. I am just wondering if anyone has problems with GG policy on ending the contract. Apparently, even if your contract is up, they will continue to charge you whether you like it or not.
Kathy- did you sign a contract KNOWING that that is the only way to cancel? If you signed it then you should have read it. If you signed it and you didn't read it....lesson learned!
L.
I remember years ago, when we moved and went in to find out how long was left on our membership (3 months?) they said that since it wasn't more than 50 miles away (it was like 30) that it didn't count as a qualifying event to cancel without penalty. That our contract wasn't up and to cancel there was a huge fee. There was also like a 60 day cancellation notice requirement. So we just gave our written notice to cancel at the end of the contract period and finished paying out the contract for the last 3 months. It was cheaper than canceling immediately.
Added:
Always read the fine print in any contract. I had one contract from a county rec center, that the fine print said that once the 1 yr period was up, that it would CONTINUE monthly until a written notice of termination was sent BY ME. So... in other words... I would continue to be charged (accrue debt) regardless of the length of time I signed up for, unless I sent a written letter of termination. EVEN if the original time frame was paid for in full up front. Always always always read the fine print.
I think that the termination clause is pretty standard. It only applies to members who wish to terminate their membership before their membership is up. So, for you, since your contact is only a 3-month contract, the termination clause would not apply if you are terminating your membership after the contract runs out. If you wanted to terminate your membership during month 2 of your 3-month contact, then the termination clause would apply.
It doesn't matter what the computer says. It's the contract that applies. If someone at Gold's Gym is telling you that you have to have a 5-month membership because of a data input error and that the termination clause applies after your contract has run out, (a) they are wrong, (b) don't waste another second of your time talking to someone who hasn't a clue what they are doing and what they are telling you, and (c) demand to speak to a manager. The termination clause only applies to memberships that have not yet expired. The contract, not the computer entry, is the binding agreement.
I've had no problem with them but you should contact your state's consumer affairs department or the office of the attorney general. Or, contact your state rep or state senator. You'd be surprised how fast people respond to an official call!
