I had to throw a full on consumer hissy fit yesterday. The reason? I was trying to cancel my gym membership. I haven't really used it in ages, and the payments were being deducted from my account each month without me bothering to darken their door.
I belonged to a nationally popular chain (actually an international chain) who I'll give the fictional name FITNESS LAST to. Nice gyms, cute backpack freebies, terrible corporate cancellation policy.
They did not want to give me up. The staff had been instructed to do everything they could not to give me the required form. "Oh, we'll have to get one of our customer care relationship managers (or whatever it was) to discuss it with you. Can we have your email address?" Um, no, just give me the form, acually. The girls behind the counter were nice enough, even rolling their eyes at how evasive they were instructed to be, but the entire episode came off as really bad and borderline dishonest.
This is a gym people, not a cult. It's time to let me go...
Oh and the kicker. They take 4 weeks to cancel your membership, so they can screw at least one more payment out of you. Bastards.
11 comments:
Among the employees at the (little, grungy, serious) gym I go to this company is known as "Finance Last" It doesn't seem to have a good rep in da biz on that score.
I believe i was a member of the same chain of gyms. At the shopping centre the other day they were vigorously trying to recruit members and i said "Oh God NO thank you, i had a membership and NEVER went" nice and loudly. But its true. I think besides needing to take an hour either side of the workout and the fact that you are trapped indoors with people who dont necessarily sweat nicely makes it a big turn off. Not to mention if the music is crappy you wont be able to drown it out with your own music or another channel. One chick gave a yoga class it was horrific. She sat huddled with a blanket on then announced she had a fever and flu and said she hoped not to spread it to us. When she announced she was going to walk around to each of us and check our "pose" i was out of there!!
The fit people arent as happy as they look its just lucky for them they have some natural endorphins floating around and maybe live a little longer and healthier - but thats about it...too body conscious sometimes.
Good thing you cancelled you'll notice the extra little bit of money.
Sweetie darling sweetie, I had zactly the same problems when I left my old gym in Burwood. Chain gyms, all the same it seems. Lets just say that if mine was in New Zulund, it would be called Futbodz. Suffice to say they wull and truly gave me the shuts.
Oh, and in other news. Spencer's blog just turned deux as well. First Michael, then you, and now him. Three of my fave bloggers in one week. I know. I know. Creepy. Just mere cooincidence, or is there some weird conspiracy afoot? Oooh, my heads gunna run and have fun with thoughts of that all day ...
I will get to the bottom of this;
The truth is out there.
[and I believe its a laughingly bad trashy tabloid press of the same name, but I digress ... ]
Then there's always GOING to the gym....
Personally, I prefer going to the Jim. Believe me, it's still a workout.
This reminded me of a Friends episode where Chandler was trying to quit the gym and they put the heavy weights on him. Ross went to help him - Ross ended up joining the gym himself and they both ended up with a joint cheque account. :P
I refused to join that chain of gyms for that reason. Unfortunately the gym is a necessary evil for my other life but the one I am at is lovley. Yu cn'at make it fo ra few weeks because you are away , no worries we'll put your m'ship (and payments)on hold till you can get back. The instructors are nice, as is the music and they haven't thrown me out (yet) for falling asleep in the physio room after a hard day at work :)
I lose $70 bucks a month by not going to the gym. I have not gone to the gym in over a year. Doh! My wallet's the one getting a workout! But, seriously--I'm heading back, in June. Yep. Why couldn't you just stop the auto-withdrawals at the bank side of this problem?
I kept telling myself I would go, and I sorta tried a few times, but it was maybe to soon after the car accident and I had shoulder problems. I got better weight loss results doing free stuff like walking.
You're right, that $72.95 a will come in handy!
wull and truly gave me the shuts
eheheheh...!
i think this happened to me sometime back in the 80's, thought i'd use a gym, then didn't and then had to forfeit about 6 months worth i believe. it sucked. so does your experience and now these guys are going to get only bad press from me. spread the word is all i can say.
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