Complaint Review: FIT SOUTH GYM - RALEIGH North Carolina

I do not work for Fit South, but I am a contractor for the company. I have read the contracts that Fit South signs between the clients and the gym. From the day you sign, you have three business days to cancel your membership. After that time, you are signed for the remainder of that contract. If you were to move more than 3O miles from the gym or less than 8 miles from another facility, you could provide proof of your move (lease, bill, etc) to end your contract. If you were injured and could not work out, you could even freeze your contract for several months until you are able to use it again. All gyms operate like this. Some gyms will allow you to cancel the remainder of your contract but have a cancellation fee (usually 25% of the remainding amount, up to a certain amount of dollars) I would re-read your contract if you still have it (it should be a pink slip of paper...) and see what exact rights you have, and know what they are before you sign a contract. I'd suggest this before you or anyone buys a gym membership. Most gyms will allow you to work out gratis (free) for a few sessions, to help you decide how the gym fits into your schedule and get an idea of equiptment and the environment. Ask for a guest pass, use the gym and make a decision to join based on how committed you are to coming to the gym. If you come in off the street, buy a membership and then decided you don't want to, then cancel it by the date you have on the contract. Otherwise, start going to the gym or hope your job transfers you to florida.

I have to agree with the gym manager. If you signed a contract and then stopped going to the gym, that's not the gym's problem. Gyms ARE in the fitness business, but they also exist to make money. If every member who changed their mind about going to the gym could just cancel, that gym wouldn't stay in business long.

Now, had you moved far away, suffered an injury or had some other circumstance that made it IMPOSSIBE to exercise, then they would probably cancel your membership. You might even be able to get a cancellation for financial reasons - like losing a job (but that really depends on the individual gym and management). But, simply not going is not grounds for cancellation.

It sucks and I have been in situations where I stopped going to the gym and still had to pay for the rest of my contract. But, I *did* sign that contract and, according to terms, I was responsible for those payments until the contract expired. That I no longer wanted to make the effort to go was MY problem, not theirs.

I JOINED "EXTEREME BODY WORKS"ON FAULKNER RD. OFF OF CHESIREBRIDGE N.E. BACK ON APRIL 15 2002. THE MEMBERSHIP FOR A YEAR WAS AT THAT TIME $449.00. I HIRED A TRAINNER THAT WORKS OUT OF THAT GYM. BACK BEFORE CHRISTMAS ; I GOT A PHONE CALL FROM MY TRAINNER THAT THERE HAD BEEN A FIRE AT THE GYM.

WE WERE SENT TO WORK OUT AT ANOTHER GYM "URBAN FITTNESS" ON PONCE PLACE IN THE VIRGINA HIGHLAND AREA! I WAS TOLD THAT THE OWNER OF "EXTREME BODYWORKS" WORKED OUT A DEAL FOR US TO USE THAT GYM UNTIL THE OTHER GYMS WORK WAS COMPLETED!

IT WAS ESIMATED THAT THE WORK WOULD BE FINISHED BY JAN. 2RD.

I WENT IN THE HOSTING GYM ON SAT 28TH ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT WAS THE LAST DAY OF THE AGREEMENT!THEY HANDED US AN AGREEMENT THAT THEY COULD CARRY US A MONTH TO MONTH FEE OF $48.00 WAVERING A $98.00 INITIATION FEE FOR THE FIRST 200 PEOPLE ONLY!

WE WERE TOLD THAT BECAUSE OF THERE TYPE OF INSURENCE SOME TRAINNERS WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TRAIN THERE! INCLUDING MINE!NOW WE ARE HAVING TROUBLE GETTING COLE (BUBA) JENKINS TO RETURN OUR PHONE CALLS! I HAVE 4 MONTHS LEFT ON MY ORIGINAL MEMBERSHIP TO " EXTREME BODYWORKS".

WE HAVE HEARD RUMORS THAT COLE JENKINS IS LOOKING FOR ANOTHER SITE FOR HIS GYM. TODAY IS JAN.8TH AND I STILL DO NOT HAVE ANY INFO. ON WHAT THE DEAL IS WITH "EXTREME BODYWORKS".

BUBA JENKINS HAS OUR PHONE #'S AND E-MAIL ADDRESS'S . HE COULD AT LEAST SEND OUT A MEMO OR SOMETHING TO LET US KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON! I HAVE JOINED ANOTHER GYM " FITNESS FACTORY" ON AMSTERDAMN, MAINLY BECAUSE THEY UNDERSTOOD THE PROBLEM AND OFFERED US A GREAT DEAL.

ALSO THEY ALOW MY TRAINNER TO TRAIN THERE!I HATE THE LACK OF COMMUNICATION FROM COLE(BUBA) JENKINS OF "EXTREME BODY WORKS" I FELL HE OWES ME FOR THE 4 MONTHS LEFT ON MY MEMBERSHIP! IF ANYONE HAS ANY SURGESTIONS

You want to get rid of Fit South - you should try instead making them want to get rid of you.

Instead of not going to the gym, you should go as often as possible. And when you do go, take obnoxiousness to a level that borders on criminal behavior and/or violating the terms of your contract.

If they have towels, use as many of them as you can. Wipe yourself publicly and frequently and throw the towels on the ground.

If they have a pool, pee in it (while you're in the water).

Sing along loudly to the music. Insist the radio be tuned to either a christian station or a country one.

Have pizza delivered while there. Eat it.

If you are unable to be obnoxious in this manner, complain about everything.

Even if you don't get your money back, you will gain some satisfaction from knowing how hard they have to work just to steal your money.

If you staged your death, perhaps the fitness club would believe that you in fact had died and could get a termination of your contract. I only offer this as a consumer suggestion because many of us who have been screwed by fitness centers understand that they are not in in the business of "fitness" but rather in the business of "credit card collections".

So consumers everywhere would benefit if they had NEVER provided credit card information for the use of a few well-oiled fitness machines that you had to stand in line to use.

This is just my opinion, but I don't think that standing in line to get your heart rate up is any better than being in a sweat shop in the outskirts of Saigon tryiing to get some other appendage up.

It is a darn shame that FIT SOUTH GYM insists on using the college money for your children to pay for their executive perks, leased cars, and other items that allow them to prey on vulnerable consumers such as yourself.

I feel your pain.

As a former gym manager I would like to say that once a contract is signed then you are not allowed to cancel your membership just because you no longer feel like exercising. They go over the contract with you before you sign and you are given 3 days to cancel your membership and if you do not do so then you are required to pay for that membership until your contract is up and I have been to court over someone not paying their membership dues and if there is a contract signed by you then you will lose in court. Sorry, but you shouldn't have joined.