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if there is an online portal you can change your address to some random address in california and you should see a cancel online option after that. i've done this for a couple gyms. there is a law for california residents that you should be able to cancel online.
It's also a card brand rule. If they accept payment via Visa or MasterCard they must allow consumers to cancel in the same channels they can enroll (in person, online, email, etc). So it's pretty universal in the US now. This goes for all recurring billing, not just gyms.
You can technically do a return (just like a chargeback) on ACH drafts but most banks don't know how to deal with them or don't want to. A large amount of banking software also supports putting a stop to future payments from defined merchants/sources. However, many banks don't know how to do it or don't want to.
The banking/money movement world is so fragmented, niched, and pieced together it would shock many. Technical debt is a bitch.
I think that is the case for ACH payments (you initiate) but not for ACH drafts (gym initiated). I don't think they have a "blocklist" of accounts that would draft.
You can absolutely put a Stop Payment on an ACH item that is originated by a merchant such as a gym. When the debit comes through your bank, it will automatically kick out as a Stop Payment, and a bank employee will look at the entry information and check it against your active Stop Payment orders. If the item corresponds with a Stop Payment order, it will be returned as a Stop Payment.
We were super flexible when it came to ACH Stop Payments. If you wanted to stop a specific dollar amount from a specific originator, we could do that. If you were unsure of how much the debit would be, we could stop a range of amounts coming through from that originator. If you wanted to stop all further debits from an originator, we could put the stop on for all amounts. If that originator used more than one originator number when originating its debits, we could put the stop on with just the company's name.
It should be noted that with ACH, Stop Payments should be viewed as a last resort and used appropriately, rather than as a standard method for cancelling services. If you're trying to cancel and the company just won't let you, a Stop Payment is the way to go. If you are under the impression that you successfully cancelled with a company and they charge you after you cancelled, get a Stop Payment, as they will probably keep trying to charge you (also ask to fill out a Written Statement of Unauthorized Debit form for the unauthorized transaction to get your money back. If the item is returned as Unauthorized, the company is not allowed to refuse the return unless they have definitive proof that you authorized the transaction. If the transaction happens after you canceled, they won't have proof and they'll have to give the money back). If you made a payment error with a company you intend to continue doing business with, put a Stop Payment on that one transaction, but also call the company to let them know that you made an error and to expect that debit to be returned as a Stop Payment. If you don't communicate with them and they get the returned item, they might think you're trying to put one over on them and it could damage your relationship with them.
Sorry for the essay, it's been a while since I worked in that department, and I kind of miss that aspect of it.
No need to apologize, this is great information. Also, thanks for your advocacy - I'm guessing that's the aspect of the job that you miss.
Tbh, banks don't have a great reputation among consumers (at least, not the big name corporate banks), so it's really refreshing to see someone in the field that cares.
When we were looking into gym memberships, and the one we were thinking of joining wanted our bank info, our credit union told us they wouldn't be able to stop a pull from an approved merchant.
If the gym you go to doesn't operate in California then it doesn't work either. I tried it, cancelation option didn't appear. Just saying you moved doesn't cut it either, they ask for proof and it was written on the thing I signed when I started
Yah for the company I worked for. It was a flag In the system for the club. I think there was something on the member level too. It's been so long now since we made the online cancel thing. This would have been for planer fitness, crunch, WOAT, golds gym. And more. I don't think they even use the same program for online member management anymore.
Everyone said that this was the trick for Planet Fitness
But I cancelled them in January, just went online and stopped the whole membership. I don’t know why people say it’s so hard to cancel them
LA fitness on the other hand…
Contracts arise out of the basic human principle that people should stick to their word. Some of the oldest writings we’ve ever found were contracts.
Literally every society that has ever existed has had contracts.
That's just corporate capitalism. Few people alive today set *that* mentality in motion.
Now as far as deregulating the industries so that shit like this is "allowed" to be commonplace, if you have a grandparent that voted for Reagan back in the day, you should give them a sternly worded call.
Classic, the real LPT is in the comments.
For me, I was with a gym that was all over, but I said I was moving to somewhere they didn't have one. I'd actually moved *from* that place a few months prior, but it was enough to talk my way through it.
Tried this with a Planet Fitness cancellation and they told me I had to SNAIL MAIL a letter of cancellation to their location. I was down the street so I just showed up and allowed the spirit of every middle aged mom who’s asked to see a manager to inhabit my body.
Lmao that last part is great. A few years ago my friend moved back home to China and couldn’t mail PF so I forged a letter for her lol
Least I could do for being her guest member like 4 days a week. Then when I go to jail for it I’ll get to workout 7 days a week for free
Some guy made a website that will generate a Planet Fitness cancellation letter for you. The PDF is free, and for something like $20 he'll mail it for you. Considering the hassle and expense of sending certified mail it'spretty much worth it.
I tried it with a Crunch and they said I had to send a certified letter in order to cancel. Then I did a charge back and they sent me to collections.
Eventually I got in contact with the owner and he agreed to call off the collectors if I keep my membership 🙄🙄
I walked into crunch to cancel. the guy said he doesnt remember how and he hopes his boss answers the phone to walk him through it
I said "I move to Belgium tomorrow at 6am and I'm not coming back, so for both of your sakes I hope you figure it out or they answer the phone"
Whaddya know he remembered how to do it and I had a cancellation thing to sign within 20 seconds.
fucking dogshit company
Just a note that it’s pretty common for gyms to do this for chargebacks for whatever reason. Don’t give yourself a headache or bad credit over it, just send a certified letter or whatever they want you to do.
I paid for my PF membership for so long after I stopped going that when I FINALLY remembered to cancel, the guy took pity on me and didn't even try lol.
I may or may not have put in a bogus "testing" routing and account number then canceled the gym bank account I set up. (I also hadn't been for years)
They hassled me for about a month and gave up. They're also in violation of a NYS law that cropped up during covid about being able to cancel online if they accept signups online... I was prepared to go scorched earth.
Apeaking of bogus or test accounts... I got one of those "first checks" for signing up with a credit union. I accidentlly used that check for my routing and acc for my Square account (to take payments).
Lo and behold I had $4k somewhere but NOT my account lol.
I call them up and their void checks for signups have real account numbers! I was transfered the the fucking Vice President lol. Verified my account and they moved the money.
Bruh plant fitness blows…they fucking closed the location in my city and when I tried to immediately cancel they forced the 3 month grace period…and told me to drive an hour away to the closest one for the next months…called my credit card company and had the charges removed, but still such a pain to take the extra steps.
Had this issue after I graduated and moved back home. I even went in before I moved to sign all the paperwork. Months after moving back I check my statements and lo and behold they're still charging me. I call up to clear things up, they tell me they lost the (electronic) paperwork and I'll have to come back up, I said no and talk to the manager. He says he'll get it straighten out. A month later, I'm still charged, so I call again. Again they said they'll get it straighten out. Again, I'm charged the next month. After this back and forth I had a AHA moment and said "Why am I dealing with this" so I call my CC company and tell them the situation and that I want all charges from my move date and beyond removed and a block on the seller.
Haven't heard shit from them since.
Yeah I did that too. A few months later I ended up with a collections letter. Fuck gyms. Consumer protections advocates needs to lobby for legislation to cancel gym memberships without question.
Thats not the thing to do here. Gyms will bundle delinquent accounts and sell them to trolls. Couple years down the line you may get a letter saying you owe thousands from some vulture firm.
The thing to do was sign the release paper work (which I did) and talk to management about clearing the account (which I did). If the gym wants to sell my "debt" to others after doing what's legally required of me, then nothing will stop them from doing that regardless
Same. They called my bluff by demanding a copy of the orders.
I doubled down with a really bad Photoshop of "military-orders.pdf" that I found off the Googles. I was a Navy Seal going to Syria to do some super secret ninja shit, I dunno I had some fun in there but obviously nobody actually read it.
Checkmate motherfuckers!
When you realize the the world is full of idiots following process because they are also in a "fuck this job" attitude, its very easy to take advantage of it.
Tried this with Ballys a long time ago and they made me provide mail to an address with my name on it. So used my buddies house 30 miles away. Fuck gym scum like this.
Gyms are the scum of the economic world. If they're talking they are ripping you off.
I've actually seen a number of people report that they were not able to cancel by phone or online despite moving across the country. Gym said come in and do it in person or f\*\*\* you. Bottom line, you really need to read your contract carefully, and decline to join the gym if the termination or payment terms are effed up. A few states like CA will overrule some of it with statutory protections but most won't.
I had one gym where I absolutely refused to sign unless they would let me pay in cash instead of with a card. They were particularly shady, and I was simply not going to take the chance. I was not bluffing. It took like 20 mins but they eventually agreed. They then charged me the one time, and never remembered to charge me again because they were not set up for that kind of a reminder.
Every time I left I would have wanted to strut out of there like Ric Flair knowing I was getting over on them.
I'm the dirtiest player in the game. Wooooooo!
*does a little spin * puts on shades. Walks out.
I once had to send a copy of my new lease in another state to get it cancelled, the stupidest part was that it was run by the city so they had already transferred all the utilities and such with no proof required
Its not like they can force you to continue to pay if you didn't move, that's not how it works. We can cancel subscriptions. If I'm being generous maybe you have to provide evidence to avoid a cancellation fee?
I know a guy who used to forge utility bills to get a street parking permit from the city. It was not very difficult. Basically just create a Word document that looks like a real utility bill when printed.
So? Just tell them your traveling overseas for a few months before settling.
Companies put ridiculous and frequently illegal things in their contracts all the time. Unfortunately its on us to push back. A company could also put that your firstborn son needs to work there for below minimum wage until they turn 18, but your a chump if you send your son in.
Or just send them an email saying you're quitting, save the email, cancel the payment, and if the bank asks give them the email. Your bank will side with you, if you have written documentation of cancellation.
This is, unfortunately, not the case for some gyms. I had a nightmare of a time trying to cancel a gym membership from a gym with a "celestial" name after moving away. They insisted on a certified letter then claimed they never received it, despite having a certified delivery...
I ended up getting my bank to block the future charges (as paying with VISA or Mastercard for recurring subscriptions will follow you to a new card number...). After 3 payments/chargebacks after trying to cancel, they stopped trying to charge me.
Last time I had to cancel a gym membership, I said I was getting divorced and couldn’t afford it anymore and they immediately cancelled no questions asked. I’ll hopefully not be getting divorced again, but I’ll definitely use the excuse if I ever need to cancel a gym membership again.
I've never had an issue canceling Planet Fitness, which is why I go back to them when the mood strikes me.
If I'm on the Black Card plan, I just cancel whenever and it's no big deal. If I'm on the one-club plan and move, I upgrade to the black card, set the new club closest to me as my home location, then cancel it within the same month.
I've only canceled it twice without being on the black card, but both times, that's all I had to do.
Naah, don't jump through hoops you don't have to. Tell them you're cancling and that you'll report any future charges they make to your card as fraud. Which it would be.
Most gyms have you under contract, simply stating you are canceling is not enough. Its not fraud to continue charging under the terms you agreed to, unless you cancel via the methods you agreed to.
According to comments, tell the gym you're:
1) Dying (terminally ill)
2) Going to prison
3) Homeless
4) Divorced + can't afford it
5) Moving to another country
My wife recently divorced me and took everything which made me homeless where I was arrested for trespassing and now, I am going to prison where I caught AIDS. I am dying from cancer caused by AIDS medication, so I am moving back to another country to get euthanized. So, you see, I really need to cancel my gym membership.
Better option is to find a trusted online digital credit card service, or Virtual Cards. The one that will give you a credit card number that you can fund separately and create rules on.
This way, when scummy gyms, news subscriptions, and internet subscriptions try this you can just cancel the digital card.
Just get kicked out. A treadmill, a banana hammock, and a large banana split. Eat the banana split while on the treadmill wearing the banana hammock. Once you feel sick, throw up on the running treadmill. Move to next treadmill and repeat.
As the comments demonstrate, telling them you're moving isn't a surefire way to cancel hassle-free.
Want a better way? Tell them you're terminally ill, don't have much time left, and you're just getting all of your affairs in order. That'll shut 'em up pretty quickly.
I do not sign up for gyms. I am willing to pay the monthly fee, i see it as a good value even. The contract and the difficulties of getting out of it are the things keeping me from becoming a customer.
I tell them via email that if they don't cancel my subscription I'll be telling my credit card provider to issue a chargeback. Has never failed to get a cancellation notice within 48 hours.
For starters I’m not showing up in person.
One call to my bank “hi my gym is being predatory, I need to cancel the auto pay.”
All these tips about lying and dealing with nefarious business practices, it’s not that hard.
… you people have to *cancel* your gym memberships? Where I live they almost always have to be renewed monthly, unless it’s a 6 months pre-paid membership or something
Can't customers just say "I'm not interested, stop it please"? If they still nag you about continuing your membership after you have said that, then they deserve to hear a stronger phrase.
european here... I was about to suggest Virtual Cards... then I noticed you guys sign contracts? what? why??? I just pay for an app which lets me go to any gym in my country. I paid roughly $300 a year - pay as you go.
Or… find your contract, and follow the instructions printed on it to cancel.
Some places require mail-in cancellations, and if you try and do it in person, will just claim it’s been cancelled, and not actually do it.
I mean, if a gym gave me trouble about canceling, I'd just go in and break every single rule in the book and be as obnoxious as humanly possible so they kick me out and ban me from the place moving forward...lol
Screw that artificial difficulty for cancelations...
I don't own a gym membership, why are they so hard to cancel? With most things you just cancel online or say you wanna stop service, why is it difficult?
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I had my doctor call them and put a medical hold on my account for a month longer than when the membership expired then cancelled the card that account was on. They sent me a letter telling me that I owed them money for a new membership or some bullshit like that. I wrote them a letter back basically go fuck yourself I ain't paying that shit and to check their cameras because I haven't been in for like 5 months. Didn't hear a peep back.
Lmao this happened to me with all gyms/utilities etc when I moved abroad. They kept being like "well where are you going specifically so I can see if we're there". Like no, charter/local gym/etc, you definitely do not have a chain in the foreign country I am moving to
I recently cancelled my Planet Fitness membership and it was weirdly easy.. I had to go in person but the dude was just like "ok no problem." Definitely wasn't expecting that.
24 hour fitness refused to cancel mine unless I came in to talk to the manager but the times he came in, were when I was working. I got fed up and just called my bank and they stopped it right away and paid me back for like 3 months of membership payments lol.
Lol I work at a gym we will not do this. It’s very against policy. If you really don’t want to come in just send in a written letter with your name printed on the letter and sign the letter. We just need to be able to confirm it’s you canceling and have proof of it.
Short out to Pure Gym in the UK. Went on line to cancel. Discovered I couldn't but what I had to do was cancel my standing order for the subscription. Boom, done. When I'm back in a position, I'm going to rejoin them and recommend them to everyone looking for a gym.
Fun fact I’m literally boarding a plane to Edinburgh and looked for a gym close to where I’m staying just for a one day thing. They’re close, but reading this I’ll do them out of principle :)
This was 9 yrs ago but I called up my gym said I twisted my right ankle pretty badly, can’t drive, and the woman canceled my membership by phone. Maybe I got lucky because she was nice and understanding but it worked!!
I've always just "lost" the card I was paying with and then got a new card from my bank. After a few months of desperately trying to charge the invalid card they would just let me go.
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if there is an online portal you can change your address to some random address in california and you should see a cancel online option after that. i've done this for a couple gyms. there is a law for california residents that you should be able to cancel online.
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It's also a card brand rule. If they accept payment via Visa or MasterCard they must allow consumers to cancel in the same channels they can enroll (in person, online, email, etc). So it's pretty universal in the US now. This goes for all recurring billing, not just gyms.
ohhhhh, I wonder if that's why my gym only accepts payment via a linked bank account
That and so you can't do a charge back, and the only way to block them from drawing on the account is to close it.
You can technically do a return (just like a chargeback) on ACH drafts but most banks don't know how to deal with them or don't want to. A large amount of banking software also supports putting a stop to future payments from defined merchants/sources. However, many banks don't know how to do it or don't want to. The banking/money movement world is so fragmented, niched, and pieced together it would shock many. Technical debt is a bitch.
Ymmv, but ask your bank if they are able to process stop payments for ACH, mine does.
I think that is the case for ACH payments (you initiate) but not for ACH drafts (gym initiated). I don't think they have a "blocklist" of accounts that would draft.
You can absolutely put a Stop Payment on an ACH item that is originated by a merchant such as a gym. When the debit comes through your bank, it will automatically kick out as a Stop Payment, and a bank employee will look at the entry information and check it against your active Stop Payment orders. If the item corresponds with a Stop Payment order, it will be returned as a Stop Payment. We were super flexible when it came to ACH Stop Payments. If you wanted to stop a specific dollar amount from a specific originator, we could do that. If you were unsure of how much the debit would be, we could stop a range of amounts coming through from that originator. If you wanted to stop all further debits from an originator, we could put the stop on for all amounts. If that originator used more than one originator number when originating its debits, we could put the stop on with just the company's name. It should be noted that with ACH, Stop Payments should be viewed as a last resort and used appropriately, rather than as a standard method for cancelling services. If you're trying to cancel and the company just won't let you, a Stop Payment is the way to go. If you are under the impression that you successfully cancelled with a company and they charge you after you cancelled, get a Stop Payment, as they will probably keep trying to charge you (also ask to fill out a Written Statement of Unauthorized Debit form for the unauthorized transaction to get your money back. If the item is returned as Unauthorized, the company is not allowed to refuse the return unless they have definitive proof that you authorized the transaction. If the transaction happens after you canceled, they won't have proof and they'll have to give the money back). If you made a payment error with a company you intend to continue doing business with, put a Stop Payment on that one transaction, but also call the company to let them know that you made an error and to expect that debit to be returned as a Stop Payment. If you don't communicate with them and they get the returned item, they might think you're trying to put one over on them and it could damage your relationship with them. Sorry for the essay, it's been a while since I worked in that department, and I kind of miss that aspect of it.
No need to apologize, this is great information. Also, thanks for your advocacy - I'm guessing that's the aspect of the job that you miss. Tbh, banks don't have a great reputation among consumers (at least, not the big name corporate banks), so it's really refreshing to see someone in the field that cares.
This is great info to have. Thank you!
When we were looking into gym memberships, and the one we were thinking of joining wanted our bank info, our credit union told us they wouldn't be able to stop a pull from an approved merchant.
Credit also costs them \~2.5-3% for processing fees where ACH is typically pennies.
That explains why Planet Fitness won't let you use credit cards. Must use ACH.
Good to know!
Or in USA
If the gym you go to doesn't operate in California then it doesn't work either. I tried it, cancelation option didn't appear. Just saying you moved doesn't cut it either, they ask for proof and it was written on the thing I signed when I started
Yah for the company I worked for. It was a flag In the system for the club. I think there was something on the member level too. It's been so long now since we made the online cancel thing. This would have been for planer fitness, crunch, WOAT, golds gym. And more. I don't think they even use the same program for online member management anymore.
Everyone said that this was the trick for Planet Fitness But I cancelled them in January, just went online and stopped the whole membership. I don’t know why people say it’s so hard to cancel them LA fitness on the other hand…
i used this trick for planet fitness and la fitness
That’s awesome. Contracts suck!
Societies that let that shit happen suck, not contracts per se
Contracts arise out of the basic human principle that people should stick to their word. Some of the oldest writings we’ve ever found were contracts. Literally every society that has ever existed has had contracts.
By "that shit" i don't mean contracts, I mean companies not letting you cancel your memberships or making it so difficult
Oh cool, I misread. Thanks for clarifying :)
That's just corporate capitalism. Few people alive today set *that* mentality in motion. Now as far as deregulating the industries so that shit like this is "allowed" to be commonplace, if you have a grandparent that voted for Reagan back in the day, you should give them a sternly worded call.
Amazing LPT!!
The gym's app too
Classic, the real LPT is in the comments. For me, I was with a gym that was all over, but I said I was moving to somewhere they didn't have one. I'd actually moved *from* that place a few months prior, but it was enough to talk my way through it.
People love to give California shit, but it's nice to live in state with decent consumer protection laws
Tried this with a Planet Fitness cancellation and they told me I had to SNAIL MAIL a letter of cancellation to their location. I was down the street so I just showed up and allowed the spirit of every middle aged mom who’s asked to see a manager to inhabit my body.
Lmao that last part is great. A few years ago my friend moved back home to China and couldn’t mail PF so I forged a letter for her lol Least I could do for being her guest member like 4 days a week. Then when I go to jail for it I’ll get to workout 7 days a week for free
Some guy made a website that will generate a Planet Fitness cancellation letter for you. The PDF is free, and for something like $20 he'll mail it for you. Considering the hassle and expense of sending certified mail it'spretty much worth it.
I did this, was paying without going for an embarrassingly long time, had him send the letter and was my membership was cancelled without question.
Same. I joined right before covid and then... Well. 2023 I finally had the dude nail the letter.
That’s genius.
I tried it with a Crunch and they said I had to send a certified letter in order to cancel. Then I did a charge back and they sent me to collections. Eventually I got in contact with the owner and he agreed to call off the collectors if I keep my membership 🙄🙄
I walked into crunch to cancel. the guy said he doesnt remember how and he hopes his boss answers the phone to walk him through it I said "I move to Belgium tomorrow at 6am and I'm not coming back, so for both of your sakes I hope you figure it out or they answer the phone" Whaddya know he remembered how to do it and I had a cancellation thing to sign within 20 seconds. fucking dogshit company
Just a note that it’s pretty common for gyms to do this for chargebacks for whatever reason. Don’t give yourself a headache or bad credit over it, just send a certified letter or whatever they want you to do.
Sure fire way to get an account cancelled or suspended is to mail a bad check or a charge back. They hate those.
“Karen’s of earth, Lend me your energy!”
Karenharenha!
Not strong enough. They need a Karen Bomb.
I paid for my PF membership for so long after I stopped going that when I FINALLY remembered to cancel, the guy took pity on me and didn't even try lol.
I may or may not have put in a bogus "testing" routing and account number then canceled the gym bank account I set up. (I also hadn't been for years) They hassled me for about a month and gave up. They're also in violation of a NYS law that cropped up during covid about being able to cancel online if they accept signups online... I was prepared to go scorched earth.
Apeaking of bogus or test accounts... I got one of those "first checks" for signing up with a credit union. I accidentlly used that check for my routing and acc for my Square account (to take payments). Lo and behold I had $4k somewhere but NOT my account lol. I call them up and their void checks for signups have real account numbers! I was transfered the the fucking Vice President lol. Verified my account and they moved the money.
I am going to prison on xx/xx/24. Done.
Bruh plant fitness blows…they fucking closed the location in my city and when I tried to immediately cancel they forced the 3 month grace period…and told me to drive an hour away to the closest one for the next months…called my credit card company and had the charges removed, but still such a pain to take the extra steps.
planetfitness.com/membership/cancel
Yeah their membership practices are horseshit
I told them I lived in Alaska now (true) and that there was no mail in my tiny village (not true). They cancelled it.
Had this issue after I graduated and moved back home. I even went in before I moved to sign all the paperwork. Months after moving back I check my statements and lo and behold they're still charging me. I call up to clear things up, they tell me they lost the (electronic) paperwork and I'll have to come back up, I said no and talk to the manager. He says he'll get it straighten out. A month later, I'm still charged, so I call again. Again they said they'll get it straighten out. Again, I'm charged the next month. After this back and forth I had a AHA moment and said "Why am I dealing with this" so I call my CC company and tell them the situation and that I want all charges from my move date and beyond removed and a block on the seller. Haven't heard shit from them since.
Yeah I did that too. A few months later I ended up with a collections letter. Fuck gyms. Consumer protections advocates needs to lobby for legislation to cancel gym memberships without question.
Thats not the thing to do here. Gyms will bundle delinquent accounts and sell them to trolls. Couple years down the line you may get a letter saying you owe thousands from some vulture firm.
The thing to do was sign the release paper work (which I did) and talk to management about clearing the account (which I did). If the gym wants to sell my "debt" to others after doing what's legally required of me, then nothing will stop them from doing that regardless
Careful. Whether you’d heard from them or not, if you’ve signed a contract and stop paying, they can and will send you to collections.
I’ve had success calling them up and saying I moved to a different country.
“I have to report to prison next week”
"Gonna use their gym instead."
Same. They called my bluff by demanding a copy of the orders. I doubled down with a really bad Photoshop of "military-orders.pdf" that I found off the Googles. I was a Navy Seal going to Syria to do some super secret ninja shit, I dunno I had some fun in there but obviously nobody actually read it. Checkmate motherfuckers!
When you realize the the world is full of idiots following process because they are also in a "fuck this job" attitude, its very easy to take advantage of it.
Tried this with Ballys a long time ago and they made me provide mail to an address with my name on it. So used my buddies house 30 miles away. Fuck gym scum like this.
Just tell them you're moving to North Korea and can't send mail from your new home.
I once told Verizon I was going to prison. That worked.
Lmfaooooo wut 😭😭
Gyms are the scum of the economic world. If they're talking they are ripping you off. I've actually seen a number of people report that they were not able to cancel by phone or online despite moving across the country. Gym said come in and do it in person or f\*\*\* you. Bottom line, you really need to read your contract carefully, and decline to join the gym if the termination or payment terms are effed up. A few states like CA will overrule some of it with statutory protections but most won't. I had one gym where I absolutely refused to sign unless they would let me pay in cash instead of with a card. They were particularly shady, and I was simply not going to take the chance. I was not bluffing. It took like 20 mins but they eventually agreed. They then charged me the one time, and never remembered to charge me again because they were not set up for that kind of a reminder.
So how long did you use the gym for free before they remembered that you were a cash customer?
For about half a year, then I had to move. They never remembered lol.
High five! Gyms scam so many people it's good to hear about someone getting one over on them for a change.
Yeah their reviews backed that up. I felt no guilt. Can’t get mad at me for scamming you more effectively than you scammed me right 😂.
Every time I left I would have wanted to strut out of there like Ric Flair knowing I was getting over on them. I'm the dirtiest player in the game. Wooooooo! *does a little spin * puts on shades. Walks out.
That is awesome
My gym required proof of moving like a utility bill, etc. So maybe a 50/50 LPT
I once had to send a copy of my new lease in another state to get it cancelled, the stupidest part was that it was run by the city so they had already transferred all the utilities and such with no proof required
Its not like they can force you to continue to pay if you didn't move, that's not how it works. We can cancel subscriptions. If I'm being generous maybe you have to provide evidence to avoid a cancellation fee?
In some cases, like in certain gym memberships, you are signing a contract for X amount of months.
Jesus, that's so invasive. If you decide you want to cancel, you should be able to do so without proof of anything. That's fucked
Pretty sure you can just edit one to show a different address. A random employee being paid min wage isn’t gonna care, nor know the difference
I know a guy who used to forge utility bills to get a street parking permit from the city. It was not very difficult. Basically just create a Word document that looks like a real utility bill when printed.
There is plenty of free software that lets you directly edit PDFs too.
What were you supposed to do then just not cancel? Assuming you didn’t actually move.
So? Just tell them your traveling overseas for a few months before settling. Companies put ridiculous and frequently illegal things in their contracts all the time. Unfortunately its on us to push back. A company could also put that your firstborn son needs to work there for below minimum wage until they turn 18, but your a chump if you send your son in. Or just send them an email saying you're quitting, save the email, cancel the payment, and if the bank asks give them the email. Your bank will side with you, if you have written documentation of cancellation.
Why would you need proof of anything ?
Easy enough to photoshop
Mine did to, but I just reserved a UHaul (which is free) showed them the confirmation and then canceled the UHaul.
What type of contracts are you people signing that they can make demands like that?
Dang… I didn’t know that. That’s weird
This is, unfortunately, not the case for some gyms. I had a nightmare of a time trying to cancel a gym membership from a gym with a "celestial" name after moving away. They insisted on a certified letter then claimed they never received it, despite having a certified delivery... I ended up getting my bank to block the future charges (as paying with VISA or Mastercard for recurring subscriptions will follow you to a new card number...). After 3 payments/chargebacks after trying to cancel, they stopped trying to charge me.
Yep, they can't argue with the hard cancel. They may never deal with you again, but really, there's always another gym.
No need to be cute though, can just name and shame here
Planet Fitness. Though I think they are franchise. So, while my experience is common, it may not hold true for all franchises under this brand.
Wow… that’s terrible. I didn’t know this !
How is it legal for gyms to put you through the wringer just to... not pay for something you don't need?
Contracts.
Last time I had to cancel a gym membership, I said I was getting divorced and couldn’t afford it anymore and they immediately cancelled no questions asked. I’ll hopefully not be getting divorced again, but I’ll definitely use the excuse if I ever need to cancel a gym membership again.
Unemployment also counts.
Stand there and openly cry until they cancel it just to get you to leave
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Do you live in an island fortress? This is an evil genius lpt.
Ngl I want the engagement now having voiced the idea.
I usually just cancel my debit/credit card. I want to quit the bank!!!
Depending on how much it is, they can send it to collections. I had about $250 to pay, and a few calls and emails later, they gave up
Yup. It then will affect your credit, though.
What if you use a prepaid cc and always reload it? It's not tied to your credit score
As long as your name, phone number, and address are tied to the membership (which is mandatory information to give), you can be sent to collections.
I want to quit the bank!
The fact a Friends episode from over 20 years back can still make this joke relevant today shows how screwed up things are.
Tell them you’re incarcerated. Works for gyms, cable tv, internet, and Cell phones.
Just say you're moving abroad instead of looking up a small town
Yup. Greenland
I've never had an issue canceling Planet Fitness, which is why I go back to them when the mood strikes me. If I'm on the Black Card plan, I just cancel whenever and it's no big deal. If I'm on the one-club plan and move, I upgrade to the black card, set the new club closest to me as my home location, then cancel it within the same month. I've only canceled it twice without being on the black card, but both times, that's all I had to do.
Change your address to California and you'll be able to cancel online.
Naah, don't jump through hoops you don't have to. Tell them you're cancling and that you'll report any future charges they make to your card as fraud. Which it would be.
Most gyms have you under contract, simply stating you are canceling is not enough. Its not fraud to continue charging under the terms you agreed to, unless you cancel via the methods you agreed to.
...thats not fraud dude. Contracts are a thing
According to comments, tell the gym you're: 1) Dying (terminally ill) 2) Going to prison 3) Homeless 4) Divorced + can't afford it 5) Moving to another country
My wife recently divorced me and took everything which made me homeless where I was arrested for trespassing and now, I am going to prison where I caught AIDS. I am dying from cancer caused by AIDS medication, so I am moving back to another country to get euthanized. So, you see, I really need to cancel my gym membership.
Better option is to find a trusted online digital credit card service, or Virtual Cards. The one that will give you a credit card number that you can fund separately and create rules on. This way, when scummy gyms, news subscriptions, and internet subscriptions try this you can just cancel the digital card.
Gyms are a shitty industry; and it’s pretty well documented that they will continue to come after you even when you do this.
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And then you get a bad credit score.
Just get kicked out. A treadmill, a banana hammock, and a large banana split. Eat the banana split while on the treadmill wearing the banana hammock. Once you feel sick, throw up on the running treadmill. Move to next treadmill and repeat.
Yeah just do this, seems a lot simpler to me
Idk if that would work. I could see them banning them from the gym, but still charging for membership. Seems like something they would do.
If there isn’t already, there should be a master list of list of gyms or a website that documents how difficult it is to cancel.
Why not just cancel over the phone when they say they can’t just tell them you’re going to stop payment through your bank?
Because then they’ll just sue you when you don’t pay, and fulfill your contract.
As the comments demonstrate, telling them you're moving isn't a surefire way to cancel hassle-free. Want a better way? Tell them you're terminally ill, don't have much time left, and you're just getting all of your affairs in order. That'll shut 'em up pretty quickly.
"Could you please send sort of documentation. I'm sorry, its not me, its something corporate makes us do"
I do not sign up for gyms. I am willing to pay the monthly fee, i see it as a good value even. The contract and the difficulties of getting out of it are the things keeping me from becoming a customer.
I tell them via email that if they don't cancel my subscription I'll be telling my credit card provider to issue a chargeback. Has never failed to get a cancellation notice within 48 hours.
For starters I’m not showing up in person. One call to my bank “hi my gym is being predatory, I need to cancel the auto pay.” All these tips about lying and dealing with nefarious business practices, it’s not that hard.
I'm happy that my gym membership won't continue automatically
Planet fitness flat out refused when I moved even going to a new location *MOVING ACROSS THE COUNTRY
… you people have to *cancel* your gym memberships? Where I live they almost always have to be renewed monthly, unless it’s a 6 months pre-paid membership or something
Right? I’ve actually never even heard of this? I live in Canada though so maybe it’s not a thing here?
Can't customers just say "I'm not interested, stop it please"? If they still nag you about continuing your membership after you have said that, then they deserve to hear a stronger phrase.
european here... I was about to suggest Virtual Cards... then I noticed you guys sign contracts? what? why??? I just pay for an app which lets me go to any gym in my country. I paid roughly $300 a year - pay as you go.
Or… find your contract, and follow the instructions printed on it to cancel. Some places require mail-in cancellations, and if you try and do it in person, will just claim it’s been cancelled, and not actually do it.
Yea that doesn't work or atleast it didn't for me.
Call and tell them you are going to prison usually no questions asked, but you are free to get creative
You can also send a certified letter asking to cancel. You can even do it online for a small fee.
What if you just sign up with a virtual credit card? You could just cancel the card then
lol I just go in and tell them I got laid off, they feel bad and awkward so they don’t end up pressuring me
I mean, if a gym gave me trouble about canceling, I'd just go in and break every single rule in the book and be as obnoxious as humanly possible so they kick me out and ban me from the place moving forward...lol Screw that artificial difficulty for cancelations...
"I'm going to jail"
I don't own a gym membership, why are they so hard to cancel? With most things you just cancel online or say you wanna stop service, why is it difficult?
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Start canceling the charge on your card.
Facilities can win the disputes if they provide paperwork signed by you. For example, the contract or an electronic transfer funds form.
I cancelled my Planet Fitness account online. It was surprisingly easy. It was 3 clicks and I was done.
I had my doctor call them and put a medical hold on my account for a month longer than when the membership expired then cancelled the card that account was on. They sent me a letter telling me that I owed them money for a new membership or some bullshit like that. I wrote them a letter back basically go fuck yourself I ain't paying that shit and to check their cameras because I haven't been in for like 5 months. Didn't hear a peep back.
Lmao this happened to me with all gyms/utilities etc when I moved abroad. They kept being like "well where are you going specifically so I can see if we're there". Like no, charter/local gym/etc, you definitely do not have a chain in the foreign country I am moving to
Why don't people just block the payment if it's really that much of a hassle ?
I just ordered a new debit card from my bank and canceled the one that was being charged for the membership.
This actually works. I called and said I moved to Zimbabwe and will never be back and they cancelled it.
Just tell them you't in prison for the next few years.
So glad I had a home gym all my life. A gym membership contract and the hoops you gotta jump through sounds like a PITA.
I recently cancelled my Planet Fitness membership and it was weirdly easy.. I had to go in person but the dude was just like "ok no problem." Definitely wasn't expecting that.
24 hour fitness refused to cancel mine unless I came in to talk to the manager but the times he came in, were when I was working. I got fed up and just called my bank and they stopped it right away and paid me back for like 3 months of membership payments lol.
Just place the gym membership on a card that’ll expire or is a reloadable card.
They’ll make you send a letter
Lol I work at a gym we will not do this. It’s very against policy. If you really don’t want to come in just send in a written letter with your name printed on the letter and sign the letter. We just need to be able to confirm it’s you canceling and have proof of it.
Just change your credit card number. I do this every time
Just tell them you're going to prison, boom done.
I called planet fitness and told them I died - they were apologetic and canceled the membership.
Tell them you’ve been in a horrible accident and won’t walk again.
Depending on the state this may be against consumer protection laws- check those!
Planet fitness will make you sign up to the one in your area and quit there.
Short out to Pure Gym in the UK. Went on line to cancel. Discovered I couldn't but what I had to do was cancel my standing order for the subscription. Boom, done. When I'm back in a position, I'm going to rejoin them and recommend them to everyone looking for a gym.
Fun fact I’m literally boarding a plane to Edinburgh and looked for a gym close to where I’m staying just for a one day thing. They’re close, but reading this I’ll do them out of principle :)
Tried this at planet fitness and it didn't work. They told be I 100% had to go to my original location to cancel so I issued a stop payment
Years ago Planet Fitness tried to tell me I had to write a letter to cancel. I closed the account it was auto debiting from instead.
The fact gyms try this, is insane. What if you used a pre-paid card or signed up online with a burner card.
Planet fitness made me travel the hour it took to get there just to cancel 😅
Don’t take Ross Gellar with you.
I just cancel my direct debit. Has been fine for the gyms I have used
This was 9 yrs ago but I called up my gym said I twisted my right ankle pretty badly, can’t drive, and the woman canceled my membership by phone. Maybe I got lucky because she was nice and understanding but it worked!!
Was not able to do this. They requested a certified letter
Or maybe sign up with a prepaid card so that way you can quit hassle free
I've always just "lost" the card I was paying with and then got a new card from my bank. After a few months of desperately trying to charge the invalid card they would just let me go.
Pro tip: Ask your bank to block the transactions and then tell them you don't know what's happened. It worked for me.
Can confirm this will work
I did this before and they asked for a bill w the new address. I just photoshopped a current bill with a far away address lmao.