Forbes Magazine Comments On Health Club Contracts

Forbes Magazine Comments On Health Club Contracts

As January winds down, you may be considering grabbing a discounted health club membership. Clubs often cut rates sharply in January to attract the New Year’s resolution crowd.ABC Billing Company Breaking News Story , AMERI SHAPE Breaking News Story , amerishape Breaking News Story , anytime fitness Breaking News Story , ASF Billing Company Breaking News Story , asf international Breaking News Story , butterfly life Breaking News Story , contours express Breaking News Story , curves for women Breaking News Story , enroll members Breaking News Story , fitness  Breaking News Story ,fitness center Breaking News Story , fitness life marketing Breaking News Story , fitness marketing Breaking News Story , fitness promotions Breaking News Story , golds gym Breaking News Story , world gym Breaking News Story , gym Breaking News Story , Gym Marketing Breaking News Story , Gym promotions Breaking News Story , health Breaking News Story , health club Breaking News Story , health club for sale Breaking News Story , Health Club Marketing Breaking News Story ,  Health Club Promotion Breaking News Story ,  fitness Consultants Breaking News Story , health club promotions Breaking News Story , Health Clubs Breaking News Story , join health club Breaking News Story , Ladies Fitness Breaking News Story , Ladies Workout Express Breaking News Story , lady of america Breaking News Story , NAC Billing Company Breaking News Story , Peak Performance Breaking News Story , planet fitness Breaking News Story , Powerful Promotions Breaking News Story , powerhouse gym Breaking News Story , Professional Fitness Marketing Breaking News Story , Raise EFT $6 Breaking News Story , Slim and tone Breaking News Story , snap fitness Breaking News Story , spa studio owners Breaking News Story , Targeted fitness Breaking News Story , marketing that generates new fitness Breaking News Story ,  Thousands of health clubs Breaking News Story ,   world health club Breaking News Story , workout express Breaking News Story , join Breaking News Story ,health club closed Breaking News Story , health club opening Breaking News Story ,club solutions magazine Breaking News Story , s Breaking News Story ,24 Hour Fitness Breaking News Story ,Anytime fitness Breaking News Story ,  Bally Total Fitness Breaking News Story ,Health Club Management  Breaking News Story ,Crunch Fitness Breaking News Story ,Club One Breaking News Story ,Curves Breaking News Story ,Equinox Breaking News Story ,Health Fitness Corp. Breaking News Story ,Lifestyle Family Fitness Breaking News Story ,Planet Fitness Breaking News Story ,Plus One Management Breaking News Story ,Powerhouse Gyms Breaking News Story ,Snap Fitness Breaking News Story ,Spectrum Athletic Clubs Breaking News Story ,Sport & Health Breaking News Story ,Town Sports International Breaking News Story ,Sports Club Co. Breaking News Story ,Urban Active Breaking News Story ,WellbridgeHealth Club Breaking News Story ,Western Athletic Breaking News Story ,World Gym Breaking News Story , virgin active Breaking News Story ,workout anytime Breaking News Story , la boxing Breaking News Story , 9 rounds fitness Breaking News Story ,weight lifting gym Breaking News Story , health spa Breaking News Story , attorney general Breaking News Story , health club contract Breaking News Story , club enhancement fee Breaking News Story , health club billing Breaking News Story , health club fraud Breaking News Story , health club franchise Breaking News Story , gym franchise  Breaking News Story ,breaking industry news Breaking News Story ,health club news Breaking News Story ,Trouble is, many people who join gyms or health clubs hoping to get a good workout wind up getting worked up by overcharges. Last year, the Better Business Bureau received about 9,400 complaints against health clubs, gyms, fitness consultants and personal trainers, roughly 15 percent more than in 2011. The gripes are typically billing and collection issues, contract concerns and disputes over refunds and exchanges.

(MORE: The Fiftysomething Workout: What Your Gym Can Do for You Now)

It can be a Herculean task to get out of a gym contract or to stop monthly debits from your bank or credit card account after your contract has expired and you’ve stopped using the gym or its special services, like personal training. I have some advice (below) on how to avoid getting hosed by a health club.

$400 for Unwanted Training Sessions

But first, the sad story of Next Avenue articles editor John Stark, who recently discovered that his Minneapolis gym was still dinging his bank account for $200 a month even though its personal training sessions had run their course.

Stark had told the club he wouldn’t extend the sessions when they ended in November, but club employees tried to persuade him otherwise, appealing to his vanity. “They said, ‘You’re quitting now, at age 64? Don’t you want to be a role model for your age group?’”

Stark thought the issue was settled until he discovered a $200 debit for the training services on his bank statement in December and another in January. Upon checking his contract, Stark read that at the end of his initial six-month term, the club would automatically convert his membership to a month-to-month agreement unless he canceled by notifying the club in a letter to its California headquarters.

Stark protested, seeking his money back. But the manager refused to refund the $400, saying he could use the eight additional training sessions anytime and that his account would no longer be debited.

Common Consumer Protections for Gym Members

Regulation of health and fitness clubs and their contracts is generally handled by the states. And over the past two decades, many states have enacted consumer protection laws governing the clubs. Specifics vary from state to state, but their principles are the same:

• Club members generally have three days to back out of gym contracts after signing.
• If you’re temporarily disabled (with, say, a broken arm), your membership can be put on a temporary hold and then extended by the length of the suspension.
• If a health club closes, the contract is transferable to a nearby facility.
• Some states limit contracts to three years; this prevents customers from signing up for lifetime memberships with large upfront fees, only to find their gyms ultimately shut down.

If you find yourself getting overcharged by a health or fitness club, don’t take it lying down. “Consumers should familiarize themselves with their states’ consumer protection laws,” says John Breyault, vice president for the National Consumers League. “They may have stronger cases than they realize.”

(MORE: Why the Fine Print Is Even Worse Than You Think)

The best way to protect yourself before signing up for a club membership is to closely read every line of the contract.  “Don’t just go in and sign where they tell you to sign,” says Kathryn H. Silcox, deputy attorney general for Pennsylvania. “Know what you’re getting into.”

Here are five more tips to help avoid getting clubbed by a health club:

1. Research the club in advance. Search the Better Business Bureau’s online database for complaints about the gym. Also, visit consumer sites, like Yelp and Angie’s List, for reviews about a gym you’re considering.

Also, check your local consumer protection office and state attorney general to see if there are any complaints about the gym.

If you plan to sign a long-term contract, verify with the proper state authority (usually the attorney general’s office) that the club has a security bond or letter of credit. That way, you’ll be more likely to get some money back if the gym goes out of business.

2. Get the gym’s policy — in writing — for canceling a membership. In some cases, you can only cancel if you’ve moved at least 25 miles away. If you’re ill or injured, certain clubs will put your membership on a temporary hold or extend it; others won’t.

The Federal Trade Commission notes that knowing the gym’s cancellation policies is especially important if you’re springing for a long-term membership.