Gym Cancellation - Moved from Area

gasman70 on 03/05/2019 - 17:13
Last edited 04/05/2019 - 14:37

Hi all.

My student, jobless, 18 year-old daughter signed up to a 12 month gym membership about 4 or 5 months ago and soon after decided to go travelling for three months.

While she was away, we moved to a different location. Don’t worry, we did tell her.
Anyway, the gym that she signed up to doesn’t have any local gyms and it’s too far for her to travel to them - we are >15kms from any gym of theirs.

So, what I’m asking is where does she stand with this? Due to us moving, will she still have to pay for the remainder of the contract or can she pay a get-out fee due to her circumstances?

The gym is Fitness First.

Health & Beauty Gym Membership

closed Comments

  • [Deactivated] on 03/05/2019 - 17:17
    +16

    Not the gym's problem. She will have to keep paying.

    • gasman70 on 03/05/2019 - 22:08
      -6

      Errr, not quite, even though it’s a popular response.

      • [Deactivated] on 03/05/2019 - 22:43

        How is it the gym's problem?

        • gasman70 on 03/05/2019 - 22:53

          I was referring to the second part of your response.

          • Quantumcat on 04/05/2019 - 08:53
            -1

            @gasman70: If it is not their problem then she can't just stop paying…

            • gasman70 on 04/05/2019 - 09:41
              -1

              @Quantumcat: They've said that she just needs to pay a $120 fee to cease the account. I'm not sure what you're trying to say?

              • Quantumcat on 04/05/2019 - 10:59
                -1

                @gasman70: If it was their problem then she could just not pay

                It is not their problem so she must rectify

                A way of rectifying is paying an early termination fee

                Not sure what part is difficult to understand for you

              • JimmyF on 04/05/2019 - 14:21

                @gasman70:

                They've said that she just needs to pay a $120 fee to cease the account. I'm not sure what you're trying to say?

                Why don't you tell the FULL story, from comments below they only let her out of the contract as you're now more than 15kms from the nearest FF gym.

                Now if you had been within 15kms of a FF gym, then she wouldn't have been able to get out of this for $120 fee and would have had to pay the contract out in full.

                • gasman70 on 04/05/2019 - 14:30

                  @JimmyF: Of course, in light of what we recently found out, if we had lived within 15kms of a FF she'd have to pay for the term duration. As she is outside of the 15kms, it's simply the termination fee.

                  I really didn't see a need to update every response with the info as it's clearly stated below…..and even you managed to find it, so it couldn't be that difficult, surely?

  • Nutrino on 03/05/2019 - 17:18
    +2

    What did the t n c say?

  • gasman70 on 03/05/2019 - 17:29
    +4

    I think she’ll have to pay for the duration. That’s an expensive few trips to the gym and I hope it’s a lesson learned.

    Are gym contracts the norm these days? Last time I paid for a gym membership, it was month to month.

    • AdosHouse on 03/05/2019 - 18:18
      +4

      Long term contracts usually give you the cheapest rates.

  • altomic on 03/05/2019 - 17:30
    +2

    What did fitness first say when you asked them? That would be my first point of contact as they are the company your daughter has a contract with.

    • gasman70 on 03/05/2019 - 17:36

      She phoned them to say we have moved and the person she spoke to was quite short and told her to pay or sell the contract. Not sure who’d buy a contract from you though, especially as it’s with a specific gym.

      I’ll get her to call back and ask about a possible termination fee

      • Dexterdog on 04/05/2019 - 12:26

        You might be surprised, especially if she pays a rate that is better than the standard rate. I've sold a couple of gym contracts through Gumtree.

        • gasman70 on 04/05/2019 - 12:48

          That's a very good point too but I'd rather she just gets shot of it for the $120 rather than hope to get a full return or even make a few bucks!

  • knobbs on 03/05/2019 - 17:32
    +4

    From my experience if she paid all upfront 0% of getting anything back. If she is on a week by week (or month) contract you can pay an exit fee. Ring the gym and ask we won't know what their terms are

    • gasman70 on 03/05/2019 - 17:37
      +1

      Yeah, she’s onto it now. Thanks.

  • [Deactivated] on 03/05/2019 - 17:35
    +4

    Stop enabling her. :) She should fix this herself.

    • gasman70 on 04/05/2019 - 09:42
      +1

      I'm asking for advice or information on the matter. She's doing all the 'fixing' herself.

      • Ughhh on 04/05/2019 - 11:15

        Part of fixing involves problem solving and research skills. You don't get good at maths but just knowing the answer.

        • gasman70 on 04/05/2019 - 12:51
          -2

          As I said, it was me who was after some advice. She's doing everything on her own anyway.

          Thanks for the parenting-skills lecture though.

  • chumlee on 03/05/2019 - 17:41
    +3

    You will need to read the contract she agreed to. If your daughter can't locate her copy, ask the gym for a copy.

    If she paid upfront, generally not much you can do but on sell it at a discount to someone else.

    Month to month normally requires a set cancellation notice period be given

  • try2bhelpful on 03/05/2019 - 18:09

    I think she will be stuck, but always worth an ask. Got burnt in the past with 12 month contracts, I always go month by month now.

    • gasman70 on 03/05/2019 - 18:24

      I’m hearing you. Anything can happen in that 12 months; lose your job, lose your health, move for work/family reasons…..and they’d still want your money. I’m amazed it’s ‘normal’.

      • SydStrand on 03/05/2019 - 20:53
        +3

        Gyms tend to also offer month-to-month and per visit. Annual membership is the cheapest, but the onus is on you to use it. Gyms make most of their money from new year's resolutions and poor compliance.

        She signed up to a long term contract, just like a 24 month phone plan. It's not the telco's problem if you can no longer use the service.

        • gasman70 on 03/05/2019 - 22:06
          +2

          Well, it turns out that she can get out by simply paying a leaving fee as there’s no gym within 15km of us.

          Never assume.

      • [Deactivated] on 03/05/2019 - 21:32

        You could get a payrise, inherit an estate, win the lotto… and they wouldn't raise the fees specifically for you either.

        • gasman70 on 04/05/2019 - 09:45

          …and your point is?

  • realfancyman on 03/05/2019 - 19:45
    +1

    If the membership is transferrable she could sell for a discount.

    • gasman70 on 03/05/2019 - 22:05

      That is definitely an option

  • Halo375 on 03/05/2019 - 20:11
    +3

    This is how gyms survive - on people not using their memberships. Better gyms offer month to month. Its a learning experience!

    • gasman70 on 03/05/2019 - 22:05

      It certainly is….for both of us

  • JimmyF on 03/05/2019 - 20:46
    +1

    So, what I’m asking is where does she stand with this? Due to us moving

    Same as she did before you moved. She has to pay for 12 months gym membership, regardless if she uses it or not.

    • gasman70 on 03/05/2019 - 22:04
      -3

      Wrong

  • Gelato on 03/05/2019 - 20:51
    +1

    Fitness First will try very hard to not let cancel eg let her wait on the phone line for a good half an hour…

    I'm guessing FF may offer her discount period during the months she's away, so essentially it might be 15 months contract with 3 months free (if FF is generous enough…)

  • peterpeterpumpkin on 03/05/2019 - 21:15
    +2

    I'm guessing you're still within a 15 km radius of a Fitness First?

    You can also cancel if you relocate to an area more than 15 kilometres from any Fitness First club,
    but you must show us a letter from your real estate agent or advice from Australia Post. We will
    charge an exit fee based on how much of your agreement remains:
    • up to 6 months = $100
    • 6–12 months = $150
    • 12–18 months = $200
    • 18–24 months = $250.

    Of course this is easy enough to fake.

    An alternative is to sell it for this cost in the classifieds and hope a person finds whatever is left is worth it despite having to pay the startup fee as well ($85).

    • gasman70 on 03/05/2019 - 22:04

      You’ve hit the nail on the head. It turns out that there’s not an FF writhing 15kms of us, so it’s just a case of paying a severance fee.

      • gasman70 on 04/05/2019 - 09:37

        *within

  • DemocracyManifest on 03/05/2019 - 21:34
    +1

    cancel your DD card lol they surely going to set debt collectors on them there'd be thousands of people doing the same thing

  • 87percent on 03/05/2019 - 22:01
    +1

    See if you can transfer the membership to someone, that's how I signed up to my gym. The person paid all the fees, and I got a cheaper rate because they signed up during a promotion

  • gasman70 on 04/05/2019 - 09:46

    All sorted. Thanks for the info provided by the few.

    • [Deactivated] on 04/05/2019 - 15:29

      What about the rest of us?

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