24 hour fitness hack.

CutnSnip

Phil Edwards status
Sep 11, 2018
5,736
6,044
113
Probably dropping in on you, California
If you are like me - you just got charged for a month of gym time to the tune fo 45 bucks even though they've been closed for over a month.

If you call and say you are current member - the automated call says offices are closed and theres no way to talk to anybody - and to hit them via email instead. Of course the email has an automated response about proration, etc.

If you hang up call back and say you aren't a current member and want to sign up - of course some one picks up the phone. Fricken A-holes. Then they are happy to refund you and place a free hold on the account until they re-open.

Pretty shady sh!t - just wanted to give a heads up in case anyone else is on there.
 
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Autoprax

Duke status
Jan 24, 2011
68,237
22,988
113
62
Vagina Point
I wonder if you could call your CC and change the CC?

I had a guy at a small gym charge me for two months after he closed up shop one weekend without telling anyone. I had paid first and last month too.

I had to call the CC company.

Then he opened a gym down the street.

People are weird when it comes to money
 

grapedrink

Duke status
May 21, 2011
25,938
14,725
113
A Beach
Yeah that's fookin nonsense. Anytime Fitness is just as bad, if not worse. Especially because they only allow you to pay with a checking account draft initiated by their system- no credit card or online bill pay that you can control. I was told that they would suspend memberships until they re-opened and sure enough, I check my account and they've charged me. Working through my bank to reverse that now and put a stop payment.

And before anyone shames me for going to Anytime, they are the closest to my house, the cheapest, and they have all new equipment, including 2 squat racks.

Ordered some kettlebells that finally arrived this week. Liking them so far.
 
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JeffRSpicoli

Nep status
Aug 9, 2019
572
694
93
Yeah same here, my states AG stepped in and threatened with lawsuit etc., the fitness company caved and stopped charging and will credit any dues taken towards future dues once reopened, better than nothing I guess and just short one month.

Still I will be rethinking joining again as this shows their true colors.
 

the janitor

Tom Curren status
Mar 28, 2003
12,340
1,737
113
north of the bridge
my daughter's gym took a fun approach to this whole thing. I called them the last week of March to have them halt the April payment. They said ok, you have two options:

1. Place a hold on the account and get charged $20/month for the duration of the hold
2. Cancel the account and accept their previous 45 day cancellation policy. Which would mean to more months of charges.

called the bank to deny a charge, which worked, but they'll never see another dime from me
 
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FecalFace

Duke status
Nov 21, 2008
42,338
2,105
113
The Californias
I wonder if you could call your CC and change the CC?
I had a suspicious charge on my CC and had to change the card and I thought perfect, LA Fitness can now go fück themselves (they previously refused to cancel my membership because "I signed the contract" )

What they do is they keep charging you every month regardless of whether they can collect the money or not and eventually send it to debt collectors which can ruin your credit.

It boggles my mind this sh!t is legal. All gyms are ran like fucking mafia business.

But we don't need gubmint regulations, oh no. That would be bad.

Screen Shot 2019-10-29 at 9.10.48 AM.png
 

johnson7

Nep status
Sep 29, 2016
686
522
93
Yeah that's fookin nonsense. Anytime Fitness is just as bad, if not worse. Especially because they only allow you to pay with a checking account draft initiated by their system- no credit card or online bill pay that you can control. I was told that they would suspend memberships until they re-opened and sure enough, I check my account and they've charged me. Working through my bank to reverse that now and put a stop payment.

And before anyone shames me for going to Anytime, they are the closest to my house, the cheapest, and they have all new equipment, including 2 squat racks.

Ordered some kettlebells that finally arrived this week. Liking them so far.

Man there has been a run on db's and kettlebells, and people are price gouging like crazy on craigslist. I had to scour the usual sites to be able to put set of bands together, and sand bag cleans aint barbell cleans etc. Yeah, my gym is still charging me, with several attempts to cancel.
 

grapedrink

Duke status
May 21, 2011
25,938
14,725
113
A Beach
Man there has been a run on db's and kettlebells, and people are price gouging like crazy on craigslist. I had to scour the usual sites to be able to put set of bands together, and sand bag cleans aint barbell cleans etc. Yeah, my gym is still charging me, with several attempts to cancel.
Yeah it was brutal. I thought I was Mr Cleverguy a week after the gym's shutdown by going online to order them, only to find them nearly sold out everywhere. Especially the 30-55 pound range. I scoured google shopping and every place I could think of. Placed orders for several sets, only to get backorder/delay notices. Finally got them all this week. They aren't barbells, but I'm stocked to have them and definitely feel the burn.
 
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johnson7

Nep status
Sep 29, 2016
686
522
93
Yeah it was brutal. I thought I was Mr Cleverguy a week after the gym's shutdown by going online to order them, only to find them nearly sold out everywhere. Especially the 30-55 pound range. I scoured google shopping and every place I could think of. Placed orders for several sets, only to get backorder/delay notices. Finally got them all this week. They aren't barbells, but I'm stocked to have them and definitely feel the burn.

I don't know what I was thinking, well I thought we'd be back in the gym by now, that's what I thought? I figured I could get by for a couple of weeks with the bands I had, and my weighted vest, when all my bands snapped, I figured EliteFTS, or Rogue would have everything. Man everyone made a run on that stuff like toilet paper, In the mean time my knees haven't felt this good in a few years, and I'm doing a lot of lunges/split squats.
 
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grapedrink

Duke status
May 21, 2011
25,938
14,725
113
A Beach
I had good luck ordering from Unipack on Amazon. If you search "Unipack kettlebells" or whatever thing you are searching for you will find some kettleballs, bands, dumbells, and other stuff. I was able to get a pair of 10s and 25s shipped to my door in 5 days. It's slim pickins, but they seem to have it together and are able to get it out the door quickly.
 
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FecalFace

Duke status
Nov 21, 2008
42,338
2,105
113
The Californias
I'm thinking that given the overall situation they will have a hard time getting anything collected and/or legally upheld in court. There is going to be so much carnage stemming from this.
It's not going to end up in court but I hope you read the small print when you signed the agreement.

If they can't collect the monthly payment, they will keep piling up your debt until the end of whatever you signed says, if you are on auto-renewal and the new contract year started, you're probably fvcked.

The only way to get out of it is to get a doctor's note to say that you're disabled and can't exercise. I'm serious.

Some say you can suspend the membership if you're not using the gym and if you keep extending it, you membership will be cancelled after 6 months.

All gyms operate this way, it's gross. Gangster capitalism baby.
 

FecalFace

Duke status
Nov 21, 2008
42,338
2,105
113
The Californias
LA Fitness was very nice about my wife's membership and letter her quit when they shut down.
She was lucky.

LA fitness (Vista Way, Oceanside) aggressively entrapped my 80 year old neighbor into signing up for 1-on-1 classes which was over $400 a month. When he realised what he signed and tried to cancel a week later, they would not let him out of the contract and kept charging him money every month until he got a note from the doctor saying he can't go to the gym.
They would not accept doctor's note at the gym but he had to deal with the HQ in order to cancel the contract.
Even then they kept charging $400 for a couple of more months afterwards, even though he didn't use the gym, until he changed the CC#

100% scumbags.
 

CutnSnip

Phil Edwards status
Sep 11, 2018
5,736
6,044
113
Probably dropping in on you, California
LA Fitness was very nice about my wife's membership and letter her quit when they shut down.
twenty four will let you cancel now through their website but they shouldnt be charging people in the meantime.

I dont want to cancel, want to go back when this is all over. Only gym in walking distance with a sauna which I do every day.
 
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