National Fitness

Ok...so I wanted to start working out again and a friend thought we could join a gym together. Premier Fitness by the Dayton Mall, she was told, gave you a trial month free. Good deal, I thought. Surely not without strings, but I had heard about the racket gyms are, how contracts are nearly impossible to get out of. But just to see what it's like for a month would be ok, I hoped.

She wasn't available to go with me Sunday 11/28/2010, so I went on my own and decided to sign up for the free trial. So I got the tour of the place...and all of a sudden I'm in this man's office, I assume he was the manager, and he's asking me about what areas I want to "work on" the most...more personal questions then I felt like answering, so I kept it vague. He had these Christian inspiration books on his desk, like that was supposed to make him trustworthy and infallible.

So somehow I ended up with a contract in front of me, after being given this "awesome" deal, cutting the membership price to from 250 to 30 dollars down, then 30 a month. The contract had way more fine print than I felt comfortable with or free to peruse at my leisure, but I was an idiot and signed it anyway. He seemed to make it a lot more casual than it felt, and I felt pressure to just sign it, like it was no big deal.

He did not explain any of it, just telling me that IF I stayed for 3 years, I would get a locked in 15 dollar a month fee. IF emphasized. Also, when I asked, I could cancel anytime. So I gave them my debit card #, just because they "needed" a record of the payment method I'd be using, and when I went to the front desk and asked for a copy of the contract, the lady said, "oh, you can get a copy when you come in to pay." Somehow, my free month ended up costing me a 30 registration fee, and 30 a month after that. Not being allowed the contract worried me instantly. The contract seemed to start from the moment I signed it, not a month from now.

I worked out there for a while, and the place is honestly quite run-down looking, but all I really wanted was to use the treadmills, the weights, and keep it simple. No classes, no tanning, no child care. I didn't like the idea of having to pay for those services included when I wouldn't be using them.

So I called my friend right when I got home and told her I was having second thoughts. I did not like feeling pressured, and wanted to cancel, I didn't even want the "free trial". I just wanted to get away from there full stop. We decided to go together today to cancel, hoping he would be less likely to bully 2 people than 1.

All day today I researched this place and my rights regarding canceling and realized I was also NOT given a copy of my Right To Cancel form, which must be submitted within 3 days of signing the contract, according to the PrePaid Entertainment Contract Act. So of course they were so willing to let me pay early next month, just waiting for those 3 days to pass so I'd be locked into this contract. Premier Fitness is not even BBB accredited and have a D+ rating. I should have researched this first, of course, and normally am hyper vigilant about these things. They got me, but I luckily came to my senses quickly.

So we went in a couple hours ago and saw the same man...I have read many other stories and was ready for a fight, and he had a very salesman-y, sharky demeanor to him. I immediately told him that I came in yesterday for the free trial, ended up signing up, and wanted to cancel.

He seemed taken aback and was like "uh, ok"..and then actually tried to recruit my friend without skipping a beat. She first mentioned that I felt I had gotten the GlenGarry Glen Ross treatment and he said, "uh, what's that?"

"High pressure sales tactics."

And he said "Well, we don't do that here."

She said she HAD been interested in the month trial, and would go from there if she liked it. He was like, "so you want the free month, and then ...nothing?" "She said "that would depend on if it works out."

And he said "Well, what if it does?"

"Then I would go from there."

"So you're not interested in saving money?"

She said "No."

So he finally pulled out the contract I hadn't been allowed to have, in a sealed envelope, with the Right to Cancel form at the bottom. Sure enough, I realized this contract was for 3 years, no IF at all. Complete with some mysterious 20 dollar a year "Enchancement Fee" he never mentioned. I said that I hadn't gotten a copy of it, and he actually attempted to pass blame to me, saying "Oh, you left without it."

""NO. The lady I spoke to said I could have it when I came in to pay, which tipped me off."

Then he muttered something about "Oh, yeah, because we're real shady here."

So I signed the form, he signed it, and then I said, "So a few months down the road I'm not going to see charges on my debit card?"And he said "no." And while they probably can't, I will be contacting my bank to see if they need a copy of this form so they can be on guard for unauthorized charges, because I don't trust them for a second. I am worried they will conveniently "lose" their copy of my cancellation form and just charge me anyway.

So I am in wait-and-see mode right now...I hope since I cancelled not even 24 hours after I signed that I will be ok, though it seems like even that is not a guarantee they will not try to slap you with mysterious unauthorized charges.

I hope this will help other people stay away from this company. Don't believe that they will give you a free month. It seems like they will say ANYTHING to get you. They'll be your best friend and say "welcome aboard" after you sign on the dotted line. But my gut told me that royal treatment would not last very long, and I know I was right to immediately cancel. I'm hoping this is the last I have to deal with them.