How do i cancel a Bally's gym membership?

Question

I signed up for Bally total fitness about a year ago and they conned me so bad and i have been bitter about signing up ever since. They locked me in for 3 years and i dont want to pay them any more b/c they are overcharging me and i could go somewhere else for much cheaper. Any body know how i can cancel my membership without beign charged a fortune?

P.S. Do not ever sign up there!!

Answer 1

If they have not charged you up-front for the total as of yet, talk with my credit card company and cancel any further charges with Bally's. Usually your company will side with you in the matter if there is a dispute.
I am not sure of the law in this regard, but for the most part, consumers are proteced against being locked into multiple-year contracts- or there is at least a method of getting out of them. Sending a letter to the president sometimes helps- often no one will help you until you do that ... you could simply explain that you felt they were not forthright in the way they represented themselves and you wish to cancel.
If Bally's still tries to come after you for the remainder (or some crazy fee), then I would contact the state's Attorney General's Office - there is usually a consumer protection hotline or someone you can file a complaint with while you are trying to dispute this. Depending on the state it may be out of the Office of the Treasury- but look on your state's homepage for that (www.state.(2-letters).us).

Good luck to you- and please post a follow-up so that others can be helped with this. I know that CRUNCH Gym has similar scams where they try to con you into allowing them to make "automatic" credit card payments.

Answer 2

Move more than 30 miles away from any of their gym locations. They usually let you off the hook for that. You have to show proof that you moved though. I think being locked into three years of gym membership should be illegal. 1 year should be the maximum. Cell phones are bad about that too. That sucks. I'll never sign up there either. I go to Anytime Fitness and they are good and cheap.