The fine print (and, boy, is it good) is probably what will doom you in the end. There`s no federal law on gym memberships — they vary from state to state — but some states have documents on things consumers should know before signing a fitness club contract, like the Health Club Services Act for New York City. Look for a « Health Club Act » or similar language in your state. Terminating a gym contract can be a lengthy and frustrating process, but you can get out of your contract knowing your rights and sending a notarized letter. The next time you go to the gym, ask the front desk for a copy of your contract. Once you have the contract, look at the cancellation policy and be aware of any loopholes you may leave during the contract. In addition to analyzing your contract, research your country`s laws that regulate gyms and look for legal reasons to leave. For example, you can terminate your contract if you are injured and unable to train, or if you have moved more than 25 miles away. If you have a legal excuse, send your gym a notarized letter officially requesting the cancellation of your gym and explaining your reasons. If you need to find a notary, do a quick internet search for local notaries. For more help on how to freeze your contract instead, read on. You can also threaten to take your complaints about high cancellation fees and unresolved membership agreement to social media.

Companies will try to avoid bad online reviews at all costs and will probably cut you for free. Again, get every interaction in writing. If they agree to dismiss you from your membership without paying a penalty, ask for a written confirmation letter. After doing some research online by the time I was about to cancel my membership — so I could start buying a new gym — I saw that my gym had a 45-day cancellation policy, meaning I would still pay a month and a half after canceling. Big. Busy schedules, accidents, injuries, and unexpected movements can prevent gym members from using their expensive memberships. Loss of income can make it difficult to pay these monthly fees. While it has been easy to sign up to become a member, cancelling the contract is often a long and difficult process. Follow the withdrawal conditions of your contract or explore other methods to terminate, freeze or transfer your agreement. Talk to your gym manager if you think there is an unfair clause in your contract that prevents you from cancelling. If they don`t let you cancel, you may want to mention the law that deals with your rights in this situation.

Choose the appropriate law based on the date your gym contract started. If you`re like me and you`ve been in your gym for a few years, you probably don`t have the original copy. However, if you do, look at the termination policy in the contract. The fitness industry thrives by selling auto-billed monthly memberships to customers who rarely use the facilities. You probably fall into one of two categories if you`re that type of person. There are those who continue to waste their payments because they delude themselves that they will use them one day, while another group is made up of people who completely forget that they are paying for them. If you`ve tried everything and still encounter a lot of resistance because you want to cancel your membership, Reicher suggests it`s best to dispute the fees with your credit card company. « Typically, someone who unilaterally terminates the contract won`t be sued because most gyms charge an upfront fee enough not to waste their time suing for the remaining money, » Reicher says. If you`re not sure you want to cancel, freezing may be the best, least expensive alternative. Even if you are charged a hefty cancellation fee, you`ll save more in the long run by not having to pay those monthly gym fees and annual maintenance fees. It`s a (relatively) small price to pay for knowing where and how you want. Review your gym contract.

I hope you read the fine print of your contract before signing it. If not, read it again now to gain insider knowledge. « You never want to unconditionally commit to a gym membership for a year or more, » Nowak says. « Your contract should include a clause that you can cancel your gym contract with 30 or 45 days` written notice. It`s unfortunate to pay for a month that you won`t use, but the short-term hit might be worth the long-term relief. « If the gym refuses to disclose your financial information, call your bank and stop all gym or fitness center fees. Once that happens, gyms will most likely give up and drop the contract issue. « A gym membership agreement, like most other agreements, can be invalid and unenforceable if you are tricked into signing it by intentionally false or misleading information. » If your contract is published before 1. October 2015, you should say the following (or put it in writing): Here are 11 tips from lawyers (and me, after going through the wringer to cancel my own contract) on how to cancel a gym membership (and avoid becoming one at all).

Hopefully, they`ll help you navigate the process and be smarter about the next contract you sign — if that doesn`t stop you from joining a gym again. « In my experience, a client always comes to me late with a gym contract, which means they`ve already signed it, » says Thomas J. Simeone of Simeone & Miller LLP, a Washington, D.C.-based personal injury attorney with a background in commercial law. « Gym contracts are often hard to terminate, » he says. « This is no coincidence. This is something that gyms want to discourage because every day, week, or month you stay a member, you pay more money. « You`re not moving, you`re sick or you`re unemployed? You can probably still cancel without paying. Better yet, send a registered letter to the gym headquarters requesting cancellation. As long as you do not attempt to cancel a membership before the expiration of a contract period, companies cannot legally ignore such a written request. Assuming you didn`t break your leg or take that job at Boise, how can you get out of a contract without a total shitstorm? Trying to cancel your gym membership can be more stressful than taking the kickboxing class you avoided.