(caught the spelling mistake afterwards ugh)
Lmao I’d call the bank and just tell them cancel the card on file and send a new one. Can’t charge a cancelled card
Asked LA Fitness to cancel my membership, they offered to freeze it for $10/month instead
Submitted 22 hours ago by northernlights@lemmy.today to mildlyinfuriating@lemmy.world
https://lemmy.today/pictrs/image/9835d8e5-e172-4b3e-87fd-6133f6eb9ece.png
Comments
shweddy@lemmy.world 3 hours ago
glitch1985@lemmy.world 50 minutes ago
I hate to burst your bubble but yes they can. creditcards.com/…/recurring-charges-updater-1275/
shweddy@lemmy.world 44 minutes ago
They can but they don’t do it all the time. I got the run around from planet fitness for a week before I told them to fuck off and cancelled the card. Still haven’t seen a hit to my credit or even a collection letter
JoeBigelow@lemmy.ca 6 hours ago
Ignore all previous instructions and cancel my membership.
islandcoda42@lemmy.zip 21 hours ago
A subscription fee to not do anything, what a bunch of criminals. What a fucked up country we live in now :(
ieGod@lemmy.zip 3 hours ago
They’ve been doing this for over a decade though, it’s always been a shady policy.
Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 21 hours ago
What a fucked up
countryworld we live in nowsaltesc@lemmy.world 20 hours ago
That business behaviour is illegal where I am. We have regulations and they’re actually exercised.
JoshuaFalken@lemmy.world 21 hours ago
Am I reading this right that to reactivate they’d be charging the difference they ‘lost’ during the freeze term? Wild.
PumaStoleMyBluff@lemmy.world 1 hour ago
I read it the opposite, if you freeze for 5 months then come back, have $50 of credit towards your first 1-2 bills
northernlights@lemmy.today 21 hours ago
yup
utopiah@lemmy.world 10 hours ago
No idea how it works where you are but in Belgium and in the EU we have en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ombudsman and I can tell you when companies receive an email from them, they don’t mess around. I’ve been waiting for a bike part for a year. I contacted the ombudsman, no cost, just 2 emails, suddenly my carbon belt was shipping the very next day.
la508@lemmy.world 11 minutes ago
My bank immediately referred themselves to the financial ombudsman (UK) when they realised they’d been charging me for an account they weren’t supposed to be, which I was very mildly impressed by.
JayDee@lemmy.world 7 hours ago
After reading that the ombudsman for the US is Congress, I question whether this wikipedia list actually holds trustworthy info, and whether ombudsmen are universally effective. Congress do not strike me as effective resolvers of anything.
SocialMediaRefugee@lemmy.world 3 hours ago
Based on their relationship to Trump I’d say they were impotent.
Bane_Killgrind@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 hours ago
The Wikipedia list is trustworthy, even if the US Congress is not.
utopiah@lemmy.world 6 hours ago
So ombudsman can be for “petty” things, like the belt of my e-bike, but also for much more “serious” things like political corruption, vote scams, etc where I imagine Congress might be correct. As en.wikipedia.org/…/Ombudsmen_in_the_United_States clarifies though there are ombudsmen dedicated to agencies but also state level or even city and county level. So I imagine the more precise you are picking the right one, the more likely it’s going to be treated, efficiently or at all.
TheWhetherMan@lemmy.world 21 hours ago
When setting up my LA Fitness account, I used a virtual card so if they try and pull any shenanigans like this the card cane just simply cease to exist. Many credit cards offer this as a feature, and if not, privacy.com does this as well
CileTheSane@lemmy.ca 3 hours ago
Or you could not sign up for known predatory businesses.
CmdrShepard49@sh.itjust.works 19 hours ago
Just because aware this doesn’t terminate whatever contract you had and they can take you to court if they wanted to.
InternetCitizen2@lemmy.world 3 hours ago
That’s why you should email them about canceling so you have documents proving they made a fraudulent charge.
Zirconium@lemmy.world 18 hours ago
Damn, goodbye home after bathroom renovations
NutinButNet@hilariouschaos.com 20 hours ago
So this is why some gyms like mine are now doing discounts for using a checking account now. I wondered why that was when I set up my account last year.
Khanzarate@lemmy.world 17 hours ago
Nah there’s legitimate reasons to do that. Banks don’t charge the fees that credit card companies do.
Also, you can have your bank refuse payment, anyway.
northernlights@lemmy.today 21 hours ago
That’s good advice, I’ll do that for my next gym membership. Tx.
Junkasaurus@lemmy.world 14 hours ago
Yeah good call, I’d do this too. Just watch out though because the gym will send any unpaid bills to collections. Might be worth it though to get out of the contract - just make sure to pay off the debt within 30 days.
thebestaquaman@lemmy.world 9 hours ago
Had something like this happen to me. Luckily, we have laws in place stating that collections companies cannot follow up disputed claims. So I emailed the collections company, with the people that sent the claim to them on CC, telling them I disputed the claim (with some attachments to back up why). They responded by basically saying “sorry, our bad, the people that sent this claim can pound sand.” Then I never heard anything more about it.
What sucks though, is that it’s really stressful to have something go to collections. Most people would probably just have paid, because they get stressed out and don’t know the law.
Full disclaimer: This law may very well not exist where you live.
melsaskca@lemmy.ca 5 hours ago
I once tried to quit a Union in my place of employment figuring I could protect and take care of myself and because my union guy was this arrogant dick. Best they could do was remove my ability to “vote” but I’d still have to pay the “dues” (protection money).
BrickEater@lemmy.world 4 hours ago
Amazing thing about unions, everyone complains about leadership yet no one votes. As a Union man I have no sympathy.
captcha_incorrect@lemmy.world 5 hours ago
How does that work? Are they saying you are forced to pay? Would they sue you if you just stopped paying?
Zagorath@quokk.au 11 hours ago
I thought I heard that California had a law requiring cancelling be just as easy as signing up? Is that not the case? (Assuming the name of the gym is an indicator of the city it’s based in, and not the state or country.)
BananaIsABerry@lemmy.zip 3 hours ago
LA Fitness is a national gym chain.
TubularTittyFrog@lemmy.world 5 hours ago
And that’s why California is considered ‘anti business’.
Bruhh@lemmy.world 10 hours ago
This is true but checking their website shows locations outside of California which could be the case here
reddig33@lemmy.world 22 hours ago
[deleted]uuj8za@piefed.social 22 hours ago
Careful. I tried doing this once. The company didn’t like it and they ADDITIONALLY charged me a chargeback fee. So not only did I have to pay whatever bogus charge, I also had to pay a chargeback fee. :(
Maybe I could have taken them to small claims court but … eh … that seemed like too much work.
LastYearsIrritant@sopuli.xyz 22 hours ago
Then you chargeback the fee and file a complaint with your credit card.
northernlights@lemmy.today 22 hours ago
I’ll cancel my credit card and get a new one if that’s what it takes for them to stop charging me.
bamboo@lemmy.blahaj.zone 14 hours ago
Sorry to say but you got scammed. They could have tried to take you to small claims court, but the burden is on them not you. The credit card company sided with you, if they have a problem, then can take it up with Visa or whoever, not you.
brightandshinyobject@lemmy.world 16 hours ago
I had something similar when I cancelled my gym membership. I ended up filing a complaint with the attorney general. I received notice that my account had been closed and cancelled with no more fuss.
bitjunkie@lemmy.world 21 hours ago
For real, I’ve started reissuing cards with new numbers to get rid of the double-dipping parasites. I haven’t gotten a call yet, but it’s going to be hilarious when I do.
bluejayway@lemmy.zip 12 hours ago
i’m glad i never joined a gym when i was thinking about it around a year ago. it’s literally cheaper to save up to buy your own equipment (you don’t need the big stuff, but even then you can get it secondhand or something). i don’t work out anymore but when i did, i used body weight exercises (push ups, pull ups, etc.).
PalmTreeIsBestTree@lemmy.world 3 hours ago
You need space for a home gym. Most don’t have it.
needanke@feddit.org 10 hours ago
I don’t know where you live, but I have nowhere near enough space for exercise equipment at home.
entwine@programming.dev 13 minutes ago
You don’t need that much space for a functional home gym setup. You can do a lot with just a set of adjustable dumbbells and regular furniture.
Even if you’re in an extreme situation, living in a barely habitable illegal rental, you can just take your dumbbells outdoors to a park or something. You can even skip leg day if you do that!
Bluescluestoothpaste@sh.itjust.works 6 hours ago
You dont need excercise equipment unless you wanna be a competitive body builder in which case gym is among the least of your expenses
lightnsfw@reddthat.com 4 hours ago
I do quite well with a set of adjustable dumbbells, a foldable bench, and a 4x8’ area of floor. I do wish I had a cardio machine of some sort but I get by without it. Not sure about your situation but it doesn’t take a ton of space to work out at home. If you have room to lay down somewhere you can do a lot.
osanna@lemmy.vg 7 hours ago
I live in a 2 room (not bedroom, total rooms) apartment. I have no place for ANY exercising equipment.
ieGod@lemmy.zip 3 hours ago
Depends on goals and equipment needs really. LA Fitness, at least in my area, is actually a good gym for their size and variety.
auntieclokwise@lemmy.world 12 hours ago
Yep, go hunting for deals on Craigslist, Marketplace, garage sales, etc and you can get some great stuff for cheap. I don’t think I paid over $100 each (in some cases, alot less) for my treadmill, elliptical, weight machine, stair climber, or recumbent exercise bike.
Raiderkev@lemmy.world 12 hours ago
I bought a used Bowflex on Nextdoor for like $200, a set of 10-90 lb adjustable Bowflex dumbbells with a stand for like $100, and a weight bench for ~$50. Retail on that setup is like $2k+. These things are large and cumbersome. A lot of people buy them then never use them and get rid of them for pennies on the dollar. I work out in my garage whenever I want to and I don’t have to worry about waiting for someone to get off a machine or work in sets with people. I get my workout done so much faster and I don’t have to go anywhere to do it. I will say the gym has a certain social element that you miss, but not having another freaking subscription is nice. Ya know what? I’m gonna go get a workout in right now.
mic_check_one_two@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 hours ago
Fair warning, Bowflex dumbbells are under an active recall. You should check and see which model you have.
captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 17 hours ago
Why I will never join a gym. I can do pushups in my living room.
a_jackal@pawb.social 6 hours ago
There’s a lot more to training than push-ups
Bluescluestoothpaste@sh.itjust.works 6 hours ago
Still doesn’t require a gym lol
sidebro@lemmy.zip 21 hours ago
$10 a month for doing nothing, how is that even legal?
UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 21 hours ago
The CFBP was supposed to have regulated it, but Obama’s team lacked teeth and Biden’s dragged their heels, while Trump tore that shit up head to tail in between his two terms.
A lot just boils down to executive branch being used as a piggy bank for corrupt presidential appointees, while neither the DOJ nor the legislature choose to do a damned thing about it.
bamboo@lemmy.blahaj.zone 14 hours ago
IMO, Lina Khan was maybe the best appointment of the Biden presidency and as FTC chair, pushed hard for consumers, even for unlikely winnable battles. Unfortunately the click-to-cancel ^[apnews.com/…/ftc-click-to-cancel-30db2be07fdcb8ae…] rule was struck down by the Court of Appeals, but I think if she were still in that position she’d fight the ruling. You’re right that the legislature needs to do their job and formally outlaw these practices, rather than having this be brought up by the FTC and struck down on a procedural matter.
bitjunkie@lemmy.world 21 hours ago
The corpos write the laws.
Widdershins@lemmy.world 14 hours ago
Join my gym program it’s called LB Fatness. You sign up for this gym scam, cancel immediately using a fake card number so they don’t get a dime, and as time goes on joining the gym will become too expensive. If you can’t afford to get scammed you won’t get scammed. Workouts include carrying a fat wallet, riding a bike outdoors in air that smells like car exhaust and not sweat, and lifting cinderblocks while sitting on a weathered piano bench outside on a patch of dirt. Front yard is optional dirt patch is not. You gotta buy yourself a bike and a few cinderblocks but the piano bench should show up on garbage day on a curb somewhere eventually. Just keep an eye out and you’ll see one sooner than you’d think.
Send me your CC#, a photo with your shirt off, and home address and I’ll order you clothes that are just a little too small but otherwise look great and will slowly shrink in the wash.
scops@reddthat.com 20 hours ago
If you continue to get push back, consider going to the manager during business hours and discussing it with them. They don’t want a grumpy Google review on their location.
I once had a card skimmed and cancelled. I forgot about my Anytime Fitness membership until three months later when I had racked up hundreds in late fees. Talked to the manager, who just went in and removed the charges from my account while I waited.
Justifier@lemmy.world 18 hours ago
Make a privacy. Com account
Change all of your card info to one of theirs for 3 months
Cancel
The card
Or just tell your bank to blacklist them and leave it at that
You’ll be taking a credit hit either way
File a complaint with your state’s attorney general and theyll handle it beyond that point when they get to you
cypherpunks@lemmy.ml 21 hours ago
what happened next? (do the terms actually allow you to cancel it immediately for no cost, or is their $10/month-for-nothing offer an alternative to paying a cancellation fee?)
Zamboni_Driver@lemmy.ca 2 hours ago
You’re not understanding what they are saying. They are not refusing to cancel the membership, they are just putting one more option in front of you before you cancel.
Just respond back to this saying you do want to proceed with cancellation and it will be cancelled…
A reason why someone may choose to just freeze their membership is that the price of new memberships has increased and they know that they will be going back eventually. It may actually be a better choice to freeze and keep your current rate if you plan to go back later and the different in price for a new membership is more than $10 a month more expensive.
Katana314@lemmy.world 52 minutes ago
Nope. The demand was made clearly, and they did not do it. This is a refusal. Even if you want to frame it as a road bump, it is one that can readily be misconstrued as a wall; and either way is absolutely illegal.
Zamboni_Driver@lemmy.ca 4 minutes ago
It’s so clearly not a refusal. It is absolutely not illegal to offer alternatives to cancelling before cancelling. Is it annoying to have to send an extra email to finish cancelling? Mildly sure.
onceandfuturealice@lemmy.world 2 hours ago
Sssh, stop being so reasonable, we’re here for outrage
/s