Haha my gym was on Fair Go last night

[Peachy]

Did anyone see Fair Go last night?? Yeh thats my gym :oops: :?

I actually had no idea it would cost me $250 plus four months of fees to break my contract!!! Bastards :evil:

I don't actually like the management of my gym I just go there coz its clean....

[Ordy]

lol damn thats a bit. Costs me about $320 a year for gym membership

[frogie2001]

bloody hell where do you work out, some guys basement? that is madly cheap. when i was in london, all you had to do was give them 3 months notice that you were leaving.

[Ordy]

Its a 24 hour (swipe card) gym in Tauranga. Has a lot more gear than 2 other gyms in my area as well :/

Just no chick things like aerobics classes etc which im fine with heh.

[mr natural]

fair go are full of shit i recon, she could of transfered her membership to someone else but couldn't be bothered doing that and would rather have fair go talk crap about how hard done by she was.

[iwilson]

Unfortunately a very one sided story. The presenters seem to think there's something slightly odd about people who join a Gym. One even said 'Fitness isn't everything', imho if you don't have your health then you don't have much. No doubt the over weight couch potato's at home lapped that one up.

You have to ask why she signed up for a 12 month contract with a kidney transplant on the near horizon. I think what people fail to understand is that a contract without penalties is no contract at all. If you buy a car with finance and for some reason can no longer drive it you still have to make the payments! A Gym contract is no different, if you want to get a cheap rate then the Gym quite rightly is going to want a longer contract. Want that expensive mb phone for free, then it's not surprising a mb phone company is going to tie you up to a long contract in exchange.

I can't believe the number of people who whinge about Gym contracts, acting all surprised when they discover they can't just walk away from a contract - when in 99% of cases the Gym has fulfilled their side of the deal by giving a cheaper rate and providing the facility :roll:

[frogie2001]

Yeah I got stung for a 3 month penalty notice period even after my 12 month contract had expired. Bloody English gyms!

[Chillicat]

Unfortunately a very one sided story. The presenters seem to think there's something slightly odd about people who join a Gym. One even said 'Fitness isn't everything', imho if you don't have your health then you don't have much. No doubt the over weight couch potato's at home lapped that one up.

You have to ask why she signed up for a 12 month contract with a kidney transplant on the near horizon. I think what people fail to understand is that a contract without penalties is no contract at all. If you buy a car with finance and for some reason can no longer drive it you still have to make the payments! A Gym contract is no different, if you want to get a cheap rate then the Gym quite rightly is going to want a longer contract. Want that expensive mb phone for free, then it's not surprising a mb phone company is going to tie you up to a long contract in exchange.

I can't believe the number of people who whinge about Gym contracts, acting all surprised when they discover they can't just walk away from a contract - when in 99% of cases the Gym has fulfilled their side of the deal by giving a cheaper rate and providing the facility :roll:

Yep I'm with you on this. It's a contract - you're meant to read it before you sign it, and if you don't like the terms, then go elsewhere, or sign on for a term you can manage. Or be sensible like some of my friends who aren't sure they can commit to a full year or more - buy someone's last few months from Trade Me and see how you go.

[mr natural]

Unfortunately a very one sided story. The presenters seem to think there's something slightly odd about people who join a Gym. One even said 'Fitness isn't everything', imho if you don't have your health then you don't have much. No doubt the over weight couch potato's at home lapped that one up.

You have to ask why she signed up for a 12 month contract with a kidney transplant on the near horizon. I think what people fail to understand is that a contract without penalties is no contract at all. If you buy a car with finance and for some reason can no longer drive it you still have to make the payments! A Gym contract is no different, if you want to get a cheap rate then the Gym quite rightly is going to want a longer contract. Want that expensive mb phone for free, then it's not surprising a mb phone company is going to tie you up to a long contract in exchange.

I can't believe the number of people who whinge about Gym contracts, acting all surprised when they discover they can't just walk away from a contract - when in 99% of cases the Gym has fulfilled their side of the deal by giving a cheaper rate and providing the facility :roll:

yep,pretty much what i emailed to fair go about their presentation. contracts simply allow people to pay off a membership instead of paying it in full if they dont have the money. You think as she knew she had kidney problems she might have signed a shorter deal or negotated a better opt out term seeing as she had health issues and then she whines about it cause she doesn't like the deal anymore and then is to lazy to try to transfer it, fair go shouldn't even be bothering with it.

[VampireChick]

Yep I agree with the last few posts.

She's a moron for not realising the penalities in breaking her contract. She can't play the pity card with it. I had a friend who signed up to a one year contract and basically just stopped going and stopped paying. I warned her that she'll get stung with a lump payment, and she said "that's ridiculous, why should I pay for something I don't use?"

Cause you signed a contract you idiot! Read it before you sign.

[two_phat]

hmmm i don't know....

I think many gyms feed on the strictness of their contracts - they impose strict terms and penalties and intentionally lock people in to make money. The issue isn't really that there is a contract that gym goers have to abide by, its the fact that gyms are not being particularly fair to the consumer. They make it difficult to leave so that many people will continue to pay their weekly fee without actually attending the gym; essentially money for nothing.

[samoan_muscle]

hmmm i don't know....

I think many gyms feed on the strictness of their contracts - they impose strict terms and penalties and intentionally lock people in to make money. The issue isn't really that there is a contract that gym goers have to abide by, its the fact that gyms are not being particularly fair to the consumer. They make it difficult to leave so that many people will continue to pay their weekly fee without actually attending the gym; essentially money for nothing.

How do you expect these gyms to survive? So many people who join up to a gym go the first week and never return.

Alot of gyms' contract rates are cheaper than their 3, 6 or 12 month pay in advance membership. So a saving is being passed on to the consumer however there is catch...sounds perfectly fair to me.

[Foundation]

I think the Fair Go hosts took sympathy cos they were once 1 week wonders them selves :pfft:

[Draft]

How do you expect these gyms to survive? So many people who join up to a gym go the first week and never return.

Alot of gyms' contract rates are cheaper than their 3, 6 or 12 month pay in advance membership. So a saving is being passed on to the consumer however there is catch...sounds perfectly fair to me.

I agree, a gym is a business like any other - they have costs they have to meet and if people suddenly start canceling their memberships and they lose income they were relying on they will probably go under - all of us who actually use the gym benefit from these terms!!

Hate to put a lawerly spin on it but the contract can't actually provided for penalties - only the government can impose a fine or penalty. The contract needs to provide for "liquidated damages" or something along those lines (so if you want to get out and the contract actually contains the word "penalty" you can prob get out of it on that ground (but only if you go to Court which may end up costing more than paying the "penalty" :roll: )