Oh my god could Fitness First suck any harder? Yeah that link is to my last blog post about Finance First, I wrote it in a sad attempt to justify to myself that I really wanted to join. The pressure of having my mate there waiting to get his discount after I join was I think really what made me do it.
But I’ll get the positive stuff out of the way cause nobody wants to read it. Compared to other gyms, Fitness First was good for the following long list of reasons:
- I could go to any gym (in the Valley, in Brisbane city, Mt Gravatt…) which was awesome and I did this
Anyway I’m moving into the CBD (which I am so stoked about) and my new place has a gym in the building. My Finance First contract expires in two weeks so I want to ditch them so I can afford to eat after I move. Easy right? Just sign a form that says “okcyabye” and done.
No.
To quit Fitness First, you have to make an appointment to see the “Customer Care Manager”. Customer care! If they cared, they would let me quit now. But no, I can’t make an appointment for 8 more days (next Tuesday) and the only out of business hours appointments are booked up. Same for Wednesday. I guess I could have found out about Thursday but I was going to strangle the girl at the front desk until her apathy squeezed out all over the floor, so I huffed off upstairs after exclaiming my bewilderment and confusion at the situation.
Let’s review Finance First’s helpful website FAQ (apparenty questions they get asked frequently):
- How do I cancel my membership after the minimum term has expired?
- After the Minimum Term you must give us 4 weeks written notice (counted from the next direct debit date) preferably using the required form supplied by Fitness First and availabe at the club.
It is preferable that you make an appointment to see the Customer Care Manager (CCM) who will help you fill out the paperwork. If you can’t make an appointment, you need to put your request to cancel your membership in writing to the CCM preferably at your home club (where you joined originally). You can do this via email, letter or fax and it’s recommended you follow up with the CCM to ensure your notice of cancellation has been received by the club.
Financial penalties will apply. For explanation of the Minimum Term, please refer to your contract.
It’s like a cult. Once you’re in, you never get out. I guess all I need is counselling, a bit of an attitude adjustment and I’ll see why I really don’t want to quit Fitness First after all…they’re my friends, feel the love.
Interestingly, my “next debit date” (9th April) mentioned in the above FAQ answer is one day before the next available appointment (10th April). That means I wouldn’t get to quit for 5 more weeks! Handily, I would also get to pay three more payments to them instead of two, when really all I want to do is stop using their gym that I have been so privileged to pay $960 for over the last 12 months.
Also interestingly, I should “preferably” use the required form (is it preferable or is it required?), and submit the preferable/required form to my “home” gym, I imagine to avoid confusion or to track sales leads, or something else that as a customer I really could not give a toss about. My plan was to just write a letter and take that to the gym near my house (Mt Gravatt) but I think that would just be asking for trouble; and extra transactions on my credit card.
This kind of stuff gets me fired up. I am the customer here, why do I have to jump through the hoops? Why can’t I just ring up and quit? Why can’t I just fill out a form? Do I get a bad credit rating if I just get my bank to deny the transaction? How about if I have already given them a letter?
So if you’re thinking of joining Fitness First, look around for alternatives first. They’re expensive, they get you in with high pressure sales tactics, they don’t give you any help with your workouts unless you hire a personal trainer (who are all actually self-employed, not by Fitness First), they lock you in with contracts unless you pay exorbitant fees, and they make it hard for you to quit.
Overall I’ve enjoyed my Fitness First membership but things like this are just frustrating and a waste of time and money, so try and avoid it.