Some workout enthusiasts rationalize paying a lot of money for gym memberships by telling themselves that the financial commitment makes them work out more often to get their money’s worth. That’s just crazy talk. If you work at it, you can trim your monthly membership fees along with your waistline. [More]
gym memberships
Gold's Closes Your Gym, Traps You In Contract Anyway
By 9.23.11
There happens to be a Gold’s Gym right inside the building where Cynthia works. How convenient! She took her employer up on an offer to subsidize part of her membership, and was happy with the arrangement. Three months later, the building Gold’s announced that it was closing. Not to worry, though: Memberships limited to only that location would change so members could visit any local corporate-owned Gold’s club. That’s pretty standard when a branch of a chain gyms closes, but Cynthia is annoyed that she joined so close to the change and has to pay for a membership she’s unlikely to use. Someone must have known that branch was doomed, but would the front-line and sales employees have known? [More]
New Gym Business Model: Work Out More, Pay Less
By 1.28.11
At traditional gyms, you pay the same dues whether you visit the facility twice a day or twice a year. This makes a lot of sense for gyms, but doesn’t give you a financial incentive to actually go. But what if you had one? [More]
Gym Guards Beat Man To Pulp When He Tried To Cancel
By 1.12.11
A computer programmer who has been trying to cancel his gym membership since August says two gym security guards jumped him and pulverized his face when he wouldn’t back down from his cancellation request. [More]
Gym Leaves Members Hanging By Refusing To Reopen
By 10.28.10
A June fire closed a St. Louis Bally Total Fitness, giving lucky members an excellent excuse to avoid feeling pressure to work out, but irritating those who had to drive half an hour to the next closest Bally’s. [More]
Court Orders Bally To Send Refunds To 1,000 Texans
By 9.1.10
The Texas attorney general has advised Bally Total Fitness to send refunds to 1,000 customers it bombarded with false invoices, the Dallas Morning News reports. [More]
Gym Told Me I Could Quit Paying If I Moved Away, Fibbed
By 7.26.10
John signed up for a Gold’s Gym membership with the understanding that he wouldn’t have to fork over the $25 monthly fee after he moved away for college. He was told that would be fine, but the manager he spoke to reneged on the deal and now he’s stuck paying for something he can’t use. [More]
Bally Sends Fake Past Due Bills To Ex-Members To Get Them To Rejoin
By 9.22.09
Reader Jordan writes in to share a past due “bill” that he received from Bally Total Fitness, where he had previously been a member. It turns out that the letter, which specified the amount Jordan owed and threatened to report Jordan to a collection agency if he didn’t pay, was actually a sneaky solicitation to get him to renew his contract.
No Better Time To Get Fit: Gyms Are Slashing Prices
By 1.5.09
One of the first things to get the ax when people cut back is the monthly gym membership fee — which means that gyms all over the country are slashing prices in order to attract new members to replace the ones who are sloughing off.
HOWTO: Negotiate Your Gym Membership Like a Diva
By 11.15.06
Getting a gym membership without getting screwed is next to impossible, right? Wrong. Here are some simple negotiating tactics that will have you jazzercising in no time.
