Ensuring the smooth cancellation of a gym membership

Ending an agreement with a gym might seem like a long and tedious process. After all, aren’t the terms of the contract binding? Those who sign up for a gym membership are indeed locked in by the terms they’ve agreed to, but there are cases where a membership can be legally ended.

Reasons to Cancel a Gym Membership

Cancelling a gym membership is possible, though there may be no way to stop a cancellation fee. The specific terms of a contract still apply, but there are reasons that these terms may be largely rendered null and void and, in these cases, a cancellation letter is a good way to start the process. Simply choosing not to renew a membership is one way out; memberships usually last around 6-19 months and if they auto-renew, members may have to go out of their way to inform the fitness center of a cancellation in advance of this happening. Some members can be protected in the case where they choose to cancel during the ‘cooling off’ period which comes directly after signing the contract. Usually, there is some kind of written notification required and this may involve a cancellation or administrative fee, but members should receive money back and be able to get out of the agreement this way. If members have been affected by a sudden permanent sickness or injury, they should be able to terminate a contract, but must write to the gym as quickly as possible, providing a medical certificate. Note that there is a maximum administrative fee the gym is allowed to charge–which varies based on location–and they cannot charge more than this.

How to Initiate the Process

Just because it’s a gym membership and not pertaining to public but rather commercial practices, don’t think that citizens aren’t protected. Usually, countries have consumer protection laws that protect the rights of citizens and outline what businesses can and can’t do when it comes to entering into an agreement; for example, membership forms must follow a particular guideline and there are some pieces of information that cannot legally be asked for. To initiate the process of cancelling a gym membership, members should first consult the terms of the contract. What have they agreed to and where will they incur fees if the contract is voided? To be legally protected, they must keep all correspondence in writing, beginning with the issuance of a cancellation letter. Again, the specifics of a ‘cooling off’ period vary in different locations, but they do exist and members cancelling within this period don’t need a reason or proof–they simply must offer the business their notification of cancellation in writing and either mail, email or hand-deliver the notice. Cancelling by phone is trickier because there’s no paper trail, so try and use one of the above methods.