I have been an avid distance runner for many years, but broke my toe in June and couldn't run for a while. I decided to join the local gym, which happened to be Gold Gym. I had been a member of a city-owned gym in a nearby city before and didn't think much of it.
I was surprised at the high pressure salesman approach of Golds Gym and unfortunately paid no real attention to the contract since I couldn't see how that had much to do with anything. I just wanted to join the gym and work out. My toe hurt and I was aching to do something aerobic that didn't hurt it worse. Obviously, I wasn't in my right frame of mind signing all the crap they have you sign, and just simply wasn't paying attention to it like I should have. Big mistake.in any case, I was told I would join on a monthly basis and that there would be an extra semi-annual fee beginning, in my case, in January. I told them I doubted I wanted the membership for more than a month or two and really thought little of it at the time. I just wanted to work out. Why was that so complicated?
A short time later I saw a charge for $15.95 from a company called "Paramount Acceptance" on my Discover Card bill. I had no idea who they were and I disputed the charge. They apparently sent a form letter back to Discover Card indicating I had signed a contract for the fee with Golds Gym. Evidently, what I thought was silliness was Gold Gym's way of getting money out of me, and beyond what they had told me verbally. I was not aware that Gold's Gym had even retained my credit number that I used for the first monthly payment, much less sent it to a third party to charge me additional fees that they had specifically indicated they weren't going to charge me.
I went many rounds with Discover Card, Golds Gym, and Paramount Acceptance, and pretty much only got the run around. Along the way, I screamed so loudly I have no doubt they could hear me a few buildings away. According to Paramount Acceptance, they've supposedly cancelled my Golds Gym membership, but they wouldn't confirm that in writing. Discover Card responded not only with being totally unwilling to help but indicating they were going to report me to the credit bureau, after 24 years as a card member with literally hundreds of thousands of dollars in charges and with never a single late payment. I was in disbelief, to put it mildly. As soon as my final payoff check arrives, I will be cancelling my account with Discover Card and have advised them accordingly. I've had it with all of them, Golds, Paramount, and Discover.
I don't know exactly how this will play from here, but after reading endless pages of similar complaints about Golds Gym, et al, on the internet I couldn't help but wonder why there isn't a class action lawsuit or some other very public campaign to either get Golds Gym to stop their practices, or force them out of business. There's simply no reason in my mind that joining a gym needs to be so complicated and so fraught with legal contract landmines. I wondered if this report might lead to information about such an action or effort and if so how I might be able to become a part of it or it (sorry, however, folks, I may as well clarify up front, I'm a very poor guy and have already been robbed for $15.95 so far).
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