To whom it may concern,
I was a Crunch Fitness member at the West Hollywood location for 2 years. When I moved to Culver City I was told to pay for a 3rd years worth of membership fees. I had signed a 3 year contract at the beginning.
When I explained to the Bally's Corporate offices (Bally's Fitness had since bought out Crunch Fitness or something) that I had moved, they said that I hadn't moved far enough to void my contract. That I had only moved 10 miles out of the required 25. Apparently this rule applies weather you live in a major city with millions of people, or a small town with an endless horizon. I explained that I lived in Los Angeles, and to travel 10 miles through the city could easily take an hour No dice.
Cut to nearly 3 years later: I receive letters in the maill. I receive phone calls, usually before 9AM, sometimes on the weekends, sometimes up to 3 a day, from a Law Firm somewhere in the U.S. Threatening to sue me if I don't pay up. These calls are a blatant form of harassment. Harassment is illegal in this country, but never mind that.
This law firm, under the direct order of Bally's Fitness, has decided to process a lawsuit against me because I didn't move far enough from my old address, and I refuse to pay for a years worth of gym membership services that I never used.
Some of the people I've spoken to where nice though. One guy suggested that I mail in a utility bill from an address that is 25 miles away and circumvent the system. I told him I wasn't comfortable with that idea because it sounded illegal. He laughed.
Others were not so nice. Oh, but Mr. So and so, you signed a contract. Don't you know you signed a contract? Contract, contract, contract. Yes, I know. It's not that I don't like Crunch. It's a really nice gym. And the women are unusually attractive, whatever. It's just that I don't want to travel up to an hour to exercise. That's all. I know I signed a contract, but lets be reasonable.
The problem is I'm one of those people who, when they know they're being taken advantage of, stands up to defend themself, even when a defense is much more time consuming and costly than no defense. I suppose that makes me a fool.
Anyways, my solution to the problem is this. Crunch can either re-locate to, or build a new gym in Culver City. That way it shouldn't be more than a few minutes away from my new apartment. I'll even settle for one in Beverly Hills, which is 30 minutes away in traffic, but West Hollywood that just doesn't work for me.
Sincerely,
concerned in Culver City
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