I was offered the 30 day comfort guarantee as an incentive to try the gym as I told the sales person that I was still shopping around. This 30 day guarantee is only offered on your first visit to the gym. It was explained to me that you must visit the gym once a week for the 4 weeks of the 30 day period equaling 4 total visits minimum. If I was not happy, I could cancel and get a full refund of my enrollment fee, first month and last month fee, which they charge when you join. Totaling over $150.
After 21 days and visiting the gym at least 6 times, even attending a Body Flow class, I decided that it was not up to the standards of my previous gym and I wanted out. So I visited the gym one more time to ensure I had a visit in the 4th week. The next day I sent a certified letter cancelling my membership. I called twice to check on the progress of my cancellation and was told it had not made it to corporate yet, I would have to wait.
I received an email 3 weeks after I mailed my cancellation letter, showing me altnerative options to cancellation so I would not lose my initial investment, a day later I received the same information in a letter. So I called and asked why they were sending me this information when I should be getting all of my initial investment back. I was told at this time at first that I did not cancel in the 30 day time period. I responded by saying that I had a certified letter that told me otherwise. Then I was told that would not get a refund because I did not visit the gym any during my 30 day period. They had record of me being in the gym on the two days that I called after cancelling and the day I enrolled. I know I visited the gym more than 4 times, possibly more than 4 times in my first week. Yet there was no record of my card being scanned into their computer system. She said I should have signed in along with scanning. I told her that this was not mentioned to me at all. I was told I had to speak to a manager, who never returned my call.
The next day I called back and spoke with the "floor supervisor" and she told me the same thing as the first representative, although this time she said it showed the day after I joined as being a date, which was true. She told me that you have to scan each time you enter the gym. I know this and each time, I handed my key card to the gym worker who I presumed scanned my card. After arguing about the absurtady of me having to pay for the fact that their computers did not scan, I got nowhere. I asked her if anyone ever got their money back, because I already sensed this was a scam. She assured me that they do and told me if I could provide documentation that I was there she'd be happy to refund my money. How was I supposed to provide documentation? If worker remembered me being there on the specific dates I was there. What are the chances that anyone remembers me being there? I was there at different times on different days.
It is my opinion that this 30 day comfort guarantee is a scam. Even if not intended to be one, it is not a good policy if they can not keep accurate records. This company should be investigated and I will warn everyone I know. It's a genius plan, make me wait for corporate to receive my cancellation, don't have a record of my visits and then after the 3 weeks I waited to get notice that I would not get a refund, which I only have found out because I called - by then no one remembers you being there.
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