My gym has closed

[Jody]

I had 10 months membership at my gym still left and the gym has apparently closed shop.  The message on their voice mail is they have to add an elevator for disabled folks but for a week the gate has been down and no work appears to be going on.  Gyms are of course notorious for closing up and taking people's money.  The neighborhood has seen the gym, carpet store, stationary store, bakery and Irish pub/restaurant all close recently, a sign of bad times it would seem.

Jody

[hope_for_a_cure]

Sign of the times no doubt.  Some now offer month to month memberships but of course you pay a little more by going that route.... but if they are going to 'fly by night' it may be worth it. 

[GSOgymrat]

That sucks. Years ago I joined a gym while it was under construction so I could lock in a special rate. It ran into financial problems and never opened. I was one of the few who was able to get a full refund because I insisted the sales person include on the contract that if they did not open on a specified date the deal was off and I was entitled to a refund.

[David_CA]

I wonder if this might be one of those cases where it's better to pay by credit card.  I'm thinking back to when I ordered a stereo for a car I had.  It turned out that they showed the unit in black, but the one I ordered was actually silver.  I called a few minutes later to cancel, but nobody answered.  I left several messages and sent a few emails.  A couple days later, I received the silver stereo.  I called my credit card company (USAA) to see if they could help.  They did... by giving me a credit for the stereo.  After a few months, I called to see how I was supposed to return it or what I was to do with it (send it to USAA?).  The lady suggested that I install it in my car.  At this point, I had an old truck too, and the silver stereo was fine there.  The point I'm making is that credit card companies can often be very helpful, but then again USAA is known for treating customers well.  I hope your gym opens back up soon, and that the delay is perhaps due to the storm, parts delivery, permit, or something temporary.

[mecch]

The neighborhood has seen the gym, carpet store, stationary store, bakery and Irish pub/restaurant all close recently, a sign of bad times it would seem.

Where do you live, if you mind revealing. That is so sad. 

Maybe a gym/bakery-sandwich/newsstand combined could survive in one of those empty storefronts.

The few times I have joined gyms, my preference was gyms in hotels, quasi-public sports centers, or the Y. 

Even better, two summers I went to a gym in a lux hotel in Geneva and never paid a cent, nobody noticed.  This was well before terrorism tightened security everywhere.

[Since2005]

Where do you live, if you mind revealing

Mecch, just click his screen name and you will see

@OP, Can you find them and get your money back if they owe you anything? Friend of mine had similar problem, after taking the year deposits, within a month or two, they (GYM) were gone and I believe he lost the full amount. Good luck with yours!

[Jody]

Thanks for your concerned responses.  David- I will call my credit card but I payed the June bill in full in early July but I will contact them tonight just like this and see what can be done, if anything.  Mecch- I live in the Rego Park, Forest Hills area of Queens, NYC, a middle class to what's left of the upper middle class enclave.  Store rents have of course skyrocketed with every turn and many a good, quality mom and pop establishment has gone under in NYC. 

Oh well, it should be the worst thing that happens to me!

Jody

[David_CA]

Thanks for your concerned responses.  David- I will call my credit card but I payed the June bill in full in early July but I will contact them tonight just like this and see what can be done, if anything.  Mecch- I live in the Rego Park, Forest Hills area of Queens, NYC, a middle class to what's left of the upper middle class enclave.  Store rents have of course skyrocketed with every turn and many a good, quality mom and pop establishment has gone under in NYC. 

Oh well, it should be the worst thing that happens to me!

Jody

I don't think it'll matter that it's been paid.  They'll likely reverse the charges (if possible) or just eat the loss; it's part of the CC company's 'cost of doing business'.

[Jody]

David you were correct, Chase Bank in this case did refund 10 months credit on my gym membership.  It will have to wait until after the merchant has a chance to protest it the bank rep said.  But I will get back 316 dollars credited to my account so that is nice.  I had 90 days to protest the bill which I kind of remembered seeing online not long ago.  Anyway it was a decent gym with an annual fee of 380 dollars for me, I had been going for 15 years so I got a break over their advertised price.  Now I will probably join New York sports club which is a chain, but as a city employee I can call a 1-800 # and get a better deal and go to any of their clubs, unless that contract ran out and the website wasn't updated.  It will still cost at least 600 or 700 bucks a year but that's the price one pays for looking absolutely fabulous!

Jody