Fitness First cancellation policy

Surely this is completely unacceptable and you should insist that your bank refunds you the money. Don't let this drop!

I have had a very similar experience. Cancelled my direct debit due to appalling customer relations and they took money out of my account using my debit card details, without even a courtesy phone call to tell me they were doing so. I am utterly disgusted with them.

SH,

This sounds quite typical - a significant number of people have had problems with their contracts when relocating. Fitness First can only seem to work on the 'short-term', not realising that the way they are treating you and others is bad for long term business. The culture of working within Fitness First is clearly one of a money-grabbing disregard for the well-being of their customers. Whatever you do, do not pay. One of the things that Fitness First is so eager to "sell" to new customers is that they are essentially joining a nationwide network of gyms. Quite reasonably, you joined and asked about what would happen if you were to relocate. You did, and at no fault of your own, the gym in Edinburgh wsa closed for a year. It would be unreasonable of them in those circumstances to expect you to simply 'freeze' your membership. So, you are quite right to cancel. Now, you must NOT let yourself be intimidated by them. If they persist, expect CARS to come onto the scene, and they are just a bunch of complete gits not even worthy of acknowledging their existence (although do respond to every letter with a letter of your own, and do not get into a conversation with them on the telephone). Good luck!

I am VERY disappointed with Fitness First on so many levels. First of all their gyms are filthy and breading ground for MRSA. Second, it was explained to me that when I joined Fitness First if I was to relocate I could transfer my membership to that Fitness First. I have been relocated for work up to Edinburgh and the only Fitness First in all of Edinburgh has closed for at least a year. The members of that Fitness First had the option to cancel or freeze their memberships. I decided to cancel. They tried to charge me for the remainder of the contract stating that "Not their fault I am moving, and that the Fitness First that I joined is not closing" So, they feel no obligation. I really think that this is BAD BUSINESS!!

KL, do not allow yourself to be intimidated. The so-called 'Debt Collectors' - CARS - are just a bunch of snivelling, manipulative, scum bags that try to intimidate. Stick to your defence. Reply to every letter in writing. Do NOT bother to telephone - a complete waste of time. DO NOT allow them to telephone you. Meet their arrogance head-on.

I agree, they even sent the Debt Collectors on me and now I have been asked to pay for the whole of March because they received my letter in February.

1. Their phones lines are always busy! Couldn't pay for January just before I left for my holidays. Got back, Debt Collectors on my back with an extra £25 admin fee!
2. Wrote to complain and to cancel my membership
3. Didn't get an ackowledgement but the usual letter asking me to pay up my monthly membership fee.
4. They do not promote all typs of fitness, it's all about profit!
5. Seems like each gym has their own policy and membership fees.
6. Changing rooms are dirty
7. Showers drip......!!! very bad quality.

I suggest you contact this person whose wants to do a research for a TV show ( I think) and tell her your story: aimee@flametv.co.uk

We should not let companies like this get away with conning people.

My wife & I joined joined Fitness First Cheltenham about a year ago. Took out a trial 3 month membership before signing up for a full 12 months. At the time I signed up for the full 12 months I discovered that they had put the prices up by over 10%, on the premise of upgrading to a 'Platinum club' - this appears to mean absolutely nothing otheer than giving them an excuse to increase the prices. We are now coming to leave and have discovered that a months notice period is required, something that we were never told at the time.

I can only tell anyone who reads this to join another gym other than fitness first. I had a similar experience as above where I signed for 3 month's, though the gym said I had signed for 12 months. As I was unable to go to the gym, I was paying for the membership for an extra 7 months without using it. It was only when I found my contract 7 months later, which I knew all along that I had signed a 3 month contract.
On top of this, they were so unprofessional in handling this complaint.

Mmmmm......so a nice positive message from Anon. I wonder? Perhaps a sad, little, lowly paid fitness first employee? WOW, actually I can say that Fitness First is the worlds biggest, most crappest health club chain in the world. Facilities can be rubbish, staff generally disinterested. Just think of all those people who you are getting incredibly stressed and irritated by your money-grabbing, greedy, probably illegal cancellation policy. Can I just say you people who join health club's it's your responsibility to avoid Fitness First like the plague, you are an adult, so wise up and realise that unlike some other health clubs, Fitness First is the pits. So, lay into FITNESS FIRST as much as policy and reclaim your life, free it from the idiots who represent this incredibly poor health club.

I have been a member of fitness first and can I say WOW your the worlds biggest health club chain in the world. Facilities are great, staff are very friendly Just think of all those people who you are getting to achieve there goals. Can I just say you people who join health clubs it's your responsibility to read a contract you are an adult and I have found many other health clubs the same as what you guys are trying to say. So lay of FITNESS FIRST and get a life!!!

My sympathies with your experience of Fitness First. The level of incompetence that they display at all levels can be breath-taking. However, one thing that they always manage to do in terms of 'keeping their eye on the ball' so to speak, is MONEY. Their incompetence usually means that the customer is left 'out of pocket' rather than them. So, cancel the direct debit and terminate your membership as a matter of urgency!

Good luck!

FF gave me an incorrect membership when I joined in Nottingham, I clearly stated & included on the app form that my permenant address is in Leicester & would need to use both Gyms in Notts & leices, when I started using the Gym in Leices aswell all was OK for 1 month, then I was told by the Leices Gym that my membership wasnt valid to use that gym & I would have to go to Nottingham, I called Nottingham FF & they could not deal with my query & I would have to speak to Leicester FF, Leicester said I would need to speak to Notts who then upgraded my membership & ignored my initial complaint & said I would be unable to canx my membership, then about 1mnth later Leices FF told me Notts FF was closing so I asked them to transfer my membership to Leices, then I get a letter from the new owners of the Notts Gym which I ignored as I had spoken to Leices Gym & already requested my membership to be moved to Leices FF, then New gym owners have claimed a d/d from my account which I have duly requested back & now they are saying I am in a binding contract with them which is rubbish because I signed a contract with FF... incompetant & possibly the worst service possible.