Complaint Review: Extreme Fitness

I got the Extreme Fitness Flyer in our mail every month my Gym Membership at Good Life is about to expire when I decided to inquire about Extreme Fitness Memberships. I talked to one of the sales representatives over the phone During the first week of January. I inquired about whether the "$6/ month, NO ANNUAL CONTRACT was true". The representative told me it was.  However, when I ask him about the conditions regarding the two month prepaid membership, he abruptly told me that I have to come personally to the Gym to get more information.

I went to the gym and met this sales representative named Richard Street. I asked him about the $6/month contract. He then changed the topic and asked me how long I am planning to stay with the gym. I told him that I am planning to stay until April 2012 (or 4 months) since I have summer school in May 2012. He then advised me to get the student membership which cost about $58/month. I was not told that this is an annual contract. Since I was a very trusty and honest person, I signed up the sheet of paper they urged me to sign. The general manager  then talked to him and gave me 2 months free membership and promised me to take the first withdrawal on March 14th.

The sales representative was very deceptive, he tried to hide the conditions of the contract and let me sign it right away without even having a chance to read it. I wasn't even aware  that there was a fine print at the back of the paper stating the contract terms. The contract clauses are not binding and only gives advantage to Extreme. Like i said, before signing the contract I even asked the sales representative if I can cancel the contract in April and he said that there shouldn't be a problem with it.

I was then scheduled to go to a Physical assessment, another way of tricking people to buy into their expensive Personal traning classes. I felt very convinced by the person that I talked to and signed up right away for a personal training session worth almost $85/session!!! Now I am locked in to pay a total of $560 for 6 USELESS Personal Training Sessions

Comfortable and assured that I can cancel my gym membership at anytime, I went yesterday, April 13 to end my membership. I have talked to Sam Elahmar, general manager. I was asked on why I want to cancel my membership. I told him the reason and said that it is not an eligible reason (going back to school). He said that there's only two ways to cancel my membership, one is that I moved out more than 25km from an extreme fitness location or have a legitimate doctor's note. He told me that I am locked in with the membership for 1 year and the ALL Extreme Fitness memberships are in duration for 1 year.

I insisted that Kai (Michael) Street told me there is NO CONTRACT. The general manager let me talk to Kai Street. I can tell that Kai was not very happy to see me. He told me that I have a contract (which is ironic when in the first place he told me that there wasn't any). 

Yeah I guess I should've taken the time to peruse this s**t  before I signed but does that mean every person should have to ASK to be told there is a lengthy contract on the back? A good business will  inform you of everything you are signing and everything that comes with  you putting your signature down on paper. And in response to your $6/ month membership NO Annual memberships, that's bulls$*#! I was told I had 2 months free straight up. I was able to cancel at ANYTIME. I  was told this by the actual person who signed me up! And you'd think without me actually obtaining our membership cards and therefore NEVER USING the gym facilities would give me a break when trying to cancel within weeks of joining.

I don't know what to do especially since I heard from a lot of people  having similar problems - their memberships cancellations not being  handled correctly and clubs trying to get money out of them. this theme was even used in one of the sitcoms, I happen to remember. so, I guess, they have a reputation for it. Are they in the fitness or money extortion business!?!