Complaint Review: St. Louis Workout San Diego Workout

I signed a one year contract (paid in full upon signature) with San Diego Workout, parent company St. Louis Workout. At that time, I provided my debit card for the one trasaction and did not put down my credit card information on the contract to authorize further debits. I was told this was the correct proceedure because I was not doing a month to month contract.

One year later, my husband and I moved out of state, which we had discussed with San Diego Workout management.

This month, we received debit from San Diego Workout of $39.99. I called and was told that I was supposed to send a certified letter to cancel or talk to the owner in person. I was given a phone number for Metaney in billing and left my phone number with an urgent message to call for Dave, the owner.

I called Metaney on Monday 6/12/06. She said the contract automatically renews itself, and then said it goes to month to month. I tried to explain to her that I did not ever see anything about that (and was told different) and wanted to see my signature on it as well as where I authoized my debit card for futher transaction. She said she would fax me MY contract and would not call me back, but that I could call me only.

I received a fax of something about cancellation fees and such, which I have never seen (and my contract was fufilled anyhow). My signature was no where to be found and the cover sheet said that I had to pay $15.00 for a copy of my contract.

In the meantime, I tried to get ahold of Dave. He was on the phone (which is the same excuse I got for months during my membership when I wanted to talk to him about health and safety concerns I and other members had). I refued to "call back in a few hours" and demanded that he actually get on the phone. I did hear someone say hello on a speaker phone and then everything went silent (I assume I was on put on mute) and then I was hung up on. I called immediately back and was told "he was on the phone". After being put on hold a few times, the guy at the counter said that Dave wouldn't talk to me.

I attempted to call Metaney back, and was told that she was busy and could not talk to me.

So I have an automatically renewing contract, (according to a piece of paper that I have never seen) and a membership to a gym that I can not even get cancelled by talking to the supervisor before it was up and telling him that I was moving.

Finally, I talked to a secretary and asked for a cancellation form to be faxed to me, and it has yet to come.

Management refuses to explain to me why they charged my debit card when I had not written it's information down and authorized it. And I can not find out why I was not told that I needed to sign a form to cancel when I talked to the floor supervisor (in person) before I moved. This gym has always been VERY poorly managed, but I did not think that they would do anything like this!

Jasmine
kennesaw, Georgia
U.S.A.