Complaint Review: Workout Anytime Inc. Corporate Headquarters

I signed a 2-year contract with Workout Anytime in Dallas, GA. At the time I signed up, they agreed to remove the annual facilities improvement fee of $25.00 per year. I paid first and last month up front with 22 monthly installments charged to a Visa. I seldom used the facility, but of course was bound by the contract anyway. This is one of those agreements that automatically renews at the end of the term, unless you advise them not to. Affiliated Acceptance Corporation in Sunrise Beach, MO is the facility who collects and applies the monthly payments. They also operate under the name of Professional Finacial Services.

First of all, the first annual facilities improvement fee was charged against my Visa. I was instructed by the Dallas, GA facility to contact corporate headquarters in Smyrna, GA. When I contacted them they were very unprofessional, all but called me a liar, and refused to even physically look at my contract. I offered to bring it to their office but was told the office was not open to the general public and I would not be allowed in. I sent a copy to them by certified mail. When I received the return receipt, I called them and they said they never received it and that the person who signed for did not work there. It was only $25 so I let that go.

Once the final payment was made, as instructed in the contract I sent a certified letter to their corporate headquarters in Smyrna, GA advising them I was not going to renew my membership . The letter was returned because the corporate headquarters had moved and left no forwarding address! I immediately contacted Visa and stopped future monthly charges. Because the facilities improvement fee is a different amount, the second annual fee was allowed just days afterward. Then I started receiving notices from Affiliated Acceptance Corp. that I owed for the monthly charges Visa had denied, late fees and return fees. I sent them a letter detailing everything that had happened, including copies of letters, return receipts, and a copy of my contract. I stated to them that I had done everything the contract required to non-renew and that I did not owe anything. They replied with another letter stating that they have "approved" my cancellation request, but still saying I owe for the charges Visa had denied, late fees and return fees. They also stated in their letter that, once I have paid, they will report the account to the credit bureaus as "closed/inactive" and I can then contact the credit bureaus and request that it be removed from my record.

There's not a lot of money involved in this. It's just the principal. If I ignor it, they'll continue doing this to others. Workout Anytime is a huge business. I don't know how may members they have. But, just for arguments sake, let's say 250,000 (ha!) members nationwide. Multiply that times $40, $50 or $75 per member. They're raking in a lot of dough on top of legitimate membership fees. It's ridiculous! How can this be legal?

Ptb
Dallas, Georgia
U.S.A.