Help me deal with my gym's passive aggressiveness post-breakup stalking
September 16, 2013 7:43 AM Subscribe
I had a gym membership. Then I had a baby, and cancelled the gym membership in March. I was out of contract, paying month-to-month. Now they're trying to collect on post-cancellation "debts" for April through June. Help!
They've even hired a collection agency of some sort to bother me. (Integrity Solutions.) They haven't actually done anything to my credit report, but I'm concerned that they'll just keep racking up "charges" and then unload it all at some point. The company is Town Sports, Inc. they run the "$City Sports Clubs" in many coastal cities. Googling suggests this is a frequent complain, but I haven't seen any solutions suggested.
Does anyone have any experience with making these people leave you alone? Do I just have to give them the money they want?
They've even hired a collection agency of some sort to bother me. (Integrity Solutions.) They haven't actually done anything to my credit report, but I'm concerned that they'll just keep racking up "charges" and then unload it all at some point. The company is Town Sports, Inc. they run the "$City Sports Clubs" in many coastal cities. Googling suggests this is a frequent complain, but I haven't seen any solutions suggested.
Does anyone have any experience with making these people leave you alone? Do I just have to give them the money they want?
Do you have any written record of the process of ending the membership or remember who you spoke with when you cancelled the membership? You should try to collect any evidence that you have, and maybe try bringing it to the gym and speaking to someone there about it in person, as calmly as you can. Getting a lawyer is an idea, but I kind of think it would be more trouble than it is worth just for a couple months of membership fees.
posted by thesnowyslaps at 8:00 AM on September 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by thesnowyslaps at 8:00 AM on September 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
I would take one more step on my own before going to an attorney. Photocopy all of the relevant forms showing your contract end dates, etc, and include them in a letter copied and sent certified mail to as many people as you can get addresses for. Write up a serious ass-kicking sounding letter along the lines of this:
Dear [so and so],posted by phunniemee at 8:03 AM on September 16, 2013 [19 favorites]
I am writing to address the demands made on [date] and [date] regarding collections payments for a membership I held at CrapGym. Enclosed please find the following documents outlining the dates of my membership: [doc1] [doc2] [doc3] [etc]. Note that these show I was out of contract and paying month to month.
I formally cancelled my membership in March of 2013. I should not be charged for April, May, or June.
I ask that you cease and desist pursuing this erroneous collections claim immediately. If I receive further inquiries regarding the bills for these or any other months, I will be forced to take legal action against CrapGym.
Sincerely,
anonymous
cc: accounts receivable, CrapGym president, CrapGym manager, etc, etc
Does anyone have any experience with making these people leave you alone?
Yes. Basically the same thing happened to me: I cancelled a gym membership, then got a letter from a collection agency a year or two later seeking payment for subsequent months.
I can't tell you what to write, because I'm an attorney now and I can't give you legal advice. But at the time, I hadn't attended law school. I just Googled for information on consumer debt-collection rights, read some tips on how to respond, and drafted a letter explaining I had cancelled the membership and I disputed the debt. I never heard from them again.
posted by cribcage at 8:05 AM on September 16, 2013 [4 favorites]
Yes. Basically the same thing happened to me: I cancelled a gym membership, then got a letter from a collection agency a year or two later seeking payment for subsequent months.
I can't tell you what to write, because I'm an attorney now and I can't give you legal advice. But at the time, I hadn't attended law school. I just Googled for information on consumer debt-collection rights, read some tips on how to respond, and drafted a letter explaining I had cancelled the membership and I disputed the debt. I never heard from them again.
posted by cribcage at 8:05 AM on September 16, 2013 [4 favorites]
This is a common scam amongst gyms and collection agencies. When I worked in Wisconsin, I helped out a coworker from India who'd received a letter from a collection agency about an unpaid gym membership in Chicago from five years before he'd come to the U.S. The collections guy was very open about the fact that they'd tried to attach the debt to my coworker because he had the same name as on the membership and was in the Chicago area; a bit of research turned up enough information on my coworker to send a very threatening looking letter that appeared to be an ironclad collection demand.
Of course, once I spoke directly to the agent and it was obvious that no one was going to cave and pay just to make it go away, it was over (the guy actually asked "does he want to pay the debt anyway?"). But I imagine that this is sort of like cold cases: when they're bored, they rake through a pile of cheap collection attempts and see what they can pull from people who just don't want to fight.
This is all by way of saying: Make yourself look like a difficult collection by pushing back hard on any attempts to bullshit you, and they'll almost certainly drop it.
posted by fatbird at 8:25 AM on September 16, 2013 [4 favorites]
Of course, once I spoke directly to the agent and it was obvious that no one was going to cave and pay just to make it go away, it was over (the guy actually asked "does he want to pay the debt anyway?"). But I imagine that this is sort of like cold cases: when they're bored, they rake through a pile of cheap collection attempts and see what they can pull from people who just don't want to fight.
This is all by way of saying: Make yourself look like a difficult collection by pushing back hard on any attempts to bullshit you, and they'll almost certainly drop it.
posted by fatbird at 8:25 AM on September 16, 2013 [4 favorites]
Your state atty general's office web site may be helpful. Check there for sample letters and recommend steps.
posted by Lesser Shrew at 8:29 AM on September 16, 2013
posted by Lesser Shrew at 8:29 AM on September 16, 2013
I once belonged to a gym who refused to cancel a membership despite my efforts until I contacted the Better Business Bureau. After whatever the Better Business Bureau did (can't remember the details it was a while ago) - I got a call from an eager manager who wanted to talk to me and I was finally able to cancel the membership.
posted by rdnnyc at 10:12 AM on September 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by rdnnyc at 10:12 AM on September 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
Oh yeah the BBB is a great resource! They actually don't have a ton of "authority" but they can usually persuade businesses to do the right thing. The BBB was able to get this horrible tailor to reimburse me for the cost of an item they ruined.
posted by radioamy at 1:01 PM on September 16, 2013
posted by radioamy at 1:01 PM on September 16, 2013
cc: accounts receivable, CrapGym president, CrapGym manager, etc, etc
This is definitely a good time for an executive carpet bomb. Spend a couple of hours on google tracking down email addresses for as many high-ranked people at the gym corporation as you can, then send a rational complaint letter to your local gym manager, CCing about 100 people way above his pay grade.
posted by 256 at 1:44 PM on September 16, 2013
This is definitely a good time for an executive carpet bomb. Spend a couple of hours on google tracking down email addresses for as many high-ranked people at the gym corporation as you can, then send a rational complaint letter to your local gym manager, CCing about 100 people way above his pay grade.
posted by 256 at 1:44 PM on September 16, 2013
I had been a member of Gold's Gym. When I quit, they kept billing me. I sent them a letter explaining that I had quit months ago with the relevant paperwork. I also disputed the charges on my credit card. That did it. Good luck. Town Sports can kiss my butt.
posted by kat518 at 7:09 PM on September 16, 2013
posted by kat518 at 7:09 PM on September 16, 2013
rational complaint letter
Yup - the first letter you send them is not the time for foul language and name-calling. Make it polite and professional, with all your evidence. Just like phunnieme says above.
posted by CathyG at 7:38 PM on September 16, 2013
Yup - the first letter you send them is not the time for foul language and name-calling. Make it polite and professional, with all your evidence. Just like phunnieme says above.
posted by CathyG at 7:38 PM on September 16, 2013
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Consult an attorney in your jurisdiction. Bring all of the paperwork (initial contract, etc.) and correspondence that you have. Explain that you need Town Sports, Inc. to fuck off right quick and would like the attorney to review the documents and help you accomplish this. The matter should be relatively straightforward and therefore brief and inexpensive.
Do I just have to give them the money they want?
No, but wearing you down until you pay them to go away is part of their strategy.
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 7:53 AM on September 16, 2013 [2 favorites]