How I got out of Bally Total Fitness Contract

After a 8 month long Battle with Customer care and Membership department. I finally got out of the Contract.

The problem: Click here to see why I had a problem and how bally total fitness had made my life miserable.

Month 1: January

It was January of 2008. My fiancee, who was going to Bally Total Fitness with me as a add on member had to leave to India after finishing her studies in March.

I requested for cancellation of the membership for her. A 50 Dollar Check was required and evidence ( her one-way ticket to India) to show that she would not be near a Bally Total Fitness Centre ( One of the ridiculous conditions in the Bally Total Fitness Contract.)
After sending , a request for cancellation via Fax and then sending the same with a check by mail. ( Please note, there is no Telephone number to Bally Fitness Cancellation Department – Ridiculous!) Anyways, I did not receive any conformation about the cancellation for over 2 months and I was being charged the total amount of 65 dollars a month. The check of 50 dollars was en cashed the week I had sent the mail. This gave me a bad message, as there was no way I could contact the cancellation department, I called the customer care. All they said was ” We will get with the cancellation department and check why it was not canceled.” )

Month 4:April

I completed my studies and was planning to leave to India for good 3 plus months. As I was still paying, unsuccessful in canceling my Fiancees membership thought, canceling my would finally cancel my contract. So I called the customer care to find out what I needed to send them.

List of Documents:

1. Leasing Document of the new Home address/ new postal forwarding slip/ new drivers license with new address.

Or

2. A one way ticket ( as I was traveling out of the country)

Month 6: June

There I was, happy and finally thought that it will be all over. Drafted a letter, attached my one-way ticket and sent it to the Cancellation Department with a request to cancel the membership and contract and that I was traveling in July for good.

I waited for some confirmation of my cancellation but instead I received a Letter from the cancellation department that they needed my fiancee’s one-way ticket. I was furious as I had sent it long time back. It also asked for a 50 dollar in check to cancel. This was really not making sense because, I had done this in January.

Thank God!, I had all the copies of all the documents I had sent them, so I made copies of all that sent it across and also attached my one-way ticket, my parents address ( note,I did not have a leasing document because I would be living at my parents home.) and the Copy of the Check and the bank transaction. I called the member services and found that they had received all that in Jan, and then in June and also I told them, that I was sending everything again as I received that letter. The member service assured me that it will all be taken care. I left the country and was in India for 3 months.

Month 8: Sept

I got my work Visa and decided to come back. Came back and everything was good. Started all my services, like Phone, Electricity etc, then I remembered Bally Total Fitness. Contacted them just to check if everything alright. First I got a message on my account that I owe them over 300 Dollars. Then my address was updated and when I spoke to the agent, told me that I owe them over 300 dollars and I a credit of about 2300 in debt, which I had to pay off or else my credit score would be affected.

The days that followed were nothing but a painful and stressful calling the member support, sending faxes to cancellation, etc. After sending over 10 Letters, 3 Faxes,18 calls to Bally Total Fitness in 2 months, I was finally able to get out of the contract. I read somewhere that ” Just by never giving up and sticking to your point, one can achieve a difficult goal” and this is what I did.

The Solution that worked for me:

1. Writing letters once every week. Started as a Request to Cancel Letter, slowly transferred to a letter of ordering the cancellation that extreme steps would be taken such as legal action. Made sure I sent a copy of the previous letter every time I sent a new one.

2.  Calling customer care and making them contact the cancellation and speaking to supervisors. Every time I called, I recorded every word I spoke and documented it.

3. Sent Faxes and letters of how their mistake is affecting and giving them time.

Finally,

They heard my message, I was not ready to give up. They knew that had no choice but do the right thing. In December first week, they finally canceled my contract, canceled my membership and refunded me some  12 dollars, some account, what ever it is,I can say that the persistent calling, mailing and faxing helped!

Good Luck to you. Hope you win your case.

-Cheers.
Durgesh

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