Gym Contract - Yuck!

Ohio. I was under contract for personal training for $319/mo. In Sept 2009, they told me I could cancel my auto-renew and buy sessions ala carte, which was great, so I filled out the cancellation form and gave it to the training director. I have emails from him AND corporate manager stating that I was "cancelled nothing further due".

When my accrued sessions were used, they switched tunes on me to say that I couldn't buy sessions without a new, expensive contract paid up-front. I complained to corporate that I never would have cancelled if I'd known that. They emailed me to say they reinstated the auto-renew for me and I would need to give 30 days notice to cancel. I did NOT sign a new contract but I continued to swipe my card at the gym and workout. I was never auto-billed during this time.

I quit the gym 9 months ago and turned in another cancellation form to the training director which I no longer have but my training witnessed and will testify to. Fast forward to today: they've started billing my credit card. I called corporate and they say that I hadn't been billed automatically in the interim because I was so far ahead in buying sessions since I was swiping my card at the gym, but since I never sent a certified mail (which is actually required under the terms of the contract), I was never cancelled and so I'm still subject to auto-renew. Now I've got $1590 on my credit card (which I've disputed) and they continue to say that I'm under contract and I can't cancel until my account is in "good standing". I'm sure their next step is to report the debt to a collections agency.

I plan to send a certified mail describing the facts and the emails I have from Sept 2009 acknowledging my cancellation, but given their tactics, I don't think I'll get far. Trying to stay a step ahead, what's my next course of action? (and yes, I will never sign a gym contract again)

Thanks for the help

Your next step is to call & write your CC company (to the appropriate location) of the disputed charge & to change your card, get a new #.

Then wait & see if the CC company takes the charge off. No interest will acure until the dispute is settled with the CC company.

davidmcbeth3 said:

Your next step is to call & write your CC company (to the appropriate location) of the disputed charge & to change your card, get a new #.

Then wait & see if the CC company takes the charge off. No interest will acure until the dispute is settled with the CC company.

Click to expand...

So I've done that and I've sent the credit card company a copy of the emails which indicate I'm "cancelled, nothing further due". I'm fairly confident they'll side with me.

My concern now, after speaking to others who've dealt with this gym, is that they'll turn it over to a collection agency which will report it to the credit companies and ruin my credit rating. This is apparently their playbook. Is there any way to prevent that and if not, how can that be dealt with?