Summer fitness brings hazards of joining gyms

by Alexis Lahr
Staff Writer

Summer is around the corner and many people are trying to lose a few pounds to look their best. In an attempt to get in shape, many people are joining fitness clubs, and some are getting ripped off in the process.

When signing up for a fitness club, most clubs require an enrollment fee. These fees can vary significantly, from less than $100 to more than $200.

After the enrollment fee comes the monthly payment, which also varies. Clubs offer a variety of memberships, ranging from full access to any location in the country to access only at the club where the customer enrolled. Some clubs charge on a month-to-month basis, while others allow customers to pay in full before when they join. Monthly fees vary depending on the type of plan the membership offers.

This seems simple and straightforward, however some customers have been financially caught off guard when they decide to change their membership or take time off from working out.

Sam Elsherif, a 24-Hour Fitness employee, explained that when people sign up for memberships, they pay for the first and last month. If the customer decides to take a break for a while, their membership goes into a state known as limbo. The customer can reinstate their membership within six months, but they will have to back pay their monthly fees.

At Bally Total Fitness any membership in good standing can be placed on a frozen status. During the time the membership is inactive, the customer must pay $10 each month. If the membership has already been paid in full, it may be frozen for up to six months, after a written notice and a fee of $35.

It seems that the clubs in these situations make a profit whether or not customers actually use their membership, since their customers have to pay either way.

University of La Verne student Zorahida Preciado knows first-hand how difficult it can be to deal with fitness clubs.

She signed up for an inexpensive membership with Bally Total Fitness and paid with a credit card. She ended up canceling her credit card and wanted to transfer her membership to a new one. She was told that in order to do this, her membership had to be cancelled and she would be charged a fee, or she would have to upgrade her membership, which was an extra $30 per month.

"They didn't give me enough options. They told me what I had to get," Preciado said. "It seems like they only want money."

Alicia Southorn, who is also a ULV student, had similar financial problems with Bally Total Fitness.

She signed up for a membership under the impression that she would pay a $75 enrollment fee and $34 per month for the five months she wanted to be a member. When she received her credit card bill, she had been charged $1,000 for a three-year contract.

When Southorn contacted the club, she was told she would have to pay $250 to cancel the contract.

"I felt like I had been taken advantage of. I felt like the salesman did not care about my needs and instead focused on his sales goals," said Southorn.

As students have learned, some fitness club memberships can help people shed a few pounds, and more than a few bucks.