Jeff Quinn had to cancel his gym membership before his contract ended due to a job change and said he was told he could do so at any time. But when he couldn’t get a refund on the remaining months, the Durham man turned to NBC Connecticut Responds for help.
Quinn works out three to four times a week but wanted to push himself even more, so he joined Club 24 and signed a nine-month contract to take classes at the gym.
“The goal is to do a high-intensity workout for, for an hour,” Quinn said, “I really liked this gym and I have great respect for the class, the trainers. They have excellent equipment.“
Quinn said a manager informed him that he could cancel the class at any time. He would, however, be required to pay for the following month.
“I was travelling and I just didn’t have the time to do it,” said Quinn.
After five months, Jeff said, he cancelled the contract, but the recurring monthly charges still showed up in his bank account.
Quinn filed a complaint on Club 24’s website, sent a number of emails and even cancelled in person.
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He spoke with the district manager who told him he was bound to contract.
“I was disappointed. I was very upset,” said Quinn.
That’s when Quinn contacted NBC Connecticut Responds. Club 24’s District manager, Joseph Longley, agreed to sit down with NBC.
“We do our due diligence and we talk to who we need to talk to. We look at the paperwork and there was no signature of cancellation,” said Longley.
Longley confirmed Quinn’s nine month agreement, which allows him to pay monthly after the contract ends.
When asked whether that would allow someone to cancel at any time, Longley replied: “Unlike most gyms, we actually are pretty flexible.”
According to Longley, gym members can cancel for medical reasons with a doctor’s note or if they move 25 miles away from the gym’s locations and provide proof of residency.
After sharing Jeff’s story with the owner, Longley said they thought it was best to give Quinn a refund as a goodwill gesture but they were under no obligation to do.
Longley stressed that they want to maintain a good relationship with their clients.
“We’re trying to be much, much better and we’re always trying to come up with new systems to make that just easier for the client,” said Longley.
Club 24 refunded $560 back into Quinn’s account.
“I would welcome anyone who has complaints to reach out to you guys. You did a great job,” said Quinn.
