# Gym membership - can't cancel??? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 12, 2009, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-membership-cant-cancel/506231 "2009-08-12T22:41:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2009, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-membership-cant-cancel/506231/21 "2009-08-13T06:32:40Z")
> [@Covered\_In\_Bees](#): > > Well apparently you can never leave. So The Eagles might be able to help you find such a gym. OK, I’m going to give myself a break because it’s 2:30 AM, but the first thought that passed through my head was “Why would the Philadelphia Eagles help you find a gym?” Then it clicked… ohhhhh The Eagles, like in Hotel California (or Gym California). ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2009, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-membership-cant-cancel/506231/22 "2009-08-13T10:06:43Z")
Want to see contract. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2009, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-membership-cant-cancel/506231/23 "2009-08-13T10:58:18Z")
[It googling around](http://www.ellenroseman.com/?p=67) it does appear some gyms still use a “perpetual” style membership contract. Many states have consumer protection type laws against this and she should call her state consumer protection agency/entity to see if this is allowed in her state. ---
**Author:** ![muttrox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a8b319/32.png) [@muttrox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muttrox)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2009, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-membership-cant-cancel/506231/24 "2009-08-13T12:10:12Z")
> [@boytyperanma](#): > > She can also call the gym and tell them you are canceling the membership whether they like it or not. If she signed a contract, she doesn’t get to unilaterally decide to break it without consequences. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2009, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-membership-cant-cancel/506231/25 "2009-08-13T12:16:24Z")
Here in NC there have been lots of problems with gyms so the attorney general is used to dealing with them. BTW, gyms with contracts actually prefer that you not show up since they get the money anyway. They know a good chunk of people quit going but they have your cash for another year or so. Gyms without contracts know they need you to keep showing up since you can cancel at any time. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2009, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-membership-cant-cancel/506231/26 "2009-08-13T21:37:16Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > Can’t she cancel the direct debit instruction by telling her bank to stop paying it? I am not in the banking business but I have done lots of direct debits to my account and I have never authorized the bank to do it. I just give my name, the routing number, and the account number to the business and they do the rest. Once they have that information, I don’t think it’s possible to tell your bank to decline transactions from a specific party. However, I am not 100% sure and would welcome a comment from an insider. ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2009, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-membership-cant-cancel/506231/27 "2009-08-13T21:44:34Z")
> [@muttrox](#): > > If she signed a contract, she doesn’t get to unilaterally decide to break it without consequences. The consequences are they can take her to court for breach of contract. I’d personally be amused to see them argue the case in court. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2009, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-membership-cant-cancel/506231/28 "2009-08-13T22:03:57Z")
Most gyms will let you break the contract at any point after fulfilling the first year anyways. Has she actually talked to someone at the gym? What did they tell her? ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2009, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-membership-cant-cancel/506231/29 "2009-08-13T23:31:17Z")
She hasn’t talked to anyone yet. Thanks for the input - I don’t know what will happen with this thing, but it just doesn’t sound right for a place to take $10 out of your checking account FOREVER! Maybe it’ll go out of business! ---
**Author:** ![Mops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mops/32/16494_2.png) [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-membership-cant-cancel/506231/30 "2009-08-14T07:54:53Z")
FWIW I very much suspect that when your friend said “cant’ cancel” she really meant “can’t cancel effective immediately”. For example, if I rightly recollect my contract with my gym says cancellations must arrive at least one month before the end of the contract year or the contract renews for one year, and _extraordinary_ cancellations (i.e. effective before the normal end of the contract year) require death, disability or moving away. That means I can of course cancel at any time for any reason, just not effective immediately. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-membership-cant-cancel/506231/31 "2009-08-14T09:42:22Z")
> [@muttrox](#): > > If she signed a contract, she doesn’t get to unilaterally decide to break it without consequences. Right, the consequences of not paying the $10/mo is not being allowed to use the gym. Of course, if they refused to let her cancel the contract, she could just go there every morning and spit on the machines, yell at the staff and other members, and generally make a colossal nuisance of herself until they kick her out, maybe bring a boombox instead of an iPod. I guarantee that nobody can refuse to allow you access to the facilities and continue to charge you a monthly fee. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-membership-cant-cancel/506231/32 "2009-08-14T15:00:35Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > I am not in the banking business but I have done lots of direct debits to my account and I have never authorized the bank to do it. I just give my name, the routing number, and the account number to the business and they do the rest. Once they have that information, I don’t think it’s possible to tell your bank to decline transactions from a specific party. However, I am not 100% sure and would welcome a comment from an insider. I bank with BB&T and I can do it online. It’s quite easy. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-membership-cant-cancel/506231/33 "2009-08-14T15:12:52Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > She hasn’t talked to anyone yet. Thanks for the input - I don’t know what will happen with this thing, but it just doesn’t sound right for a place to take $10 out of your checking account FOREVER! Maybe it’ll go out of business! Why would it? They’re getting $10/month from a whole bunch of people for ever and ever! > [@](#): > > I have just been dinged $39 by a credit card company because their attempt to collect from the old account was bounced, and the bank did NOT pay it from the new account. When I closed one account and opened the other, I had to tell the bank everyone that was authorized to debit the account so they would pay them from the new account. I forgot my (wife’s) credit card company. Regularly scheduled EFT transfers will not move over to the new account. Regularly scheduled debits from a check card will. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-membership-cant-cancel/506231/34 "2009-08-14T16:44:52Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > So NOW she reads her contract and NOW she finds out she can’t cancel except for death, At least if she dies she can walk in and cancel. That’s only fair. 😉 Is this actually a stipulation? Are there other contracts that oblige a person after they have passed? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-membership-cant-cancel/506231.md?page=1)