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Comment by jccooper | Hacker News Reader

Sounds like a credit card chargeback to me.

That's what I did with 24 Hour Fitness. I had to cancel in person, which is ridiculous, but the guy told me that because of the way their system works, they will charge me for the next month too. When the charges showed up a month later, I use chargeback to refund the money and that was the end of it. Their system supposedly being slow to process isn't a reason for me to be charged another month; one shouldn't be rewarded for incompetence. I was ready to fight them on it because nowhere in the agreement did they mention charging me another month after cancelation but they let the chargeback stay -- probably because they know it's baseless and was hoping people won't bother fighting them.

I honestly wouldn't be surprised if credit card companies essentially screen calls from some gyms. I can't imagine you're the first person to have a terrible experience with 24 Hr Fitness. I don't know if it'd go so far as to effect their credit score, but I imagine businesses like that are flagged in processing systems.

I've never been to LA Fitness, but I know Planet Fitness requires you to provide a voided check, and they directly withdraw from your bank account.

Planet Fitness requires you to visit one of their branches to cancel or write a letter to the branch where you enrolled. I cancelled my membership last week.

They will submit the debt to a debt collector and ding your credit if this is done. The debt is governed by the contract you signed, not by their ability to charge your card.

> The debt is governed by the contract you signed, not by their ability to charge your card.

Yeah, but my ability to cancel is also governed by contract, not by their arbitrary policies around it. Unless the contract explicitly says otherwise, an email, chat, or phone call saying "I'm cancelling" is sufficient notice.

> Unless the contract explicitly says otherwise, an email, chat, or phone call saying "I'm cancelling" is sufficient notice

This would not constitute legal notice under most contracts. There will be termination instructions. Often involving mailing a letter. But almost no contract technically permits termination via phone call.

Huh, okay, today I learned! Thanks for the correction. I'm used to employment contracts which just require "notice". That said, I'd argue the "often involving a letter" part:

For all my web/app/software products, including streaming video services, I can cancel within the site/app. My cellphone provider is the only one that specifies a phone call.

Even the New York Times TOS says a chat with an online agent is sufficient, and that's one of the ones being complained about in this thread.

I don't think I've ever seen "mailing a letter" required outside of a few unethical gyms.

Based on responses, I would edit/delete this comment if I could. Thanks for setting me straight

Have you ever read a gym contract?

Yeah, but apparently I go to much more ethical gyms.

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