Despite the pandemic, you’ll probably have to honor the terms of your gym contract, says Kristin McGrath, shopping expert at Offers.com: “It’s very unlikely your gym will allow you to ditch your contract due to concerns about Covid-19 alone.”
Still, there are steps you can take to try to cancel your membership if your gym has started charging you again. Here are do’s and don’ts that might help you get out of your gym contract.
Do: Get in touch with a real person
Gym membership contracts are usually canceled face-to-face, says Andrea Woroch, consumer savings expert. If you’re comfortable visiting your gym, that might be the best way to state your case.
“If the gyms are open, go in person and request to speak with a sales person, explaining that you haven’t been able to get a hold of anyone,” Woroch says.
If you don’t want to visit the gym, try calling the “new membership” line to be connected with an employee, McGrath suggests. Still, she says, “there is no guarantee that someone focused on sales will be able to help you get out of your contract.”
Or consider sending an email. “You may face similar delays [as you would by calling] in getting a response, but at least you have the documentation and aren’t waiting on hold,” McGrath says.