When in Doubt, Trust Your Gut

<img src="https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dcr-apis/wp_contents/uploads/DCR-ADMIN/when%20in%20doubt.jpeg" alt="undefined" style="height: auto;width: auto"/> I was excited when I heard that new owners had taken over my gym and pool club. They promised to make improvements right away in a facility that had been minimally maintained for the past several years. I assumed monthly dues would go up, but a 35% increase was a big surprise. When I met with the owner to discuss new contract terms, I had a bad feeling in my gut. He was pressuring me to pay for a full year in advance rather than paying by the month. He wanted to deduct my fees from a bank account rather than a credit card. To be on the cautious side, I decided to go month-to-month and insisted on using my credit card. I just wasn’t sure that this management team knew what they were doing. Right off the bat, they overcharged me $150 upon signing up. I wrangled with them to get a refund, which meant making numerous phone calls, going to the club several times, texting the manager and even starting a dispute process with my bank. It took about 10 days to sort things out. My gut was getting worried about what might happen next. Sure enough, more things went awry. While cosmetic improvements were made, the outdoor pool was closed numerous times due to chemical imbalances that turned the water green. The showers didn’t have hot water. The hours and classes were reduced. The manager was never on the premises. I lost confidence in the people running the place. This time I trusted my gut, which said, “Give them your 30-day notice to cancel and move on.” Even that became a hassle. When I showed up in person (as required by the club) with a letter of cancellation earlier than the contract specified, the staff member said I had to fill out their cancellation form, which wasn’t available on premises. I would have to go to another location to get the form. When I pushed back on this, he agreed to accept my letter with the cancellation effective October 1. Again, trusting my gut, I double-checked in person a few weeks later, before the deadline, to make sure the file reflected my request. In fact, my cancellation hadn’t been processed, so I demanded that it be put into the record on the spot. I wanted nothing more to do with those people. In hindsight, I wish I had trusted my gut earlier and waited to see how the club was operating before rejoining. That would have been the wisest thing to do. Because I didn’t, I lost several hundred dollars and wasted time fighting with them instead of enjoying the pool and gym workouts. Now I’m beginning a very careful search for a new club.  <a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/" target="_self">Use Diamond Certified Resource to find top rated companies.</a> Related Articles <a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/Guide/Savvy-Consumer/" target="_self">Your Guide to Being a Savvy Consumer</a> <a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/find-expert-advice/" target="_self">Get Expert Advice From Owners of Top</a> <a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/find-expert-advice/" target="_self">Rated Local Companies</a> <a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/membership/" target="_self">Become a Diamond Certified Preferred Member (Always Free)</a>