To start off, I worked in the Child Minding (babysitting) area at GLF for a couple of years (ending in 2007). When I was working there I found out you can volunteer at the gym and receive a free membership just for 3 hours a week. WOW! Why don’t more people do this, I wondered. I thought to myself; when I have my own kids I am definitely going to volunteer. They can come with you AND you get a free membership to a pretty good gym. Sweet deal!

Fast forward to September 2010. I am realizing that this baby weight is staying put and started to think about how to rid this jiggliness. Oh ya!! I could volunteer at GLF. So, I stopped in one Saturday and spoke to the girl at the front desk. She told me to bring in a resume. I was thinking, I just want to volunteer, why do I need a resume? I even did your lame-o training when I worked here. Seriously. Either way, I had her leave a message for the manager as well (who I knew as a CSR when I worked there – now the manager). Well I didn’t hear back from her in a couple of days, so I called. She was not available so I left a message for her to return my call. I didn’t hear from her. I took in my resume that weekend with a note attached regarding all of the above. I hadn’t heard back from her, so I called….Guess what? Not available! So I emailed her stating all of the above. I waited another week with no response. We are now into October and I was emailing one final time that stated I was wondering if they needed volunteers at this time because if not, I am going to put my efforts towards somewhere else. I received a call the next day. Apologizing for the delay getting back to me (I am sure they learned this in the lame-o training). So an appt was set up to meet. I was lucky and didn’t have to do the interview portion of the volunteering process. Here comes the membership process.

So, I sat down with the manager, who filled out the volunteer forms, and the membership co-ordinator sat down with us as well to fill out the membership portion. The manager handed her a “certificate” to attach to the membership paperwork that stated I was volunteering for JUMP (babysitting) and that I would be receiving a free membership. Her response – SWEET! When it came to the bottom of the membership agreement, I was asked for my banking information. The reason (which in hindsight was not a good reason)? We have banking info on all files for volunteers and employees. Of course it makes sense for employees, but why me? Oh well. I had to call Matt to get the account info, but signed my name and filled out Royal Bank for the bank name, leaving the rest of the banking info blank. She filled out the total sale portion in regards to the personal training I would be receiving. I paid that and she kept the form until I got her the banking info. When I came back to the front desk with the banking info, she then handed me the membership agreement.

All I can say is: READ THE MEMBERSHIP AGREEMENT CAREFULLY! And DO NOT give them your banking information. I can’t prove it, but there was information filled out on my agreement after the fact I filled it out. I didn’t check when she handed it to me until I started having money taken out of my account. I went back to the agreement and discovered it was filled out stating I agreed to $24+tax for payments and I would be paying the bi-weekly. This was NEVER discussed with me. Of course I would have said no. I was VOLUNTEERING. While I was doing on-line banking, I was scrolling down and looking to make sure everything looked ok (I do this weekly). I noticed a withdrawal of $27.12 from GoodLife. I had volunteered the night before and was trying to figure out what I bought. Of course nothing! So I scrolled down further and discovered two other withdrawals for the same amount! Holy shitballs, they are taking money out for a membership. I called right away and actually got to speak to the manager when I said it was Karla from JUMP. She said that she would look into it right away. Good! I didn’t have to get angry, I thought. This is where I will try to “shorten” it up a bit. The third payment was taken out October 29th, but in the meantime of her looking into it, and me asking where the refund was and I was informed that it would take 10 days to receive the refund, another payment was withdrawn on the 12th of November. It took until the 25th of November to receive 3 of the 4 payments back in my account. WAYYY to long. I contacted her on December 2nd and said that I was still missing the payment from November 12th. Of course she looked into it. I asked for a number I could call and speak to someone directly. She ignored that question like the plague. She was in JUMP one night and I asked her while she was there. She said that there is no one person she speaks to and they will only tell me that it is being processed. Try looking up a number for head office. All you can find is a number to discuss membership sales. Hmmm….I wonder why??

I contacted her on the 11th day (waiting from December 2nd) about the November 12th payment. At this time I was told it could take two to three weeks. Not what she told me previously. While this was going on, I looked into stopping payments coming out from GLF. They charge $15 over the phone $10  online or free in person if I can’t solve the problem myself. Of course I was lazy and did none of those options, having faith that no more would come out. WRONG! On December 24th another payment came out. At this point I still haven’t received the payment back from November 12th. OMG!!! What is going on! I contacted her on January 3rd saying no refund for either payments yet. It took until January 7th!!! to receive ONE of the payments (November 12th) back. To this day, I am still waiting on the payment that was withdrawn from my account on December 24th. I email her weekly, letting her know still no payment. When I speak to her in person she lets me know that she will email me if she hears anything. NOTHING yet! She informed me that she has removed my banking info from my account and no more payments should come out. Does that mean it won’t come in either??? I can’t wait to speak to her tonight. Hopefully she is in. I will keep you posted.

To recap: It is January 27th. I am still waiting on a refund for a payment that was withdrawn on December 24th. I was told, however, that I would receive $54.24 (Nov/Dec withdrawals) back. I only received $27.12. Leaving me to continue to fight for one more payment. This whole time I can’t help but wonder if the membership salesperson has been receiving commission on these withdrawals and is that being reversed????

I look back at it now, and yes, I did a couple of stupid things, but who thinks you are going to be scammed like this??? I will from now on!!

Sorry for the lengthiness, but boy do I feel better!

UPDATE: It is April 8th, 2011. I received a call from the manager on Thursday, March 10th (wow, was it really almost a month ago??) letting me know that she spoke with head office and they informed her that they refunded my payment from December 24th in January and I should check my statement. I said okay then, I am owed a refund from a payment that was withdrawn on November 12th. Either way I am still owed $27.12. She told me she would call me back. I am still waiting for the call. I have sent an email once a week and still nothing. And today there is still no refund for a payment they withdrew from my account on November 12th! Almost 5 months ago!!! This is bull!

Just had a yelling match with a different manager and she told me she would look into my issue in the next week or so. Are you kidding me??? I have been waiting 5 months! I feel sort of bad that I yelled, but come on! I was FINALLY given a number to call to speak to someone at head office (which I was informed it is plastered all over the gym – the one I don’t go to I might add!) I spoke to a person and she said that my October 1st withdrawal was showing as a legitimate membership payment. She is sending me a cheque in the mail for the refund. Why was this never discovered in the first place??? Whatever! Either way, once I receive the cheque, this matter is finished.