[NEW GYMS] Customer Service and Membership - Problem cancelling

When you sign a contract, you agree to the terms and conditions within it – and these apply if you’re looking to cancel.

If your contract includes a “minimum term”, you will have to commit to the period of time stated in the contract before you can cancel. If you want to cancel earlier, you may have to pay either a penalty fee or the remainder of the minimum term. 

Minimum terms shouldn’t be longer than a year – if your contract has a minimum term longer than a year, you may be able to cancel it.

Some contracts may include a notice period (up to 30 days) that you will also have to stick to when you cancel.

If you cancel your direct debit to avoid fulfilling the terms of your contract, the gym may get a debt collection agency involved to claim back any fees owed. In addition, cancelling a direct debit without informing the gym may mean that they consider your contract to be still running – meaning you may rack up significant unpaid fees!

You should be aware that all contracts have a 14-day cooling-off period by law. You’re allowed to cancel at any time (without giving a reason) within the first 14 days after signing a contract.

If your circumstances have changed and prevent you from continuing your membership, you should get in touch with the management team to explain the situation. They should work with you to find a compromise. They are allowed to ask for proof that your circumstances have changed (for example, that you’ve lost your job or moved away). 

If an injury or illness prevents you from attending the gym, your gym should typically let you cancel your contract without penalty (according to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)). They are allowed to ask for proof that your circumstances have changed (for example, that you’ve lost your job or moved away).

If you’re having difficulty cancelling your membership, you should contact the gym’s management to let them know. They should take reasonable steps to resolve the matter. If it feels like the gym is using an unfair term in the contract to prevent you from cancelling, you should ask them to remove it from the contract under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (or, for older contracts that started before 1 October 2015, the Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999).

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