Your trips to the gym should prove wholly rejuvenating and help relieve stress. So, it’s rather disappointing when disputes about gym membership charges arise, reversing the stress-busting effects of your workouts.

You don’t have to fret long though because it’s possible to get a refund. All you have to do is move through the following steps for disputing gym membership charges to get your money back fast. Here’s what you need to know.

Read the Contract in Full

The contract you signed when getting a gym membership will come in handy in deciding if the company owes you a refund.

You must read the contract in full to learn about the terms of your membership, like:

  • Billing dates
  • Payment amounts
  • Minimum commitment

The contact will also tell you how the cancellation process should go. Look for statements about how much notice you have to give before cancelling your membership and any fees associated with that request.   

Then, compare those findings with the charges issued by the gym to see if they’re in line with their operating procedures. If not, then you likely have the right to request a refund.

Talk to Management at the Gym

If you have the right to request a refund, plan to do so in person. You’ll just need to call and schedule a meeting with the gym manager. They may try to give you the runaround but be firm about the fact that you want to come in and talk to them directly.

Before your scheduled meeting date, take the time to review your consumer rights. Also, gather up all your paperwork, including your membership contract and bank or credit card statement. If you don’t want to think on your toes, write up a brief outline of what you want to say.

During the meeting, let the manager know exactly why you’re requesting a refund. Don’t let them sway you with discount offers and the like if you’re set on leaving the gym or just need the money back. You have the right to a refund if the company issued erroneous charges.

Request a Chargeback on Your Credit Card

Did you pay for your gym membership with your credit card? If so, you can simply request a chargeback through your credit card company.

This process differs for each company, so contact their customer service team if you’re not sure how to proceed. In most cases, there’s an online form you have to fill out with all the info about the charges and why you’re disputing them.

Ask for a Refund in a Demand Letter

If the gym manager does not issue a refund—or you cannot request a chargeback—you have no choice but to move forward in sending a demand letter. This letter lets the company know that you’re ready to sue them in small claims court if they do not issue a refund as requested.

You can streamline the letter creation process with help from Dispute. With just a few clicks of a button, this platform will generate and send a demand letter with all the info needed to get great results. You will then need to decide just how long to wait for a response before moving on to the next step.

Sue for Your Losses in Small Claims Court

You will need to sue for your gym membership refund in small claims court if you don’t get the desired result from your demand letter. You can do that by going down to your local courthouse to fill out the paperwork.

You will need to provide the contact info for the gym owner during this step. Also, plan to provide all your contact info and pay the filing fee. Depending on your location, the fee may cost anywhere from $20 to over $50.

After you’re done completing the paperwork, bring it back to the court clerk to finalize the process. The clerk will write the hearing date and time on the document. You will then need to provide a copy of the paperwork to the gym owner.

Or, you can use Dispute to generate the appropriate small claims documents in minutes from your phone or computer.

You cannot serve the documents yourself. Have the document delivered by a professional server or anyone older than 18 who’s not associated with the case.

All that’s left to do after that is show up on the set hearing date and present your case. You don’t need to hire a lawyer or learn anything about legal terminology or processes. Simply tell the judge why you’re disputing gym membership charges and then wait for their verdict.

Want to Streamline the Dispute Process?

Disputing gym membership charges can prove challenging, but you don’t have to go it alone. Dispute can help with creating your demand letter, generating the small claims paperwork, and so much more. With help from this platform, you can easily start the process without leaving the comfort of your own home.