Misrepresentation on contract merrits

. On 12/09/2024 I joined Planet Fit.

On the same day, I met with Tumi who was the sales representative. While we were going through the terms and conditions, I specifically asked him about the cancellation procedure because I previously had a cancellation problem with the gym. He informed me that, should I wish to cancel, I would need to put in three months’ notice while continuing to pay for the gym during that period, after which my membership would be cancelled. Based on this explanation, I signed the contract and proceeded to use the gym.

I continued with my membership until I could no longer afford to pay. On 24 October 2025, I called the gym using either 072 or 069 and informed the consultant that I intended to cancel my membership. To my surprise, she advised that I could cancel but would need to pay a cancellation fee immediately. I explained that this was not the process I had been told when I signed up, and I felt completely misled. When I asked for a solution, she told me she did not have one.

I felt deceived by Planet Fitness. I was told about a cancellation clause that does not exist, clearly to secure a sale, knowing that once I signed, I would be bound by the contract. By the time I discovered the truth, it was too late to do anything about it.

Due to my financial difficulties, I could no longer pay for something I was unable to use. Despite this, Planet Fitness continued to debit my account and eventually handed my contract over to debt collectors. Out of fear of damaging my credit score, I made an arrangement with them and honoured my payments. However, even though I was paying, the debt collectors failed to update my profile, and additional fees were added to my account. When I enquired about these fees via email, they ignored my messages and never provided clarity on the alleged debt.

I am extremely concerned with the manner in which this has been handled. To make matters worse, I later discovered that I am not the only person who has been misled about the cancellation procedure. Unfortunately, many others have faced the same issue but cannot do much about it.

If this matter is not resolved immediately, I will have no choice but to escalate it further. I am prepared to:

Report this case to the National Consumer Commission (NCC)and the Consumer Protection Ombudsman, Submit a formal complaint to the Credit Ombud regarding the way my account has been handled by debt collectors, and Seek legal advice on possible misrepresentation and unfair contract practices. I would prefer to resolve this directly with Planet Fitness, but please note that I will take these steps without hesitation if I do not receive a satisfactory resolution.