Subscribe = pay forever!

[NarcissisticDeity]

Almost all gyms and jui jitsu schools require access to your credit card for monthly deductions.  Good luck trying to cancel.

 I train at home now but prior to covid I was training at a mom and pop type gym that had 30 year old plus equipment.  You could pay with cash for three months and they threw in a month for free.

At a posh gym across town that had something 30 treadmills, all new equipment; beautiful flooring and lighting they play a different game. No cash allowed. Sign the multiple page contract electronically.  Told the wife I didn't want them having access to my credit card or bank account. She went and got me a three month gift card to the place. I showed up with my gift card and they said we need your credit card. I refused and asked for the money back for the gift card.  A manager came over and said let him work out here for three months. I signed the electronic contract but with no credit card they were fucked. Never took me to court or sent me a letter.

 It's getting more appealing than ever to work out at home. I have an elaborate set up but truth be told you don't need it. Adjustable dumbbell have evolved from the "antique" design of power blocks. Nuobell is one example.  They look like a regular dumbbell and the weight is changed from a quick click of the handle.  Have an adjustable bench with chinning option/dip attachment then you could do so many exercises while storing the set up in a small corner of a room. Dumbbell squats, dumbbell lunges, stiff dumbbell dead and split Bulgarian squats are few options for legs alone.

Here's the way around that

[BayGBM]

Almost all gyms and jui jitsu schools require access to your credit card for monthly deductions.  Good luck trying to cancel.

When I joined my gym they insisted they needed my debit card info. I declined. They said it was not possible to join the gym without giving them my debit card.  I told them to get the manager.  Manager repeated that I had to give my debit card as that was their policy.  I told them no one gets my debit card info.  No one is permitted to reach into my account and take money except me.  Not my mortgage company... nor any other creditor.  My previous gym took my credit card and that was all I would offer them.  I pointed out that not everyone even has a debit card so that policy was foolish on its face.  If I had to give my debit card then I didn't need to be a member there.  They finally relented and accepted my credit card.

[GymnJuice]

Here's the way around that

Glad he called out ABC fitness by name. Looks like it would work for new subscriptions but not those already subscribed through their usual credit cards.

[mac33]

You do know you can cancel a subscription...

[B_B_C]

When I joined my gym they insisted they needed my debit card info. I declined.

higher vendor fees for credit cards is probably why they were after debit card payment

[King Shizzo]

Didn't play the video. The guys eyebrows creeped me out.

[Theoak*]

You do know you can cancel a subscription...

The thing with subscriptions, just when I think I'm out, they pull me back in.

[Krankenstein]

When I joined my gym they insisted they needed my debit card info. I declined. They said it was not possible to join the gym without giving them my debit card.  I told them to get the manager.  Manager repeated that I had to give my debit card as that was their policy.  I told them no one gets my debit card info.  No one is permitted to reach into my account and take money except me.  Not my mortgage company... nor any other creditor.  My previous gym took my credit card and that was all I would offer them.  I pointed out that not everyone even has a debit card so that policy was foolish on its face.  If I had to give my debit card then I didn't need to be a member there.  They finally relented and accepted my credit card.

Less processing fees with debit card.

[Griffith]

Almost all gyms and jui jitsu schools require access to your credit card for monthly deductions.  Good luck trying to cancel.

 I train at home now but prior to covid I was training at a mom and pop type gym that had 30 year old plus equipment.  You could pay with cash for three months and they threw in a month for free.

At a posh gym across town that had something 30 treadmills, all new equipment; beautiful flooring and lighting they play a different game. No cash allowed. Sign the multiple page contract electronically.  Told the wife I didn't want them having access to my credit card or bank account. She went and got me a three month gift card to the place. I showed up with my gift card and they said we need your credit card. I refused and asked for the money back for the gift card.  A manager came over and said let him work out here for three months. I signed the electronic contract but with no credit card they were fucked. Never took me to court or sent me a letter.

 It's getting more appealing than ever to work out at home. I have an elaborate set up but truth be told you don't need it. Adjustable dumbbell have evolved from the "antique" design of power blocks. Nuobell is one example.  They look like a regular dumbbell and the weight is changed from a quick click of the handle.  Have an adjustable bench with chinning option/dip attachment then you could do so many exercises while storing the set up in a small corner of a room. Dumbbell squats, dumbbell lunges, stiff dumbbell dead and split Bulgarian squats are few options for legs alone.

What I have:    Bench
                       DB bench
                       Squat rack
                       Barbell
                       Dumbbells
                       Curl bar/EZ bar
                       Dip bars
                       Pull-up/Chin-up bar

I don't feel like I really need anything more than this but might get a stationary spinning bike as well.

I cancelled my gym membership almost two years ago and don't miss it at all.

[Griffith]

Have you noticed that everything is becoming a subscription service where you never stop paying?  TV streaming services… Satellite radio…?  Music streaming services…?  In the old days you paid for something once (like a compact disk) and you were done; now everything is turning into never ending payments.  If you work in an office your IT/budget guys will confirm that Microsoft Office is now a subscription service and your organization must pay an annual fee to keep using it; same thing for Adobe Creative Suite.  In the old days you could buy Photoshop or InDesign and use it without limit.  Now, if you stop your monthly payment the software stops working.  Last month my AMG turned one year old. I received both a text and an email from MBenz telling me that several features on my car will now "expire" unless I subscribe to keep them active.  I think BMW does this as well.

About five years ago I had Terminix treat my house; the effect lasted about two years.  After that I started doing it myself with bug killers I bought at Lowes.  I recently got quotes from three different exterminators to treat my house again and they each said I needed a subscription (monthly payments and quarterly treatments) to keep the pests away. WTF?  Even USAMuscle.com and musclegallery.com are subscription services (bodybuilding related).  Maybe some of you are too young to remember the one-payment-and-you’re-done dynamic, but old guys like me do not like this new business model where the payments are monthly and never end.  Bay no Likely!

For me, the worst is Adobe Lightroom, can't buy it anymore