Just after Thanksgiving, Deborah Schneider decided to join a gym.
It’s time to get in shape, she said.
Mr. Schneider, 74, said, “I went because I wanted to strengthen my core.I have bad lower back and needed stronger muscles.”
She visited Jersey Strong in Manalapan in late November and said she was sold when she heard the pitch.
“They said they had a nutritionist,” she said. “I was told there was always someone on the floor to offer help if needed. Look for the black shirt that says Jersey Her Strong in green lettering.”
Schneider said she was so excited to get started that when she joined for $85.29 a month, she also signed up for weekly sessions with a personal trainer for $63.96. A meeting with a nutritionist was also arranged.
“What they offered was not what I received,” Schneider said.
She arrived on Dec. 2 to see a nutritionist, she said.
“Lo and behold, at that meeting, the same representative who enrolled her as a member handed me a piece of paper and said, ‘Follow this parliament,'” she said.
She met the man who would become her trainer that day, but the relationship didn’t go as Schneider expected.
She said her first personal training session on Dec. 18 was canceled because the trainer came down with food poisoning. They set another appointment for December 26th.
The fight was canceled due to a trainer “bruising his knee” and a new appointment was set for January 4th.
During that time, Schneider said she went to the gym several times in late December and early January to train on her own, following a plan given to her by her trainer. She said she had problems every time she went there. For example, she said she was missing certain weights and when she had problems with the machine, she couldn’t find anyone to help.
He was then told that his January 4 session had been canceled because his trainer had tested positive for coronavirus.
Schneider had had enough, so she disputed some of the charges on her credit card and canceled her membership. Her credit card company decided in her favor and credited her with her one month’s worth of $85.29 for her membership fee and $63.96 for her trainer fee.
Apparently the trainer didn’t understand the message.
“On January 9th, he left quarantine and texted me on January 11th to say he could see me with a mask on,” she said. “I already sent him a message saying I canceled my membership.”
Collection efforts
The first message from the gym claiming money was due was on Jan. 8, when Schneider received an email saying she owed $106.63, she said.
On the same day, I received an email from ABC Fitness, a third-party billing company on behalf of the gym, stating that my account had been canceled and no further payments were due.
Later, she received a letter from her credit card company confirming that the disputed charges had been credited, and a second letter asking Jim to stop charging her card.
But on March 11, she received another email from ABC Financial saying it was her “last chance” to pay before collection action was taken.
Her call to ABC Fitness only caused more confusion.
“(The representative) said my balance was $476.96. I said, ‘Are you sure?'” she said. “I was put on hold for five minutes and he said, ‘Oh, my mistake.'” You owe him $255.88. ”
She hung up and made several more calls to reach another representative, but no one could clarify the charge, she said.
“It’s like reading a script,” she says. “I’m ready to pull her hair out now. I just want the harassment to stop.”
She saw a Bamboozled column about another reader’s fight against Jim’s bill and asked for help.
Jersey Strong did not respond to our inquiries, but ABC Financial did.
The gym said it could not discuss customer billing details due to “confidentiality” but confirmed that the gym had canceled Schneider’s membership and waived the remaining fees.
The balance in the account was zero.
Schneider said he has not received any communication from either the gym or ABC Fitness to confirm that there is nothing wrong with his condition.
“I’m glad the account cleared, but I’m annoyed it took so long,” she said, adding that calling the actual gym was a waste of time because all calls were referred to ABC Financial. . “I feel like I’ve been sold a gift certificate, so to speak.”
He also has no plans to challenge membership at another gym.
“My trust is gone,” she said. “This whole thing really set me back. I really just wanted to get in shape and work with a trainer. When it comes to exercise, I’m going to stick with YouTube and Google.”
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karin price muller may reach [email protected]. Follow her on X @KPMueller.
