Health is Wealth & Wealth is not Health!

Last year sometime in early March the Fitness bug bit into me. While I was strolling along Mega Mall, Jogeshwari (West), near Oshiwara, I saw a very familiar sign post Fitness First. Probably, the last time I saw it was in 2005 in London where I used to workout in this very same gym Fitness First.

I tug my wife along and we enrolled into the gym as the first 200 members who are in the premium category. With a monthly fee of nearly 4k I hit the gym hard. So impressed was I that I decided to get my mates along and even family to join the gym. Now while joining the gym I did sign a contract for 18 months. The contract was not on a stamp paper and hence I decided to go ahead with it.

Now almost a year later, for the last 6 months owing to work pressure and recession forcing me to provide 4 times my output to ensure I get paid took its toll on my Health. No gyming or at least the first 3 months was special appearances in the gym. So I spoke to the manager requesting him to convert my remaining months to personal training so I could finish the 18months in under two months by paying the remaining fee. A 'Win -Win' situation. He refused and decided to tell me freeze your membership (Which meant don't pay me the fee just pay INR 250 and start paying when you hit back and also see if you can actually make it). Very impressed I was and gave it a shot and the 3 months I did my fab appearances once every week.

6 months gone and no more even "Rare Appearances" I decided to end the membership. I stop payment my cheques and mailed a letter saying "Hello , I am canceling my membership for the XYZ reasons"

Viola! I start getting calls telling me no you can't and the only way you can do is either saying your unfit or by saying you are relocating. For both which you need to provide a letter from your doctor or company.

Also, you need to owe the gym 4months fee if you want to quit! Now hang on a second, all of a sudden Health is not Wealth to me and Wealth definitely is not Health to me.

After a telephonic argument with the gym admin, I was forced to say your tiny contract would be thrown out of a court of law if taken as it is not valid, it is one sided and above all "I AM A CONSUMER".

So there stands, my battle with my gym. Having said this I am re-thinking if I just buy equipment and workout at home or do the good old morning walk.