Contracts, contracts, and MORE contracts! Gym franchises such as New York Sports Club (NYSC) use Membership Agreements (contracts) to outline the terms of their memberships, including how to cancel. Members are responsible for reading the fine print, so read thoroughly before signing! Specific portions of the agreement that you should read carefully are the length of the membership, what happens at the end of that term, and cancellation or termination policy. Common clauses are a year membership, which goes month to month after the expiration, and cancellation can only happen at the end of the agreement usually in writing. This is typical, but not guaranteed! All agreements are specific to you and what you had signed. 

If you are concerned about the reputation of the gym with which you are signing, do your research! ConsumerAffairs.com has posts about New York Sports Club and some of their members experience when attempting to cancel their membership. A google search about your specific location may also lead to more specific reviews. Remember, the best way not to get trapped in unwanted contracts is to avoid them in the first place!  If you find yourself needing to cancel, here is some information that we hope will prove useful to you.

What You’ll Need:

• NYSC Membership Agreement and card
• Account information
• Personal information
• Billing information associated with your NYSC Membership

Steps to Cancel: 

1. Reconcile your NYSC bills. Make sure you are all paid up so you don’t have a balance when you want to cancel. A 30 day notice is common, so be prepared to make one final payment after you have submitted the cancellation request.
2. Read your Membership Agreement's cancellation policy, or call your local gym for guidance on their cancellation policy 
3. Draft a letter including your personal contact information (name, address, phone number, and email), home gym, and billing information. Include your reason for wishing to cancel and the date that you originally signed the Membership Agreement. 
4. Enclose the letter in an envelope, along with your membership card, and send to Town Sports International at 30 Cliff Street, New York, NY 10038. This is the corporate address and is usually a good address for franchise memberships.
5. Visit your local post office and send the letter via certified or registered mail. 

Expert Tip:

If you sign NYSC’s Membership Agreement, you may be contractually bound for at least 12 months, after which the membership will continue until cancelled. It is unlikely to cancel on its own or expire. Difficulty canceling is a common experience in general, so when you're dealing with gym contracts or other contractual obligations that, if not cancelled properly, can lead to defaulted payments or sent to collections, make sure you put your request in writing, get a confirmation in writing, and always send certified mail! 

If you can learn anything from canceling memberships, it’s that you should always read the fine print on your gym contract. If you wish to cancel your New York Sports Club membership, but don't want to deal with the hassel or follow up, have CancelWizard do it for you. Click on the “Use Our Cancellation Service” below now to start the process with cancellation experts.