24 hour Fitness Pushing out Lifetime Members by closing Sport and Active Gyms San Bernardino Nationwide

I purchased a lifetime membership in 2006. I paid a large start up fee and was promised that I would only have to pay $79 a year for life. When I purchased the membership it allowed me to go to about 90% of their gyms. 

Recently 24 hour Fitness opened up two new gyms within 10 miles of my house. One is less than 1/2 a mile from my work. I was very excited until I learned they were Super Sports and were not covered by my membership.  I asked if I could upgrade my membership or pay an extra fee to attend the new Super Sports. The answer was yes, I could sign up and pay $39.00 a month on top of my $79 annual fee and go to the local Super Sport.  Regular membership price was $39.00 a month so basically, no, there was no deal. 

I was upset, but the 24 Hour Active Club that I had been going to for the past 5 years was still there. I continued to go for the past year. Only to find out they closed shortly after they opened the new 24 Hour Super Sport in San Bernardino.  I found out when they sent my husband a letter that they would transfer his membership to the new gym and he would be able to continue to pay the $29 per month that he signed up for at the old gym. He never got a lifetime membership. 

I researched online to see what gyms I could go to.  There was now only 1 gym 30 minutes from my house that I was eligible for.  

i went into the gym in San Bernardino to ask if they would honor my membership and was told to call corporate. I emailed through their website and have not received a response in over a week. I called yesterday and was told there was nothing they could do and I needed to go back to the gym and talk to the manager. 

The original Sport gym I signed up with has changed to a Super Sport. Same location, they just upgraded their equipment. I changed jobs and moved away from this gym which is 30 minutes away and haven't attend for several years.  When I explained this to corporate I was asked if I could attend the Fremont gym, which is a 3-hour drive one way. 

Basically they are converting or changing all their gyms so they do not have to honor lifetime meberships anymore.