Elite Martial Arts Elite MMA Great instructors, deceptive payment structure Houston Texas

First, I want to make sure it is understood that the gym itself is great, the instructors are very helpful and genuinely want you to succeed with your personal fitness.

With that said, I signed a contract a year ago agreeing to pay $150/month for classes for an entire 12 month period. At that time, there was a required part of the contract that said I would be enrolled in a sort of autopayment- If I did not re-up, I would not be a member, but I would still be required to pay the full amount as if I were for a full 30 days after a WRITTEN request to cancel. This was treated as a sort of afterthought to the sign on, since it was required for membership. I wanted to join the gym, so I signed.

Had the gym or someone in the financial office called me 30-60 days prior to the end of my contract to remind or inform me of this, I would have had no problem, as any lack of action on my part at that point would be entirely on me. However, no reminder or attempt at a reminder was made. I have enough going on in my life that I dont remember each contract's special T&C section detailing what is necessary to stop paying. I assumed since I had not heard anything that my contract would expire at the appointed time and that I would no longer be charged.

I finally received an email yesterday (21 days into the next month) saying I owed 2 months of membership dues, even though I had not been in to the gym and was not a member any more. When I asked for a break on these months since I was paying for no services rendered, and it cost the gym absolutely nothing to keep me "on the books", the financial office Pro Financial Services refused to even consider it, telling me I should have remembered the details of the contract I signed a year ago.

Legally, I suppose they are right. Morally, I find this very very wrong. If I were somehow a drain on their resources while I was unaware that I was still a psudeo member, this would be a little easier to understand. As it is, this is greed, pure and simple, and I'm very disapointed to end my time with this gym on such a low note.