Simi Valley Workout won't let me cancel my membership and is still charging me Simi Valley, California

On Ferbruary 9th 2012 Larry a manager for Simi Valley Workout approached me at my fast food establishment (very similar to what happened to the other person reporting Simi Valley Workout,  they're definitely scam artists taking advantage of people) and got me to agree to sign up for a free 1 month trial and to also put my mom and my friend on my free trial membership.  I reluctantly agreed after I asked if I could cancel before I ever get charged and he said yes. 

I don't go to the gym even once, nor my mom or my friend.  So before I would've gotten billed, which would have been March 10thish, I went to the gym to cancel the free trial.  The employee there (not sure if it was the owner or just some employee, but I've never seen him since) asked me why I was cancelling and all but begged me not to cancel.  He even offered to extend my free trial for another month so I could decide, which I thought was nice I guess, but I knew to myself all he really wanted was my money.  I agreed, and also took my friend off my free trial.  I was basically just planning to come in again before the end of the extended free trial to cancel.

Before april even came along I called the gym to cancel over the phone.  They said I would have to come in in person and cancel.  This annoyed me and I started thinking sh*t what's it gonna take to do something simple like cancel my stupid membership?

I forget about this and of course early April comes and goes and I get charged at the end of the extended free trial somewhere around mid April, I'll have to check with my bank on exact date.  I get charged $50 and at this point I'm pretty much just mad at myself for not taking care of it sooner. 

When I finally realize I've been forgetful and got charged, I go in to the gym (3 weeks to a month ago) to cancel in person.  This time the employee tells me that I can only cancel with the owner, and he said between 1-7pm most days he will be there.  I go there the next time the owner's supposed to be there (his name is Mark) and alas, he is not.  I ask if he could please please please cancel my membership and he said sorry its got to be the owner.  I have him take down my contact information and I wrote to Mark to please call me and if I don't answer please leave a message and I'll call you back right away. This was weeks ago and I haven't received a call yet.  

Next time I go to Simi Valley Workout the owner is absent again and I basically tell them the same thing that I need my membership cancelled right away because I don't have money and it will overdraft.  They give me the same bullsh*t useless answers and I leave extremely annoyed. 

On May 9th I go back to the gym before work demanding for someone to cancel my membership, because I must not be charged again.  After the same 'gotta do it when Mark's here' nonsense, I tell them exactly how pissed off I am and ask if Larry would be working later.  He did work later that day, so on a break during my work shift I go for the second time that day and Larry is there.  He says right away, "Ready to CanceL?" I said "YES! YES! OH YES THANK GOD!"  I acted like I was celebrating to convey how happy I was that I wouldn't have a membership there anymore.  So he grabbed a form and started writing on it and told me "this says that they will no longer charge you after May." That sounded weird to me, so I asked, very carefully, "does that mean I won't get charged ever again?  Not once more?  That's it?"  He didn't give me a straight answer and instead repeated himself saying after May i wont get charged anymore.  I told him a couple more times (even though I felt like I was talking to myself) that I hope not, I hope I won't get charged, because I don't have money. I can't get charged.  I said that a few times so maybe he would understand how important it was they no longer bill me.

Knowing that wasn't any help to me whatsoever (he was just trying to have the appearance of being helpful when in reality he didn't do anything for me) I went back to the gym last night the 16th with the intention of not leaving until my membership was cancelled.  Larry was there again and asked if I could come in this morning, the 17th, before 1100am to cancel because Mark will actually be there.  I said, ok, left still perpetually disappointed. 

I get to the gym this morning around 1040am and ask if the owner is there.  An employee tells me he is sick and not in today.  I ask when he will be in next and he said not til monday...  monday is the 21st and thats after im going to be billed again for this month.   At this point I'm furious and tell the employee I'm not leaving until my membership is cancelld.  After shouting at him for a little bit he gets on the phone with Mark and tells him what I said.  After he hangs up he says Mark will give him authorization to cancel my membership, and all I need is a credit card and a $50 cancellation fee.

WHAT???  No one ever mentioned this fee before today, this morning, and this is after ive tried problably almost 10 times to cancel.  So I told him where he can stick that $50 (because I don't HAVE $50) and I left more pissed than I've ever been. 

Five minutes after getting home I get a call from Larry asking if I was just at the gym swearing and making a scene.  I said I was.  He said calm down come back and he'll take care of me.  I thought to myself, u want me to come back AGAIN?!?! JESUS F*CKING CHRIST.  I also told him that the other guy said it was $50 to cancel and Larry told me it doesn't matter what that guy said, so I said ok and drove directly back to the gym to see Larry.

I apologized to the guy I was yelling at because I felt like a jerk, and he said he understood.  Thinking Larry was gonna cancel me right out, I saw him write on another form to cancel my membership ASAP, but "AFTER may"  this was the same thing Larry offered to do for me before on the 9th.  That's all well and good, but that DOESNT SOLVE MY PROBLEM.  I told him my problem was that I was gonna be charged in a few days, and when he looked in the computer, he informed me that I might be charged today actually.  WTF?  Couple weeks ago I was told over the phone that it would be the 20th, not the 17th. 

Now my blood is boiling. I went once this morning for no reason, and then essentially Larry called me to come in a SECOND time for no reason.  This is beyond bullsh*t.  All he told me pretty much is that I'm going to get charged for this month and there's nothing I can do about it. (I imagine all the employees at SVW sticking there tongues out and saying "so there!" like children on a playground while hes telling me this)

Oh, he did give me an email.  I almost forgot.  After I kept telling Larry 'i can't be charged, I can't be charged (I'm a little unstable at this point) he produces an email address for simi valley workout's billing department.  He says I'll need to email them if I want to try to not get charged.  Wait a minute, so first everyone gives me the runaround saying I have to talk to Mark the owner, and now they're telling me all of a sudden Mark doesn't even handle the billing, its the billing department or whatever that does it.  So I essentiailly leave with an email address and a 'good luck' pat on the back.

I of course emailed the billing department, demanding they do something about this and that i expect compensation and their serious atteniton.  Who knows if anyone even checks the emails they get.  So now I'm sitting here with my thumb up my a*s, being taken advantage of by this a**hole entity known as Simi Valley Workout, writing this complaint out of blood boiling frustration. 

They are f*cking with my life in a very real and very unprofessional way.  I don't know what I'm going to do if I get billed again in the next few days.  I will be overdrafted and suffer very difficult times ahead, I just don't have that much money.  Worst customer service I've ever experienced in my life, hands down.  Someone needs to shut these guys down.  I'm ready to do anything I have to to cancel this d**n membership without paying a bullsh*t fee, and to get compensation from the money they've already taken from me.  

I read the other guy's testimony and what happened to him is almost exactly what happened to me.  It's a shame. We didn't deserve this bullsh*t. I'm still going to be pusuing ways to take action against this terrible establishment that's basically picking my pockets.  Can't stress enough how upset I am.  Sorry if this was really long but it's somewhat therapeautic  if someone wants to follow up on this that would be amazingly great and anyone can contact me anytime.  the first numbers my house number, leave a message please.  the second numbers my cellphone number which can only receive texts, so do that if you want, or email me.