Workout World False/misleading advertising St. Cloud, Minnesota

I purchased a WOW membership because of the advertised appealing low price of $10/month. I explained to the salesperson that because I am a college student, I would only be needing the membership for 3 months, until the end of the semester when I would be moving back home.

Right there, the salesperson should have explained to me the extensive cancellation process, the cancellation fee, and the annual fee that I would be charged. All of those things make a 3 month membership NOT worth it, especially for a college student only working 5 hours/week.

I paid with a debit card, my first mistake. I then saw a month later an annual fee charge on my bank statement. I cancelled my debit card so they couldn't charge me any more of these hidden fees. I was then billed a $9.50 late fee plus a $19.50 service charge (for which I have no clue) once they couldn't use my debit card any longer. Upon reading the fine print of the agreement, I saw that there would be a $59 cancellation fee. I also saw the complicated cancellation process.

Yes, I should have read the fine print, but I am extremely upset with the salesperson for not being up front with me about the terms of the contract. I specifically told him that I would only be there for 3 months. He knew that my 3 month membership would ultimately cost me: (11.81/month x 3 months) + (53.67 annual fee) + (59.00 cancellation fee) = 148.10. Instead of the advertised $10/month, my membership cost me almost $50/month.

I could have joined a much better gym for that price. And I still have fees and charges coming in for not cancelling 'properly.' WOW's cancellation policy is shady. Why can't I just go the the gym and ask to cancel my membership? Why do I have to send a letter written on an official letterhead 30 days prior to termination to the company that does the billing for the gym? The club is making it extremely difficult for anyone to cancel.