World Health Club International Fitness Holdings Inc. Fitness Club, Gym Edmonton, Alberta

Signed up during a "no contract" promotion, and to my fault, listened to the salesperson instead of carefully reading the back page of the signup sheet (carefully designed to ensure that all the form fields are on the front, so they don't have to flip it over and show customers the fine print at all during the process).  In essence, whatever their promotion is, when you go in to learn more (since their website lacks any level of transparency on pricing or terms - a red flag I overlooked), they'll explain how the promo price is only useful during weird hours and other excuses and carefully move the sales pitch to their "other" (contract based) options.

This signup, as it turns out, this included an agreement that locks me in for a year, unless I pay a $150 penalty and an additional month's worth of fees, something the salesperson failed to mention, and my lack of suspicion only only led to light questions about it which were easily evaded (after all, it's a nice gym, and they have some skilled and not-at-all-slimy-seeming salespeople).  The salesperson also very carefully presents their bi-weekly pricing without ever mentioning that it's bi-weekly, so consumers can certainly be misled into thinking the prices presented are monthly, since not only is that more conventional, but was also their standard billing cycle in the past.

So, some months later, constant travel has essentially wiped out my ability to ever go to the gym and I attempted to cancel, only to be informed that I was locked in.  Appeals to reason on the grounds that I was misled during my sales interaction were fruitless.

It is my opinion that their business model is designed around the use of misdirection and coercion to obtain these agreements with unwitting customers. Unlike cellular providers, the up front fees (which they 'so generously' discount or waive) and contractual term provide you with no device subsidy or material benefit besides a little plastic tag, and 2 "personal training sessions" (of which, I used one, after having specifically outlined what I wanted them to show me -- a few of the more complex machines -- they simply spent the hour trying to sell me more training sessions).

I have no complaints about the gym itself (Edmonton City Centre), the attitude of the staff and trainers, or even the customer service representatives, but unfortunately, we were unable to find an agreement when I tried to end our business relationship on good terms.

Having failed to obtain a recording of their sales procedure, I have no legal recourse, so instead I am writing this in the hopes that others are a lot more careful in their dealings with this company.