My name is Ann Darling. I am a 66-year-old Senior on a fixed income in Spring Hill, Fl. In May I went to various gyms for the first time in my life to tour their facilities. When I got to Body Fitness on Mariner St., a fast-talking, high-pressure salesman named [snip] did not give me a tour of his gym--instead he sat me down and high-pressured me into buying almost $100 worth of meal replacements and he produced a contract for Body Fitness and high-pressured me into believing I needed to sign it with my credit card number. I am ashamed to say, I fell for his high-pressure sales pitch!

The next day I went back to Body Fitness and finally got a tour of the gym which I had wanted the first day and never got! I didn't like their equipment, the gym setup, the high-pressure atmosphere or anything about Body Fitness. So I went home and carefully re-read the Body Fitness Contract and realized this high-pressure salesman had charged a lumpsum of $511.20 payable all at once and charged to my credit card for "Gym Membership fees" stated right under the signature and credit card number! I read the cancellation clause and it said I had by State of Florida law three days to send a Certified Cancellation letter for a full refund of my fees. I quickly sent a cancellation letter vis Certified US Mail and got a signature receipt at the Gym on the other end within 3 days. That is when my problems with this gym really began--THEY SAID THEY WOULD NOT REFUND MY FEES, that they were non-refundable and tough luck for me!

Since then I have had nothing but lies, contract alterations and refusals to cooperate from this Gym since and of May 2008.They REFUSE TO HONOR THEIR OWN GYM MEMBERSHIP FEES CONTRACT AND REFUND MY FEES PER THEIR OWN CANCELLATION RULES! They have lied to my credit card company by sending an altered Contract to them--they will lie to anyone who asks in order to keep my $511.20 which they have no right to keep!

Recently I discovered this Gym is NOT BONDED with the State of Florida--I have tried to get relief through the Florida Consumer and Ag Dept but to no avail--No one will advocate for me, a 66 year old Senior citizen single woman gym novice on a fixed income who was taken advantage of by this fast-talking high-pressure salesman [snip]!

These people at Body Fitness guilty of fraud, misrepresentation, breach of contract and perpetrating financial hardship on me, the consumer!