Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Can't join a gym with money , can't pay in full

To deduct from your bank account they need a routing number or authorization for a reoccurring "ACH" transfer, similar to direct deposit. (Usually requires a cancelled check to set up, which has the routing number on it....

Likewise Sirius/XM offers low rates but will not take a one time payment for the best deals...

Either they sell your info, or get better credit terms if they can show recurring revenue.(card on file with pre authorization)

Ever hear the stories about trying to quit Bally's fitness? Sometimes it's cheaper (in terms off hassle) to buy a welder and build your own equipment. Or go Rocky III style and lift logs....

I was a Planet fitness member for years. Zero problems.

I'm a member at a small town gym owned by the local hospital. Pay by the month, by check. Didn't have to give near that kind of information, but then most of the big wigs know me from our school days.

I would guess that 95% of businesses sell your info when they have the opportunity. Everything with the customer loyalty numbers, discount points, etc, is geared toward collecting, analyzing and selling your information so they can sell / up-sell you more stuff...

How can they deduct from your bank account if you didn't give them your bank information?

Never set foot in a gym in my life. Run near my house or in the mountains 2-3x a week. Lift weights in the comfort of my own home 3x a week. Bought all my weight crap on craigslist cheap. Only guy in better shape than me at work is a competitive bodybuilder that has won shows. But he uses "stuff" to get like he is.

Point being, gyms not necessary, as LVMIKER said.

I wouldn't mind the eye candy a gym has to offer tho...

Boomers are funny, stay home in your chair eating chips and screaming at Fox News.

I echo that first sentence..

Well, sometimes they do... It's how my wife pays for her SiriusXM service after she negotiates for the next year.. Usually gets it by 50% or better off.. Sends a check. Done.

And/Or get a couple of 4x4 posts and a piece of pipe from Home Depot and build yourself a pull up bar setup out in the yard somewhere. Then get some "resistance bands" aka giant rubber bands from Amazon. I gotta do the latter because I have allowed myself to become too out of shape at this point to do a pull up and need the giant rubber bands to help me out. I quit working out about 7 years ago due to injury and am back on the ground floor.

I learned from my days of going to the gym that guys with big guts can lay on their backs and bench press a lot of weight.....but can't do a pull up.....and guys who can do a few pull ups don't have fat guts.

CAUTION! In the unlikely event that anyone tries this.....you need to work into it carefully or you will eff up your elbows with tendonitis. That is where the giant rubber bands come in again.

This is gonna be my strategery.

planest fitness has a bunch of employees that are dumb

I'm doing a project away from home and just joined a planet fitness as a guest - paid for 3 months - $30 with my debit card and a phone number - no forms to fill out, none of that stuff.

They gave me an access card and when the time expires, the card won't scan any more.

Do NOT give the SSN, actually I belive it's illegal to require it when you aren't the government. As for requiring bank accounts, thta's the way things work now adays, it's more reliable for them to get auto-transfers than checks or cash.

The Planet Fitness business model depends on vast amounts of people signing up for the auto-draft option at the low $10 monthly fee. Why? Because most people, even if they aren't actively going to the gym, won't cancel it if it's just $10 a month. For their $10, they have the option to start "going back to the gym" at any time they choose. For every 100 people that join a PF branch, I bet less than 20 attend regularly for any length of time. But those other 80 are likely to let that $10 auto-draft keep rolling. It is good for those members who choose to come regularly, as they get a real bargain.

BTW, the local PF branch here allows you to pay monthly with no contract for a medium-ish rate, pay with a year-long auto-draft contract for the best rate, or pay for the whole year up front for a pretty decent rate.

Yeah every spring 'bikini season' we get a laugh at all the new members who're ''gonna get myself in shape'' .
One day they're there next day they're gone .

They never asked for my SS# ...

Let's see, you are in business and take CC's

Name: check
Address: check
CC number, with bank verification, expiration date, CVC number: check
You want to be able to contact your customer in case of questions: address, phone and e-mail: check
Your are running a gym for example: Your customer has a heart attack: emergency contact numbers would be something most are willing to supply.

You have SS, other insurance, a credit card, electricity, sewage, water, etc . It's already all out there and there are those willing to pay to have it. But you go on and think you are protecting your private info.

Why do you think you get phishing e-mails and phone calls?

And you were surprised you entered a modern day, full on exercise establishment and saw a man bun or two? Amazing and seriously funny chit!!!!

Yup, they can FO wanting that much info, same thing I told nice old hygienist lady at the dentist office the other day when she wanted to take my blood pressure, I have a doc for that, this is being too damn nosey and intrusive, plus, I don't need to hear the dentist whining at me about my smokeless tobacco later either, she smiled and put her cuff? up I never heard a word about my Cope after cleaning/check up this time.

It sucks this time of year with all the new year resolution people - but they'll be gone by end of March

I go around 8:30 at night and I don't have to wait for any machine.

A Dentists office is staffed by health care professionals. As such and the fact many are walking around with unrecognized BP issues, by asking they are doing nothing more than possibly giving someone advance warning of other possible serious health issues. In addition, if at sometime you need anesthesia, a responsible dentist will not put you under without it. If for nothing more than malpractice issues. In fact, while you are under, everyone in the room will know what it is on a second by second reading.

But hey, it's your BP. Put in a dip, sit back and feel secure you kept it from that the nice old hygienist lady.

The old folks boogie is a hooooot......