A lot of people will say "paying by check is such a hassle! I don't even have checks! It's so 1980s!" But you know what? It's a lot less of a hassle than canceling your membership when paying by credit/debit card.
And if you don't have checks for your checking account, you can get order them online from walmart.com for $10 + shipping. Or, if you still use a bank that has a local branch, you can go into the branch and ask for a single printed check. They cost a couple of bucks.
> Gym membership cancellation practices are in desperate need of regulation.
Agreed, and I also hate being stuck in 12-month contracts as well. I will never join a gym that makes me sign a long term commitment like that. The last local gym I joined was pretty cool about this. They had higher month to month prices and discounted longer term memberships. Gives you a chance to see how you like it after a few months.
I used to buy prepaid memberships to 24 hour fitness from Costco. Same with magazines like economist
, just bought a prepaid digit subscription. Most places sell prepaid memberships because of the gifting aspect.
