• Fredselfish@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    Wish I could start a gym that is month month no contracts. How come there isn’t a single gym that operates this way?

    • bluGill@fedia.io
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      1 month ago

      There are many. They charge a lot more and act like personal trainers - service is why they exist.

      your cheap doesn’t charge enough for everyone who is a member to go. They need all these people who pay but don’t attend to pay their bills (and then more to make money)

      • Fredselfish@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        So basic gyms are money pits that can’t profit unless they lock you into a contract? If true then gyms shouldn’t exist. Yet for some they are a necessity.

    • Nollij@sopuli.xyz
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      1 month ago

      There are a few, but a dirty secret is because gym attendance is EXTREMELY cyclical. Jan/Feb are loaded with people signing up as part of their new year’s resolutions. If they are month-to-month, then they cancel before April. Locking them into annual contracts means they can’t cancel once they realize they aren’t going anymore.

      There are a few that genuinely do monthly contracts from the beginning. Planet Fitness is the best known, and they use it as a selling point for people that know they probably won’t stick to it. It’s also cheap enough that they don’t feel any urgency to cancel, and can let it ride for a long time while promising themselves they’ll get back to it.