Kentucky woman calls gym to cancel $60 membership after scheduling surgery, then what customer service rep says she must prove has her furious

A woman in Kentucky tried to cancel her $60 monthly gym membership because she had surgery coming up and was facing serious money problems. But the gym told her she needed to prove she was “permanently disabled” to get out of her contract.

According to Bro Bible, Lilly Colton shared her story on TikTok. She explained how hard it was to stop paying for a gym she could no longer use. She said the customer service person made demands that didn’t make any sense, especially given her situation.

“Unfortunately, a bunch of things have happened that have caused me to be in a very bad situation to the point where we are selling stuff on Facebook marketplace, rapidly looking for second jobs, and probably going to be selling this house,” she shares. Canceling the $60 gym fee seemed like an easy way to save money.

The gym’s cancellation policy shows no mercy for medical or financial hardship

When Colton called to cancel, she was put on hold for 20 minutes. The customer service rep then told her that money problems weren’t a good enough reason to cancel. The only reasons they accepted were moving to another state or having a medical condition.

Colton told them she had surgery scheduled for next week to treat endometriosis. But the rep wouldn’t accept that as a valid reason. Instead, they wanted a doctor’s note on official paper that said she was “permanently disabled.” This seems unethical, much like the time a lawyer discovered that Walmart had been tracking his movements.

When Colton asked what would happen if she just canceled her credit card, the gym said they would send the debt to collections. Colton responded by saying “Send it to collections. Send it.”

Each Anytime Fitness location is owned independently, so their rules can be very different. The company’s website says many locations charge early cancellation fees or need advance notice. Some let members pause their membership for less money, but Colton’s gym didn’t offer that option.

Earlier, a man was wrongly charged a $60 tailgating fee in an Each Anytime Fitness outlet in Bugis, Singapore. However, the gym later apologized for the mistake and issued him a refund. 

People in the comment section were questioning how this is even legal. “HIPPA says any medical records are confidential. if they try asking you can sue for that. they can’t even ask what ur medical problems are or its illegal,” one person wrote. The situation highlights how companies sometimes prioritise profits over customer well-being, similar to when Airbnb refused to compensate a homeowner for damages caused by a guest.