How to cancel your contract by email

Are you moving, pregnant or ill? These can all be grounds for terminating a gym contract. However, there are a few things to keep in mind – especially if you want to end your membership via email.

Going to the gym is part of everyday life for many. But when life circumstances change, it can quickly be over with the sport. An upcoming move, pregnancy or illness can be reasons for terminating the contract with a fitness studio.

The easiest way is to cancel digitally. But is that even allowed? We’ll tell you what to look out for if you want to end your membership via email.

Termination in the gym: the legal situation

The good news first: Fitness studios are no longer allowed to respond to terminations by letter consist. This also applies to mobile phone providers, electricity suppliers and many other companies. However, it is important that the contract was concluded after October 1, 2016.

Termination by e-mail is then permissible. Since July 1, 2022, you can also end a number of contracts online using the cancellation button. You can often find this at the bottom of the respective website.

If you want to cancel your contract, you should read it through carefully beforehand. Because whether and when you can end your membership depends on various things factors away.

• Contract term: In most fitness studios, the contract period is twelve to 24 months. If you don’t cancel in time, you risk an automatic contract extension.
• Notice period: It is usually three months. But since March 1, 2022, newly concluded contracts can only be automatically extended indefinitely. When the initial term has expired, the contracts can even be terminated on a monthly basis.
• Special right of termination: It comes into effect when Circumstances that allow you to end the contract outside of the normal time limit. This includes, for example, that fitness equipment has been defective for a long time and is therefore not usable or that the studio as a whole is not in a proper condition. A change in opening hours or membership fees can also be used as a reason. Besides, you come with one medical certificate from the contract. In the case of pregnancies, it depends on whether there are appropriate courses or other services for expectant mothers. If you change your place of residence, you are usually dependent on the goodwill of the studio.

Fitness studio cancellation: How to cancel your contract by email

The safest way to properly terminate your contract with the gym is still by registered mail. In this way, recipients have to acknowledge receipt of the letter of termination including the delivery date.

However, if you prefer to cancel by email, you should ask for an immediate confirmation of receipt. This means that the companies cannot later claim that they did not receive the notice.

These elements should be included in your cancellation

If you decide to cancel by email, there are a few elements that should not be missing in your letter:

• Your name
• Your address
• Place and date
• The name and address of the gym (to be found in the terms and conditions)
• Your contract number
• Your membership number, if you have one
• The request for an acknowledgment of receipt or a confirmation of the date on which the contract ends (especially important)
• The revocation of the direct debit authorization
• If necessary, a reason for your termination if you want to end your contract extraordinarily

By the way, as long as you make it clear who you are in your e-mail, a signature is not absolutely necessary. However, it is important that the company you clearly identify can. It is best to use the e-mail address that you gave to your fitness studio at the beginning. If your gym cannot assign you clearly, you may run the risk of missing important deadlines.

Be sure to have your cancellation confirmed. Also save your e-mail separately and print it out. In the event of a dispute with your gym, you can prove that you properly terminated the contract.

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