Parents switching gyms again and 30 days notice

[dmytv]

After much disscusion with my daughter and the fact that the last optional has left for another gym, she has decided to switch gyms. The gym says it requires a 30 day drop notice, but I just can't see keeping her there for a month after we tell the coaches we are switching. Can they hold us to this 30 day notice or should I just expect to dump a month's tuition( that is a lot of money) ?

 

[GymBee97]

Give them your notice but Just leave when you find your next gym 30 days or not. How many of the ones that have left were there 30 days after giving notice? Gyms don't really chase folks for that money. So just leave when you are ready.

 

[JBS]

Just a heads up...many times we will call the previous club and see if there is an outstanding balance. If so...we will not take them on our team.

 

[BlairBob]

Either eat the month of tuition or wait out that month. Don't just stiff them, the new gym doesn't want to deal with drama and that would be a yellow light in their vision.

 

[thefellowsmom]

Absolutely, I would say that if you want to leave sooner rather than later you should expect to eat the month of tuition. It's just the right thing to do.

 

[Muddlethru]

Personally, I do not understand the 30 day drop notice. And Like you I would wonder what kind of training or treatment my daughter would be getting after giving the notice. It seems like a strange policy. Even in most jobs, companies require only a 2 week notice. And this is to allow the company to fill the position. I would also not want to just chuck a month's tuition. However, if you signed a contract or have agreed as part of being in the team to give a 30 day drop notice, then you will have to abide by this agreement.

 

[Natasha]

If the 30 day notice rule is published, then expect to pay. The gym has budgeted that tuition into their operating expenses. Our state handbook (for gyms) has a page of "suggested guidelines" for gyms when considering a transfer of gymnasts, and it strongly suggests that gyms call previous gyms to make sure all balances are paid before accepting a gymnast from another gym.

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

When they say "30 day notice," they don't generally mean that you have to actually show up for those 30 days -- just that you have to pay for them.

 

[Aussie_coach]

I second that you be careful about that. I don't know how it works in the USA but in Australia if you want to change gyms, even if you haven't been to the other gym for years then you have to apply for a transfer and the old gym has to approve the transfer. They must approve the transfer unless you have money outstanding.

It is a way to stop people from just building up a big debt and changing gyms. The gym world is a small one.

 

[lhmom]

At DD's gym, you pay for the month ahead so if she was to change before that 30 day notice was up, we'd expect to lose that money. It seems like alot of gyms have this policy, I guess to keep "gym hopping" to a minimum. Yes, it stinks but it is a business. Hope it all works out ok!

 

[Maitland]

If this policy is something that you were made aware of up front, then I think you will, and should, abide by it. If this is something that the gym never communicated, then I don't feel you are obligated. I don't think it is a great policy because it is not a good idea to have someone who doesn't want to be there at the gym...but they must view the one months tuition as being more important than that. That's just my opinion.

 

[gym law mom]

Look back through all of your paperwork from the gym and see if the 30 day notice was mentioned. If it was then I agree you need to pay it, but you don't need to stay. If you can afford 2 tuitions for 1 month then I would leave for the other gym as soon as possible.
If this notice is something that was just mentioned then you may have to argue it out with the gym

 

[wallflower]

It's pretty common here. I'd pay my last month, but go ahead and leave if you already know where you are going. It's the right thing to do though if this is the policy.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

Give them your notice but Just leave when you find your next gym 30 days or not. How many of the ones that have left were there 30 days after giving notice? Gyms don't really chase folks for that money. So just leave when you are ready.

oh yes they do.

 

[maddiemei]

We had to give a 30 day notice that we were leaving. The gym decided they would drop us because of "conflict of interest". We gave 30 days notice which was their policy. We were following policy. They still kicked us out. They canceled my daughter and her teammate (who was leaving with us) registration to their state meet. Those girls had worked hard to qualify for state and they shouldn't have been punished like that. They would have been able to go with the old gym because it was still during that 30 days notice window. Luckily the new gym we were going to was able to make sure my daughter was registered for states and was able to take her. She and her teammate were the only girls to go from her new gym. We love our new gym.

 

[txgymfan]

Did they still keep your fee for the 30 days when they droped you? If so, that seems unethical.

 

[monkeysmom]

I work with a lot of agreements, and I am really wondering how the legal contractual principal of "conflict of interest" could possibly apply in this situation?? Doesn't seem to have anything to do with your post. 30 days notice is not the same thing as a penalty for early termination of the contract. I am not giving legal advice but if they really "kicked you out" after you gave notice, aren't they are trying to invoke a penalty rather invoking the 30 day notice provision? By refusing to train your daughter for the last 30 days they would not be providing the contractual service they agreed to and THEY are not honoring the 30 day notice provision unless it's worded as a penalty (though again not giving legal advice, you need someone qualified to actually review the agreement). With that said, from posts I've read here many gym owners and coaches seem to be much less cautious than most other businesses are about privacy issues and sharing personal/private information regarding former customers, so if it's money already out of your pocket, if it were me I would let it float on under bridge and let it go.

 

[gymgal]

If you signed a contract for your dd to participate on team for the full year, then technically you are obligated to pay for the full year, particularly if it is written in the contract that fees are due at the beginning of the year, but that the gym is willing to spread it across 12 months. so the fact that a gym lets you give a 30 day notice is very considerate. Think about a lease on an apartment - if you decide to move out (through no fault of the landlord), you would be obligated to pay the rest of the lease.

As for actually staying and training after you give notice, I think it depends on the terms of you leaving. If the coaches understand why you are switching (going to a team that trains higher levels), then I think it would be fine but if there are going to be sore feelings, it's better to just leave and eat that month's tuition.

 

[monkeysmom]

Not to split hairs, but if you are locked out of an apartment and not allowed to live there the day after giving 30 days notice (providing no terms of the contract were breeched by you), you would not be liable for that last 30 days of rent in most jurisdictions since the property owner is breeching the contract, thereby making it unenforceable. Just sayin...

 

[gymgal]

Not to split hairs, but if you are locked out of an apartment and not allowed to live there the day after giving 30 days notice (providing no terms of the contract were breeched by you), you would not be liable for that last 30 days of rent in most jurisdictions since the property owner is breeching the contract, thereby making it unenforceable. Just sayin...

true, but the OP did not mention that they were told to leave. That was a different poster. I was going from the standpoint of the gymnast family breaking contract, not the gym owner breaching the contract.