Cambridge Crunch Fitness says 'technical error' resulted in members being charged fees while gym remains closed
Some members at a Cambridge Crunch Fitness claim money has been coming out of their accounts despite the gym being closed for months.
The company said the situation was the result of a technical error.
The doors at the Hespeler location on Holiday Inn Drive have been closed for months.
“Since March they started up taking out my monthly dues,” said member Karen Bartlett. “I feel angry. I feel almost robbed.”
Crunch Canada confirmed out of around 4,500 members at the Cambridge location, about 150 were charged.
Some said getting a hold of staff has been an additional challenge.
“To no avail. No response. To no answers as to why they’re doing this. No correction,” Bartlett said.
The company says the problem occurred after recently upgrading their billing software.
“A lot of people have been refunded. We are still working on refunding others,” said Sharon Johnny, the Director of Operations at close to a dozen Ontario Crunch Canada locations.
Crunch is asking members to be patient, but some said patience is running thin and they’re still questioning the company.
“I think it’s a definite cop-out. It’s not a technical issue,” said Bartlett. “You can’t be doing this to people especially in these times”.
“It was an error. We did not do it intentionally by any means and we’re working through it as fast as we can,” said Johnny.
The error showed up as monthly fees for some members and yearly maintenance fees for others, or in some cases, both.
“A monthly amount. My daughter's monthly amount. And then my yearly,” said Cambridge Crunch member Leisa Cairns.
Crunch is still investigating to find out if this happening at any of the other 18 Ontario locations.
Cambridge members will have the choice of getting a refund or rolling the monthly dues into future months when they reopen. Some members admit when they do reopen they might not rejoin.
“I don’t think I will rejoin. I just want the fact that it’s been kind of deceptive,” said Cairns.
Crunch Fitness said they lost many staff members during the lockdowns but are doing their best to reply to members as soon as possible.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.