Money Moral Dilemma: I'm using my gym for free

A question about : Money Moral Dilemma: I'm using my gym for free

I cancelled my gym membership in March because it was too expensive. But last month I tried to get in and I've now managed to use it several times for free. Should I keep schtum and keep using it? Or own up and start paying again?

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Best answers:

• No different to theft in my opinion. Incidentally, why would you even try to get in after you have cancelled your membership?
• I would check your bank account for the last several months if I were you - you may find your membership hasn't been cancelled after all, and you have still been paying.
  Also, does your gym keep track of you coming in using electronic means? If so,you might find that you are reactivating your membership by using it, or they may work it out and backdate payment, or...
• In asking the question it seems that really, you know the answer...
• And next week, on Money Stealing Expert's Moral Dilemma;
  "I supplied the Balaclava hats and the getaway car, but my friend won't share the loot equally. Can I use the small claims court, or should I just break his legs to learn him one?"
  Pay your sub, or stop going. Oh, and maybe look up the definition of "moral".
• Pay or quit going.
• As most of these gym clubs are huge rip offs -carry on using it til someone twigs, if you have the bottle!!
• Wow, two weeks in a row the 'dilemma' has been about theft.
  Think someone's watching us?
• Just own up, or you'll be back here in a few months asking if the gym can force you to repay the money!
• I stopped using the cash point down the road as I realised I could reach an old ladies purse through the window on the way and could take her money.
  She obviously wasn't using it or it wouldn't have been left there....
  Is society that bad that theft has become a dilemma?
• (face palms)
  What are we coming to where it is acceptable to steal. So what if it is an error on the gym's part, sometimes someone may forget to lock their car does that mean you are entitled to take it?
  fraud
  frɔːd/
  noun
  noun: fraud; plural noun: frauds
  wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in financial or personal gain.
• I did once have a situation where my gym inadvertently cancelled my direct debit. Neither of us noticed for about two months and when they finally did they let me off as it had been their error - deliberately using your membership card after you've cancelled it is not their error, so expect them to come for their money when they notice (which they eventually will).
  If you think your gym is too expensive look for a different one! Do you get any corporate deals at work? Are there any independent or local authority run gyms which are usually cheaper than branded? Is there a Gym Group or other no frills no contract gym near you? Can you start running, or cycling, every day to keep fit for free?
• There's a few things here:
  If it's a gym with a fancy pants booking in system like the ones owned by the software house I worked for, your entry into the gym will automatically trigger your account to be reopened and a Direct Debit instruction to be lodged with your bank. This isn't a software glitch, it's to allow for people doing what you are now.
  This means the payments will be taken again and you can't use the Direct Debit Guarantee to get your money back as they will have records of you using the service.
  If they use an agency to do their collections rather than doing it directly themselves, the agency will chase you pretty hard for not paying because they are on commission. They couldn't care less about the impact of applying for CCJ's and adding default notices to your credit file, as long as they get their money by whatever means.
  Finally if you're using an expired membership and you injure yourself on the premises, even if you aren't at fault, you won't be insured. Even if you suffered catastrophic injuries and couldn't work, it would be tough luck.
  We could go to the moral implications however it seems other MSErs have that covered far more succinctly than I could manage.
• Keep schtum, obviously and ensure you have a ready answer for the day you get challenged.
  Check on Amazon local to see if they do day / month passes for the gym at reduced rate.
  This is the same as -
  The train company didn't stamp the return portion of my ticket- can I use it again? Yes.
  I received a parcel and the stamps aren't franked, can I peel them off and use them again? Yes, but Royal Mail would rather you didn't. (see ebay)
• Again, there's no dilemma here, the clear answer is stop stealing the gym's resources, unless you want to reactivate your membership.
  Slow mail day at MSE towers perchance?
• What is it with MSE and their selection of Money Moral Dilemmas lately??
  This is the 2nd one where we are asked to say if it is OK or not for someone to do something totally dishonest!!
  Of course you shouldn't keep using it - you shouldn't have tried to use it once it was out of date in the first place!
  IT IS THEFT!
  Like DURRRR!!!
• Yes , you'r a crook !!!!!!
• That you're asking the question shows you know you shouldn't be using the gym. More likely you're hoping people will say it's ok so you feel better about doing something which you know is wrong.
• If you left your door open and a thief came in and stole something of yours would this pose a moral dilemma for you?