Bally’s Fitness Cons Man With Disabilities Into Membership, Family Says
By Shaun HeasleyAn Indiana man with developmental disabilities was duped into a monthly gym membership by representatives of Bally’s who showed up at his door and drove him to the gym, the man’s family says.
Two men from Bally’s Total Fitness approached Mark Hannon,49, at his Indianapolis apartment and then drove him to a local gym to sign up for a year-long contract. Hannon has the functional abilities of a man much younger than his 49 years.
The contract Hannon agreed to included a $29.99 monthly withdrawal from his bank account plus $69.98 in initial fees for the first and last month of membership and a service fee.
When Hannon’s brothers went to the gym to request a refund, gym officials were unwilling to make any concessions, reports 6News, the Indianapolis ABC affiliate. To read more click here.
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It’s very sad to hear that big corporations are trying to cash in on people with disabilities. it’s mean and disrespectful. And I know how Gym reps can be very persuasive in getting ppl to sign up for membership, and will even hold your drivers license until you sign up.
I think this is a clear sign of a person with a disability being taken advantage of.
Has it come to this?
The economy is so bad that Bally Total Fitness Club is sending their employees out to sell club memberships door to door.
Wonder if Bally’s teaches their employees any ethics?…apparently not at least not from what I can see after reading this article.
The two employees of Bally’s ignored a no solicitation sign at the apartment complex where Mark Hannon lives.
Knock on his apartment home door to sell him a club membership.
They were so anxious to make a sale that they put Mark in their privately owned vehicle, not a business car or a business shuttle bus but their own car & took him to Bally Total Fitness Club to complete the sale – talk about high pressure salesmen.
Thank God that Mark has brothers & sisters that care & helped him to fix this problem.
Too bad though that its taken so long & the Channel 6 News Station had to get involved.
Wonder if Bally’s has sent a letter of apology to Mark Hannon.
Wonder if Bally’s sent a membership cancellation letter to Mark.
Wonder if Bally’s refunded Mark Hannon’s money.
Wonder if Bally’s will include sensitivity training for the disabled in their management training program.
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