Got annoyed by my gym

So I joined a new gym last year and was pleasantly surprised. They gave me a smart card to get in and out, that’s it, no app, no accounts, no nothing. Well, today I got to the gym and saw the announcement that they are phasing out the access with the smart card and starting to use, you guessed it, an app.

Now, I know this is not such a big deal in the grand scheme of things. But I’m just tired of this trend of replacing perfectly functioning systems with apps (public transport tickets come to mind). Just more ways to harvest people’s data, I guess…

Ah and by the way, in my previous gym they not only required an app for accessing the place, they also incentivized people to track their workouts, meals and bodyweight using the gym’s app (of course I never used any of these features).

Scolding0513,

probably best to stay with a locally owned gym if poasible

VerseAndVermin,

All of my local gyms in my last 3 areas have been super pricy. Like $75-$150 a month. It may not seem high, but when you can get a franchise membership for $10-$30, it’s a hard sale.

I have had luck with specialty stuff though. Yoga is common to have discounts and decent pricing if that’s anyone’s jam.

IllNess,

Bring them a dumb phone. Ask them to install the app on it for you. Tell then you are not buying a new phone just to use the gym.

originalfrozenbanana,

And they will say you can’t go to the gym, then. I agree this is enshittification but this isn’t a magic trick that lets you bypass the app

IllNess,

This isn’t a magic trick. This is more about pushing and seeing how far they would bend.

Like what you said, if all else it’s a way out of the stupid agreements with gyms.

originalfrozenbanana,

That isn’t how contracts work

IllNess,

So if you can’t get in a gym because of a technology they added after you signed, they will just continue to charge you?

That’s what you think will happen?

realbadat,

Knowing corporate gyms… Probably.

originalfrozenbanana, (edited )

Yes that’s absolutely what will happen. They likely have language in the contract you signed allowing them to do just that.

You are paying for access to the gym. They don’t have to provide you access via a card or a list or an app - they probably specify that they can refuse access for a variety of reasons, including “safety and privacy” or some shit they can shoehorn an app into. You don’t have a legal right to access a place via the mechanism you choose.

IllNess,

Looking online at similar situations people had their membership canceled by management. Other cases showed bring able to enter by a phone number, by their old tag, or ID verification. Looks like it happened for people whose app kept on crashing or a work phone that wouldn’t allow installs.

Which gym would just keep charging you if you said you can’t get in?

originalfrozenbanana,

I never said they’d charge you, I said they wouldn’t just let you in.

Notyou,

You literally said Yes when he asked that question earlier. We can all read it.

originalfrozenbanana,

Ah I missed the part where you said “and charge you.” There’s nothing in contracts like these that says the gym has to let you identify yourself in any way you choose and I don’t see why you think there would be.

Notyou,

I’m guessing he was referring to the actual practice of a gym doing something like that. I’m sure there is whatever statement in the gym contract that says that they can change access. I wouldn’t know. I just use the gym in my apartment.

In practice, most businesses will work to accommodate you if there is a change like this and you can’t adapt. Someone else mentioned that their gym has an app and it doesn’t work all the time and have to use fobs still. Most managers will work with a customer and take care of the few that need extra attention.

originalfrozenbanana,

Most gym employees don’t have that level of discretion in the US at least. Most gyms I’m aware of are franchises and asking a wage employee to go against their corporate policies risks their livelihood.

brbposting,

Assume they’d let ask you to have staff let you in every time, same as someone whose battery died. Pretty soon they’d recognize you and quickly buzz/wave you along, I figure.

johnyma22,

That’s how I play the game, you get on first name basis with people too that way…

nexas_XIII,

It’s not, but I pushed back on my gym and they got me a barcode key tag. The app just shows a barcode anyway so I lucked out. I took a picture of the barcode and use that to get into the gym. Doesn’t hurt to try

Grandwolf319,

Doing that makes it so they need to support the old system since some people keep asking for it. All I’m saying is, your actions help so thank you!

GolfNovemberUniform,
@GolfNovemberUniform@lemmy.ml avatar

Isn’t that illegal though?

originalfrozenbanana,

Isn’t what illegal? They are allowed to determine how you access their gym.

GolfNovemberUniform,
@GolfNovemberUniform@lemmy.ml avatar

Making apps mandatory. Idk about the US but I’m pretty sure here it’s illegal

sexy_peach,

They’re not a government institution providing necessary services, so I think it’s legal pretty much everywhere. Same with places accepting payment by card only.

GolfNovemberUniform,
@GolfNovemberUniform@lemmy.ml avatar

Idk. I’ve never seen a card-only place here so I guess they’re illegal too. Even if there are such places, you can easily find ones that accept cash and don’t require apps. You all just live in such enshittificated places that you can’t believe in the existence of much better ones I guess

sexy_peach,

It’s not like that here. Most accept cash and I think gyms are still “normal”

GolfNovemberUniform,
@GolfNovemberUniform@lemmy.ml avatar

Good for you then

sexy_peach,

yup

xilliah,

Probably installed it for free just so someone can get all that juicy data.

dan1101,

Insurance companies would love to have it.

harsh3466,

That sucks. The last gym I was at had the access cards too which was great. I’m fortunate now to be able to have a home gym, so I don’t have to worry about that kind of enshittification.

originalucifer,
@originalucifer@moist.catsweat.com avatar

i hate apps as well, but there is some efficiency gained in not having to manage the infrastructure required for 'cards'. its not always about the data mining.

i have 'utility' device that is an old cell phone with no cellular access used for this kind of nonsense. i also use it for music (pseudo-ipod)

Boozilla,
@Boozilla@lemmy.world avatar

Great use for an old phone! I have some lying around. This is one of those forehead-slapping moments for me.

ReversalHatchery,

its not always about the data mining.

If OP tells us the name of the app (fine if not, it may be a local one to them), we can look at the exodus report, maybe also the App Manager “detected libraries” report too.

umami_wasbi, (edited )

For not having some infra managing “cards”, to have some infra managing app instead. Let’s be real, that infra (and managing work) most likely is being out sourced to another company. I think the “efficiency gained” is minimal, but rather the cost to operate. With apps, they can recoup some cost by selling your data.

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