I see Planet Fitness has made the media recently, with its collecting agents apparently having being asked to tackle a R350 million debt that they have by proceeding against clients. The problem is that apparently their contract provides that the membership does not automatically expire at the end of the one or two-year term – but continues on a month to month basis. Planet Fitness, according to media reports, calls this “auto renewal”. In other words, you take out what you think is a one year membership and you don’t renew it after one year, but in fact it then continues on a month to month basis if you do not terminate it in writing. People are now getting called, in some cases years later apparently, to pay and not surprisingly, they are very unhappy about this. It is another reminder to read contracts very carefully and don’t just take notice of what the sales person tells you (or omits to tell you).