There’s a lot of competition for fitness memberships these days, so I expect competitive pricing and month-to-month deals. Urban Active at Legacy Village in Lyndhurst currently offers such deals, but unfortunately they’re accompanied by the kind of shady business practices and "hidden" fees that should cause any potential buyer to beware.

I "canceled" my month-to-month with Urban Active in mid-May of 2010, and had to pay for June and July because I was told that I couldn't cancel without a two-month lead-time. The real rub here is that on July 15, three months after I canceled this month-to-month “no hassle” membership, Urban Active debited my checking account for an annual "facilities fee."

According to their customer service rep, they were within their rights to charge this fee because I was "technically still a member."

Technically still a member? I hope that fee was worth it, because I'll never be a member again, under any circumstances.