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CNN Live At Daybreak

'Dollars and Deals'

Aired May 09, 2003 - 06:52   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Time to talk money. In this morning's Dollars and Deals, nobody is stingier than Clark Howard. He's proud of that, by the way. So when it comes to joining a health club, Clark says don't do it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARK HOWARD, CONSUMER ADVOCATE: Today's question comes from Otto in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Otto, you want to sign up for a gym membership. You want to know how do you protect yourself, what should you look out for before you sign on the dotted line?

OK, Otto, you already said a key thing. I don't want you signing on any dotted line. A legitimate health club, a legitimate gym will not require you to sign a contract. They will earn your business as a customer, as a member, month by month.

You've got to understand how the health club business works. There are clubs that use commissioned salespeople, high pressure, get you into a long-term contract and then hope against hope you won't work out. In fact, most people who join a gym on a contract stop working out within six weeks.

The legitimate clubs care about you and your health, not your wallet. They want to you come back and work out week after week, month after month. How do they get you to do that? By treating you right, having a clean facility, having good, modern equipment that's well maintained.

So when you go to a gym, if they want you to sign a contract, you're in the wrong place.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Thank you, Clark, for that.

Clark stops by to visit with us very often. You can e-mail your questions to daybreak@cnn.com. We're going to save them for his next appearance.

Meanwhile, you can get his money saving tips on the Web. The address is clarkhoward.com.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired May 9, 2003 - 06:52   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Time to talk money. In this morning's Dollars and Deals, nobody is stingier than Clark Howard. He's proud of that, by the way. So when it comes to joining a health club, Clark says don't do it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARK HOWARD, CONSUMER ADVOCATE: Today's question comes from Otto in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Otto, you want to sign up for a gym membership. You want to know how do you protect yourself, what should you look out for before you sign on the dotted line?

OK, Otto, you already said a key thing. I don't want you signing on any dotted line. A legitimate health club, a legitimate gym will not require you to sign a contract. They will earn your business as a customer, as a member, month by month.

You've got to understand how the health club business works. There are clubs that use commissioned salespeople, high pressure, get you into a long-term contract and then hope against hope you won't work out. In fact, most people who join a gym on a contract stop working out within six weeks.

The legitimate clubs care about you and your health, not your wallet. They want to you come back and work out week after week, month after month. How do they get you to do that? By treating you right, having a clean facility, having good, modern equipment that's well maintained.

So when you go to a gym, if they want you to sign a contract, you're in the wrong place.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Thank you, Clark, for that.

Clark stops by to visit with us very often. You can e-mail your questions to daybreak@cnn.com. We're going to save them for his next appearance.

Meanwhile, you can get his money saving tips on the Web. The address is clarkhoward.com.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com