24 Hour Fitness has my fingerprints
Summary:
My gym doesn't trust me and fingerprints me like a criminal. I don't trust my gym to safeguard my personal info. I also didn't like the face they forced me to do it or I couldn't access the facility.
My friend had this to say about it:
"I'm paying to use fucking gym equipment, not a laboratory w/ explosive chemicals. That's invasive ass shit just so you dont' have to pay someone to sit at a desk 24/7 at near minimum wage"
Detail:
Went to the gym last night and discovered they are transitioning to a new authentication system where instead of scanning your card, they instead take your fingerprint.
I was informed that this system was mandatory and they were phasing out card scanning. The people behind the counter asked for my phone number, then took fingerprints of my index finger on both hands.
To me, I feel like this is BS:
- Why should my GYM be creating a database of fingerprints of its customers? Do you trust your gym to safeguard that information? The same gym that uses pressure sales tactics, "club tours" that force you to stay and be pressured.
- The lady at the counter said that this is not optional. Why is this not optional? They say that the point of this is convenience. You no longer need to carry your card, and it'll be quicker to get access into the club. Maybe, but everytime I goto the gym it took all of 5 seconds for the person to swipe my card. It's going to take longer to type my 10 digit code and then scan my finger.
- Why was there no communication a month or two ahead of time warning of this change? Usually with large policy changes like this, a responsible company should inform its customers ahead of time to prepare them for the change. The fact that the first time I hear of this is when I get to the gym, and I am FORCED to do it or will not be able to access the equipment is bad customer relations.
- Why do I have to supply my phone number? The person at the counter asked for our phone number to be used as our access code. When I said that I don't want to give out my phone number, they told me that actually I could just use any 10 digit number. If that is the case, why not say that in the beginning? Thousands of people who don't dig any deeper are going to be supplying their phone number without realizing that they didn't need to give it out.
- If this is mandatory, why can I not get a refund? According to the people at the counter, I have to do it and tough luck. There was no option to cancel my membership. I'm sure I could call corporate and get a refund, but I would have to fight for it. If you are going to make a policy change that infringes on your customers private information, the "opt out" should be clear and prominent.
So now my gym has: My name, address, phone number, head shot, and fingerprints. My bank doesn't even have my fingerprint! Someone could do some serious damage with all that info. I started thinking, why would 24 Hour Fitness want to do this..what's in it for them? They get a database of your most private information that I hope to God they will not use for marketing purposes or resell. I started to think, they could use this as a way to not have to hire counter staff. They could be like a subway with a turnstile gate, and you supply your code and fingerprint. I guess that would save on labor cost. It sucks then that the counter staff who are setting all this up are basically working themselves out of a job.
There are three main reasons why this upset me:
- I was not given a CHOICE. There was no advance notice, and I had to sign up or they would deny my entry. There was no way to opt out and use the old system, and no obvious way to cancel and refund my membership fee.
- I am worried about my private information. I am a software developer, and knowing too much for my own good makes me worried about my GYM having that kind of info on me. A gym is not a bank, they don't have the same kind of security and safeguards about data. They will not have invested in top software developer talent for their systems.
- Being forced to submit to a fingerprinting makes me feel like I am a criminal. You are surreptitiously telling your customers that you do not trust them.
If they sent out a letter a month or two in advance explaining the new access system and how great it would be for the customers, I would grumble about it, but ultimately accept it and move on. Springing it on me is the tipping point that makes me actually motivated to write about it.
