5:37 pm:
i've calmed down, spoke with xsport customer service and we have resolved the problem. they are crediting my account the entire withdrawal, charging the american express the $117 and will re-charge me the $105 on the 15th. i've decided that i will wait and see if i need a personal trainer once the gym opens in october. if i'm able to lose the weight without one, i will cancel...if i'm struggling, it will be a helpful tool. i'm glad everything worked out and my mom is going to let me borrow $100 for ohio. now i only have to come up with $300. $100 to pay her back with and another $200 for an outstanding bill. oh how i hate the adult world. work, bills, work, bills...i feel like my head is about to explode! since my mom is making an awesome dinner, i'm going home after work to eat. after dinner, we are going up to solar planet to tan and then i'm going to the gym for a swim. i really need this work out to keep me motivated. this day has been dragging and i'm glad it's almost over! =)

morning:
FIRST AND FOREMOST...i'm hating xsport fitness right now. the gym isn't even built yet, however, my mom and i decided to trust the salesman and join anyway. it seemed like a great deal at first. a 24-hour gym, l.c.d. televisions in front of every piece of cardio equipment, a two-tier hot tub, a 24-hour lap pool, day spa, sauna and cafe. all this for only a $117 initiation fee and $39 a month starting in october (when the gym opens). i even signed up for a personal trainer, whom i'm paying for now. i was put on a five-month payment plan with $105 coming out of my checking account on the 15th of every month. i was paid on friday and planned to save at least $100 for my trip to ohio. like a responsible adult, i went online to check the status of my account and was surprised to see that i had been charged $222 by xsport. ludicrous, wouldn't you say? since it was so late, i waited until today to call customer service and get the problem resolved. i had to call three times, but finally got someone on the line. the woman told me that the initiation fee of $117 had been declined and they were taking that and the $105 for the trainer out of my checking account. this put me over the top. i asked to cancel the personal training service and she told me i had to write a letter in order to do so. A LETTER? i couldn't even e-mail or fax. after asking her to check on my agreement, she said she would call me back and we would have a better understanding of the charges. i immediately called my mom and asked her why her credit card would be declined. we figured that since the membership was in my name and i was using her card, american express thought it was fraudulent, so the charge was declined on their end. of course, hers went through with no problem. why am i so angry with xsport? i never agreed to have the $117 taken out of my checking account, therefore that charge is fraudulent. they should have first called me before taking the next step in getting their money if the card was declined. also, i agreed to have the $105 come out of my account on the 15th of every month...not the 1st and not the 5th. the fact that they messed up in billing shouldn't result in me having to write a letter to cancel anything. my mom and i are to the point of wanting to cancel the entire thing. we are already members of lifetime fitness and have been for almost five years. the few dollars a month discount isn't worth this hassle. i'll update when she calls back...