For instance my gym went out of business, but hidden in the contract it was written they could transfer my membership to any other gym within 10 miles of the gym. And I was forced to pay a cancellation fee of several month to get out of it.
If you didn't read the contract before you signed it, though, next time you should.
When I bought a house, they gave me a stack of paper about half an inch high to read, including a document for me to sign that said "I have read and understand the documents." So I sat there with the agent and read every word of it. She was clearly quite irritated with me "wasting her time" by reading it, but too bad for her.
A couple issues I was particularly interested in was what happens if I default on the mortgage, and what happens if I prepay the loan.
BTW, I recommend reading the fitness club contracts first. They are negotiable, but if you don't read them you won't know what to negotiate, and will be paying the "sucker price".
Which court is that? The one that finally hears your case three years after the gym has reported the debt to the credit bureaus and ruined your credit?
I've used small claims 4 times now. Each time, I spent less time with the court than I did with customer service prior to the court.
Lesson learned. I ask customer service once, in plain english, on a recorded line. If they don't resolve it at that opportunity, I just go to small claims.