Regulators say the gym chain forced members through unreasonable hurdles, from in-person visits to certified mail, just to quit.
WASHINGTON — The Federal Trade Commission is suing the operators of LA Fitness and other gym chains, alleging they make it unreasonably difficult for customers to cancel memberships and add-on services.
The complaint, filed Tuesday in federal court in California, accuses Fitness International LLC and Fitness & Sports Clubs LLC of violating federal law by requiring consumers to jump through unnecessary hurdles to end their membership. Challenges included requiring in-person visits during limited hours or sending cancellation forms by certified mail.
“The FTC’s complaint describes a scenario that too many Americans have experienced — a gym membership that seems impossible to cancel,” Christopher Mufarrige, director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection, said.
The agency said tens of thousands of LA Fitness customers complained about cancellation roadblocks, which allegedly included requiring members to meet with a specific manager who was often unavailable or having to go into a gym during typical work hours. Others who mailed forms were told to pay extra for certified or registered mail.
Even customers who stopped payment through their banks or credit cards were often rebilled under new account numbers, the FTC said.
The FTC is also alleges that LA Fitness “trained staff to reject escalated requests and to deny cancellations requested by phone or email, reiterating that all cancellations must be done in person with one specific employee or by mail.”
The gyms, which include LA Fitness, Esporta Fitness, City Sports Club and Club Studio, operate more than 600 locations nationwide with 3.7 million members. Memberships cost between $30 and $299 a month, plus fees.
The FTC is asking the court to bar the companies from the alleged practices and to secure refunds for affected consumers.
The case will be decided by the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.