The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has filed a lawsuit against LA Fitness operator Fitness International and its subsidiary, Fitness & Sports Clubs, accusing them of making the membership cancellation process “exceedingly difficult” and illegally charging consumers unwanted recurring fees totaling hundreds of millions of dollars.
The complaint, filed on August 20, states that tens of thousands of consumers have reported frustration with cancellation procedures.
“This case highlights a situation far too many Americans have experienced — a membership that seems nearly impossible to cancel,” said Christopher Mufarrige, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.
Fitness International, based in California, operates more than 600 clubs nationwide under brands such as LA Fitness, Esporta Fitness, City Sports Club, and Club Studio, with over 3.7 million members.
According to the FTC, the company has for years relied on two “unfair and unlawful” cancellation methods: requiring members to either print out and mail a cancellation form after logging into the company’s website, or cancel in person at the gym — both processes the agency described as “opaque, complicated, and burdensome.”
The FTC noted that while Fitness International has recently introduced online cancellation options for certain subscriptions, the process remains difficult and is not available on its mobile apps.
In the lawsuit, the FTC seeks a court order to prohibit the allegedly unlawful practices and to secure refunds for consumers harmed by the policies.
