FTC chairman Andrew Ferguson discusses the hardships about gym canals on ‘The Bottom Line’.
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sued the operators of La Fitness on Wednesday because they would have made it “extremely difficult” for customers for customers to cancel their memberships.
Fitness International and Fitness & Sports Clubs, which operate gym chains, including La Fitness, Esporta Fitness, City Sports Club and Club Studio, have been charged to illegally brought hundreds of millions of dollars through difficult cancellation procedures.
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A reopened La Fitness Club in Dallas, Texas, 6 June 2020. (Dan tian / xinhua via getty images / getty images)
Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, Andrew Ferguson, bears witness to the subcommittee of the House Credit Committee for Financial Services and General Government in the office building of Rayburn House on 15 May 2025, in Washington, DC (Kevin Dietsch/Getty images)
Tens of thousands of La Fitness members have claimed problems with canceling their memberships. Cancellation often required members to talk to specific managers who were often not available, and those who tried to cancel their memberships by post also arrived, according to the FTC.
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“What we have claimed in our complaint is that the method of cancellation La Fitness makes it not easy for consumers,” Ferguson told FOX Business. “You had to email in a form, or you had to go to a physical gym … You then had to provide cancellation to a specific person, and that person was often not there.
“That’s what this suit is about,” Ferguson said. “It’s about improving the lives of Americans in specific ways and saving them the money they have to spend on memberships they no longer want.”
The FTC is looking for money to return to affected consumers and a judicial order to ban the alleged unfair practices.
“We remain convinced that we will prevail in court,” said Jill Hill, president of Club Operations for Fitness International, in a statement.
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“Our company is working diligently to meet all state laws with regard to the national cancellations of membership and to offer at least every cancellation method that is specifically required by each state … We will continue to defend our practices, while we ensure that our members receive clear, simple and honest membership experiences.”
An La Fitness September 15, 2022, in Levittown, NY (Bruce Bennett / Getty Images / Getty images)
Fitness International and Fitness & Sports clubs offer memberships that can cost no less than $ 299 per month, with optional add-on services available, according to the FTC.
According to Reuters, the FTC, which works to prevent unfair business practices, is more difficult to focus on difficult to throat and recurring costs.
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