The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has sued the operators of LA Fitness and other gym chains over allegations that they make it exceedingly difficult for consumers to cancel their gym memberships.
The lawsuit was filed against Irvine, California-based Fitness International and Fitness & Sports Clubs, which operate hundreds of gym locations under brands including LA Fitness, Esporta Fitness, City Sports Club and Club Studio.
FTC sues LA Fitness over difficulty canceling gym memberships
On Wednesday, the government agency said it was seeking a court order prohibiting the allegedly unfair conduct and money back to consumers harmed by the difficulty in canceling their memberships.
What they’re saying:
“The FTC’s complaint describes a scenario that too many Americans have experienced – a gym membership that seems impossible to cancel,” Christopher Mufarrige, the director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement. “Tens of thousands of LA Fitness customers reported difficulties – cancellation was often restricted to specific times or required speaking to specific managers who were often not present or available. The FTC will not hesitate to act on behalf of consumers when it believes companies are stifling consumers’ ability to choose which recurring charges they want to keep.”
LA Fitness club in northern outskirt of Dallas, Texas, the United States. (Credit: Dan Tian/Xinhua via Getty Images)
FOX Local reached out to Fitness International for comment.
How to cancel LA Fitness membership
Big picture view:
According to LA Fitness’ website, most club memberships are month-to-month and may be cancelled at any time by either mailing a written notice, in person at a club, or via the customer’s online account or as provided in their agreement.
Despite these options, the FTC argued that these processes were “cumbersome” for consumers.
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“Instead of simplifying the cancellation process in response to consumer complaints, LA Fitness has 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. Consumers who try to cancel their memberships by stopping charges to their bank or credit card find they are rebilled, often under new account numbers. The FTC alleges such practices violate the FTC Act and the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act (ROSCA),” the FTC continued.
The Source: The information for this story was provided by the FTC’s complaint filed on August 20, 2025. This story was reported from Los Angeles.
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