Oregonians share nightmare stories about trying to cancel gym memberships as feds sue 1 business

Michael Wagner wanted to cancel his membership to Planet Fitness in Southwest Portland, so he said he gave the gym a call and told staff so.

But Wagner said gym employees strung him along — and it took more than a month and four to five phone calls, emails and an in-person visit to strong-arm the company into doing what he asked it to do.

By then, the company had already charged his bank an approximately $50 annual renewal fee for continuing his membership, he said, even though he had tried to cancel. He was unsurprisingly perturbed.

“Rather than just canceling this and letting it be done, I’m having to jump through a whole bunch of hoops,” Wagner told The Oregonian/OregonLive, adding that at one point a company representative told him to calm down. “And it’s like ‘If you do your business right, I wouldn’t be upset.’”

Planet Fitness, which operates six locations in Portland and 30 in Oregon, couldn’t speak to Wagner’s individual complaint. But the company said in May — months after Wagner said he encountered multiple headaches — it began allowing all members to cancel by logging into their accounts online. A spokesperson said it is all part of efforts to simplify “members’ ability to manage their account with us.”

The gym chain is one of four in Oregon that customers have reported to the Oregon Department of Justice’s consumer protection division since 2020 for allegedly creating cancellation roadblocks, like the one Wagner reported last December.

Records obtained by The Oregonian/OregonLive through a public records request show that the consumer protection division has fielded 48 complaints in roughly the last five years from people who say their gyms erected barriers when they tried to pause or cancel their memberships.

The Oregonian/OregonLive requested those records after the Federal Trade Commission announced last week that it had filed a federal suit in the Central District of California against one gym that it determined is a prominent offender: LA Fitness. The gym has more than 600 locations nationwide.

Federal officials say “tens of thousands of LA Fitness customers reported difficulties,” leading government regulators to conclude that the company allegedly has made it “exceedingly difficult” for members to sever ties with “a simple cancellation mechanism, as required by law.”

“The FTC’s complaint describes a scenario that too many Americans have experienced – a gym membership that seems impossible to cancel,” said Christopher Mufarrige, director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection, in a news release.

Representatives from LA Fitness didn’t respond to a request for comment from The Oregonian/OregonLive. The FTC is asking a judge to order the company to cease “allegedly unfair conduct” that often comes in the form of unwanted recurring charges.

However, of Oregon consumers who went the extra mile to complain to the Oregon Department of Justice, LA Fitness wasn’t the biggest alleged offender. According to spokesperson Jenny Hansson, state consumer protection officials have received the following number of cancellation complaints since 2020 about Oregon gym chains:

• 19 against 24 Hour Fitness, which has 11 gyms in the state, all in the Portland area.
• 14 complaints against Crunch Fitness, which has five locations in the state.
• 12 complaints against Planet Fitness, which has 30 locations in Oregon.
• Three complaints against LA Fitness, with seven locations in the state, all in the Portland area.

The Oregonian/OregonLive asked each of the four companies for comment about the membership cancellation process or about specific complaints, which the news organization forwarded to company spokespeople. Crunch Fitness and LA Fitness didn’t respond.

24 Hour Fitness stated that it provides members multiple ways to cut ties. “As explained on our website, 24 Hour Fitness offers its members several ways to cancel their membership, including: electronically, in person, via phone, and by email,” a spokesperson said.

Planet Fitness said all members can cancel in person, by mail or online, thanks to the new option that went live in May.

“At Planet Fitness, we have a members first philosophy and are committed to providing a great fitness experience,” reads a company statement.

In July, a federal appeals court blocked a “click-to-cancel” rule from taking effect. The rule, proposed by the FTC, would have mandated that businesses ranging from online entertainment streaming services to gyms make it simpler for consumers to cancel.

Many who complained to Oregon consumer protection officials and whose written complaints were reviewed by The Oregonian/OregonLive said they weren’t allowed to cancel by phone or on company websites and that they were required to cancel through the mail or in-person. In some instances, they said when they arrived at the gym, they were told the manager with the authority to cancel their memberships wasn’t there.

Among Oregonians who complained was a Southeast Portland resident and former 24 Hour Fitness member who in a December 2024 complaint claimed the gym said the company’s “online provided phone number for cancellation says their offices are open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday” but no one answers. The Oregonian/OregonLive called the company’s customer service line at different times during those hours Tuesday and a recording said the call center was closed.

“This is unfair business practice,” wrote the resident, “creating hurdles to prevent people from canceling when they are perfectly capable of doing it over the phone.”

The resident added: “They just rely on people not following through with filing complaints or escalating the issue.”

In another complaint last year, a Beaverton resident said his wife signed the couple up for LA Fitness memberships as a birthday gift, but only later said they discovered $800 was being deducted for monthly dues and personal training — far more than his wife had understood. He said the couple had to hire a lawyer to get the company to stop charging.

In a complaint from earlier this year, a Eugene woman complained that she signed a contract with Crunch Fitness in Springfield but moved to cancel it within the allotted three business days by sending a postmarked letter. She said the address listed in her gym contract turned out to be undeliverable, according to the post office. She said despite calling and emailing the company, it continues to charge her.

“I have disputed the charges with my bank, which has honored my dispute given the evidence I have obtained,” she wrote. “My primary worry is that they will send me to collections and damage my credit score.”

The Oregon Department of Justice says when it receives a complaint, it follows up with the individual gyms and the people who’ve complained about them to try to find a solution — including full or partial refunds.

Wagner, the Southwest Portland resident who said he tussled with Planet Fitness to get his membership cancelled, said it was so quick and simple to sign up for a gym membership. He did it in one sitting — a sharp contrast to the multiple attempts he said it took to cancel his membership late last year.

Ever since, he said he’s taken to working out outdoors to avoid joining another gym and then one day, inevitably, having to cancel.

“I don’t want to experience the same thing,” Wagner said. “In any way, shape or form.”

Do you have a consumer issue you think is newsworthy? The Oregonian/OregonLive is launching a new consumer pocketbook beat. Contact reporter Aimee Green at 503-294-5119 or agreen@oregonian.com if you have a tip to share.

— Reporter Aimee Green covers politics, personal finance and issues that matter to consumers. She can be reached at 503-294-5119, agreen@oregonian.com or on Bluesky.