Something Very Unsettling Is Happening at Gyms. It's Only Getting Worse.

"Greg's experience is not unique. Indeed, the Federal Trade Commission has collected evidence of LA Fitness' informing customers that their cancellation requests have not been received, even when sent by certified mail. This has left people stuck in contracts, like Greg, who has now been charged more than $3,700 in fees for a gym he has been trying to quit since the start of the year."

"When Greg wanted to get back into shape last summer, he joined his local LA Fitness near his home north of Dallas. As he signed up, the 54-year-old says, he was persuaded by the sales representative to pay an additional $420 a month for eight personal training sessions, but only because he was informed, incorrectly, that these sessions were part of a three-month program that wouldn't automatically renew. Months later, when Greg did eventually try to pull out after facing unexpected autorenewal charges, he was reassured by his trainer that she would make note of his cancellation in the gym's system-yet he continued to be charged."

"Greg's ordeal has left him feeling stressed, deceived, and-quite rightly-pissed off. "It enrages me," said Greg, who asked that only his first name be used in this story. "It's so calculated and intentionally Kafkaesque. It really does feel like some sort of B plot to a Catch-22 novel or something.""

Greg purchased an LA Fitness membership and an expensive personal-training package after being told those sessions would not auto-renew. Automatic renewal charges continued despite his attempts to cancel, assurances from staff, and multiple certified cancellation letters. Corporate and front-desk staff repeatedly claimed they had not received cancellation requests, leaving customers stuck in contracts and accruing large fees. The Federal Trade Commission has collected evidence of similar patterns, including claims that certified mail cancellations were not received. The situation has produced financial harm, stress, and allegations of deceptive or predatory gym practices.

Read at Slate Magazine