FTC Sues Gym Chains for Making It Hard to Cancel Memberships
Just print this form and bring it to the gym when you should be at work.
24 Hour fitness just needs to deliver Trump a golden dumbell and this would magically go away.
That was my first thought when I saw this headline.
THIS FTC? Under THIS Administration??? Fucking broken clock I guess
Several other good things started under Biden have continued under Trump's FTC and FCC as well. Trump supporters think Trump is responsible for it though.
Did they not JUST repeal click to cancel laws, like a month ago? Am I making this up?
An appeals court blocked the rule, and Trump's FTC had argued in support of it. They haven't appealed the ruling, though. https://www.businessinsider.com/ftc-blocks-subscription-trap-click-to-cancel-ftc-rule-2025-7
Trump's FTC filed a brief in March supporting the negative option and click-to-cancel rule, writing that consumers "face unnecessary obstacles from sellers who force them to endure multiple phone calls, long hold times, and countless automated menus. Studies show that most Americans pay hundreds annually for unwanted subscriptions."
FTC's commissioner Mark Meador took a different tone last week when he wrote in a post on X following the 8th Circuit's ruling: "The FTC's click-to-cancel rule, which would have made it much easier for consumers to get rid of unwanted online subscriptions, isn't going into effect for one reason: the Biden FTC cut corners and didn't follow the law. Process matters."
This suggests that the FTC likely won't appeal the ruling...
A judge did, not the FTC.
No you aren’t making it up they did stop that from going into effect.
I’m sure this is an attempt to appear like they’re being helpful while actually ingraining the problem further.
In THIS part of the country
The Trump admin is more about comically open corruption than traditional conservative non-interference in the market. Trump is trying to get Intel to hand over 10% of the company's ownership. Traditional conservatives are not running the Trump administration.
Instead, their motives are a lot more corrupt. They don't support corporations in general. Instead, they support corporations that bribe them and oppose corporations that don't. The gym industry evidently hasn't placated themselves sufficiently to the Trump regime, so Biden's lawsuit is allowed to continue. It will be withdrawn the moment they bend the knee and pay up.
Trump has a spreadsheet of companies loyalty to him. It's possible the gym cartels didn't give him enough bribes.
Set a VPN to California and you should be able to one-click ubsubscribe anyway. Worked for me canceling Planet Fitness at least
Haha
Get it
Uplifting news
you know what?
you've just darn saved this post from removal, my friend.
That's one thing I love about my YMCA.
I decided to cancel my gym membership because I was doing too much work to go to the gym and I didn't want to waste the money.
Walked in and said "Hey, I'd like to cancel my membership" and they said "No problem. Your membership ends at the end of the month. Please come back when you've got your shit together and want to rejoin."
I probably could have done it over the phone.
“No problem. Your membership ends at the end of the month. Please come back when you’ve got your shit together and want to rejoin.”
This makes me want to join your gym. Direct to the point, no bullshit, and a bit of sass. I like it.
That's interesting - I wonder which of Trump's animals had a gym membership they couldn't get out of.
This is why.
I remember canceling my Crunch membership in NYC by telling them I was going to Ecuador for a year. They asked if I spoke Spanish. I said no not a word just to fuck with them, even though I do speak survivable Spanish.
Why would they ask that
Probably some minimum wage slave making small talk
Basic polite conversation. Weirdos.
Yet they got rid of pretty much all the cases against subscriptions and not having "one click cancellation" that the precious FTC was going after. I'll believe it when I see it.
Only had to be an open scam for decades before they decided to do anything about it.
Do nothing about it and nothing gets done about it.
I don't understand why it is hard to cancel. I would just want to get in shape not be subbed forever.
Because Gyms make money on having many, many, people owning a gym membership and never using them.
They don't make money on people getting jacked.
In fact, most, if not all, gyms would be incapable of handling all of their members regularly attending.
They were the original subscription model that every single capitalist in America is targeting right now.
Yup. I had one of the ballys memberships that locked in a cheap rate for life and was one of the dread customers actually showing up regular. What they did was make locations that where not called ballys total fitness but instead bally xyz. At least two other versions. Then they said the membership was not valid there. Of course that will only limit it a bit so they also started having premium group fitness classes and then canceling regular fitness classes so the premium was the only option. So like they stopped having the standard cardio kickboxing and the only option was the premium kwando. They pretty much got rid of all the standard one except for a bog standard aerobics like from the 80's. I canceled before they put coin machines on the weight systems. It was easy to cancel but they wanted those memberships zeroed out so its not like they wanted me to keep it.
There’s an episode of Leverage where they’re able to “sell” an empty gym to a bad guy as a money laundering operation - since its total lack of visible attendees isn’t suspicious for its revenue.
Sort of like the gift card. The shops already spent the money and gets all shitty if anyone tries to use the gift card.
You mean domed*?
I want to quit the gym!
Just an observation,
Do people really wear on/over-the-ear headphones while working out at the gym, like the lady in the thumbnail is depicting?
Seems like they would be way too bulky and hot/sweaty for gym use.
Not that there is any technical reason they can’t be used, just seems like ear buds of the sporty variety would be a far better choice…?
Women often do so people won't talk to them
I go to the gym regularly and use airpods but I have seen people wear over the ear headphones. Usually those lifting weights, not doing cardio machines.
Yep see plenty of people doing that.
I also find it too sweaty but sometimes you trade that off vs listening to what ever music the gym is playing.
What? Earbuds style headphones would accomplish that without the trade off. People wear these to signal they don't want to be bothered.
I would if anybody made wireless over-ear headphones for giant heads. I have the unfortunate luck of wet earwax and weird ear shape that cause earbuds to constantly fall out.
Yes. No idea how, mine would be falling off all the time.
Let's put it this way. I've seen lots of people wear headphones at the gym.
I've also never seen anyone wearing them (any type of headphones/ear buds) doing serious workout.
I'm not judging. Showing up is better than not. Every day can't be a 100% day. Just my observation though.
An affirmative helllll yeahhh here. Ever since I got an earbud piece lodged in my ear that allegedly fit and would never slip - while having a "freedom" gap in my insurance - I plan to never wear buds again.
Anecdotally, I have ran 5ks with the sony wh-m3s headphones as a last resort. With the right fit and build quality it's perfectly doable and I could easily see it myself doing for standing exercises.
With the sweat and relative bulkiness, it's definitely not the ideal but in the end it's balancing what's available, practicality, and preference. Some people may want as much noise cancellation or use a single headset for everything.
They do. I don't get it. I can't get them to stay on unless I get a pair with such high clamp force that it hurts and gives me a headache.
the thumbnail shows weightlifting, which isn't very cardio and doesn't really heat AFAIK
How do gym memberships work in america? You have to subscribe with a credit card? because everywhere else you pay for a month/year upfront and if you stop going that's on you.
Depends on the gym. Planet Fitness (a huge chain with gyms literally fucking everywhere) requires checking account info (account number and bank routing number) and they automatically deduct the monthly amount and the annual fee. The advantage of this (compared to credit card info) is that a customer can't do a chargeback through the credit card company and the checking account info never expires. PF's basic business model is getting people to sign up for a small monthly fee (either $15 or $25) and then either forget about it or not care enough to bother canceling. They certainly don't want people showing up every day - apparently the average PF franchise has about 6000 members, which would be utterly unworkable if they all actually used the gym. I've been going to PF for more than 15 years on a daily basis and sometimes I lose my mind and start thinking I'm actually a valued customer, when in reality I'm surprised I haven't been banned.
You see, here in Europe(at least in my country) we have a system where you can allow certain companies e.g. your mobile provider to just take the monthly amount from your account, without you having to bother with setting up recurring payments or worse, paying it manually, but it's fully under your control, you set the upper limit and you can cancel it from your side anytime.
To get out of GoodLife, it cost me $50, and they dared remind me that exercise was healthy as if I was an idiot. To cancel an AMEX card, they had to ask me why. Imagine leaving the grocery store and the cashier asked: "Why didn't you buy more?" and reminded you that eating was healthy.
Wish I could start a gym that is month month no contracts. How come there isn't a single gym that operates this way?
There are many. They charge a lot more and act like personal trainers - service is why they exist.
your cheap doesn't charge enough for everyone who is a member to go. They need all these people who pay but don't attend to pay their bills (and then more to make money)
There are a few, but a dirty secret is because gym attendance is EXTREMELY cyclical. Jan/Feb are loaded with people signing up as part of their new year's resolutions. If they are month-to-month, then they cancel before April. Locking them into annual contracts means they can't cancel once they realize they aren't going anymore.
There are a few that genuinely do monthly contracts from the beginning. Planet Fitness is the best known, and they use it as a selling point for people that know they probably won't stick to it. It's also cheap enough that they don't feel any urgency to cancel, and can let it ride for a long time while promising themselves they'll get back to it.
I remember during the covid shutdown my gym was closed (NYSC) . I called their main support line or whatever and was like "I need to cancel my membership" and they told me that I needed to go into the gym to cancel. I told them that the gym was closed and I can't go in. They then told me I needed to get in touch with the manager of that gym somehow.
Called my credit card company. Disputed the charges, and told them to block any further charges from NYSC. That gym shut down before the lock down even ended.
Bought some weights and bands for my apartment. Downloaded a free app for calisthenics routines. Haven't been to a gym since.
It's not quite the same as having all of the machines and weights, but it sure as hell is more convinient. If I ever get the pleasure of owning a home, building out a more complete gym in the basement/garage is a goal.
I avoided joining the gym because I'm afraid to cancel.
This is what they do while they insider trade while working a regulatory position
This administration has 9,999,999 problems but this ain't one.
