00:00The Federal Trade Commission has sued LA Fitness and other gyms saying they make it
00:04all but impossible for customers to cancel their memberships.
00:10The head of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection says the lawsuit describes, quote,
00:15a scenario that too many Americans have experienced, a gym membership that seems impossible to cancel.
00:21According to the lawsuit, the gyms require members to go to a website, print and fill out a form,
00:26and then either mail it or hand it to a specific employee or manager who is designated to handle cancellations.
00:34The FTC claims tens of thousands of customers report a difficulty canceling memberships,
00:39and the agency says the gyms have illegally charged those customers hundreds of millions of dollars in unwanted recurring fees.
00:47The suit names Fitness International as well as fitness and sports clubs as defendants.
00:52The companies operate franchises that include LA Fitness, Esporta Fitness, City Sports Club, and Club Studio.
01:01A company executive said the allegations in the suit are without merit and that the company will ultimately prevail in court.
01:08The FTC is requesting a court order to block hard-to-cancel practices at gyms.
01:13The suit also seeks monetary compensation for customers.
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01:22For more unbiased updates, visit www.laiste.com.
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