The ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic has caused the closure of gym facilities throughout the country, despite clients having paid for gym services. At New York Sports Club, for example, members oppose the gym’s refusal to refund membership dues while they are closed due to pandemic. At New York Sports Club, fees range from $30.00 to $320 per month. Members said contracts with the gym specified a $15 per-month fee or account suspensions up to 12 months and a $40 fee to cancel outright. Other city gyms, including Crunch and Equinox, have frozen member dues until they can reopen. Notably, New York Sports Club failed to even post a notice warning members that they would close and what their cancelation policy would be. Big Apple fitness has similarly continued to charge its clients while being closed during the pandemic.
As Finkelstein, Blankinship, Frei-Pearson & Garber, LLP partner Jeremiah Frei-Pearson noted to Newsweek, “Gyms oftentimes draft contracts that aren’t fair to consumers.” He also advised gym clients to do the following, as elaborated in an article on money.com:
- Don’t pay to re-join
- Start with who you know
- Stop payments
- Get it (and put it) in writing
- File a complaint
Attorneys at Finkelstein, Blankinship, Frei-Pearson & Garber, LLP have successfully recovered tens of millions of dollars on behalf of consumers. If you or someone you know has been impacted by retaining gym membership fees during the COVID-19 closure, please contact us to discuss your legal options.