ComplaintsforPlanet Fitness

• Initial Complaint

  05/18/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Formal Complaint Against Planet Fitness for Misleading Contract Terms and ********************* Dear ************************ am submitting a complaint against Planet Fitness, located at **********************************************, for misleading contract terms and issues with membership cancellation.Details of the Transaction:Date of Initial Transaction: March 2022 Amount Paid: $598.60 since attempted cancellation in September 2022 Nature of the Dispute: Misleading contract information and failure to process cancellation Attempts to Resolve the Problem: Multiple in-person and email communications with management, specifically with the manager, ******, in September 2022. Despite assurances, the gym continued to bill me.In March 2022, I was verbally assured by a Planet Fitness staff member that I was signing up for a month-to-month membership, as had been my previous arrangement. Relying on this information, I rejoined, only to find out upon attempting cancellation in September 2022 that I was allegedly locked into a 12-month contract.Despite immediate efforts to cancel in person and through direct emails to management, my requests were not honored. I have incurred monthly charges and an annual fee, totaling $598.60, for a membership I have not used since my cancellation attempt.I seek the BBBs assistance in obtaining a full refund for the charges post-cancellation attempt and to address the misleading sales practices of Planet Fitness. These practices have not only caused financial loss but also significant stress and inconvenience.Thank you for your attention to this serious matter.Sincerely,***********************

  Business response

  06/05/2024

  Member signed up for a contract in 2022 and signed the document stating it was a 12 month commitment or would need to pay the buyout fee. While member is stating that they did not know it was a commitment, their signature is on the legal document. Member refused to pay the fee and made an assumption that the contract would expire at ***************************************************** person to cancel at the time of cancelling and pay fee or send a certified letter requesting cancel and pay the fee. If member wanted to wait till contract ended, the documents do state that he must come in follow the same process at that time. Neither of these things happened. There are detailed notes on the account and no refund will be processed for member due to not following signed contract. Member's account has been closed as a courtesy. 

  Customer response

  06/11/2024

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  I am writing to formally reject the resolution provided by Planet Fitness concerning my membership cancellation. The response from the business fails to address the severity and duration of the issues I have faced, nor does it acknowledge the misleading information I was given by their staff, which has led to substantial financial harm.
  
  Issues Faced:
  
  1.Manager Unavailability and Non-Response: My initial attempt to cancel was met with the managers absence. I was informed by the staff that the manager, ******, was known for reliably returning calls, which encouraged me to await his contact to discuss the matter personally. Unfortunately, this assurance proved false as I never received a call back, which directly contradicted the expectations set by his team.

  
  2.Misrepresentation of Contract Terms: Upon signing the contract, I was misled to believe it mirrored my previous month-to-month agreement but was only a downgraded version. This misinformation was critical as it directly impacted my decision, under the assumption that I retained the same cancellation flexibility.

  
  3.Inadequate and Indirect Communication: Efforts to directly address my concerns were consistently bypassed, with responses coming from secondary sources rather than from ****** himself, failing to address the specifics of my situation.
  
  Applicable California Consumer Protection Laws:
  
  California Unfair Competition Law (UCL) - Business and Professions Code ***** et seq.: This law prohibits deceptive business practices, including the misleading information about contract terms provided by Planet Fitness staff.

  
  California False Advertising Law (FAL) - Business and Professions Code ***** et seq.: The staffs assurances regarding the nature of the contract could constitute false advertising.

  
  California Consumers Legal Remedies Act (CLRA) - Civil Code 1750 et seq.: Misrepresentations made about the contract terms fall under this act, which protects consumers from deceptive practices in transactions.
  
  Requested Actions:
  
  Immediate Refund: I request a full refund of over $500, representing charges incurred after my initial attempt to cancel, which was based on the false understanding of the contract terms.

  
  Comprehensive Review: Given the ongoing issues and the potential violations of state laws, I urge the BBB to conduct a thorough review of the business practices at this Planet Fitness location.
  
  Thank you for addressing this matter with the seriousness it warrants. I look forward to your support in resolving these issues and ensuring such practices are not repeated with other customers.

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  07/07/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  On June 14, 2023, I went in to PF to cancel my membership and was told due to it being after the 10th, I'd be charged one more month. I was under the impression that as long as I canceled before 1st due date (June 17, 2023-see attached), I'd be good. I was made aware about the agreement (with the million words) by ****, who was very helpful. The gym is falling apart, all  hydromachines 5, 6, and 7 were not working, the place was unkempt, that's not a gym I want to be a part of. I immediately ****** @ r*************************.com with my request to have them cancel my membership effective that day (before next billing cycle) to allow my cancelation to be effective as of this mo without charging me further. They never replied. I sent a second email on June 20, 2023 and the reply stated: Hi *******, This information has been forwarded to the area director ****** and we hope to hear back from him soon. Thank you for your patience.  Never heard from anyone. I sent a 3rd email on July 5, 2023 and mentioned I would file complaint to BBB if not updated. The reply that day was Hi ******* ******, I will once again forward this information to upper leadership as they would own this process. I truly do apologize for the delay in service and will do everything I can to get you squared away. I just want the $25.05 that was taken from my bank account for a month I won't be using since that facility is dirty and many machines are not working. I don't want a free mo or a guest pass, or anything aside from my $25.05. Thank you,  ******* ******

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩