D.C. filed a lawsuit Tuesday accusing a local chain of gyms of deceptive cancellation and billing practices.
D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine’s lawsuit says Washington Sports Club and its owner, Town Sports International, told customers they could cancel their memberships at any time for free.
However, according to the lawsuit, they actually require six weeks' written notice for cancellation and charge cancellation fees.
“They were verbally misleading consumers,” Racine said. “So consumers would ask, ‘Hey, what’s the cancellation policy?’ And the folks at the Washington Sports Club would say, ‘There is no requirement, just cancel at any time at no cost,’ when in fact, as I indicated, there is a 45-day written requirement to cancel and fees and penalties could be attached to those.”
Washington Sports Club and its owner also are accused of violating the terms of a 2016 settlement for similar violations.
Since 2016, the attorney general's office has received more than 50 complaints.
Anyone who was billed by Washington Sports Club after trying to cancel a membership should call the attorney general’s consumer protection hotline at 202-442-9828.
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Washington Sports Club has six locations in the District.
News4 has reached out to Town Sports International for comment.
