There’s good news for New Jerseyans who plan on joining gyms this week— once the enthusiasm that comes with New Year’s resolutions wears off, it could be easier to cancel your membership.
A bill passed unanimously by the state Legislature last month and awaiting Gov. Phil Murphy’s signature would require Jersey gyms to give fitness buffs the opportunity to begin the process of canceling their memberships online, if they signed up online.
The legislation would also require gyms to notify members if their contracts are set to automatically renew and give them the option to cancel before that happens.
State. Sen. Gordon Johnson, a Democrat from Englewood, said the bill’s genesis occurred after one of his colleagues in the Assembly, Deputy Speaker Paul Moriarty of Turnersville, told him he was having trouble canceling his gym membership.
“So he had come to me and said, ‘Listen, Gordon, I think we need a bill to clarify or to make it easier for our consumers to get out of gym memberships,’” Johnson, who sponsors the bill, said.
Johnson described the legislation as a consumer protection bill.
“Some of these gyms are actually taking advantage of folks to sign up because they’re making it more difficult to get out of a contract. You have to go there in person or you have to write a certified letter,” he said.
The process for canceling a membership at fitness clubs operating in the Garden State varies.
For example, Planet Fitness says it allows members to cancel in person or by sending written notifications by mail, though it says some members may also be able to cancel their memberships online. According to the chain’s website, to stop the billing of a monthly membership, a written cancellation notification must be mailed or delivered in person seven days prior to the membership’s renewal date. Planet Fitness also says a $58 buyout fee is required if a membership is canceled prior to the end of a contract.
Retro Fitness, another gym chain that operates in…
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