Inactive gym members reluctant to embark upon an arduous membership cancellation quest can look forward to a less painful process thanks to the Federal Trade Commission's new "Click-to-Cancel" rule.
The rule requires businesses to offer consumers a cancellation process that is just as easy to complete as the sign-up process.
Currently, subscription cancellations often require phone calls where customers are bounced around from department to department and forced to argue their case to oppositional customer service representatives.
Health clubs often force members to jump through hoops to cancel a membership, necessitating an in-person appearance or certified letter, as is the case for Planet Fitness, an affordable nationwide gym with a notoriously difficult-to-cancel membership.
Shortly after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announcement, Planet Fitness began trending on X, where users celebrated the promise of relief from the gym's complex and unforgiving cancellation requirements.
Click-to-Cancel is one of those things that sounds minor but is at the heart of many of the frustrations of American life. Corporations were taking our money, we didn't want them to, and we couldn't stop them. Now we can. https://t.co/wYzJcOUcqS
— Helaine Olen (@helaineolen) October 16, 2024
Me: I'd like to cancel my membership.
— Brent Terhune in Louisville 10-24 (@BrentTerhune) October 16, 2024
Planet Fitness: You need to come in to do that.
Me: Not coming in is the reason I need to cancel in the first place.
Discussion of the potential consequences for Planet Fitness ran rampant on social media, with tweets like, "Planet Fitness gonna go bankrupt," and "Planet Fitness execs are headbutting walls rn." Memes on the subject quickly gained traction.
Planet Fitness after hearing about the law being passed that allows people to cancel their membership with a click of a button. pic.twitter.com/BacR94vKNX
— teatime75 (@teatime75) October 16, 2024
Planet fitness a week from now: https://t.co/2DfhnCQE7c pic.twitter.com/hx9XecPgrW
— Hold my Beaker (@raydrizzle00) October 16, 2024
Planet Fitness finding out they can't force you to send two notarized letters with a blood sample via carrier pigeon to cancel your membership anymore: https://t.co/8EJw3NNf33 pic.twitter.com/HW9G9pYnXY
— Leftist Cholo Lone Star DeferrKy (@LAtowncritic) October 16, 2024
The Planet Fitness hashtag also revealed horror stories of the lengths some members went to finally cancel their memberships.
Joined a gym when I was 18. Didn't like the vibe AT ALL and when I tried to cancel they told me I would need a letter from my MD stating I had a medical condition that prevented me from using their equipment or whatever so THIS IS EXCELLENT NEWS FOR THE CONSUMER.
— We Are Not Going Back! Harris/Walz 2024 LFG!!! (@julieannewells) October 16, 2024
After it took me 174 years to cancel my planet fitness membership I ain't never joined another gym since. Lmao 😂
— André Marcel Harris, MSW (@andreharris89) October 16, 2024
If anyone needs insight to understand why the FTC's negative option rule is needed, consider that for people to cancel their Planet Fitness membership, consumers have to switch their geographic location to California, so the process isn't so onerous and works like the FTC's rule. https://t.co/3EBBKRoeWD pic.twitter.com/iZZX3p3iug
— Daniel Hanley (@danielahanley) October 16, 2024
I actually closed a checking account that was specifically setup for Planet Fitness autopay. The bastards kept deducting from that account three months after I had canceled membership. pic.twitter.com/mQqMKm7Ni9
— Roland Jôintz (the one and only) 🌎 (@News4Laughs) October 16, 2024
The FTC tweet announcing the rule was met with an outpouring of gratitude, from frustrated Planet Fitness members as well as consumers plagued by other subscriptions.
Excellent!! It's unbelievable how many businesses have made it part of their business model to be incredibly difficult to cancel their subscriptions. It's trickery over creating a service that people actually want to stick with.
— UniGuide® Ⓥ (@uniguide) October 16, 2024
great to hear! it felt very discouraging to pay another company to help us stop paying subscriptions!
— theJOBAgroup (@theJOBAgroup) October 16, 2024
This might literally be the best thing the federal government has done in the past 20 years.
— Anthony Fox (@Anthony43462707) October 16, 2024
"Too often, businesses make people jump through endless hoops just to cancel a subscription," said Commission Chair Lina M. Khan in the FTC statement. "The FTC's rule will end these tricks and traps, saving Americans time and money. Nobody should be stuck paying for a service they no longer want."
According to the statement, the final rule's provisions will go into effect 180 days after it's published.
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