A Reddit user says he has spent nearly $2,000 on a Planet Fitness membership that he hasn’t used in over six years, and despite numerous attempts to cancel, the company continues to charge him every month.
The story has triggered a tidal wave of similar complaints online, exposing what many say is a widespread pattern of predatory business practices in the gym industry.
A Runaround That Lasted Years
In a post that quickly went viral on r/rant, the user explained how he signed up with Planet Fitness in 2019.
In 2020, he moved into a new apartment with its own gym and decided it was time to cancel the membership. What followed, however, was a years-long ordeal.
According to him, Planet Fitness said the only way to cancel was to visit the exact location where he signed up.
This wasn’t possible anymore, since he had moved to another state. The alternative? Send a handwritten, signed letter through the mail.
“I sent it. They said it was never received. I tried again. They said it was not correctly formatted. I tried again. And again. There was something wrong each time,” he wrote.
After multiple failed attempts and repeated rejections for unclear reasons, he said he finally managed to get someone on the phone who agreed to cancel his membership.
They promised to send him a confirmation email. That never happened either.
Despite doing everything he could, Planet Fitness continued to bill him each month.
He even contacted his bank and tried to block the charges, but was told he needed to provide proof of cancellation.
“Today I’m still a member of Planet Fitness. I’ve spent $25/month without stepping into a Planet Fitness for 6 years. That is almost $2,000. F*** you, Planet Fitness,” he concluded.
Thousands Share Similar Stories
The post quickly blew up, earning more than 11,000 upvotes and 1.6 thousand comments.
Many users shared nearly identical experiences, saying they too had been trapped in long, frustrating battles with Planet Fitness and other gyms that made it extremely difficult to cancel memberships.
Some commenters suggested unconventional tactics. One user wrote, “Email them stating you’re going to prison and need to cancel. They have to cancel without asking any questions. Always works for me.”
Others said they lied about terminal illness, or claimed they were moving out of the country.
One workaround that gained traction was switching the account’s home gym to a location in California. “California law says if you can sign up online, you must be able to cancel online,” one user explained. “Took me like 5 mins tops.”
Some even resorted to drastic financial moves. “I canceled my bank account because of this,” one person admitted.
Another wrote, “Close the account and take your money elsewhere. It’s the only way to stop them.”
Apps like Rocket Money were also mentioned by several people as tools that had successfully helped them cancel memberships.
Others said they filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau, or threatened legal action to finally get results.
A System Designed to Trap You
Many of the most upvoted responses pointed to a deeper issue: the lack of consumer protection laws in the United States.
“How. The. F***. Is. America. Real?” one commenter said. “You lot have everything ass backwards.”
Another chimed in: “This cancel-at-the-location-under-a-full-moon crap shouldn’t be allowed. The fact that the bank won’t cut them off from YOUR money just infuriates me more.”
Several users called out Planet Fitness’s use of direct debit from bank accounts instead of credit cards.
This tactic makes it harder for customers to dispute or block recurring charges, and many banks require a cancellation confirmation before honoring such a request.
“Planet Fitness requires EFT, they don’t accept cards for this exact reason. They’ve got your account and routing number,” one user warned.
One commenter said, “It’s easier to cancel your bank account than to cancel your gym membership. That tells you everything.”
Hope on the Horizon: New FTC Rule
Amid the chaos, some users shared news that a change might be on the way.
A user who works in fitness software said the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently passed a new mandate, known as the “click-to-cancel” rule.
Under the new rule, any company that allows you to sign up for a service online will also be required to let you cancel online.
The regulation goes into effect May 14, 2025.
“Try going on their website on May 15 and canceling. If it still doesn’t work, report them to the FTC and they’ll get fined,” the user advised.
Until then, many commenters said the best approach is to avoid signing up with any gym that doesn’t accept credit cards or that forces you to jump through hoops to cancel.
“Let this be a lesson to signing up to gyms that don’t let you use credit cards — there’s probably a scammy and scummy reason,” one person wrote.
The overwhelming consensus? In the absence of stronger consumer protections, the burden remains on individuals to outsmart a system that seems intentionally difficult.
And for one Redditor, that system has already cost him nearly $2,000, with no end in sight.