NEW YORK \u2013 Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) launched a compliance blitz, sending warning notices to 187 gyms and health clubs across the city\u00a0including\u00a0PureGym, Planet Fitness and Equinox.<\/p>\n
The letters\u202furge businesses to\u00a0comply with\u00a0state law governing membership cancellations and with the city\u2019s\u00a0Consumer Protection law<\/a>, which prohibits deceptive advertising, like bait-and-switch pricing, that makes cancellations intentionally difficult. This outreach follows Mayor Mamdani\u2019s\u202fexecutive order<\/a>\u202fdirecting DCWP to lead a citywide crackdown on\u00a0hidden junk fees<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0subscription traps<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cNew Yorkers shouldn\u2019t need a personal trainer to cancel a gym membership,\u201d said\u00a0Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani. \u201cIf a company makes it easy to sign up but nearly impossible to walk away, we will enforce the law and protect your time and your money.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGoing to the gym is good for your health, but having to jump through hoops to cancel an unwanted membership is a waste of your time and money,\u201d said\u00a0DCWP Commissioner Sam Levine. \u201cOur citywide warning to gyms makes it clear that DCWP will not hesitate to take aggressive enforcement action against gyms using deceptive tactics that hurt consumers, as well as honest businesses playing by the rules.\u201d<\/p>\n Gyms often force consumers through cumbersome and unnecessary hoops\u00a0in order to\u00a0cancel unwanted memberships. For example, a gym may offer a membership for free that turns out to be a bait-and-switch scheme where New Yorkers incur fees unexpectedly after enrollment. Others impose unnecessary hurdles without clear disclosure or burdensome administrative requirements before honoring cancellation requests. In 2025, the Department received dozens of complaints from consumers struggling to cancel their gym memberships.<\/p>\n