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Bally Total Fitness Lifetime Membership Class Action Lawsuit
By Matt O’Donnell
Bally Total Fitness has been hit with a federal class action lawsuit accusing it of depriving lifetime members of gym privileges by selling their memberships to LA Fitness, and in one case, telling a member he had to drive 5 hours to use his membership.The Bally Total Fitness class action lawsuit is accusing the company of Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices for selling many of its life-time memberships and many of its clubs to LA Fitness, who is also a defendant in the case.
The problem, the class action lawsuit argues, it that there are geographic areas in the U.S. that do not have LA Fitness clubs, and Bally clubs that are in full operation no will no longer honor the membership contract.
“For other potential plaintiffs throughout the U.S., there are no LA Fitness facilities nearby at which they can workout. For others, Bally did not assign their contract to LA Fitness, but did sell all of the Ballys in their geographic area to LA Fitness,” the class action lawsuit states.
The lead Plaintiff in the case, who lives in the Chicago area, was told by Bally that he can workout, but that he must do so in a St. Louis, Missouri, Bally club.
In other cases, the class action lawsuit continues, there is a LA Fitness facility nearby, but LA Fitness will not allow access to the club by former Bally members unless they buy a new membership.
The class action lawsuit is brought on behalf of all persons who own or did own a Bally lifetime membership. It is seeking compensatory damages, including statutory damages, and a Court order permanent restraining Bally and LA Fitness from not honoring Bally’s lifetime memberships.
A copy of the Bally Total Fitness Lifetime Membership Class Action Lawsuit can be read here.
The case is Juan Dorado, et al. v. Bally Total Fitness Holdings Corp. and LA Fitness International, LLC, Case No. 12-cv-137, U.S. District Court, Northern Illinois, Eastern Division.
Updated January 13th, 2012
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106 thoughts onBally Total Fitness Lifetime Membership Class Action Lawsuit
I have the original Ballys Lifetime Contract in hand. In my process to move from CT to CA Ballys transferred my Membership to Blast Fitness in CT- WITHOUT notifying me or gaining my consent AND ignoring my repeated attempts to transfer Membersip to CA where I now live! I am afraid if I stop paying my monthly $9.00 lifetime they will cancel my Membersip. I am being held hostage and need legal recourse to honor original contract. What do I do? Can anyone help me?
I have the original Ballys Lifetime Contract in hand. In my process to move from CT to CA Ballys transferred my Membership to Blast Fitness in CT- WITHOUT notifying me or gaining my consent AND ignoring my repeated attempts to transfer Membersip to CA where I now live! I am afraid if I stop paying my monthly $9.00 lifetime they will cancel my Membersip. I am being held hostage and need legal recourse to honor original contract. What do I do? Can anyone help me?
I have the original Ballys Lifetime Contract in hand. In my process to move from CT to CA Ballys transferred my Membership to Blast Fitness in CT- WITHOUT notifying me or gaining my consent AND ignoring my repeated attempts to transfer Membersip to CA where I now live! I am afraid if I stop paying my monthly $9.00 lifetime they will cancel my Membersip. I am being held hostage and need legal recourse to honor original contract. What do I do? Can anyone help me?
I have been a member at Ballys Vic Tannys since 1990 or earilier. How do I get in on the class action suit here in MI I have called several times over the past year and they can’t even find my lifetime membership. Can someone help. Thannks
I bought a memebership years ago and then La fitness took over. I was told I can’t use their closest gym to me but that i waould have to travel 2o minutes away to use a gym. There are 3 gyms that are closer that I am not permitted to use. Please add me to any class action suit concerning Bally’s or La fitness
I was embarrassed to go to what I thought was Bally’s & it is now LA Fitness. I had no idea they sold out to LA Fitness. When I called, they said “there’s a Bally’s in San Jose, CA”. I had to laugh! Don’t they research; I live 450 miles south of there. I was so furious after being a 30 yr. lifetime member that I decided to CANCEL membership & get the refund of my measly $25 annual fee. They gave me a refund ref. # and 3 mo’s later I still await my refund. Doesn’t matter that they’d invoice me up to 5 mo’s in advance of when my annual fee was due. They wanted their money! For me, it’s the principle of the matter. They promised me a refund; I sent an “official” cancel letter, as instructed, I was promised a refund in 7-10 days. They are liars; they are cheats. I hate feeling that way after 30 yrs. I now have a free membership with another gym, but want to close out the Bally’s years once and for all. 30 yrs. ago we didn’t have email; I got no notice of the sale. Why wasn’t it included in my annual invoice. They kept billing me for a club that doesn’t exist in my city.
There are 3 Bally’s memberships in our house since 1986. We have the original contract for 2. One was a transfer from a friend. Blast told us we have to renew on their terms and fees. We were paying $3.00 per month. Yes, we would like to join this lawsuit.
Hello, I unfortunately am a Bally’s Total fitness victim of the bait and switch. It has almost been 30 years of membership and lots of moves along the way. Would you be so kind to share a copy of your 1986 original contract with me…you can black out your personal information. I would be truly appreciation.
Thanks!
Ugh! I have been robbed!
My Bally’s membership was purchased in 1992 and I am very upset that I am unable to renew like I have done in the past. Ballys is now only in the San Francisco/Northern area of California and I live in Southern California. I have been unable to commit to my normal workout due to work and now am ready to get back to it. I really want to be able to use the LA Fitness clubs however instead of the $89-109 dollars I normally would pay on renewal, LA Fitness wants me to now pay over $200 a year with about $600 down! That is just not right, I now have no club to go to without forking over an obscene amount of money. I want to have my original membership honored! In addition, I was never informed of the buyout which is also just criminal. I really enjoyed using my membership all across California and if I am able would be part of any class action lawsuit to correct this injustice to so many members. I cannot drive from Southern California for gym facilities!!! I really hope to hear from someone and thank you.
I would like to be included in any action against Bally’s. I joined Bally’s with a premier membership in the late eighties. Moved to LA in 1993 and attended Bally’s for eighteen years. They sold my membership to a Missouri club called BLAST and they were still charging my account. I cannot use the gym in Missouri because I DON’T LIVE THERE!!! Contacted Blast Fitness and got the I’m so sorry response; Bally’s sold us your membership. My response was, why in hell would Blast Fitness purchase a membership for a client who resides in LA? Now I can’t use Bally’s or Blast Fitness.