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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 purchased the Jack LaLanne membership in 1985, which later transferred to a small gym, and then it transfered to Balley’s and then they went bust late 80″s and early 90′. I did not know how to mangae this and spent so much money for what ….. I would also like to know how to file a claim and get resoultion.
I fully paid for Premium plus lifetime membership started at Ballys Marina city in Chicago Illinois I never seen any lawsuit.. where can I make my claim ??
I SEAMUS P MCGUICKIAN sign up for the BALLY TOTAL FITNESS LIFETIME MEMBER PREMIER PLUS. Enroll Date 06/30/88 LAKE GROVE LONG ISLAND NY. member # 0002160648008. Stay have payments deducted every Month from my Checking Account still. So, Can I go to LA Fitness
Now or Any other GYM CLUB in my Area. ISLIP / BAYSHORE Long Island NY 11752. Any FEEDBACK on this matter would be appreciated. Thank Seamus
I have a lifetime membership with Ballys this company and it changed names several times. What is the outcome. the gym in my area is now call powerhouse. What became of this lawsuit?
I have a lifetime membership I bought in Yonkers NY, probably same time line (1980’s) and paid in full. I now live in Miami Fl., I remember trying to find out a few years ago if any class action law suits were filed against these companies and I don’t remember seeing much on the subject. Anytime I want to go to LA Farness they ant e to sign up and make full payment to join. I have no information as to whatever happen to this and if I should pursue any legal law suits or legal avenues if already concluded. If you have any information specific to this case, can you please provide advice as to where or whom I should contact. latinecua24 at aol dot com
Thank you
Adolfo
I have a lifetime membership I bought in Yonkers NY, probably same time line (1980’s) and paid in full. I now live in Miami Fl., I remember trying to find out a few years ago if any class action law suits were filed against these companies and I don’t remember seeing much on the subject. Anytime I want to go to LA Farness they ant e to sign up and make full payment to join. I have no information as to whatever happen to this and if I should pursue any legal law suits or legal avenues if already concluded. If you have any information specific to this case, can you please provide advice as to where or whom I should contact.
Thank you
My history with the now defunct and morally bankrupt Bally Fitness began in October, 1987 when I bought a Lifetime GOLD membership at my local Jack LaLanne’s Fitness Center in Seaview Square Mall, Neptune, NJ. It was 100% renewable, valid at ALL their fitness studios and had a one-time transferability clause in it. My dues: $30 a year as long as I kept the membership….and YES, I STILL have my original paperwork and contract…..INCLUDING THE STATEMENT THAT I MADE THEM CROSS OUT AND INITIAL WHERE IT SAID MY DUES WOULD GO UP 10% PER YEAR. Fast forward some years and Bally’s buys out Jack LaLanne’s, but they continue to offer me basically the same deal (although my membership is now considered a PREMIER PLUS membership). IN FACT….they SWEETENED the deal by letting me pay 3 years at a time for $81, or $27 a month. Fast forward a few more years and I’m now living in Maryland, still going when I can to the local Bally’s in Gaithersburg, Maryland. This membership was awesome….although when I joined I perhaps should have come with my own personal warning label, “ Caution – The Dude You’re About to Sign Up WILL actually use his Membership year round!” (Apparently there are s^^t lots of “fitness wannabes” that sign up in droves after the New Year starts only to let their fitness commitments go to crap by March or June….so in essence they paid for a product (gym membership) that they never got their money’s worth from. I even used the Bally’s in Portland, OR, Washington, DC, Sn Diego and White Plains, NY on business trips or visiting friends. NEVER and issue.
Then the *&%^(&%^&%^$*# LA Fitness buys Bally’s before it collapses and promptly refuses to honor my membership. That was around 2010. I stopped getting bills from Bally’s so I assumed it was a done deal but recently heard that LA Fitness had been sued and had to come up with some form of compensation for their egregious behavior. I’m hoping that a letter or call from my lawyer will “refresh” LA Fitness’s collective corporate memory and I can get back to paying some form of REDUCED dues for a similar membership. We’ll see. I’ve got a call in to my local LA Fitness Center about this issue.
I was a member of Bally’s for years & renewed my membership even though there was no Bally’s by my new address. I joined LA Fitness & never saw any signs at LA fitness stating they will be merging with Bally’s. I let my Bally’ membership expire. If I had known I could have renewed my Bally’s membership for $99/year instead of paying $215/year at LA Fittness.. I think that wS wrong if them, because they were hiding important information.