Bally Total Fitness Life-time Membership Owners File Class Action Lawsuit Against Bally Total Fitness and L.A. Fitness.
A class action lawsuit has reportedly been filed against Bally Total Fitness Holding Corp. (“Bally Total Fitness”) and L.A. Fitness International, LLC (“L.A. Fitness”) (“Defendants”) in the United States District Court for the Northern District Illinois (styled Juan Dorado and Michael Markzon v. Bally Total Fitness Holding Corp. and L.A. Fitness International, LLC, Class Action Case No. CV 12-00137) alleging, among other things, that Bally Fitness sold rights to many of its members and their life-time memberships to LA Fitness and sold certain Bally clubs to LA Fitness, even though there are allegedly geographic areas in the U.S. that do not have LA Fitness facilities and even though some facilities have allegedly refused to honor the lifetime membership contract, according to the Bally Total Fitness & L.A. Fitness Lifetime Membership class action lawsuit complaint.
The Bally Total Fitness & L.A. Fitness Lifetime Membership class action lawsuit is reportedly brought on behalf of the following proposed class pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 23(a) and (b)(3):
All persons who own or did own a Bally life-time membership. (the “Class”) Excluded from the Class are the Court and any of the Court’s family members, Defendants, and their officers, directors, employees, affiliates, legal representatives, predecessors, successors and assigns, and any entity in which any of them have a controlling interest.
The Bally Total Fitness & L.A. Fitness Lifetime Membership class action lawsuit complaint reportedly asserts claims for alleged violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1346 ([Federal] Honest Services Act); 815 ILCS 505/ [Illinois] Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act; and Common Law Breach of Contract.
If You Have Thoughts On The Bally Total Fitness & L.A. Fitness Lifetime Membership Class Action Lawsuit, Share Your Class Action Comments Below.
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Changed my membership number…
My experience has been horrible the past 2 months. Apparently, Bally’s Total Fitness sold many of their clubs to LA Fitness.
I had a lifetime membership with 99.00 per year dues. I went to my regular gym in levittown one day and I was told they couldn’t find me in the computer. I was so confused because That’s my regular gym and I wasn’t advised in any way whatsoever about the buyout.
Finally, after I got tired of waiting, someone advised me that I could use the gym for another week and then I would have to join LA fitness. I was so upset. What happened to all the money I paid for a lifetime?
LA Fitness wants me to pay $250 pus 25.00 per month.
I called Bally’s corporate and I called LA fitness. Both places acted like they didn’t know anything about how the issues were being resolved. Finally, I got a call from Michelle at Ballys 562-484-2792 on December 16th, 2011. She said that there was an error and that she was submitting my contract to LA Fitness so I can be added and it would take a few days but she wasn’t sure how long.
I waited patiently through christmas and new years as they kept on telling me at all the nearby LA fitness gyms that I wasn’t showing up on their computers.
After the new year- I became angry and called Bally’s once again. Then I received a call from martia monroe from Ballys – advising me (via voicemail) that she was apologizing because my contract is not being transferred and she would submit for me to get a “prorated” refund for whatever difference I didn’t use from the 99.00 dues I paid for the year. But mentioned nothing about the fact that I had a lifetime membership and they are cancelling that.
I spoke to LA Fitness again and they said that since I was originally signed up in Brooklyn, NY a long time ago- I am not covered because if they didn’t buy that gym my name wouldn’t be included in their computer hard drives of contracted names to buy.
I learned that LA fitness bought many gyms. ‘IF” you were originally signed up at the gym that is being purchased, and your contract was in that computer hard-drive, then your membership was honored for use at LA Fitness. So the rest of us are out.
How many people realistically stay at the same location for 20 years???
We were sold memberships to be used NATIONALLY at all their existing locations that were on their geographical maps at the time and we were advised that we can use them all. NOW – half of those locations are non existant. Its not fair that some members that signed up get to continue to use their gyms and some of us don’t.
Since I have done everything I could to work this out with Ballys Total Fitness- I have been left with no alternative but to start a lawsuit. I am currently in the process of considering the next steps to take to get justice.
Please send advice on how to proceed. i hear you may have a class action lawsuit started.