LA Fitness Lawsuit: The FTC Cancellation Case, a New Texting Class Action, No Settlement Yet
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Three separate cases target LA Fitness’s operator, Fitness International. The one most members care about is the FTC’s suit over how hard it is to cancel. The newest is a texting class action filed in September 2026. As of October 8, 2026, none of them has a settlement, a claim form or a deadline.
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Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What Each Lawsuit Against LA Fitness Says
The FTC cancellation case. The Federal Trade Commission alleges that Fitness International, LLC and Fitness & Sports Clubs, LLC — operators of LA Fitness, Esporta Fitness, City Sports Club and Club Studio — made memberships hard to cancel. Per the complaint, members had to print a form behind a hard-to-reset login and hand it to one specific employee, or mail it, with certified or registered mail “recommended.” The FTC says this produced hundreds of millions of dollars in unwanted recurring fees, in violation of the FTC Act and the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act.
The texting class action. A proposed LA Fitness class action lawsuit alleges the company kept sending marketing texts after people replied STOP, in violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.
The disability-access case. The Justice Department alleges that LA Fitness clubs have barriers that keep members with disabilities out of pools and equipment, and that the company charged people with disabilities extra fees. These are allegations; LA Fitness has not been found liable in any of the three.
Case Details
All three cases are in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
Federal Trade Commission v. Fitness International, LLC, No. 8:25-cv-01841, filed August 20, 2025; amended complaint filed December 23, 2025. The Commission voted 3-0 to sue.
Bahar v. Fitness International LLC, No. 8:26-cv-02597, filed September 14, 2026 under the TCPA.
United States v. Fitness International, LLC d/b/a LA Fitness, No. 8:24-cv-02172, filed October 8, 2024 under Title III of the ADA, before Judge Stephen V. Wilson.
Status: Three Open Cases, No LA Fitness Settlement
FTC case: the FTC lists it as pending. Law360 reported on April 24, 2026 that LA Fitness asked the judge to reconsider a tentative order refusing to dismiss the suit. We could not confirm a final ruling on that motion.
Texting class action: filed September 14, 2026; no class has been certified.
ADA case: the DOJ opposed LA Fitness’s motion to dismiss on January 6, 2025. We found no public settlement or ruling since.
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There's no claim deadline yet. We'll email you if a settlement opens a claim period.
Who Could Be Affected
FTC case: anyone who struggled to cancel a membership, personal-training plan or add-on at LA Fitness, Esporta Fitness, City Sports Club or Club Studio and kept getting billed. The FTC puts membership at over 3.7 million people across more than 600 locations. This is a government case, not a class action — there is nothing to join. If the FTC wins or settles money for consumers, refunds are usually sent by the FTC or its administrator.
Texting class action: the proposed class is anyone in the United States who, within four years before the September 14, 2026 filing, got two or more texts from LA Fitness after opting out.
ADA case: members with disabilities who met access barriers or extra fees. It is brought by the government, not as a class action.
Is There Money Yet?
What the cases ask for: the FTC seeks “money back for consumers harmed by the difficulty in cancelling memberships.” The texting suit seeks $500 per text, up to $1,500 for willful violations — statutory figures from the TCPA, not a promised payout. The DOJ seeks damages and a civil penalty.
One earlier LA Fitness member settlement was Vaughn v. L.A. Fitness International, LLC, No. 11-cv-2644, covered members who cancelled between May 18, 2006 and January 1, 2013. It offered a 45-Day Club Access Pass valued at $45 plus partial dues refunds, and its cash claim deadline was August 9, 2013. It is closed.
How cases like this one end
Our copy of the federal courts’ own case database covers 80,165 other statutory actions casesclosed in U.S. federal district courts between 2015 and 2025, 11.8% of them filed as class actions:
- 26% ended in a settlement recorded by the court. Another 22.4% were dismissed voluntarily, which often follows a private settlement — so the real settlement share sits between 26% and 48.4%.
- 7.4% were decided on a motion before any trial.
- 1 in 155 reached a trial (0.6%), after a median of 22 months.
- Median time from filing to the end of the case: 5 months.
- Only 1,717 of them (2.1%) record a money award at all; the median of those is $195,000.
These are base rates for this type of case (federal other statutory actions cases) — not a prediction about this lawsuit, and not legal advice. Source: Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (civil), analysed by Settlement Insight. Cases heard in state courts are not included.
LA Fitness Lawsuit Timeline
- 1
October 8, 2024 — DOJ Files ADA Suit
The Justice Department sues over access barriers and extra fees charged to people with disabilities (No. 8:24-cv-02172).
- 2
August 20, 2025 — FTC Sues Over Cancellations
The FTC sues Fitness International and Fitness & Sports Clubs, alleging cancellation was built to be hard.
- 3
December 23, 2025 — Amended FTC Complaint
The FTC files an amended complaint alleging hundreds of millions of dollars in unwanted recurring fees.
- 4
April 24, 2026 — Fight Over Dismissal
Per Law360, LA Fitness asks the judge to reconsider a tentative order refusing to dismiss the FTC case.
- 5
September 14, 2026 — Texting Class Action Filed
Bahar v. Fitness International LLC (8:26-cv-02597) alleges marketing texts continued after STOP replies.
- 6
October 8, 2026 — No Settlement
All three cases remain open. No fund, no administrator, no claim form and no deadline exist.
Three Things to Watch For
With an LA Fitness lawsuit in the news and no claim form, expect people to fill the gap:
“LA Fitness settlement refund” sites
There is no LA Fitness settlement and no claims portal. A page asking for your key tag number or the first digits of your card or bank account to “process your refund” is collecting the same details used to reach your account.
Texts that say “reply to claim”
The new case is about unwanted texts, so a text offering money from it is a natural lure. Do not tap links in unsolicited messages; real class notices name a court-approved administrator you can check independently.
Callers claiming to be the FTC
The FTC case has produced no refunds yet. When the FTC does send refunds, it does not ask for a fee or your bank login. Anyone demanding payment to release an FTC refund is not the FTC.
LA Fitness Lawsuit — Questions People Actually Ask
Is there an LA Fitness class action lawsuit right now?
Yes. The LA Fitness class action filed most recently is Bahar v. Fitness International LLC, No. 8:26-cv-02597, filed September 14, 2026. It alleges texts kept coming after people opted out. No class has been certified. The bigger FTC cancellation case is a government case, not a class action.
Is there an LA Fitness settlement I can file a claim for?
No. As of October 8, 2026, there is no LA Fitness settlement, no claim form and no deadline. A past member settlement, Vaughn, closed its cash claims on August 9, 2013.
What is the FTC lawsuit against LA Fitness about?
The FTC alleges cancellation was made far harder than sign-up: a printed form, one employee, limited hours, or mail with certified delivery recommended. It alleges that members who stopped payment were rebilled. It seeks an order and money back for consumers.
I couldn’t cancel my LA Fitness membership. Do I need to join something?
No. The FTC case is not a class action, so there is nothing to sign up for. If money is recovered, the FTC typically contacts eligible consumers. Keep bank statements and any proof of cancellation attempts, such as certified-mail receipts.
Who is suing in the class action lawsuit LA Fitness members are hearing about?
A single consumer filed the texting case as a proposed class action. The proposed class is everyone in the United States who got two or more texts from LA Fitness after opting out, within four years before filing.
How much could I get from the texting case?
Nothing is payable now. The TCPA allows $500 per unlawful text, or up to $1,500 if willful, and the complaint asks for those amounts. Settlements in large TCPA classes usually pay far less per person than the statutory figure.
Is the Planet Fitness lawsuit the same case?
No. The Planet Fitness lawsuit is an investor securities case against a different company. It has nothing to do with LA Fitness members.
What about the disability lawsuit against LA Fitness?
The Justice Department sued on October 8, 2024 under the ADA, alleging access barriers at clubs and extra fees charged to people with disabilities. It seeks injunctive relief, damages and a civil penalty. It is not a class action and has no claim process.
Separate from this case: were you injured in the last 2 years?
Class-action payouts are fixed amounts through an administrator. A personal injury claim is a different case — and often worth far more. Free estimate, no obligation.