Equinox has served as a fitness and well-being company for more than 20 years. With more than 60 locations across the United States, as well as London and Toronto, Equinox is a high-end fitness institution that is loved by many.

What is NOT loved, however, is its cancellation policy. Equinox is yet another gym franchise notorious for contracts meant to bind the gym member. Equinox has a host of other complaints about it, but a primary complaint is difficulty during the cancellation process. In fact, Equinox was sued in a class-action suit in 2014 over its cancellation policies. ABC News also published an investigative report in 2014 on Equinox’s policies saying, “The chain's contracts, claims the suit, force members to 'automatically and perpetually renew' their memberships, making it exceedingly difficult for them to quit.”

Here’s a larger excerpt of the article to see the multiple membership complaints about Equinox:

Joseph Jones, attorney for the plaintiffs, alleges that Equinox's contracts violate a variety of laws. For example, he said, contracts signed by Equinox customers in New Jersey are retail installment contracts, and, as such, must disclose on their first page the customer's total financial obligation. "These contracts do not," he told ABC News. "They don't disclose the math on the first page."

Likewise, according to the complaint, Equinox is violating the Health Club Services Act (HCSA) by using contracts that obligate customers "to automatically and perpetually renew" their memberships by imposing "unreasonable and unduly onerous" cancellation requirements. The HCSA gives consumers the right to cancel in writing, by personal delivery to the address specified in the membership agreement. Equinox's contracts, though, stipulate that members can cancel only via certified or registered mail, according to the complaint.

Some contracts, the complaint says, fail to tell the customer he or she has three days after signing in which to cancel, as required by the HCSA. When using our handy guides, please keep in mind that there is no substitute for reading the terms stipulated in your membership contract.

What You’ll Need:

• Reason for canceling
• Equinox membership number
• Personal and account information
• Access to a membership contract

Steps to Cancel in Person:

1. Gather appropriate documents, including a copy of an Equinox membership contract. If you are beyond your first year of membership, you may cancel with the amount of notice spelled out on your membership agreement for any reason. 
2. Seek out a club manager. 
3. State your desire to cancel, fill out a cancellation form and pay a pro-rate to stop your billing. (You will get a copy of the form as a receipt that the process is complete.)
4. Pay cancellation fees, if applicable.
5. Review your billing statement associated with your account 30 and 60 days after you’ve cancelled your account to make sure you don’t see any errant charges.

Steps to Cancel By Mail: 

1. Send a registered letter to your home club.
2. Equinox will then cancel the membership based on the appropriate amount of days notice, collect a pro-rate, and stop your billing.
3. The post office will send you confirmation that Equinox has received your letter as receipt of cancellation.  

Expert Tips:

• If you want to cancel and have been an Equinox member for under 12 months, you may cancel with appropriate notice (specified on your membership agreement) for the following reasons:  relocation, medical, or job loss. Breaking your contract when it’s under one year can be tricky, so make sure to be firm!
• You may not cancel online. All cancellations must be done within an Equinox club with a club manager or via registered or certified mail. 

Don’t let Equinox, or any other gym franchise, take hold of your hard earned money and precious time. If you want to cancel your Equinox membership, let CancelWizard do it for you.