Equinox Agrees to $600,000 Settlement for Hard-to-Cancel Memberships
Krissy Vann | Host, All Things Fitness and Wellness
In recent years, concerns about difficult-to-cancel memberships have become a sticking point for consumers navigating subscription-based services. In the fitness industry in particular, this issue has fostered a perception that customers can get locked into memberships that are far from easy to escape. Equinox Group, LLC, the luxury fitness operator that runs Equinox, SoulCycle, and Equinox+ services, is the latest company to come under scrutiny. The company has agreed to pay $600,000 in penalties and revamp its membership policies after an investigation by New York Attorney General Letitia James revealed significant hurdles for consumers attempting to cancel.
The Office of the Attorney General found that Equinox did not clearly disclose key terms of its subscriptions, including auto-renewal policies, and failed to secure the informed, affirmative consent required by New York law. Customers also did not receive a straightforward post-purchase acknowledgment of their subscriptions, leaving many without a clear understanding of how to end them. Additionally, Equinox’s cancellation process was described by the Attorney General’s office as overly complex and difficult to navigate.
“New Yorkers should be able to cancel a membership they no longer use or want without breaking a sweat,” said Attorney General James in a statement. “The Equinox Group made it challenging for customers to end their membership, costing them time and money. As a result of my office’s settlement, New Yorkers can now cancel their membership with Equinox, SoulCycle, or any of Equinox Group’s brands much faster.”
The settlement requires Equinox to not only pay penalties but also offer refunds of up to $250 for eligible New York subscribers who struggled to cancel their memberships between February 9, 2021, and December 31, 2024. Subscribers must submit claims by August 2, 2025, and include their name along with the phone number or email linked to their account. SoulCycle subscribers can email NewYorkAGclaims@soul-cycle.com, while Equinox Gym and Equinox+ subscribers should email NewYorkAGclaims@equinox.com.
Beyond the monetary penalties and refunds, Equinox must adopt clearer disclosures and better practices. The company will need to provide customers with written acknowledgments that include straightforward cancellation information, ensure all subscription terms are easy to understand, and secure informed consent before renewing any subscriptions. It will also have to make cancellation instructions easily accessible on a dedicated web page for each brand.
The Equinox case underscores a persistent challenge for the fitness industry as a whole. For years, gym memberships have carried a reputation for being more difficult to leave than to join, fueling consumer wariness. The Equinox settlement highlights the growing expectation that fitness businesses need to prioritize transparency and customer-friendly policies.
Attorney General James has made it a priority to tackle companies with hard-to-cancel subscriptions. In December 2023, her office sued SiriusXM for similar practices, and in November 2024, a court found that SiriusXM had violated the law by forcing customers through burdensome cancellation steps.
The Equinox matter was handled by Assistant Attorneys General Gena Feist and Laura Mumm, and former Assistant Attorney General Hanna Baek, under the supervision of Deputy Bureau Chief Clark Russell and Bureau Chief Kim Berger of the Bureau of Internet and Technology.
For fitness executives, the Equinox settlement serves as a reminder that a successful membership model must go beyond sign-ups to ensure customers can leave on their own terms.
Credit: Yoni Lappin for Equinox