How to File a Complaint Against 24 Hour Fitness

Fitness companies like 24 Hour Fitness require new members to sign service contracts that can last anywhere from one year to a lifetime. Make sure to read the fine print of a fitness center membership contract, before signing on the dotted line. You should be able to take 24 Hour Fitness to small claims court, where there will be a financial limit placed on any award that runs between $2,500 and $10,000. Small claim court fees depend on the amount of the lawsuit.

Type of Relief

You have two types of relief to seek when filing a small court claim: Financial and non-financial. Most small claim court decisions grant monetary relief for the injuries suffered at a fitness center

When to Sue in a Small Claims Court

If your personal injury lawyer feels you have a strong enough case, and you have the time and motivation to pursue a small claims court lawsuit, then it is probably worth it to sue 24 Hour Fitness in a small claims court

How to Proceed

Your personal injury attorney will closely follow the filing small claims process by referring to the steps published by a small claims court online. Every small claims court has developed its own filing procedure. In addition, 24 Hour Fitness might offer you a settlement after learning about your intention to sue for monetary damages.

You might not have a strong enough case to win a lawsuit in a small claims court. Nonetheless, you want 24 Hour Fitness to answer for its negligence. Filing a complaint with the CFPB can facilitate changes to company policy to prevent similar incidents from happening again.

The CFPB is a federal government agency that regulates much of the business activities conducted by 24 Hour Fitness. You go through an informal channel to submit a complaint against the fitness center. You will not receive a financial award, but you can make an impact by changing the way 24 Hour fitness responds to the issues faced by its members.

The BBB is the most influential consumer advocacy organization operating in the United States. Its comprehensive website hands out ratings to businesses, with the highly coveted A+ rating representing the same superior standard you set for yourself in school. BBB web pages also present consumer complaints the organization thoroughly vet to ensure accuracy. Unlike some Google reviews, all BBB reviews come from the real experiences presented by real consumers.

If a small claims court filing is out of the question, leaving a compliant on the BBB website might motivate 24 Hour Fitness to take care of your issue. Make sure to check out how the company has handled previous complaints to determine whether filing a BBB complaint is worth the time and effort.

When you read through the terms of use established by 24 Hour Fitness, you will notice the following clause that is appropriately written in caps to get your attention:

“THESE TERMS OF USE CONTAIN A MANDATORY ARBITRATION OF DISPUTES PROVISION THAT REQUIRES THE USE OF ARBITRATION ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS TO RESOLVE DISPUTES, RATHER THAN JURY TRIALS, CLASS ACTIONS OR OTHER COURT PROCEEDINGS.”

There, you have it. 24 Hour Fitness has a policy that makes arbitration the mandatory method for resolving disputes with members. Jury trials and other types of court proceedings are not allowed under the company’s terms of use.

Overview of Arbitration

Unlike filing a lawsuit in small claims court, arbitration is a legal method for resolving disputes, without the unfolding of a formal court proceeding. The arbitrator plays the role of a judge who makes binding decisions that pertain to cases involving 24 Hour Fitness. Arbitrations administered by FairShake go through the American Arbitration Association, which is a non-profit organization that handles private sector arbitration cases.

Do You Have to Spend Money to Arbitrate?

The American Arbitration Association requires both you and 24 Hour Witness to pay what is called a filing fee to initiate the arbitration process. Read the terms of use established by 24 Hour Fitness to determine whether you or the company has to cover the cost of your filing fee. FairShake might cover some of the cost of your filing fee as well.

The Arbitration Process

An appointed arbitrator hears what you and a representative of 24 Hour Fitness has to say about the incident. You might have to present evidence to back up your account. Document submission can transpire via email or in person, Then, the arbitrator reviews both sides of the story before making the binding decision that can result in 24 Hour fitness paying for your medical costs and the pain and suffering caused by the personal injury.

Arbitration can take several months to reach a binding decision. Many of the claims handled by FairShake resolve much earlier than a final decision issued by an arbitrator. Feel free to contact us to learn more about the arbitration process, specifically about how the process works with a company such as 24 Hour Fitness.