New Jersey governor Phil Murphy on Monday signed into law new legislation that will make it easier for gym members to cancel their memberships.
Bipartisan measure A3892 will require companies that allow customers to sign up for gym subscriptions online to also offer an online cancellation option. According to NJ.com, the law stops gyms that offer online sign-ups from requiring customers to come in person to cancel, which can be a burden or an inconvenience for some consumers.
“With these new requirements, we can ensure a simplified gym membership cancellation process for consumers and hardworking families can evade the financial burden of perpetual automatic renewals,” Murphy said in a statement.
The legislation requires that cancellation information be accessible and prominent on the gym's website within the individual's account profile.
State assemblyman Paul Moriarty who sponsored the bill called it "an important financial protection."
“I heard so many complaints from consumers who were having trouble canceling their gym memberships, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Moriarty, who will move up to the Senate when the next legislative session begins Tuesday. “If a gym can accept new members online, those members should also be able to cancel online.”
The law takes affect in April.
