Matthew L. Brown
Reporter- Boston Business Journal
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Certainly lots of people in Greater Boston spent the last month or two struggling to get in shape at any number of the region’s health clubs. While they were doing that, state investigators were doing some heavy lifting of their own.
The state Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation says it spent a month combing health club websites, making phone inquiries and in-person visits to 15 clubs. The investigators found that all the clubs they investigated failed to adequately display membership prices, as required by law.
“Our survey shows that health club consumers, through no fault of their own, may not know how much they’ll be paying,” said Barbara Anthony, the state’s consumer affairs undersecretary.
Anthony said the agency found “troubling transgressions” and will refer alleged violations to the state attorney general’s office.
None of the gyms made a proper show of customers’ three-day right to cancel health club contracts, and many stonewalled investigators who asked for price lists. Only two of the 15 gyms from which investigators requested contracts provided full agreements.