Both of LA Fitness’ Clark County locations are continuing to charge many members full price while their pools have been closed since summer, causing anger from members who joined for someplace to swim.
LA Fitness staff said the pools are closed due to problems with the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.
Members say they’ve been told that same explanation for months. Leigh Radford said she finally canceled her membership in January after 10 years. She’s an avid swimmer and only bought the membership for the pool. She called every couple of weeks to find out when the pool would reopen.
“They kept telling me in a couple of weeks it was going to be fixed,” she said. “It was frustrating, not having anybody give you any good information. They kept just kicking the can down the road.”
A 64-year-old former teacher said he has had the same experience. Mark asked The Columbian to withhold his last name because he’s afraid LA Fitness will revoke his membership and he’ll be left with nowhere to shower. He became homeless after losing his job during the pandemic.
He has a spinal cord injury and became a member to use the pool for physical therapy.
“I feel like I’ve been getting ripped off and paying membership for nothing for four months,” he said. “I’m just frustrated because I feel like I’m being lied to.”
Memberships at LA Fitness are around $40 to $50 a month plus a $59 annual fee. Cancellations can sometimes come with fees, according to the company’s website, and members still have to pay $10 a month if they want to freeze their accounts.
Mark pays a reduced, grandfathered rate at LA Fitness.
“I don’t even have money to go to a different gym,” he said.
LA Fitness’ corporate office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
