Gym contract cancellation law in California
Cal. Civ. Code sections 1812.80 to 1812.89 is the statute that applies when you cancel a gym contract in California. The member may cancel before midnight of the 5th business day after signing (section 1812.85). The contract term cannot exceed 3 years (section 1812.84), and a cancellation may be sent by email or first-class mail. Send your notice in writing and keep proof of delivery, so the date you cancelled is never in doubt.
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Your rights under California law
Below are the points of the California law that matter when you leave a gym. The link goes to the text itself, which is the authority if anything here seems unclear.
California: Cal. Civ. Code sections 1812.80 to 1812.89 (Contracts for Health Studio Services)
Source: Cal. Civ. Code sections 1812.80 to 1812.89 (Contracts for Health Studio Services)
- The member may cancel before midnight of the 5th business day after signing (section 1812.85).
- The contract term cannot exceed 3 years (section 1812.84), and a cancellation may be sent by email or first-class mail.
- Death or disability relieves further payment, and so does moving more than 25 miles with no comparable transfer, with a possible move fee of 100 dollars or less (section 1812.89).
What this means when you cancel
Find your dates and notice terms
Start with the paper you signed. List its length, its notice period and the address for notices, then read the matching points of the California law so you know where you stand.
Quote the statute in your letter
Refer to Cal. Civ. Code sections 1812.80 to 1812.89 by name, say plainly that you are cancelling under it and ask the club to confirm the cancellation in writing.
Send it by certified mail
Post it by certified mail so the delivery is recorded, and keep the mailing receipt with a copy of the letter. If the statute sets a deadline, send early enough that the date is not in doubt.
Keep everything until the last charge clears
File your copies together and watch your next two statements. If the club charges you after the date your cancellation took effect, your papers are the proof.
Write down the date you mailed your California notice. Dates matter more than anything else in a cancellation.
Send your cancellation by certified mail
Tell us the company you want to leave. We write a formal cancellation letter, mail it by certified mail the next business day and send you the delivery proof.
Sources
Official pages we read on the review date.
This is general information, not legal advice.