Looking to sue LA Fitness? Small claims court is an option, and you may have others…
At FairShake we’ve helped thousands of people ripped off by big companies like LA Fitness. And we’ve helped get millions of dollars in settlement offers…
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Tired of hitting dead ends when trying to get a refund from LA Fitness? Feeling like there’s nowhere to turn?
You’re not alone. It seems like many people have tried all the LA Fitness customer service options, but still feel unheard.
There are different ways to file a complaint against LA Fitness, but none have the same power and leverage as taking legal action.
So, if you’re thinking of suing LA Fitness, where do you even start? You might expect there to be tons of class action lawsuits against them, but it’s often more complicated than that.
What many people don’t know is that hidden clauses buried deep within their contracts frequently allow companies like LA Fitness to push legal claims into the private realm of consumer arbitration, away from conventional courts.
But here’s the thing: your LA Fitness contract doesn’t have the power to take away your right to pursue legal action by suing them.
Here’s what you can do…
Learn more about the consumer arbitration process here.
If you’re ready to sue LA Fitness in Small Claims Court, read on below:
The first thing you have to do before you sue LA Fitness is make sure that your claim qualifies. Small claims courts will only accept certain types of claims. There are two things you need to pay attention to:
The amount of money: The first thing you have to pay attention to is how much money you’re asking for. Every small claims court has a maximum dollar amount that you can bring before a judge. If yours is over or under these limits you won’t be able to use small claims court.
If your claim doesn’t fall within the limits of your state’s small claims court, you’ll have to arbitrate your claim instead.
Before you sue LA Fitness officially, the courts want to make sure that you’ve done everything in your power to seek a resolution outside of the legal system.
That starts with sending a demand letter. This is where you ask them to voluntarily fix the problem before you have to sue LA Fitness.
This can be a simple and straightforward letter that just explains who you are with your gym membership number or account number, what the problem is, and how you want them to fix it. It doesn’t have to be more than a few sentences you just have to make sure you do it so you can prove to the court that you did your part.
After that you should mail a hard copy to their officials, legal address. It is best to use some form of delivery like certified mail that can confirm it was received. According to our most recent research, LA Fitness is legally based in California and receives mail at this address:
FITNESS INTERNATIONAL, LLC
C/O C T CORPORATION SYSTEM
330 N Brand Blvd STE 700
Glendale, CA 91203
If you would like examples of demand letters or more information about how to write them, you can find an excellent guide here.
In order to sue LA Fitness in small claims court you have to do some paperwork.
Each state has a different set of forms that you have to fill out in order to sue LA Fitness or any other company. Sometimes your county will have an additional set of forms. The right forms for your area will be available for free when you visit your state court website.
In addition to filling out the right forms make sure you have the right number. Most courts require three or four copies. Basically you have to do the legwork but you need to make enough copies for yourself, for the court, and for LA Fitness.
You don’t just fill them out and keep them. You fill them out and officially file them with the court. This can be a tricky process so it’s important to pay particular attention to the process where you live.
Most Courts for example require you to physically come to the courthouse and submit the papers in person. If you are very lucky you will live in an area where you can do it online or via the post.
Every Court requires you to pay a small claims court filing fee when you sue LA Fitness the amount of which will be published on your court website.
When you complete this step, the county clerk will review everything and stamp the copies and then give you back your copies, and schedule a hearing.
One of the copies that you get back is for LA Fitness. At this point it’s your job to properly serve them which is a legal term that refers to notifying the company that you have sought to sue LA Fitness.
There are very specific steps for how to serve a company and these can be found on your court website. Some seem very weird but no matter what they are you still have to follow each and every one. Failure to do so can result in your case being tossed out.
Remember how you got that court date when you filed your documents? That is your official hearing.
Be sure to show up to your hearing at the right time and the right Courthouse. Bring your copy of the documents you filed and any other evidence you have.
Just because you sue LA Fitness doesn’t mean they will send someone to your area. So if they don’t send someone to oppose you take advantage of that situation to focus on your side of the story.
Ready to sue LA Fitness in small claims court?
If this sounds too hard and expensive, try consumer arbitration instead…
Get justice when a business lets you down:
FairShake’s Ultimate Guide to Consumer Complaints
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