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New York Attorney General Letitia James has announced that a settlement has been reached with Equinox Group—the fitness company whose brands include Equinox, Equinox+, and SoulCycle—following an investigation that found the company created unreasonable obstacles for customers when it came to canceling their memberships. The settlement agreement will require Equinox to pay $600,000 in penalties, revise its subscription practices, and provide partial refunds to New York subscribers who were affected by its complications.
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“Equinox refused to cancel my membership pretending like they did not understand my request,” wrote a former member of one of Equinox’s four UWS locations. “They attempted to charge me again anyway despite my very clear email correspondence with staff member Jordan. Stay away from this crooked business.”
In its announcement, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) determined that Equinox did not satisfy basic legal obligations established by New York law regarding subscription disclosure and cancellation. For starters, Equinox’s terms were normally contained within burdensome and complicated legal jargon or buried in fine print. Furthermore, Equinox typically did not obtain informed consent from subscribers when they signed-up for auto-renewing plans or provide them with required post-purchase confirmations with details of how to cancel.
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“New Yorkers should be able to cancel a subscription they no longer use or want without breaking a sweat,” said Attorney General James in her statement announcing the settlement. “Equinox Group made it difficult to cancel membership and wasted customer time and money. As a result of my office’s settlement, New Yorkers can now cancel their membership with Equinox, SoulCycle, or any of Equinox Group’s brands more quickly.”
The OAG also determined that Equinox’s cancellation process was quite cumbersome, which it labeled “complex, difficult, and time-consuming”.
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In the settlement agreement, Equinox Group agreed to provide refunds of up to $250 to affected consumers who attempted to cancel their memberships without success between February 9, 2021 and December 31, 2024. Any consumer that filed a complaint to Equinox Group, the New York Attorney General’s office, the Federal Trade Commission or the Better Business Bureau during that period may be entitled to the refund.
Current and former subscribers to Equinox, SoulCycle, or Equinox+ who are also eligible may claim up to $100 each in restitution. Claims must be made before August 2, 2025.
SoulCycle subscribers must email NewYorkAGclaims@soul-cycle.com and Equinox and Equinox+ members must email NewYorkAGclaims@equinox.com. Subscribers must include their name and the phone number or email associated with their account.
The settlement also requires Equinox Group to modify its cancellation and disclosures practices going forward. That includes clarifying cancellation terms in contracts and online; obtaining affirmative consent at sign-up; and providing clear directions for how to cancel a subscription.
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