According to Dispatch, Urban Active fitness-club is facing a class action lawsuit alleging it has violated Ohio consumer-protection laws. The lawsuit was filed in Franklin County Common Pleas Court and says that the fitness-club chain engages in a pattern of unfair and deceptive conduct in violation of Ohio consumer-protection laws.

Amber Gascho of Powell filed the lawsuit alleging that she was told she could not cancel her personal training contract without a $10 fee, but when she ended the contract she was instead charged $250. Gascho claims the company failed to provide her with signed contracts at the time and that they failed to tell consumers of their rights to cancel the contract within three days. Additionally, the fitness club failed to provide consumers with notice of cancellation forms, misrepresented the terms of contract cancellation and did not honor consumers’ notices of cancellation.

The class action lawsuit wants the company to stop violating the law and provide compensation to affected consumers. The suit seeks to include any Urban Active customers who has purchased a personal training contract in Ohio since Nov. 1, 2007.

Recently, the Better Business Bureau rated Urban Active with an “F” grade, saying that more than 200 customers filed complaints in the past year. The company has eight locations in central Ohio. Most of the complaints were billing related, and majority of customers complained that funds were taken out of bank accounts despite contract expiration or cancellations.

Stanley Iola – Dallas litigation lawyers