NYC DCWP Issues Citywide “Subscription Trap” Compliance Warning to Gyms

On February 19, 2026 Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) announced that it has sent warning notices to 187 gyms and health clubs across the city including Equinox, Planet Fitness and PureGym.

The letters urge businesses to comply with state law governing membership cancellations and with the city’s Consumer Protection law, which prohibits deceptive advertising, like bait-and-switch pricing, that makes cancellations intentionally difficult.  This outreach follows Mayor Mamdani’s executive orders  directing DCWP to lead a citywide crackdown on hidden junk fees and subscription traps.

“New Yorkers shouldn’t need a personal trainer to cancel a gym membership,” said the Mayor. “If a company makes it easy to sign up but nearly impossible to walk away, we will enforce the law and protect your time and your money.”

“Going to the gym is good for your health, but having to jump through hoops to cancel an unwanted membership is a waste of your time and money,” said DCWP Commissioner Sam Levine. “Our citywide warning to gyms makes it clear that DCWP will not hesitate to take aggressive enforcement action against gyms using deceptive tactics that hurt consumers, as well as honest businesses playing by the rules.”

Gyms often force consumers through cumbersome and unnecessary hoops in order to cancel unwanted memberships, according the announcement.  “For example, a gym may offer a membership for free that turns out to be a bait-and-switch scheme where New Yorkers incur fees unexpectedly after enrollment,” the annoucement states.  Oftentimes, gym memberships impose hurdles without clear disclosure or burdensome  requirements before honoring cancellation requests.

In 2025, the Department received dozens of complaints from consumers struggling to cancel their gym memberships.

Mayor Mamdani’s subscription traps executive order directs DCWP “to monitor, investigate, and enforce violations related to subscription tricks and traps,” including practices such as making cancellation of subscriptions or memberships intentionally difficult.

Contact the author if your company is the subject of a DCWP investigation or it is othewwise interested in minmizing potential liability expsoure via the implementation of consumer protection compliance protocols.