BOSTON (WHDH) - The state is suing Boston Sports Clubs for failing to let people cancel their memberships during the coronavirus pandemic, the Attorney General’s Office said Tuesday.

According to the complaint, filed in Suffolk Superior Court, BSC lied to members about their rights and is charging people who tried to cancel their memberships.

Attorney General Maura Healey said the company was violating state laws and refusing to follow through on previous commitments with the AG’s office to provide refunds to thousands of affected consumers. She said more than 2,000 members have not been allowed to cancel their contracts after BSC closed its locations on March 16, and that BSC continued to charge people even after sending cancellation notices.

Former BSC member Ari Kendall said he felt like the company robbed him during a tough time.

“Considering what we’re all going through, people trying to scrape together enough money to have Thanksgiving dinner with family,
to be erroneously charging people left and right for money they don’t owe you and make it impossible for them to cancel, it’s immoral,” Kendall said.

BSC facilities were closed in the state until early July and multiple facilities in Massachusetts have since closed again. Under Massachusetts law, consumers have a right to cancel a contract with a health club without penalty when the club “substantially changes the operation of the health club or location,” and the coronavirus closures qualify as a substantial change, the AG’s office said.

According to the AG’s complaint, BSC refused to process new cancellations unless members paid a $10 cancellation fee and if they did not pay the fee, BSC continued to charge them monthly. BSC also threatened to refer members to debt collection agencies when members did not continue to pay for the memberships they had previously canceled, the complaint said.

The complaint also says BSC is not following an October agreement with the AG’s office to provide refunds.

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