How to recover money after canceling a subscription, including partial-month refunds, post-cancellation charges, and trial-to-paid conversions. This guide applies specifically to Crunch Fitness ($10-$30/mo) subscribers in California, citing applicable state and federal law.
California's Automatic Renewal Law (ARL) (Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17600) gives you specific protections when dealing with Crunch Fitness subscriptions:
Penalties: Consumers can recover actual damages plus $1,000 in statutory damages per violation
Applied to Crunch Fitness (In-person or certified mail) in California
Request a refund within 24–72 hours
Contact the company immediately by phone or email. State: 'I canceled on [date] and was charged [amount]. I am requesting a full refund under your refund policy.' Many companies have a grace period.
California note: Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17600 requires Crunch Fitness to provide an easy cancellation mechanism.
Cite ROSCA if the trial auto-converted
The Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act (15 USC § 8403) requires clear disclosure before a trial converts. If terms weren't clearly disclosed, the charge is legally questionable.
Escalate to a supervisor
If the first agent denies your refund, ask for a supervisor. Supervisors have more discretion. Be polite but firm — state you are prepared to file a chargeback.
File a chargeback if denied
Call your credit card issuer. Say: 'I want to dispute a charge from [company]. I canceled the service and they continued to charge me / the trial terms were not clearly disclosed.' Provide your cancellation documentation.
File an FTC complaint
Go to reportfraud.ftc.gov and report the company. The FTC uses these complaints to prioritize enforcement. Companies with many complaints face investigation.
Method: In-person or certified mail · Difficulty: hard
Crunch Fitness-specific tips
Annual fee non-refundable.
Under Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17600, you may be entitled to a full refund if Crunch Fitness didn't properly disclose auto-renewal terms at signup.
These apply to Crunch Fitness in every state, including California:
SubScrub auto-cites Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17600 + sends legally-backed letters