A man in Long Island had trouble cancelling his gym membership after he got paralysed and could not use his right hand to sign a contract to end the membership at Planet Fitness.
Steven Palma is a resident of Holbrook, New York. He had a stroke last year that caused him paralysis.
According to ABC7, Steven called his son to inform him about his stroke; he said, “I might not make it through, but I wanted to let you know I love you.”
He survived the stroke, but he was left with lasting damage.
According to the reports, his doctor said, “You’re going to be paralysed to the point where you can’t move your fingers, and you can’t move your arm, and you can’t move your legs.”
To adjust to his new reality after the stroke, Palma had to redo certain portions of his house. Such as outfitting his house with ramps.
Last October, Palma also called Planet Fitness from the hospital to notify them about his condition and to cancel his membership. Planet Fitness replied, “No problem” and confirmed to him that the membership was cancelled.
However, later he noticed that he was being charged a membership fee of $15 during the following months of December, January and February.
Palma then visited the gym physically. He said, “I had to get taken once by an ambulance there and once by my brother.”
Palma said that the guy at the gym told him that he’d have to do an electronic signature, to which Palma replied that he would not be able to do so as his right hand is paralyzed.
Unable to cancel the membership himself, he turned to Pineda at the news organisation's "7 On Your Side" team, who intervened by contacting Planet Fitness.
According to the reports, Planet Fitness said that Palma’s membership was cancelled after his visit and he was given a refund of $105.
Planet Fitness also clarified that, since May 2025, members nationwide have been able to manage their memberships online, including cancellations. The company said the matter had been resolved.
In a statement to People Magazine, a representative from Planet Fitness said, “Planet Fitness takes member concerns seriously, and the local club worked directly with the members to address this matter. We can confirm the refund has now been processed, and the matter has been resolved.”
(Rh/ARC)
