Seoul City is urging residents to carefully review refund policies and contract-termination conditions before purchasing gym, Pilates, or yoga memberships, as consumer complaints continue to rise sharply.

According to data from the Korea Consumer Agency, 4,967 cases related to indoor fitness facilities were filed in Seoul over the past three years, with gyms accounting for nearly 74% of all reports.

97.5% of disputes stemmed from contract issues such as unclear cancellation terms or disagreements over whether refunds should be calculated based on regular or discounted prices.

New problems have also emerged with the growing popularity of subscription-based gym services, including undisclosed automatic payments and difficulties canceling memberships.

In response, Seoul City and the Korea Consumer Agency have stepped up joint inspections, identifying 69 violations in the first half of this year and securing refunds totaling about 18 million won.

The city advises consumers to avoid long-term discounted contracts without full information, use credit-card installment payments for purchases over 200,000 won, document all agreed-upon terms in writing, and thoroughly read the terms when signing up for subscription-style services.

Those facing issues can seek assistance through the Seoul Fair Trade Counseling Center (1600-0700, option 5) or the national 1372 Consumer Counseling Center.

USAG Yongsan

Camp Casey