A woman sued a Pilates studio for denying her access when she showed up late to class—and she was quickly humbled.
Sophia McGinn of Sydney, Australia tried suing Fitness First for $16,000 after they denied her entry. According to court documents, staff asked McGinn to leave class, which took place on July 17, 2023, because she showed up after it had already started, per the New York Post.
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However, her gym contract specifically stated that “entry after the class has started may be refused by the instructor.” This safety measure was put into place to avoid any injuries since a late entry might mean missing the warm-up part of the class.
Apparently, McGinn didn’t like that.
Even so, Fitness First offered her free classes but froze her account after realizing she was not actively using their services. Eventually, McGinn canceled her contract altogether.
The drama didn’t end there though. McGinn quickly filed a complaint with the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal, accusing the gym of breaching the contract and failing to comply with consumer guarantee obligations under the Australian Consumer Law.
Somehow, she thought she could get $16,600 in damages. I’m not exactly sure what those damages are, but I digress. She “speculated about a future potential loss or damage,” according to the Tribunal. McGinn took the time to calculate what would have been the difference between her Fitness First membership and a similar membership at another gym, Virgin Active, over 20 years.
However, “Ms McGinn had not entered into a new gym membership at a higher price nor provided a quote from another gym as to the higher membership prices she would have to pay,” the Tribunal revealed.
Also, Fitness First did not breach her contract; McGinn was simply unaware of its terms. That one’s on you, girl.
Unsurprisingly, this case has been dismissed twice.
