A Kiwi woman calls the Les Mills Plus free trial for its online exercise platform a "scam" and she's urging others to be cautious when signing up for such offers.
The woman, Mary, told Newshub she was excited to try out the offerings from the Les Mills Plus platform (LM+), which features videos of more than 1500 workouts and classes.
LM+ is an international company and is not affiliated to LMNZ.
Mary signed up to the 30-day free trial, as advertised on the LMNZ website, believing it to be genuine. But she was shocked to be charged early.
"I was charged NZ$59.95 after just 14 days," she said.
Overseas, LM+'s free trials normally last for 14 days, but a "special offer" currently on the Les Mills NZ (LMNZ) website says they're extended to 30 days.
Mary said she contacted LM+, who told her the trial's terms and conditions were sent in a separate email - which went to her spam folder.
"When you created your subscription on May 28th, 2024, we emailed you the details of your subscription. You received a 14-day free trial and we included the exact date and time you needed to cancel by to avoid being charged," said the email from an LM+ spokesperson.
Mary said the error amounted to "fraud" and "false advertising".
LM+ eventually told Mary on June 13 she'd be refunded, but only after she threatened legal action.
"During times of economic hardship, it is shameful for Les Mills [Plus] to mislead their customers in this way," she said.
She's worried others may have also fallen for the "scam".
LMNZ's website says the free trial is for new customers only, and it can be cancelled anytime during the 30 days, with payments starting only after it ends.
The LM+ international website confirms this, saying: "You can cancel your account before your trial ends and you will not be charged."
Jessica Walker, campaigns manager at Consumer, told Newshub Les Mills isn't just breaching their own terms and conditions.
"We think it's misleading, and a breach of the Fair Trading Act, for a business to advertise a 30-day free trial but then charge the customer after only 14 days," Walker said.
She suggested customers contact the gym and demand a refund if charged early.
"If the gym refuses and you paid by credit card or debit card, ask your bank for a chargeback. We also recommend lodging a complaint with the Commerce Commission," she said.
Newshub asked LMNZ about the free trial, but our query was instead passed onto LM+.
"Currently, our free trial is only 14 days for New Zealand," a spokesperson from LM+ said.
Newshub responded with further clarification, including links to the Aotearoa-based website. That's when a second spokesperson apologised.
"We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused, and we truly appreciate you bringing this matter to our attention," they said.
"We will escalate this to our team for further investigation," they added, saying the team needs "time to thoroughly review" the error.
"We're here to help!"
