When you invest in a product, you likely do your research and are convinced in part by marketing initiatives. This might be the case if you decide to work with a particular personal trainer or gym. In the event that false advertising was a factor in you hiring a gym or a trainer, you may be able to file a lawsuit against them. On this page, you can learn more about false advertisement in the fitness industry, how it might impact you, and what you can do about it.
What is False Advertising?
Throughout the United States, there are many laws that prohibit false, deceptive, or misleading advertising in an effort to keep consumers safe and to protect their rights. If you are the victim of false advertising, you have the right to file a lawsuit against the responsible party. This is especially the case if you have been injured or you lost money as a result of the false advertising. In these situations, a personal injury case or similar litigation might be appropriate in order to recover damages.
There are many different ways that a business might manipulate consumers. They might include:
- Misleading illustrations. In the context of a gym or a personal trainer, they might misrepresent their clients’ body image on an advertisement – in some cases making them appear slimmer or making them appear more muscular.
- Bait and switch. This is when a business entices a consumer with a cheap product and then tries to upsell them to a much more expensive product. A personal trainer might try to sell you a cheap workout program but upsell you to a much more expensive package.
- Incomplete or inconsistent comparisons. This might especially be the case when a gym or trainer compares their services to a competitor. A gym or trainer might only compare their best attributes to a competitor and this might not paint the whole picture.
- False information about certification. Watch out for personal trainers who try to convince you that they have been certified in certain health and fitness areas such as nutrition, physical therapy, pilates, etc. If you get injured during a session and find out that the personal trainer does not actually have the training that they promised you, they could be held liable.
These are just a few common examples of false advertisement by a gym or a personal trainer. You can learn more about false advertising by contacting a lawyer.
Getting Help
As you can see, there are many situations in which a gym or a personal trainer might be guilty of false advertising. Before hiring a gym or trainer, it is best to do your own research and ask questions if anything seems strange in their advertising. However, if you do think that you are the victim of false advertisements, we can help. Contact our office for a free consultation in which we can go over your situation and see if it is possible for you to recover damages based on false advertising. We are happy to help!
