The start of a new year often sparks renewed motivation to get moving. Gym memberships surge, at-home workout equipment flies off the shelves and wellness programs promise a fresh start and healthier habits.
After weeks of holiday celebrations, the new year can feel like the perfect reset button. While this motivation can be a powerful tool for positive change, it can also attract scammers looking to cash in on online purchases of fitness equipment and other fitness trends.
Your Better Business Bureau reminds shoppers to be cautious when shopping online. There are also steps we recommend for finding the ideal gym for you. By doing a little research in advance, you can focus on spending your money wisely while keeping your fitness goals on track.
January is the peak time for fitness equipment to be purchased online, and BBBs see a corresponding spike in related fraudulent advertising. Submissions on BBB’s Scam Tracker site show that many shoppers report undelivered workout equipment or that the equipment that arrives is low quality or in poor condition.
In most cases, they’re also no longer able to reach the company to resolve the issues, making many of these fraudulent purchases very costly. For example, a Scam Tracker report from an individual who purchased an elliptical workout machine online indicates they lost $2,100 after paying via Amazon pay. In their report they shared: “received no confirmation or contact of any kind. Received no response when emailing the company.”