LA man says canceling his gym membership is so difficult he considered faking his death. Then he came up with a different plan

A Los Angeles man said he seriously considered faking his own death in order to get out of his Equinox gym membership, according to a TikTok video he posted. The creator, who goes by Caden (@caden7376) on the platform, said the contract’s terms left him with few other options. His video received more than 554,000 views.

Canceling a gym membership in the United States can apparently be difficult. Slate Magazine writes “Shady contracts. Hidden fees. Drained wallets. Some gyms are preying on unsuspecting clients, and it’s only getting worse.” These terms can apparently make it hard for members to end their memberships once they have signed up.

In the clip, Caden said he signed up for Equinox believing the gym would help him transform his fitness routine. “I signed up for Equinox, and, mind you, it was $300 a month,” he said, adding that he expected to enter what he described as his “bulk era.”

Membership agreement reportedly required a 12-month commitment

Caden said his motivation faded quickly after an initial burst of enthusiasm. He said he went to the gym three days in a row at first, but later found himself going mainly to sit in the sauna or scroll on his phone while walking on a treadmill, eventually cutting his visits down to once a week.

Caden said that once he decided to stop going regularly, he tried to cancel his membership, but said the contract he had signed prevented an easy exit. He said he had signed a 12-month agreement with Equinox. 

“The only way to get out of it was to die or to move,” he said in the video, describing the choice he believed he faced. Equinox has previously drawn attention for other unconventional decisions, including a 2023 stunt in which the company said it would be banning new members on January 1st as part of a campaign rejecting “new year, new me” resolutions.

He said his apartment lease was for six months, which led him to joke about his options. “My lease here is six months, so I guess I’ll have to die,” he said. Caden added that he briefly considered ways to fake his death before deciding against the idea. 

Instead, Caden said he chose to move in order to end his Equinox membership. “I’m just gonna move,” he said. “So now I’m actually moving to escape Equinox.” He also directed a message at the company, saying, “Equinox, if you see this, respectfully, disrespectfully, I hope that your company blows up and dies and dies again and then blows up.” Other unusual cases involving staged disappearances have surfaced elsewhere, including one Wisconsin man who was accused of faking his death in a kayak accident.

In the comments section of the video, other users shared their own reactions and experiences. One commenter joked, “Before you die. Please drop the skincare routine ok thanks.” Another claimed, “I know someone that had their mom call & say the son was special needs and should not have been allowed to sign and they squashed it.”

A third suggested, “why don’t yall just call your card company to tell them to block charge requests from that specific company. the back and forth is not necessary.” Other gym-goers have raised separate concerns, including one woman who said she came face-to-face with a male employee while changing in the locker room.

According to Equinox’s FAQ page, members can cancel in person with a manager, by mail as outlined in their membership agreement, by emailing the company’s cancellations address, or by logging into their account online. The company has said notice periods vary by state and has advised members to review their individual membership agreements for the specific requirements that apply to them.

Posts on the Reddit forum r/EquinoxGyms claim that cancellation issues mostly arise during a member’s first year, with users alleging that Equinox typically requires a one-year contract before memberships convert to a month-to-month basis.

Some members have said this condition was not clearly explained to them when they signed up. One Reddit user wrote, “My membership advisor never disclosed the one year contract to me when I signed up,” and claimed they were asked to sign documents quickly at the front desk without a full explanation of the terms involved.