Anytime Fitness faces investigation over forged membership contracts in Australia

Anytime Fitness has issued an apology after a series of complaints revealed that customers were enrolled at planned branches in New South Wales and Queensland with contracts bearing fabricated signatures. The gym franchise, which operates more than 600 sites and serves over 780,000 members nationwide, is investigating the practice of inserting false handwritten signatures into membership agreements that customers never saw.

Two new members, Michael Fraser and Maddison Johnstone, described receiving emails confirming their memberships and attached contracts that contained signatures they did not provide. Fraser, who sought to join a soon‑to‑open club on the Gold Coast, was told he would sign the contract in person after the gym opened, yet an emailed contract showed three identical forged signatures and terms, including an 18‑month commitment, that differed from the phone offer. Johnstone reported a similar experience, noting that the gym was not yet operating and questioning how a four‑week free period could have started.

The incident has prompted ongoing inquiries into the franchise’s contracting processes and may lead to regulatory scrutiny of its membership practices.