Yes, but that problem would've been moot if they were prohibited from charging me for months I didn't use it (i.e. every month after the one wherein I attempted to cancel).

> that problem would've been moot if they were prohibited from charging me for months I didn't use it

No, the problem would be moot if the cancellation process was as easy as the sign up process. And I think the US finally got that law

Even if I'd simply "forgotten" to cancel, the prohibition on charging me for the months I didn't use it would've made this a non-issue. Hell, I'd probably still be a customer today, now that I've long ago moved back to a city with Anytime Fitness locations.

> Even if I'd simply "forgotten" to cancel,

But you didn't. You clearly stated that the burden of cancelling was too high: " The gym staff admitted to remembering that I attempted to cancel because I was moving to a place with no Anytime Fitness locations; they refused to let me cancel my contract early without me showing them my new lease, which I didn't have yet"

This is the root of the problem. Not the "prohibition to charge for services you've subscribed to but don't use".