Stop unfair Gym contracts

heidilap

Hi all

I have just started a petion to ask the governement to make it unlawful for Gyms/Health clubs to offer unreasonable tie ins to gym membership and also requesting a cooling off period. please sign this petition.
epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/29273

bris

Your a bit late, there has been new laws published recently to stop unfair gym contracts.

heidilap

do you have the details because they still happen. Martin Lewis done a feature on it just two weeks ago!! So I'm a little confused as they still existed 2 weeks ago!!!!

bris

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/family/2011/05/thousands-can-cancel-gym-contracts

Cooling off periods are available, as long as you sign the contract away from the premises, sign it on the premises then there is none. This is the same as any contract anywhere, not just gym's, so why should gym's be any different.

The consumer needs to also do a bit or research before they rashly sign contract's they have no intention of sticking too.
The problem is, gym's have a rush of people all desperate to join the gym after the festive period and have all the intention of sticking to it, only to get fed up and bored after February, (is this you by any chance) same with the summer holiday, people want to look good for going away, but don't go back after the holiday. They all of course are shocked when they realise you just can't stop paying and are stuck in a contract.

I am all for stopping unfair contracts, the 18 and 24 month ones really are unfair, not just with gym's but with mobiles etc too, but 12 months isn't that bad, and before you sign up realise that you are the one making the choice, no one is forcing you to sign anything.

custardy

heidilap wrote: »

Hi all

I have just started a petion to ask the governement to make it unlawful for Gyms/Health clubs to offer unreasonable tie ins to gym membership and also requesting a cooling off period. please sign this petition.
epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/29273

what exactly do you deem unfair?
having people walk in off the street and ask to join?
or being dragged off the street by large gym monsters

going by the posts in here. gyms could offer 3 month contracts and folks would still be crying
I use a gym with 1 month contracts(technically 2 with the cancellation)
thats a decision I made because I don't want tied in

Carl31

i think they should be upheld, you're told what your signing into from the start

The reason these gyms make it so hard as people sign up, then leave. Everytime someone joins, they have to be shown round, given an induction, health checks done, insurance taken out etc..

no one makes petitions for unfair 2 year mobile contracts they cant get out of, whys that?

arcon5

To put a stop to any Gym or Health club being allowed to tie anyone in to a contract for any long term.

Why gym contracts and not say mobile phone? car leasing? etc?

All contracts should have a maximum of 1 months notice to cancel

What about situations whereby you received a discount for signing a longer contract? If for example you saved £10 per month, they should then be able to charge this £10 for each month you have been a memer if you cancel before the min.period.

and a 7 day cooling off period once a contract is signed.

If you sign away from the business you are already covered.

If you go in to THEIR business and sign up, surely you are making an informed decision. No?

No Health club should be allowed to tie anyone into a minimum of 12 months and have no cooling of period.

Why? back to the original question.. why just gyms?


I'd sign it if I thought for a second the petition was balanced, reasonable and fair -- instead it's a selfish and thoughtless petition that intends to protect the consumer ONLY, irrespective of what company it may harm in the process.

DVardysShadow

Urrgh!!! Consumers accept unfair contracts like lemmings. If consumers rejected unfair contracts, then there would be less of them offered.

unholyangel

A gym contract can already be unfair if it doesnt allow you to cancel for any reason - even exceptional circumstances.

Personally my local gym is great. I used to go 5 days a week and do at least 2 hours a day, I often went with a friend and then that friend took seriously ill and died in hospital. I tried to go back to the gym but I just kept getting upset. The gym allowed me to put my membership on permanent hiatus (basically its cancelled but I asked them to retain my records and membership details so I can return without having to fill out everything again).

Since then I've bought my own equipment and just work out in the house.

heidilap

It amazes me how so many of you think that consumers shouldn't have rights. A cooling off period is not unreasonable if the gym is as good as they say then it is fair. My friend joined David LLoyd for her family and it was all golden promises. Once she returned home and got the full details of the Kids times it appeared they couldn't join in any activities. In order for them to do so would cost an extra £50 a month. because it was verbal it is hard to prove. So a cooling of period is not unreasonable. She went in within 2 hours to point this out but faced abusive unhelpful staff. A decent company would not put forward any problems nor have an issue with the request in the participation.

My gym offers 10 day cooling off and cancellation anytime after 3 months with one month notice.

For those of you who seem to think you Know it all and support this practice you need to wake up. Type in David LLoyd and see the amount of hurt and distress they have caused through thier practice.

custardy

heidilap wrote: »

It amazes me how so many of you think that consumers shouldn't have rights. A cooling off period is not unreasonable if the gym is as good as they say then it is fair. My friend joined David LLoyd for her family and it was all golden promises. Once she returned home and got the full details of the Kids times it appeared they couldn't join in any activities. In order for them to do so would cost an extra £50 a month. because it was verbal it is hard to prove. So a cooling of period is not unreasonable. She went in within 2 hours to point this out but faced abusive unhelpful staff. A decent company would not put forward any problems nor have an issue with the request in the participation.

My gym offers 10 day cooling off and cancellation anytime after 3 months with one month notice.

For those of you who seem to think you Know it all and support this practice you need to wake up. Type in David LLoyd and see the amount of hurt and distress they have caused through thier practice.

support the practice of offering contracts?
trusting a salesman?
seriously. personal responsibility
If you go to a gym and get an offer
go home and compare/research
the gym is hardly going to be out of your way if you are planning to go there
so a 2nd trip to sign up is no hassle