OFFICE OF FAIR
TRADING News Release (137/08) issued by COI News Distribution
Service. 25 November 2008
Following concerns
raised by the OFT, Fitness First, the UK's largest health
club operator, has provided assurances and improved its membership
agreements so that they are much clearer for consumers.
The OFT has worked closely with Fitness First after receiving
complaints regarding a number of potentially unfair terms within
its membership agreement. In particular, Fitness First has
submitted undertakings to the OFT which show that its membership contract:
* will specify that members can cancel and receive some refund of
fees during the minimum contract period if there are genuine
medical reasons or if Fitness First is in breach of contract,
* contains much clearer terms relating to its acceptance of liability;
* makes clear that Fitness First is not offering credit to
consumers; and
* is now much shorter and simpler and therefore easier for
members to understand.
Fitness First is the largest health club operator in the UK with
183 clubs and 452,000 members. It is also the largest health club
in the world with over 1.5 million members and 550 clubs. It
offers several types of membership contract and also trades under
the names Fitness First for Women, Fitness First Express, Fitness
First Platinum and Kaizen.
Mike Haley, OFT Head of Consumer Protection, said:
'We have worked closely with Fitness First and are satisfied
that consumers will find these new membership agreements much
clearer and simpler to understand.
'The OFT will continue to protect consumers by working with
business to address unfairness in consumer contracts.'
NOTES
1. The Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999
(UTCCRs) protect consumers against unfair standard terms in
contracts they make with traders. The Office of Fair Trading,
together with certain other bodies, can take legal action to
prevent the use of such terms. The UTCCRs can protect consumers
from terms that reduce their statutory or common law rights and
from terms that seek to impose unfair burdens on the consumer over
and above the obligations of ordinary rules of law.
http://www.oft.gov.uk
PUBLIC enquiries: 0845 7224499 enquiries@oft.gov.uk
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from:
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