OFT demands fairer Total Fitness contracts

GYM chain Total Fitness has been forced to make its customer membership agreements clearer and fairer.

Following an intervention by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) the Wilmslow-based group has agreed to change its terms and conditions to comply with the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts regulations.

Total Fitness’s agreements must now: provide clearer information on the circumstances in which a customer can cancel the contract; and contain clearer terms relating to the circumstances in which Total Fitness may seek to exclude or limit its liability for loss suffered by consumers.

The business must also make it clear that it does not have absolute discretion to change its opening times, or change, reduce or cease facilities without providing any rights for its members.

Mike Haley, the OFT’s director of consumer protection, said: “Gym agreements, like any other consumer contract, must be balanced, fair and understandable. We have worked closely with Total Fitness to secure these changes and we believe that consumers will find the new membership agreements much clearer and fairer.”

The group, owned by private equity firm Legal & General Ventures, has 24 clubs with most of them in the North of England.