Crackdown On Fitness Clubs

[george]

Gym clamp down

BANGKOK: -- Members of fitness clubs will be allowed to free themselves from "unfair" contracts after the Consumer Protection Board puts new regulations in place following a flood of complaints.

Overcharging, sudden closures and reduction of services were some of the problems cited by users.

The CPB will seek a legal amendment to bring the fitness business under its purview, meaning that prospects can cancel their deals or negotiate new conditions.

Since the business has arrived in Thailand for only a few years, it is still not regulated and can impose onerous conditions on members, or even refuse to provide the services agreed upon in verbal offers.

The CPB has received 893 complaints since 2005 and more than 200 in the first half of this year over unreasonable requirements and non-performance.

The agency held a seminar yesterday to hear grievances and brainstorm on what could be put into effect as laws and regulations.

Attendees said their credit cards were still charged after their contract expired, or they were charged for tens of thousands of baht extra after showing up one day late for the application date.

The agreement for terminating a contract must be followed in minute detail, and in a written statement, or their cards were charged for another year.

Customers also said they were not given back the remaining service fee in case a club closed due to business losses, or the cancellation of a contract was delayed through various tactics until the deadline was overdue, or the clubs refused to provide the services promised through phone sales calls.

-- The Nation 2009-08-11

[animatic]

I have heard this from a few people.

There are a couple of companies that are real bastards about it.

Goods take the smucks down a peg or three.

[frenchFARANGbkk]

Oh no, Cwow is going to close soon, what about my lifetime membership :-)

[Demodokos]

Is it me or there is a lot of crackdown going on recently?

[siddv]

Oh my. Holding Thais accountable for the contracts they sign. The horror!!!!

[chiangdan]

Had the same problems in Australia with fitness centres until the government stepped in to regulate so this is not just thailand.

[shawndoc]

Wish they'd do this here in the states. Even the big name chains are well known for charging people for months after they've quit, advertising one price and then offering another, selling "24 hour" access and then a month later drastically cutting back the hours, etc.

[CelticBhoy]

This is just the excuse I need.

When anyone says I'm looking

a tad fatter then I'll just say that

I can't find a fair club to shed the excess.

Let the flab win!

This is a good day for us lazy people.

[dale8]

Hello, it is good that the Thai government will be looking more at this industry as people that want to use the gyms do not want any contractual problems. They want to get what they paid for, and the better gyms will have more customers when people talk about not having any trouble so they can try to be healthy. Cheers.

[Sunny Valentine]

This is just the excuse I need.

When anyone says I'm looking

a tad fatter then I'll just say that

I can't find a fair club to shed the excess.

Let the flab win!

This is a good day for us lazy people.

My very thoughts, indeed!

Although Ifail to understand what is wrong with this (in case the conditions were known to the customer at signing)?

The agreement for terminating a contract must be followed in minute detail, and in a written statement, or their cards were charged for another year.

Sunny

[scorecard]

Oh no, Cwow is going to close soon, what about my lifetime membership :-)

Sorry to say this, but I have no sympathy for anybody who belives this marketing line.

These companies operate in high rent buildings, they have big electricity bills for air-conditioning and water, salaries, and many other monthly cash operating costs.

In other words they need big monthly cash income, every month to keep the doors open.

Once-only payments for a life member has no business logic and is totally unsustainable.

Sum num nar.

[norwayeagle]

Is it me or there is a lot of crackdown going on recently?

Guess it's u .Even since i was born,it has been crackdowns in my country,n all around the world.Just that in here (tv) thing get on the edge bcuse of,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,to much blablabla."crackdowns" are "normal"!

[Crushdepth]

Overcharging, sudden closures and reduction of services were some of the problems cited by users.

Kind of sounds like the Thailand Elite card...

[clausewitz]

To be fair to California wow(the club that generates the majority of complaints) anyone who thought a lifetime membership meant anything other than"you can come till we go under' is pretty naive.

So far my membership has lasted two years which is a year longer than I hoped for.

To Cwo management. Now that I have given you a nice post please fix the stairmaster machines #1 and #3 in silom and suk23.

[frenchFARANGbkk]

To be fair to California wow(the club that generates the majority of complaints) anyone who thought a lifetime membership meant anything other than"you can come till we go under' is pretty naive.

So far my membership has lasted two years which is a year longer than I hoped for.

To Cwo management. Now that I have given you a nice post please fix the stairmaster machines #1 and #3 in silom and suk23.

You're so right !! I always remember that i can exercice for free since 2 years, as they should have closed already !

And i also encourage everybody who want to buy a membership there, so that mine get longer validity...

(also love Thai who pay for super expensive useless personal trainers and kickfiters!)