The Consumers’ Foundation yesterday panned California Fitness health club for terminating many members’ lifetime contracts because they neglected to pay a NT$88 renewal fee.
California Fitness health club allows members to pay a one-time fee of NT$69,999 to obtain lifetime membership, but requires an annual NT$88 renewal fee.
The consumer watchdog said that it had received 11 complaints over the past year, accusing California Fitness health club of terminating members’ lifetime membership status because they had neglected to renew their membership.
Many of the members whoe filed complaints with the foundation accused the health club of failing to remind them to renew their membership before abruptly terminating it.
The foundation said that a similar dispute occurred when Being Sport health club changed its name last month and launched a promotional campaign to admit more members, causing the quality of the health club to plunge.
Angry members who refused to pay cleaning fees to protest the club’s actions had their membership cancelled and outstanding payments deducted from their deposits, the foundation said.
Consumer Foundation chairman Hsieh Tien-jen (謝天仁) criticized California Fitness for advertising “lifetime” membership but stating in fine print that members are still required to pay a fee to keep their membership active for the second year.
Customers are merely being offered a low price to purchase an additional year of membership after they have paid higher fees for their first-year membership, but they are misled into thinking they have obtained lifetime membership with just a one-time payment, Hsieh said.
Hsieh urged authorities to improve consumers’ rights by drafting a standard health club membership contract, in which health clubs would be required to make a reasonable effort to contact members to remind them of the need to renew their membership before cancellation.
California Fitness last night issued a statement, saying the terms and conditions of its lifetime membership were clearly stated in membership contracts.
The company said it believes the terms are fair to both parties and that the members unable to fulfill the terms of the contract, such as pay a small fee to renew their membership, forfeit their right to membership.
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