Is now the time to cancel your gym membership?

Gyms are expected to start reopening from the middle of next month – potentially around ten days after pubs, hairdressers and restaurants begin serving customers on July 4. But with fitness centres initially offering only limited facilities, now might be the ideal time to consider cancelling your membership deal. 

The fear is that it will be difficult to control Covid-19 transmission indoors in gyms with everyone sweating and using the same equipment along with the damp conditions in changing rooms. 

Trade body UK Active has issued guidelines for when all gyms re-open in line with demands being made by the Government. These initially were that ‘only equipment two metres apart will be used’ – and saunas, steam rooms, hot tubs and spa pools must follow strict social distancing rules. 

It included limiting the number of people inside, with the ‘gym capacity based on three metre squared per person’. In time, these restrictions should be lifted. 

We spend £2billion a year on fit ness but about £40million of this is wasted on unused gym memberships. About ten million usually spend an average of £60 a month visiting a gym – money that most of us have recently been saving. 

The majority of gyms have not been taking membership fees from the moment they closed in mid-March and are offering extensions for memberships already paid to cover the period they were shut.  

Rules are at the discretion of individual gyms – so it is vital to check with yours. But those putting contracts on hold include Virgin Active, Nuffield Health, David Lloyd and PureGym. 

Refunds for those that would rather take the cash or cancel an extension are rarely offered – it is up to members to demand this. 

Martyn James, of complaints website Resolver, says: ‘It is going to be a testing time for those starting to use the gym again after lock down. If you are not offered access to exactly the same facilities and service you signed up to, I see no reason why you should not be allowed to end your contract.’ 

Gym users should not simply cancel making payments – because money might still be owed. 

Check any cancellation period you have agreed to with the gym before pulling the plug. Otherwise a gym may legally have a right to chase you for fees. James suggests that threatening to take the gym to a small claims court might be enough for them to agree to cancel a membership if they initially refuse. Application costs start at £25. 

Another option is to contact the Competition and Markets Authority that aims to promote competition for customers – explaining how a service you pay for has changed. 

Once your current gym membership expires, another alternative is to switch to a pay-as-you-go option. 

For example, with the service provided by app Hussle, you may pay £6 a day to use the same local facilities. So if your gym membership works out at about £60 a month, you will need to go at least two or three times a week to get value for money – otherwise you would be better off switching. 

A spokesman for UK Active says: ‘Each gym has its own set of rules – so it is important to contact them to find out where you stand during this lockdown. 

‘The gym and fitness industry will have a vital role ensuring ongoing health and well-being for us all following the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions. They will need member support in the coming months.’