Fitness First

Fitness First is one of the largest health and fitness providers in the world, second in number of clubs only to Gold's Gym and third in memberships only to 24 hour fitness and Gold's Gym, with clubs in the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region.

In 2005 the company was acquired by BC Partners, a European private equity group.

In Australia, Fitness First took over a number of Living Well Lady locations owned by the Hilton Group. Also they bought the 11-gym Healthland chain from an administrator, and now own over 80 gyms across Australia.

In late 2006, Fitness First reached the milestone of 500 clubs world-wide, marked by the opening of the fourth club in Sydney, Australia.

It now has over 550 clubs worldwide with more than 1.5 million First Fitness members.

Membership plans

Fitness First (Australia) offers a number of membership plans on different terms. Some membership contracts have a minimum term of one year and incur a cancellation fee on exit. Others are billed on a fortnightly basis and can be cancelled with 4 week notice. On the "home" plan, members can access one Fitness First location. Other plans allow members access to any standard Fitness First gym within Australia. Limitations apply on access to international Fitness First gyms. Fees range from around $70 to $110 per month.

Controversies

Fitness First has used high-pressure aggressive sales pitches. Other common complaints relate to overcharging and creating legally binding contracts that are hard to break or receive a refund.

Cases also exist where direct debit accounts are still debited after the member has cancelled their membership.

In a July 2004 study comparing Fitness First with other Australian gyms, Fitness First respondents were less likely to have been shown how to use equipment by a qualified staff member, offered a fitness assessment or advised on an appropriate exercise routine.

In August 2008, Fitness First took a club member to the Australian New South Wales (NSW) Supreme Court to recover a $200 cancellation fee. The court ruled in favor of Fitness First, although she could not afford to pay and was no longer able to use the gym on medical grounds. The patient explained her medical condition before signing up and was instructed to sign the contract. Fitness First sought action to ensure that gym contracts with clients were still legally valid even if the court were to find that the client did not understand what he or she had signed. Fitness First's victory on appeal overturned a prior decision against the company by the NSW Consumer, Trader and Tenancy Tribunal, which had found that a contract required a "meeting of the minds, in that they each fully know and understand the terms and conditions of the agreement". The Supreme Court found that the Tribunal had erred in a matter of law.

The company also hit most members in Australia with significant fee increases in August 2008, in the range of 20% - 30% increase, depending on membership type. The reasons provided for the increases were the number of new clubs opened and "increased general costs".

In October 2008, a Fitness First (Stevenage, UK branch) trainer verbally threatened a member and also threatened the members wife. Fitness First alledged that this was a personal matter despite the attack occuring on Fitness First premises, whilst the trainer was in Fitness First livery during working hours. The attack was caught on camera an was also in full view and within earshot of other members and Fitness First staff. Despite the member contacting management and later senior management, Fitness First have not taken any action against the trainer or offered any support to the victims to assist in investigating the incident.

In March 2009, a Fitness First trainer allegedy attacked a member after a dispute about closing times, pushing him down a flight of stairs. The member spent the night in hospital with a broken nose and seven stitches to the forehead from a deep gash. Police are investigating.

In May 2009, the Australian Consumer magazine Choice found Fitness First to have the most aggressive psychological techniques in getting customers to sign complicated contracts and not explaining what the cancellation policy is, in a test involving "shadow shoppers" visiting two gyms run by Fitness First, Contours, Fernwood, Curves and Virgin Active.

Fitness First does not include instruction on the use of equipment by qualified trainers for new members, although in most clubs, trainers with 'May I help you' T-shirts may be on hand to answer general queries. To obtain this service members are expected to purchase a Personal Training Triple Pack, an added cost on top of membership fees. However on a number of occassions trainers have either not made contact or failed to make successful contact with members in carrying out the personal training associated with the triple pack which they have purchased.

There are no qualified trainers employed by Fitness First, personal trainers are contracted under a franchise agreement and are expected to harass gym members on the floor to gain clients as no assistance is provided by Fitness First itself. Franchise costs are $1500 initially and trainers pay a weekly rent to the gym which varies on the type of club, rental rates range from $200 to $300 per week. Personal trainers are aggressively recruited in the same way that members are recruited, as personal training managers earn large cash and share option bonuses for signing new trainers. PT managers earn $1000 per month in bonuses when trainers pay their rent on time. Franchise contracts are useful for increasing Fitness First's profit margin as trainers are locked in to continual rent payments. Trainers are expected to complete a set number of Fitness First sponsored courses, not to increase the knowledge base of their trainers, but to increase profitability and cash flow from their franchisees.

External links

• Official Fitness First Site
• Choice magazine:Gyms It’s a jungle out there .... and our gym survey discovered plenty of pitfalls for the unwary. accessed 9/11/2008
• Survey of Gym Chains: Fitness first and Fernwood
• Consumer Affairs Victoria: Unfair contract terms - Health and fitness centres