Discrimination and unfair membership conditions

Hello. I have started a membership at Basic-Fit in July and exercised there for several months for 20€ per month. In December the Belgian government introduced the mandatory use of COVID Safe Ticket at sports clubs. Considering my medical status I could no longer enter the club as I have not been vaccinated. Basic-Fit provided the option to freeze the membership in December for a month so that people who cannot enter the club do not have to pay for one month. I used that option. However, in January the club does not offer to extend the freeze. I have contacted customer support and an agent confirmed that there are no plans to continue to provide such an option. I am now being asked to pay for December and January, both months when I am unable to use their services. Being vaccinated is a personal choice and Basic-Fit does not have the authority or the competence to force me to get vaccinated. Basic-Fit does not allow me to terminate my membership based on the fact that I cannot use their services any longer. The only option the company leaves me with is paying 20€ per month and not receiving any service in return. No person in the world would find this to be a conscionable contract. Under the current circumstances in the country I would not even subscribe to such a membership since I know I would not be allowed to enter a sports club. Basic-Fit must admit that the situation in the country has changed considerably and they should allow some flexibility in their rules for people who have been affected by the epidemiological restrictions. I have paid for the periods when I was able to use the gyms. I refuse to pay for the periods when Basic-Fit does not give me the option to use the services. I find such business practices to be grossly discriminatory based on vaccination status and a forceful continuation of a contract where the consumer is forced to pay a monthly fee yet gets no products or services in exchange. As I have mentioned before, I have already tried to resolve this issue by contacting customer service but I was simply told to cover my bill since there is no other way to end this issue. I also received an email from Basic-Fit threatening me with additional debt collection charges if I do not pay the amount owed in two weeks. I would like the debt to be written off since I was not able to use the services during the time for which I am billed and I would like my membership with the club to be terminated at no extra cost because of the considerable changes introduced by the Belgian government. Alternatively, I would like my debt to be written off and my membership frozen for as long as the COVID Safe Ticket is required for sports clubs. After such a period I would agree to continue my membership and continue paying for the periods when I am allowed to enter the sports club.

Cher membre,Nous avons bien reçu votre message et nous l'avons introduit dans notre suivi administratif. Votre numéro de correspondance est le suivant 08489274Pour toute question ou demande d'information complémentaire, merci de reprendre ce numéro en référence de vos prochaines correspondances, ceci afin d'en assurer une réponse rapide et correcte.En ce moment, suite à une forte augmentation des fluxs d'appels et des mails, il se peut que votre demande soit traitée dans un délai supérieur à une semaine.Nous faisons notre maximum pour vous répondre au plus vite. Veillez s'il vous plaît à ne pas envoyer plusieurs fois votre demande car cela ne ferait qu’augmenter les délais de traitementMerci pour votre compréhension et votre patience. En restant à votre service, nous vous adressons nos meilleures salutations,Service ClientèleBasic-Fit Belgique

Hi Andrius,Thank you for contacting our customer support.We are sorry, but Basic-Fit follows the measures given by the government institutions and will ask all members for the CST. Premature cancellation of your membership based on the use of the CST is not possible. The measures have been imposed by the government, there is no question of a contract adjustment. All members still have the opportunity to exercise in our clubs.With the introduction of the CST, we have given our members the option to temporarily freeze their membership. This so that everyone has had some time to get used to the new measure. Not howing a CST is a personal choice we respect, but this choice can't change the contract terms and conditions. Basic-Fit still offer the service to his members as usual.Feel free to let me know if you have any other questions.Sportive regards,MarcoCustomer SupportBasic-Fitref:_00D24fJbb._5005INbsZI:refT2410.1

Hello,Thank you for the response. Yes, it is not your choice to impose the use of CST or not. But you have to admit that the situation in the country has changed because of this obligation and under the current circumstances all the people filing complaints for the same reason as mine would not even start a membership. You have to understand that you need to adopt some flexibility in this situation and remain fair to all of your customers. If you cannot terminate the contract based on the fact that the society is divided into people with rights and without rights, then please freeze my membership for as long as CST is required and continue it when it is not. This way I will be treated fairly compared to other customers and will pay for the full 12 months of my contract. I will be able to exercise for a full 12-month period as well. Then I will have the same opportunities and will pay for the same kind of service as the members who do have the CST. This would be minimal flexibility on your part which would preserve your customers instead of angering them and making them look for more understanding competitors of Basic-Fit. In addition, it would cost Basic-Fit nothing because of the membership is frozen throughout the period of obligatory CST use, customers who do not have it will continue exercising and pay the expected fees. Knowing that their club is flexible and fair, they will continue to be members and feel safe that they will not be discriminated. Otherwise people will either pay for nothing and will never come back to extend their contracts or will not pay at all and will fight your debt collection in courts which will definitely cost you. I ask you to forward this message not to customer support but to the managerial level because I believe that I am offering a great solution for both sides where it is fair and no party suffers losses or unfair treatment. Thank you,Andrius Orliukas

Cher membre,Nous avons bien reçu votre message et nous l'avons introduit dans notre suivi administratif. Votre numéro de correspondance est le suivant 08505829Pour toute question ou demande d'information complémentaire, merci de reprendre ce numéro en référence de vos prochaines correspondances, ceci afin d'en assurer une réponse rapide et correcte.En ce moment, suite à une forte augmentation des fluxs d'appels et des mails, il se peut que votre demande soit traitée dans un délai supérieur à une semaine.Nous faisons notre maximum pour vous répondre au plus vite. Veillez s'il vous plaît à ne pas envoyer plusieurs fois votre demande car cela ne ferait qu’augmenter les délais de traitementMerci pour votre compréhension et votre patience. En restant à votre service, nous vous adressons nos meilleures salutations,Service ClientèleBasic-Fit Belgique

Hi Andrius,Thank you for contacting our customer support.We understand you want to use your membership as it was before Covid-19 pandemic. But as you said and from our last email, Basic-Fit follows the government measures.Your club is open but CST is mandatory to access. General terms and conditions still applicable for membership management. Otherwise, we advise you to reach administrations that can provide such documents to access cubs and places requiring CST.Sportive regards,RochelCustomer SupportBasic-Fitref:_00D24fJbb._5005INcumG:refT2410.1

Hello,My contract does not have any clause about requiring a CST. So if you do not allow me to enter the club, you are breaking the contract by imposing the obligation that is not described in any of the text. If you disagree, please quote the part of contract that states you can impose a CST and prevent people who do not have it from entering your club. If you cannot prove that I am wrong, it means you are indeed violating the contract, and on such grounds I demand that my contract be terminated immediately.

Cher membre,Nous avons bien reçu votre message et nous l'avons introduit dans notre suivi administratif. Votre numéro de correspondance est le suivant 08538327Pour toute question ou demande d'information complémentaire, merci de reprendre ce numéro en référence de vos prochaines correspondances, ceci afin d'en assurer une réponse rapide et correcte.En ce moment, suite à une forte augmentation des fluxs d'appels et des mails, il se peut que votre demande soit traitée dans un délai supérieur à une semaine.Nous faisons notre maximum pour vous répondre au plus vite. Veillez s'il vous plaît à ne pas envoyer plusieurs fois votre demande car cela ne ferait qu’augmenter les délais de traitementMerci pour votre compréhension et votre patience. En restant à votre service, nous vous adressons nos meilleures salutations,Service ClientèleBasic-Fit Belgique