While most health club operators are ethical in handling membership contracts, pockets of bad practice remain. Now new legislation will sweep these away, giving the sector in the UK a reputational reboot

New regulations will come into force in the UK in 2026, changing the legal framework for all subscription-based business transactions, including health club memberships.

The changes are a result of the coming of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 which has been in the works for sometime.

There will be requirements for operators to be transparent in providing pre-contract information and for them to send renewal reminders. It will also be necessary to make cancellations simple, while members will have a right to cancel up to 14 days after sign-up.

The vast majority of operators are transparent and ethical in the way they run their membership systems, but there are still a few outliers who give the industry a bad name by doing things such as making it too hard to cancel, or having obscure pricing models.

We take a dim view of the victimisation of Gold’s Gym UK and use of its high profile name as a tactic to gain publicity

The DMCC legislation is being phased in, so operators have time to ensure they comply and this gives the sector the chance to sweep away pockets of bad practice and become more consumer-friendly and reputable. The goal must be proud sector-wide compliance.

The successful implementation of the DMCC will require operators to swiftly update systems and overseeing body – the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) – to assume a mature and positive role in supporting them to do so.

Unfortunately, in a self-declared ‘shot across the bows’, the CMA has kicked off by announcing it’s investigating eight companies from five sectors, with Gold’s Gym UK being named for health and fitness.

Sarah Cardell, CEO of the CMA has stressed it “should not be assumed that Gold’s Gym (UK) has infringed consumer protection law and no finding has been made”, so it seems Gold’s Gym has purely been targeted as a typical representative of the overall sector.

We take a dim view of this ‘victimisation’ of Gold’s Gym UK and the use of its high-profile name as a tactic to gain publicity for the work of the CMA.

This confrontational approach is no way to build an effective working partnership between industry and regulator and we hope the CMA will rein in its instincts to bully and avoid taking the view that all subscription businesses are unethical, as this is simply not the case.

The health and fitness industry has been at the forefront of the development of the subscription model and – as a result – has been able to provide life-enhancing services for consumers at modest prices. Now the CMA must be supportive, focus on education and ensure the transition is made without harm to all involved.