A consumer commission directed Talkwalkar Fitness Centre to refund annual membership fee of ₹ 13,300 and pay compensation of ₹ 10,000 to a customer who stated that the gym closed down within months of her making the payment, and without prior notice.
The District Consumer Redressal Commission – II, Hyderabad, was dealing with a complaint filed by Molly Chaturvedi, with Talwalkar Fitness Centre in Avanti Nagar and Talwalkars in Mumbai as the opposite parties.
The complainant stated that she made a payment of ₹13,300 in November 2019. She claimed that the gym downed its shutters permanently in January 2020 without informing her.
She maintained that despite several communications, the money was not refunded to her. In an ex-parte order, the commission noted that the complainant wrote to the opposite parties on August 10, 2020 seeking a refund.
The opposite parties responded on the same day stating that the matter would be looked into.
Numerous requests
“Having received annual membership fee, the opposite party is duty bound to provide the services by giving an opportunity to the complainant to avail fitness facilities - and failing to provide such facility certainly amounts to deficiency and opposite party had been unfair in collecting the amount and not refunding the same in spite of several requests,” the commission stated.
Apart from directing the opposite parties to refund the membership fee, and paying ₹10,000 as compensation, the commission imposed costs of ₹10,000.
