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Gym owner in Ludhiana told to refund consumer for deficiency in services
The consumer said she paid subscription fee for four months, but less than a month after she took the membership, the gym closed
The district consumer disputes redressal commission has directed the owners of a local gym to pay ₹11,000 to a consumer for deficiency in services.
Complainant Kanika Dhir had stated that she had joined Lifestyle Fitness India, a gym in Kitchlu Nagar, in 2018. She had paid ₹5,500 as subscription fee for four months from July 27, 2018 to November 27, 2018, through its authorised signatories Mohit, Servesh and Dheeraj.
Thereafter, she started visiting the gym for exercise but found there was no lady trainer and some equipment was also not functioning properly.
On August 16, 2018, she came to know that the respondents had closed the gym. Four days later, she received a message from Mohit, informing her that the gym will not open until further notice.
Accusing the gym of deficiency of service and causing mental agony, Kanika sought a refund of subscription fee, along with litigation charges of ₹11,000 and compensation of ₹50,000.
Since no one appeared on behalf of the gym owners, the respondents were proceeded against exparte.
Meanwhile, the commission observed that after having received the subscription fee for four months on July 27, 2018, the gym was indefinitely closed within less than a month.
“This amounts to deficiency of service on the part of the respondents. In the given circumstances, we are of the considered view that the gym owners should be made to refund the subscription fee of ₹5,500 along with composite compensation of Rs.5,500,” read the order of the commission.
