Virus shutdown: What happens if you have a gym contract

Australian gyms are closing due to the coronavirus shutdown, leaving customers unsure if they can freeze memberships or cancel contracts. Here’s how you could be affected.

Two of Australia’s major gyms will freeze payments for members after the Federal Government expanded its lockdown.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Sunday that non-essential services, including hospitality venues, places of worship, cinemas and gyms would be closed in a bid to stop the spread of the deadly coronavirus.

It is vital that people remain physically active during social distancing. .

In a statement on Facebook, Goodlife Health Clubs said its gyms would be “temporarily closed” nationally, and an “automatic freeze” had been placed on memberships. It said it would provide members with “a whole host of online workout content”.

Fitness First also took to social media to advise customers memberships had been frozen, adding it would provide members with at-home workout materials.

News Corp has asked Fitness First, Goodlife Health Clubs, Jetts Fitness Australia, Anytime Fitness, Zap Fitness, Virgin Active, and F45 directly for information on whether members will be given the option to cancel their contracts early, whether reimbursement will be offered to members who have paid upfront, and whether any clubs will face permanent closure if the ban last at least six months.

Fitness Australia is seeking clarification around the timeframe of the closures, which will remain in force until midnight on April 13 but may be extended.

Simon Thompson, the cheif operating officer of Collective Wellness Group which is responsible for Anytime Fitness franchises, told News Corp it was working with clubs to find a solution.

“Yesterday, the Government announced a temporary closure of non-essential services, including gyms, effective from midday today, Monday 23 March 2020, which subsequently has led to the temporary closure of all Anytime Fitness Australia clubs,” Mr Thompson said in a statement.

“In light of this, we are working closely with our individually owned and operated partners to come to the best solution for our 560,000 members. At this stage, our priority is to keep our members informed directly and we are hoping to confirm next steps as soon as possible.”

Earlier, Fitness Australia chief executive Barrie Elvish said in a statement: “It is still unclear if services offered within the fitness industry can continue to operate.

“For example, can a PT (personal trainer) continue to train a client indoors in a 1:1 environment provided all social distancing measures are in place? Or can these services only be offered outdoors?”

The industry body is also seeking clarification around the timeframe of the closures, which will remain in force until midnight on April 13 but may be extended.

It was vital people continued to remain active while social distancing, he said.

“Keeping active during a time of isolation and uncertainty is extremely important for our mental health and as an industry, it is our mission to ensure people can continue to exercise safely,” he said.

WHAT TO DO ABOUT TICKET REFUNDS

The mass cancellation of events across Australia has caused concern among punters who may not know the status of the tickets they have purchased.

The corporate watchdog has urged ticket buyers to approach event organisers in the first instance if their event has been cancelled.

“As a general rule we expect businesses to refund consumers if events are cancelled,” a spokesman for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said.

Arrangements for ticket refunds will vary from event to event. Here’s what different event organisers are telling their customers

Scroll down for information on the following events:

SPORTING EVENTS

AFL

Melbourne Grand Prix

NRL

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Melbourne Food and Wine Festival

Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show

Sydney Royal Easter Show

CULTURAL EVENTS

Brisbane Comedy Festival

Melbourne Comedy Festival

Sydney Writers’ Festival

Sydney Film Festival

MUSIC EVENTS

Bluesfest

Download Festival

Groovin’ the Moo

Splendour in the Grass

VENUES

Adelaide Festival Centre

Arts Centre Melbourne

Queensland Performing Arts Centre

Sydney Opera House

PERFORMING ARTS COMPANIES

Melbourne Theatre Company

Opera Australia

State Theatre Company of South Australia

Sydney Theatre Company

SPORTING EVENTS

AFL

What they’re telling ticketholders …

Fans who have purchased tickets for Round 1 of the 2020 Toyota AFL Premiership season via Ticketmaster and Ticketek will receive a refund, while club, AFL and venue members will be communicated to in coming days. News Corp has contacted the AFL for clarification.

MELBOURNE GRAND PRIX

What they’re telling ticket-holders …

Ticket purchasers are advised of the following information to help get your money back to you as soon as possible.

If you purchased tickets online through the Formula 1® Australian Grand Prix’s official ticketing agent, Ticketmaster, you will receive a refund back to the original credit card you used.

If you purchased tickets from a Ticketmaster outlet using cash or EFTPOS, you will need to visit a Ticketmaster outlet when advised with the EFTPOS card used (if applicable) to refund the booking. Ticketmaster outlet staff will assist with your refund.

If you purchased tickets through a travel agent or on-seller, please contact them directly to process your refund.

If you purchased Hospitality tickets through Ticketmaster, you will receive a refund back to the original credit card you used. If this card has expired or is no longer valid, please contact [e-mail].

Please note, for patrons who purchased single-day tickets for Thursday, and/or any upgrade packages for Thursday, no refunds will be made, as the event was operational on Thursday 12 March 2020.

The refund process may take some time and the AGPC team will ensure that refunds will be processed as quickly as possible. Your patience is appreciated in this matter.

The NRL season is now in doubt. Picture: AAP Image/Craig Golding

NRL

What they’re telling ticket-holders …

If you have purchased tickets or are a club member, you will be contacted in due time.

The NRL and clubs are currently working with ticketing agents and the game’s other partners to provide refunds to fans that have purchased single-game tickets to Round 2.

If you have purchased a ticket for a Round 2 game, you should expect to receive an email communication from Ticketek in the coming hours.

Please review that email carefully and take any steps that are required to access that refund. The email will be sent to the email address you have provided Ticketek.

For all fans who have purchased single-game tickets to matches in Round 3 and beyond, we will be in touch with information as the approach to that Round is decided.

The NRL and clubs are working in parallel to resolve questions that ticketed members and corporate hospitality patrons have in relation to this unprecedented situation. Both groups are extremely important to us – we are committed to keeping you up to date and appreciate your patience.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

MELBOURNE FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL

What they’re telling ticketholders …

The festival will work through the ticketing arrangements, including refunds, with our guests and partners in the weeks to come. We thank everyone involved for their support and patience in this difficult time. Further updates will be issued via melbournefoodandwine.com.au and @melbfoodandwine.

MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL FLOWER AND GARDEN SHOW

What they’re telling ticket-holders …

Ticket buyers will be provided with a full refund.

– If you purchased your tickets online, you will receive an automatic refund within the next 10-15 days to your nominated bank account or credit card.

– If you purchased your tickets directly via the Box Office, our friendly team will be in contact with you within the next 5 business days to organise your refund.

If you have not received your refund by 08 April, please contact our Box Office on [e-mail].

SYDNEY ROYAL EASTER SHOW

What they’re telling ticket-holders …

We are implementing a number of measures to deal with ticket and entry fee refunds and will be in contact with ticket holders and exhibitors regarding this process within the next five working days.

You will find regular updates at www.eastershow.com.au.

CULTURAL EVENTS

BRISBANE COMEDY FESTIVAL

What they’re telling ticket-holders …

Ticket buyers will be provided with a full refund.

– If you purchased your tickets online, you will receive an automatic refund within the next 10-15 days to your nominated bank account or credit card.

– If you purchased your tickets directly via the Box Office, our friendly team will be in contact with you within the next 5 business days to organise your refund.

If you have not received your refund by 08 April, please contact our Box Office on [e-mail].

MELBOURNE COMEDY FESTIVAL

What they’re telling ticket-holders …

For tickets purchased directly through the Festival’s website a full refund including fees will be issued back to the original credit card used at the time of booking. Depending on the payment method this may take up to 7-10 business days to reach your account once you receive confirmation that your refund has been processed. For tickets purchased using a credit/debit card that has now expired please contact our Box Office team at [e-mail] to discuss the refund process.

If you purchased tickets through an authorised ticketing agent (for example, Arts Centre Melbourne, Ticketmaster, Ticketek, Trybookings, EventBrite etc.) then your refund will be processed by the relevant ticketing agent.

SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL

What they’re telling ticket-holders …

In the days to come Sydney Film Festival will be in contact with 2020 ticket holders to offer 2021 replacements or to process returns.

SYDNEY WRITERS’ FESTIVAL

What they’re telling ticket-holders …

Customers who purchased tickets for the 2020 Sydney Writers’ Festival and our event with Patti Smith and Paul Kelly at Sydney Town Hall on 8 April will be contacted for reimbursement.

MUSIC EVENTS

Alanis Morissette was set to headline Bluesfest.

BLUESFEST

What they’re telling ticket-holders …

Bluesfest has lodged their claim with their insurers and is working through the process. We will be in contact with all ticket holders as soon as possible and appreciate your understanding and your patience in this instance.

DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL

What they’re telling ticket-holders …

Refunds will take place from March 18.

Your ticket(s) will be automatically refunded back to your credit card/PayPal account. This can take up to 3-5 business days for the funds to return to your account.

If you’re unable to see the refund in your account after 5 business days, please contact your financial institution before contacting Moshtix.

Alternatively, if you purchased tickets from an outlet you will need to go back to the point of purchase.

If your card details have changed, please wait for Moshtix to contact you directly regarding this.

If you have any queries relating to your ticket purchase, please contact our friendly ticket support team via our support page at tixsupport.moshtix.com.au

GROOVIN THE MOO

What they’re telling ticket-holders …

If you’ve already bought your ticket you have two options – hold onto your ticker for GTM 2021 OR receive a complete refund. We’ll be back very soon to confirm the date and time that our Moo Crew will be able to take up these options.

SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS

What they’re telling ticket-holders …

All tickets purchased for the original Splendour July dates are valid for entry on the new October dates.

Ticket holders who are not able to attend the new dates will be able to apply for a refund from Moshtix. Moshtix will be in touch with all account holders directly.

Good news for those on the waiting list, for any refunded tickets we will do a special ticket release in the coming weeks. If you haven’t signed up already, put your names on waitlist now. If you are looking for camping tickets, we are hoping to be back soon with a solution so please bear with us.

VENUES

ADELAIDE FESTIVAL CENTRE

What they’re telling ticket-holders …

Ticket-holders will be contacted directly and refunds for cancelled performances will be processed automatically; patrons do not need to contact BASS.

Patrons who have already purchased tickets for performances will be notified via SMS or email and will receive a full refund.

ARTS CENTRE MELBOURNE

What they’re telling ticket-holders …

For ticket holders booked to attend performances and events over this period [until April 12], refunds will be provided and further information is available on our website at www.artscentremelbourne.com.au. Refunds will be processed automatically – you do not need to contact Arts Centre Melbourne.

QUEENSLAND PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE

What they’re telling ticket-holders …

All patrons affected by cancellations will be contacted directly by QPAC and will receive a full refund.

If you purchased ticket(s) using credit card or Paypal via QPAC, you will receive a refund of the full purchase price.

If you purchased ticket(s) using cash or EFTPOS, QTIX will contact you to organise a refund.

The Sydney Opera House. Picture: David Gray/AFP

SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE

What they’re telling ticket-holders …

Patrons affected by the cancellations in the Joan Sutherland Theatre, Drama Theatre, Studio, Playhouse and Utzon Room will be contacted in the coming days to organise refunds.

We ask patrons to be patient during this process. Our teams are working hard to respond as quickly as possible to the rapidly evolving situation.

PERFORMING ARTS COMPANIES

MELBOURNE THEATRE COMPANY

What they’re telling ticket-holders …

Please be aware that we are responding to a high volume of calls and emails and your inquiry may take longer than usual to answer during this time. Our hard-working team will respond to you as soon as possible.

We’d love if you could join us for another theatrical evening when we return to the stage and are happy to exchange your tickets for one of our upcoming Season 2020 mainstage productions.

Exchange and upgrade fees will be waived when changing your tickets from a cancelled performance into another Season 2020 mainstage production.

You can exchange your tickets online by logging into your account and selecting ‘Ticket Exchange’.

You can also contact our Ticketing Team on [phone] or at [e-mail] with your preferred production in mind.

In line with Live Performance Australia’s Ticketing Code of Practiceand MTC’s Terms and Conditions of sale, tickets to cancelled performances can be refunded.

To process a refund, please contact our Ticketing Team on [phone] or at [e-mail].

MTC relies heavily on ticket sales to ensure we can continue to operate and the cancellation of performances has a huge impact on the organisation.

If you would like to return your ticket as a donation to MTC during this challenging time, all gifts of $2 or more will receive a tax-deductible receipt.

To donate your ticket cost to MTC, please contact our Ticketing Team at [e-mail].

OPERA AUSTRALIA

What they’re telling ticket-holders …

If you have tickets for a cancelled performance, you’ll receive an email from the organisation you booked through with further details about how to refund or exchange your tickets.

If you have any questions, please email [e-mail]. Our box offices in Sydney and Melbourne are closed to visitors.

STATE THEATRE COMPANY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA

What they’re telling ticket-holders …

Please be assured that ticket holders for cancelled performances are entitled to a refund. We also have other return options available including exchanging your tickets to a show later in the year (at no additional cost) or donating the amount as a tax-deductible donation, this generosity will be essential to lessen the impact of this unprecedented event.

BASS are currently processing a large volume of exchange and refund requests for performances at Adelaide Festival Centre over the coming 6 weeks. If you are a ticket holder for The Gospel According to Paul or Single Asian Female please follow this link below and fill in the form. We will pass your request onto BASS.

SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY

What they’re telling ticket-holders …

We’d like to reassure all our valued ticket holders that you are entitled to a refund for tickets to any cancelled performance.

In this unprecedented situation, our Box Office is fielding an immense number of requests and we greatly appreciate your patience and understanding.

We will provide further updates as soon as possible.

AND IF YOU NEED TO TAKE IT FURTHER …

The Live Performance Australia Ticketing Code of Practice – a voluntary code of industry practice – stipulates that ticket buyers have a right to a refund if the event is cancelled, as long as they purchased their ticket from an accredited seller.

“When an event is cancelled, the member should make reasonable endeavours to advise you as soon as practicable,” the code states. Credit card transactions should be automatically reversed, while punters who bought tickets with cash or vouchers “will need to apply for a refund from the point of purchase in a timely manner”.

Like the ACCC, Live Performance Australia advises ticket holders to seek refunds from event organisers in the first instance, but also has a complaints officer to deal with issues that arise.

The LPA Complaints Officer can be contacted at [e-mail].

More information is available at www.accc.gov.au.

Originally published as Virus shutdown: What happens if you have a gym contract