The fitness studios in Germany are still closed.
When they will be allowed to reopen is still unclear.
What happens to the membership fees?
Update from February 8th, 2021:
Will the
corona lockdown be extended
beyond February 14th?
And which restrictions will still apply in a few months, where will something be relaxed soon in the meantime?
These questions also occupy many amateur athletes who, among other things, trained in the gym before the studios opened due to the
corona pandemic *
had to close again.
On February 10, Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and the Prime Ministers of the federal states want to discuss how to proceed in the corona pandemic.
Many are looking forward to this date with anticipation.
Not just in the
fitness industry
.
Membership fee in the gym despite corona closures?
Many
amateur athletes
had already asked themselves in the first Corona lockdown whether they would have to continue to
pay
their
membership
fee
for the fitness studio
, although it was closed due to the corona crisis.
You can find out
what the
Stiftung Warentest
has communicated in this regard below in this article (see update from 09/24/2020).
Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn has meanwhile
dampened
hopes for a long-term step-by-step plan
to ease the restrictions, as reported by
Tagesschau.de
(as of February 8).
"Everyone wants a six-month plan, but there can be no such thing in this dynamic, in this pandemic," said the CDU politician on the ARD program "Anne Will" on Sunday evening.
It only goes “step by step” - and there are still a few hard and difficult weeks ahead.
According to the report,
several prime ministers
had
spoken out over
the weekend with
easing
scenarios.
The focus was on demands according to which certain easing steps should be stipulated for certain numbers of infections.
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The
President of the Employers' Association of German Fitness and Health Systems,
Birgit Schwarze, had previously called
for
a
step-by-step plan
in the Funke-Blätter
for the reopening of the companies in her industry, as AFP had reported (as of January 28).
As soon as the situation eases, politicians must "come up with a strategy for gradual easing".
Last year, the fitness studios developed comprehensive hygiene concepts that "worked well", emphasized Schwarze.
Many companies are now threatened with ruin after they first invested in hygiene measures, then had to close "and now not receive the promised aid payments," she criticized.
Read about it:
Membership fee for the gym?
What hobby athletes should be interested in in the corona crisis
Will the corona lockdown be extended?
Consultations on February 10th
Update from February 3rd, 2021:
According to reports, on February 10th, Chancellor Angela Merkel and the 16 prime ministers of the federal states want to discuss their next steps in the corona pandemic.
The key question should also be whether and in what form the lockdown in the corona pandemic will be extended beyond February 14.
Corona lockdown until February 14th
Update from January 20th, 2021
: The
lockdown to contain the corona pandemic
in Germany, which is
limited to the end of January,
will be extended
to February 14th in
view of the continued high number of infections and deaths
.
Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and the Prime Ministers of the federal states decided on Tuesday at their switching conference, as the German Press Agency (dpa) reported in the evening.
For
gym members
, extending the lockdown means that they will not be able to work out in the
gym
for the
time being.
What would happen after February 14th could not be foreseen.
Corona summit: Lockdown extension planned
Update from January 19, 2021
: According to a report by the German Press Agency (dpa), the federal and state governments agree that the
lockdown
, which is
limited
to the end of January
, will be extended to February 14th
to contain the coronavirus
.
The German Press Agency learned this on Tuesday from participants in the deliberations on the part of the federal and state governments.
According to the dpa, restaurants, leisure facilities and retail are still closed.
Exceptions therefore still apply to supermarkets, for example.
However, there has not yet been agreement on an entire resolution paper, as stated in the dpa report from late afternoon (as of 3:21 p.m.).
Corona infection numbers continue to be high - gym members need patience
Update from January 15, 2021:
Due to the continued
high number of infections
and great concern about the coronavirus mutations that have emerged, the discussion about the timely tightening of the
lockdown has
picked up again.
Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) wants to
discuss
how to
proceed with the corona pandemic
on Tuesday (January 19)
and not as planned on January 25
, as the German Press Agency (dpa) reports .
Merkel made the need for advice on Thursday evening in meetings in preparation for the election party convention of the CDU on Friday and Saturday, according to information from the German Press Agency from several participants.
There is currently no scope for openings.
Corona crisis: fitness studios closed - what about membership fees?
No evidence of rapid easing in the corona crisis
Update from January 14th, 2021:
The
fitness studios in Germany will
remain closed during the
corona lockdown
until at least January 31st.
What's next?
In
any case, the
Robert Koch Institute
considers a further
tightening of
the
lockdown regulations
in Germany based on calculation models to be sensible, as reported by the German Press Agency (dpa, as of January 14).
The modeling shows that the rules that lead to fewer contacts would have to be tightened, said Dirk Brockmann, epidemiologist at the RKI, in Berlin on Thursday.
"All models agree that this has to happen more massively and more effectively," he added.
“So that we come to a phase where the incidence is falling substantially and quickly.
That is the conclusion that you have to draw from the facts. ”RKI President Lothar Wieler spoke of an“ option ”with a view to stricter exit restrictions, as dpa also reported.
Corona lockdown is being extended - fitness studios are still closed
Update from January 11th, 2021:
From
This Monday, in view of the continued high number of corona infections, stricter
corona regulations
apply in all federal states
.
Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Bremen, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Schleswig-Holstein are the last federal states to implement the rules decided on last Tuesday in the federal-state switchboard.
For example,
stricter contact
restrictions
apply
:
Your
own household may only meet with one other person.
Fitness studios closed - amateur athletes ask what happens next
For the
fitness studios
, the current
Corona *
lockdown means
: They too will initially remain closed.
A quick easing after January 31, at least from a current perspective, is not yet to be expected.
Many gyms instead continue to offer
online classes for their members
.
Partly in the form of “live” courses and a corresponding “login” via the website, or they make training units available to members there on demand in a media library, for example.
In the course of the
tightening of
the
corona
, the rule for extreme
corona hotspots is
also
new
, according to which people in counties with an incidence of more than 200 infections per 100,000 inhabitants are not allowed to move more than 15 kilometers from their place of residence within seven days without a valid reason.
As reported by the German Press Agency (dpa, as of January 11), the federal states are taking different paths and sometimes leaving it to the municipalities or only recommending the measure.
Baden-Württemberg, for example, is currently not planning a corresponding rule.
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Update from January 7th, 2021:
Patience in the fitness industry is
still being put to the test
due to the
corona crisis
.
With the recent
lockdown extension
for the next three weeks (until January 31)
, the
fitness studios in Germany will
also remain closed.
The aim of the measures is to avoid contact between people and thus avoid infection with the coronavirus.
The tightened
corona measures * in Germany will
come into force on January 11th.
Rapid easing after the end of January is currently not in sight.
On January 25, Chancellor Angela Merkel reportedly wants to consult with the Prime Minister again and, if necessary, reassess the situation.
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Gym members can switch to online courses
Update from January
5th, 2021
:
The
corona crisis
* continues to have immense consequences for the
fitness studios
, which have had to temporarily close again since November.
Just like for their members.
Shortly before the decision on a possible extension of the
lockdown
in Germany, the
fitness industry is sounding the
alarm.
According to a report by BR24, the President of the Employers' Association of German Fitness and Health Systems (DSSV) Birgit Schwarze describes the likely extension of the lockdown as “exactly the wrong signal to keep the population healthy”.
The politically responsible people in the DSSV are disappointed, as the report on BR.de also says, among other things: Studios have been converted and reorganized so that hygiene and distance rules can be observed.
And yet they have been permanently closed since November: "These companies are being punished, although they can be part of the solution to the health problem."
Many fitness studios currently offer
numerous online courses
for their paying members
and try to give them the best possible support when training at home.
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Fitness studios are still closed - workouts only online at home alone
Update from January 4th, 2021:
Shortly before the new federal-state talks, everything is apparently
boiling
down to an
extension of the corona lockdown in Germany
.
However, it is also reportedly open until when the restrictions will be extended.
Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU), Saxony's Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) and Thuringia's Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (left), at least whose countries are severely affected by the second wave of infections, demanded a lockdown extension by a further three weeks until the end of January.
The
culture ministers of the federal states are
already discussing the situation this Monday, as the German Press Agency (dpa) reported, including how things should go on with the schools and daycare centers - one day before the prime minister.
An extension of the lockdown would mean that
fitness studios in Germany
would
remain closed for a while.
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More time for tax returns with a tax advisor - this new deadline applies due to the corona crisis!
Germany in corona lockdown - fitness studios still closed
Update from December 28th, 2020:
What
happens
after the
corona lockdown
after January 10th?
Politicians have not yet decided how to proceed.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig (SPD) considers it necessary, as stated in a report on RND.de on the subject, to extend the nationwide contact restrictions to contain the corona pandemic beyond the previously agreed January 10.
And Lower Saxony's Prime Minister Stephan Weil (SPD) warned against too high expectations against the background of the first corona vaccinations.
"Unfortunately, the infection numbers will not be very reliable in the next few days due to the holidays," he said, according to RND of the "Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung".
"It is therefore very doubtful whether we will be able to talk directly about easing again in the new year."
Fitness studios remain closed during Corona lockdown
Update from December 21, 2020
: In order to contain the
corona pandemic
, which is
spreading rapidly
,
public and private life in Germany will be
drastically shut down
for the second time this year
.
From December 16 (Wednesday) until January 10, all retail outlets, with the exception of shops for daily needs, have to close.
And all public institutions that were previously closed will also remain closed until then.
In addition to museums, cinemas and theaters, this also includes
fitness studios
.
How things will continue after January 10th is still open.
There are currently not many alternatives for hobby athletes: Those who
like to go
jogging outside during the day
alone or with their partner, for example
, can still do so, and walking is also possible during the day.
Apart from this, many fitness studios offer
online courses
for their members during the Corona lockdown
-
for example live courses online via the studio's website, or for retraining in the media library.
Call for tightening of the corona - online petition from representatives of the fitness industry
Update from December 11th, 2020:
The corona numbers in Germany reached a new high 13 days before Christmas Eve.
The reported
Tagesschau.de
on Friday.
According to the figures from the Robert Koch Institute, the health authorities transmitted 29,875 new infections within 24 hours.
That is over 6,000 more than the day before, when a maximum of 23,679 cases had also been reached.
According to the reports, the
calls for corona tightening are
increasing
.
There is an exponential increase in the number of infections, said Federal Minister of Economics Peter Altmaier according to
Tagesschau.de
.
"We have to act now." Interior Minister Horst Seehofer does not want to wait until after Christmas to tighten the corona.
"The only chance to regain control of the situation is a lockdown, which must take place immediately," the CSU politician told Spiegel.
Online petition calling for gyms to open soon
In an
online petition
, representatives of the making of the fitness industry, meanwhile, for an early reopening
gyms
strong.
“Dear members of the Petitions Committee of the German Bundestag,” the appeal says, “please suggest that the Bundestag and especially the federal government enable training in the gym immediately after the current wave of infections has subsided so that we can improve our mental health and strengthen physical health.
In times of the corona virus, fitness studios are part of the solution, not part of the problem! ”More than 79,000 people signed the petition (as of December 11th) on www.change.org.
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Corona restrictions continue - fitness studios are temporarily closed
Update from December 8th, 2020:
Due to the persistently high number of
corona infections, there are
increasing demands to restrict public life much more than before.
Shop closings after Christmas are also reportedly under discussion.
According to a report by the German Press Agency (dpa), it is unclear whether the federal government and the prime minister will meet again before Christmas.
Not all heads of state would consider this to be necessary.
So far, a new Prime Minister's Conference has been planned for January 4th.
As reported, the corona measures were recently extended to January 10, which meant that
leisure facilities would
also
remain closed
until January 10, 2021
.
Partial lockdown in Germany is to continue until January 10th
Update from December 3rd, 2020:
The
partial lockdown in Germany with closed restaurants, museums, theaters and leisure facilities will be extended until January 10th, 2021
.
The German press agency (dpa) reported on Wednesday evening.
"In principle, the condition remains as it is now, with the exception of course the Christmas regulations, which were made extra," said Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) on Wednesday, according to dpa after consultations with the prime ministers of the federal states.
On January 4th, the federal and state governments would then discuss how to proceed - depending on the pandemic situation *.
According to the report, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania still reserves the right not to continue the partial lockdown until January 10th.
This will be decided on December 15, said Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig (SPD) according to dpa in Schwerin.
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Corona closings: fitness studios in Germany continue to be affected by partial lockdown
Update from November 24th, 2020:
The
fitness studios
are still
closed during the partial lockdown
.
If the studios are
not allowed to reopen soon
in the
Corona crisis *
, the fitness industry in Germany is warning of bankruptcies.
"There is great uncertainty in the industry," says Ralph Scholz, chairman of the German Industry Association for Fitness and Health, according to a report by the German Press Agency.
There is no reliable political perspective for the corona pandemic, he complains.
"The studios cannot plan in a 14-day rhythm whether they will be allowed to reopen or not."
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Corona: Are fitness studios in Germany allowed to reopen in December?
Update from November 17, 2020:
Are
fitness studios allowed
to reopen in December?
This question remains unanswered.
Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and the prime ministers of the federal states
did not take any decisions
during their conversation about how to proceed in the
Corona crisis
on Monday, as the German Press Agency (dpa) reported on Monday evening.
Officially, the statement of the Chancellor's last consultations with the country leaders at the end of October that the closure of the facilities for culture, entertainment and gastronomy should be limited to the end of November still applies.
In the "Bild am Sonntag", however, Minister of Economic Affairs Peter Altmaier (CDU) had little hope and said that he saw little scope for opening restaurants and cinemas.
After the deliberations on Monday, according to the dpa report, Merkel only said that by
closing certain facilities in the leisure
sector, one had come
out of the exponential growth, and one must now talk about whether everything could be reopened on December 1st or not.
In the joint decision paper by the federal and state governments on Monday, however, the topic was not mentioned, reported dpa (as of November 16, 2020).
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Corona: Fitness studios have to close from November 2nd until the end of the month
Update from October 29th, 2020
: In view of the
rapidly increasing corona numbers
, the federal and state governments decided on Wednesday to drastic restrictions on public life.
As it became known in the evening,
the fitness studios should also close for a limited period from Monday, November 2nd until the end of November
.
Many fitness studios had already
offered
numerous
online courses
for their members
in the first wave of the Corona crisis
.
Again, many studios want to make such an offer available to their members.
But what happens if, as
happened
according to
Stiftung Warentest
, some operators, for example, extend their customers' contracts after reopening without being asked?
The legal experts explain which possibilities are conceivable and what the legal situation looks like.
Fitness contracts and the corona crisis - these are your rights
Updated on 24/09/2020:
Many
amateur athletes
have already asked this question: "Do I need to continue my membership fee for the
fitness studio
to pay, even though it was closed for Corona *?" The legal experts of the Stiftung Warentest say: "It is legally well a case of legal impossibility.
The fitness studio is no longer able to provide the gym services due to the general public order.
The customer loses his right to use the studio.
And the studio loses its right to demand payment.
(Section 326 (1) of the Civil Code). "
Voucher instead of money as a replacement for time in the gym
Customers with
reimbursement claims
due to a
corona-related studio closure
can also use a
value-coupon
be paid off when they have completed the membership before 8 March 2020th
The voucher must contain information about the fact that he, because of the
Corona crisis
has been issued and that the customer
of the payment coupon value
can ask if a voucher is unreasonable for him or does not it up
to 31 December 2021
has been redeemed.
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Corona: Reimbursement of membership fees in the fitness studio
Stiftung Warentest emphasizes: “If the customer has already paid for the whole year, he can
request
the
reimbursement of the part of the fee
that is
attributable to the Corona period
(Section 326, Paragraph 4 of the Civil Code).
However, many studios also offer to extend the studio contract for the Corona period.
The studio guest does not have to pay anything for the period of extension. "
Fitness studio: Are there unreasonable vouchers?
According to the report on Test.de, the experts advise: “A
customer can refuse the voucher
and, as an
exception, insist on a refund
if the voucher is 'unreasonable for him in view of his personal circumstances' (Article 240 Paragraph 5 Paragraph 5 Introductory Act to the Civil Law book).
The law does not say when such personal circumstances exist.
As the explanatory memorandum can be seen, there is the federal government including some cases in which the customer without the
payment of the coupon value
is not able to pay existentially important living expenses such as rent or utility bills.
So if you want a reimbursement and not a voucher, you have to write to the fitness studio and explain to the operator why he urgently needs the money to live now. "
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Article from 09.09.2020:
The
Corona crisis * is anything but easy
for employees and operators of
fitness studios
.
After all, it is well known that operations can take place again in the studios under strict hygiene requirements - and some studios are even more committed to offering online courses during the Corona crisis.
Or for example - in addition to the courses with a limited number of members and the prescribed minimum distance in the course rooms - for example also outdoor courses for members and fitness enthusiasts who prefer to train in the fresh air.
Compulsory break: Timely cancellation of the gym remains in effect
Nevertheless, according to consumer advocates, there are incidents in at least some studios about which customers of fitness studios have been annoyed: "Because of the Corona crisis, many fitness studios have extended their customers' contracts.
Those affected complain to us because their timely termination is not accepted - some are even supposed to pay an additional two or three months.
You do not have to accept this approach, "wrote the
consumer advice center
on its website
in August 2020
.
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Consumer advocates: These are the rights members of fitness studios have
The
Consumer
declares in this context, have what rights members of gyms.
There it says:
"Anyone who was unable to use their fitness studio due to Corona, because it was completely closed or
offered
an
emergency program
, does not have to pay for the time or at least not pay the full fee."
"The consumer advice centers have now even noticed a studio that responded to a timely
termination
with a fee-based contract extension of three months."
“If you can, you shouldn't be petty to providers in need because of Corona.
But an extended contract with continued
contribution payments
is inadmissible and not to be accepted. "
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According to consumer advocates, the
legal situation
looks like this:
fitness studios
cannot simply extend
contracts
unilaterally.
The compulsory Corona break is no reason to add the canceled training times to the end of the actual term without consulting the customer.
The customer must be free to decide whether or not to agree to such a chargeable extension, according to a report by the German Press Agency (as of August 12).
Possible additional help
If you use a fitness watch (promotional link) to support your training, you can use the fitness tracker, for example.
Operators of fitness studios would have
to
accept
terminations until the original contract
expires, it also says there, if they were done on time.
At the end of the agreed contract period, the obligation to pay contributions is no longer applicable.
The consumer advice center advises: "Anyone who
pays
by
direct debit
can not only give notice of termination to the fitness studio, but also revoke the
direct debit
authorization in writing." If the fitness studio continues to debit amounts illegally, those affected could have them charged back through the bank.
In principle, consumers should put all
agreements with the gym in
writing, according to the advice of consumer advocates.
Anyone who cancels should send the letter by registered mail to secure evidence - or hand in the letter directly and have receipt acknowledged.
(ahu) * Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editorial network.
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Sources: Consumer Center.de; dpa
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