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When are gyms allowed to reopen? Hobby athlete between hope and fear

2021-03-03T14:40:21.665Z


Many amateur athletes pay membership fees in the gym - although the studios have been closed for months. What's next for sport in the corona crisis?


Many amateur athletes pay membership fees in the gym - although the studios have been closed for months.

What's next for sport in the corona crisis?

Update from March 3, 2021:

The

fitness studios

had to

close

in the

corona lockdown

.

What's

next

for

amateur athletes

in the

corona crisis

?

Last but not least, this is what many members want to know who have continued to pay fees and are currently dependent on the online courses of their fitness studio.

If

in doubt, can they claim

your

money

back

or what options are there to negotiate with the gym?

You can find out more about this in this article (see update 09/24/2020).

Amateur athletes hope for easing in the corona crisis

Many other hobby athletes are also looking forward to the federal-state meeting this Wednesday, where Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and the prime ministers are discussing how to proceed in the corona crisis.

Further

opening

 steps

could be

indicated

in various areas of society 

, but depending on the regional infection rate and with an "emergency brake" if certain values ​​rise.

As the German Press Agency (dpa) had previously reported, this comes from a 

preliminary draft resolution for the federal-state round

 , which, however, had not yet been finally discussed, as the report said.

According to this, the lockdown is to be extended to March 28th, mainly because of the risk of the new virus variants.

Numerous 

openings are

 also to be linked to mass 

rapid tests

.

The main point of conflict in the consultation of the state leaders with Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) is likely to be which incidence values ​​are required for which opening steps, as dpa wrote with a view to the federal-state meeting, which is likely to drag on into the late evening hours.

Also read:

Fitness equipment for the home?

What you should know about prices

Fitness or jogging in small groups will soon be possible outside again?

Final decisions are only expected in the conversation.

As far as sport is concerned

, as reported by the dpa, the following steps were initially planned according to the draft resolution:

sport

could again be allowed

in small groups

of a maximum of ten people

from an incidence of 35

.

However, only

outside and contact-free

, such as

fitness or jogging together

, but no football.

According to the dpa, the draft only provides for contact-free sports indoors, for example in the fitness studio, and contact sports outdoors if the incidence in the region remains stable below 35 for 14 days - here too, daily tests could be relaxed earlier.

The

draft paper for the federal-round

was developed, according to dpa from one round of the Chancellery, Federal Ministry of Finance and the states of Berlin and Bavaria.

The negotiations were not concluded, it was said before the meeting.

So it remains to be seen what the conversation turns out to be.

You can read more about the current developments at the federal state meeting here.

Also read:

Using the home office flat rate correctly: This is how it works with the tax return

Survey on corona politics isn't just about sport

Update from March 1, 2021:

When can

the

fitness studios

reopen

in the

future

during the

corona crisis

*

, ask many amateur athletes who, for example, would like to know whether they should or must continue to pay their membership fees.

You can find out

what the

Stiftung Warentest

has communicated about the problem further down in this article (see update from 09/24/2020).

Online courses are currently replacing the program in many studios, some of which have been implemented very professionally.

Also read:

Fitness equipment for the home?

What you should know about prices

The

Prime Minister and Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU

) will

discuss the further course of action in the corona pandemic

this Wednesday (March 3rd) at the

federal-state meeting

.

Many other areas of society should also come up for discussion.

Two and a half months after the tough corona lockdown began, a large majority of Germans believe that it is now

time to relax

.

According to a

survey by the YouGov opinion research institute on behalf of the German Press Agency

(dpa), only a third are in favor of maintaining (26 percent) or tightening (9 percent) the current restrictions.

On the other hand, 43 percent believe that the lockdown should be relaxed further during the deliberations this Wednesday.

17 percent are even in favor of a complete return to normalcy, as dpa also reported on the results;

5 percent did not provide any information.

Survey on corona measures: what Germans are currently wishing for

For many, sport is not the top priority: According to the survey, 49 percent say that

opening shops is

particularly important to them.

This is followed by the relaxation of the

rules

on how many people you can meet (43 percent).

The

opening of restaurants

is particularly important to 42 percent of those surveyed.

Only then do schools follow (32 percent), as the report also says.

The

opening of service providers such as cosmetic or massage studios

is therefore particularly important to 18 percent.

This is followed by the option of

doing sports in fitness studios

, for example

(16 percent).

Attending cultural events

(12 percent),

traveling without restrictions

(11 percent),

staying in hotels

(9 percent) and

attending sporting events

(5 percent) are

at the bottom of the list of priorities

.

The respondents were able to name three areas that are particularly important to them, dpa reported on the survey on Monday.

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Update from 02/22/2021:

How will the corona measures continue after March 7, 2021?

It is well known that the

corona lockdown should

last at least that long.

Many

amateur athletes

who

have paid fees

for the gym

, for example,

but have not been able to train there for months, are now looking forward to the next federal-state meeting on March 3rd.

Could the first easing soon be in sight?

In any case, it is still uncertain when the fitness studios in Germany will be allowed to reopen.

At least a little hope should

have been gained by

amateur athletes in Bavaria in

view of the statements made by Minister Joachim Herrmann.

"In particular, sport in the fresh air has a good chance of being possible again soon, but we are also developing solutions for exercising in fitness studios and club halls," said the CSU politician of the German Press Agency in Munich in a report by dpa (status: February 19) according to.

On Wednesday, according to dpa, Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) had already talked about easing individual sports such as tennis or golf.

However, nothing has been decided here either.

Corona pandemic: Next federal-state meeting on March 3rd

"We are currently working intensively on a relaxation plan for amateur and popular sports in Bavaria, so that this becomes possible again as quickly as possible under the appropriate hygiene requirements," emphasized Herrmann, according to dpa.

Amateur and popular sport is important for the health of citizens, especially for children, young people and also for the elderly.

"We are therefore doing everything we can to ensure that we can do justice to 'Sportland Bavaria' again soon, even in times of Corona."

On March

3, the

federal and state governments want to talk about how to proceed in the corona pandemic.

Politicians and experts are still very concerned about the unclear development due to virus mutations.

Many

amateur athletes

had already asked themselves in the first Corona lockdown whether they still have to

pay

their

membership

fee

for the gym

, although it was closed due to the Corona crisis.

You can find out

what the

Stiftung Warentest

has communicated about this further down in this article (see update from 09/24/2020).

Also read

: Child bonus of 150 euros per child will be paid in May - not all families benefit.

Hobby athletes: what happens to membership fees for the gym?

Update from February 11th, 2021:

Chancellor Angela Merkel and the prime ministers of the federal states agreed on Wednesday on a

continuation of the Corona * lockdown

, which

should apply

until at least

March 7th

.

The next steps will be discussed on March 3rd.

The federal and state governments only see the possibility of further opening steps in the corona pandemic with a stable 7-day incidence of a maximum of 35 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants.

Then the retail trade, museums and galleries as well as businesses with body-friendly services should be able to reopen, as it was said on BR Online about the new resolutions.

So far, the political goal for easing has been a seven-day incidence of less than 50.

Corona lockdown until March 7th: what's next in amateur sports?

It remains to be seen how

amateur sport should

continue, as the German Press Agency (dpa, as of February 11) reports on the plans (this also applies to restaurants, hotels, museums, clubs, theaters and concert halls).

The resolution only states that the federal and state governments will continue to work on the development of the next steps for a safe and fair opening strategy.

For relaxation in culture,

sport in groups

, leisure time, gastronomy and the hotel industry, the federal and state governments then wanted to further develop a “safe and fair opening strategy”.

BR.de reported

on the decisions made on Wednesday evening with

regard to popular

sport

: “Despite the appeals from the Conference of Sports Ministers for gradual relaxation, no relief for sport is planned for the time being.” However, professional athletes could continue games and competitions with the exclusion of spectators and with strict hygiene concepts align.

Also read:

Fitness equipment for the home?

What you should know about prices.

Merkel and Prime Minister: Further action in the corona crisis

Update from February 10th, 2021, 5:10 p.m

.: Until when will the

corona lockdown be

extended?

The deliberations between Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Prime Minister this Wednesday will probably continue into the later evening.

Unlike the Chancellery, the federal states initially only want to extend the corona lockdown until March 7, as the German Press Agency (dpa) reported in the afternoon.

This emerges from a working paper on which the prime ministers agreed on Wednesday in their preliminary meeting for the video conference with Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU), wrote dpa.

The dpa also reported that it was at 2.15 p.m. and has not yet been coordinated with the federal government.

The date mentioned is also noted in square brackets, which means that this point has not yet been decided.

In the draft of the Chancellery, however, a lockdown extension until March 14th was noted.

Find out more about the latest developments here *.

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Corona lockdown is to be extended

Update from February 10th, 2021:

The Federal Chancellery is reportedly aiming to extend the corona lockdown until March 14th.

Ntv also reported on Wednesday morning: the same goes for a draft for the federal-state video conference that ntv has.

Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Prime Ministers of the federal states will discuss the corona measures in the afternoon.

Advice on further corona measures

Update from February 9th, 2021

: When will

fitness studios

be allowed

to reopen in the corona crisis?

The answer is still uncertain.

On February 10, Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and the Prime Minister will jointly discuss how to proceed in the corona crisis.

It should be clear that the

corona lockdown will be

extended in principle, as reportedly became apparent even before the meeting between Chancellor Merkel and the Prime Minister.

In addition to the federal government, several state leaders have recently pleaded for this, according to a report from the German Press Agency (dpa) from early Tuesday morning (February 9).

Membership fee in the fitness studio despite corona closures?

The number of corona infections in Germany has been falling for weeks, but there is great fear of the spread of highly contagious virus variants in Germany.

The

lockdown also hit

many

businesses

hard.

The economy had repeatedly formulated

demands for a fixed

step-by-step plan

for exiting the lockdown.

Debate about easing scenarios in the corona crisis

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 trained in the gym, among other things, 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

.

Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn has meanwhile 

 dampened

hopes for a long-term step-by-step plan

to relax 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

at the weekend with 

easing

scenarios.

The focus was on demands according to which certain easing steps should be stipulated for certain numbers of infections.

Also read:

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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 branch, as AFP had reported (as of January 28).

As soon as the situation eased, politicians had to "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.

It should also be about the crucial question of 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

, an extension of 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 yet 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

corona virus

.

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 an agreement on an entire resolution paper, as stated in the dpa report from the late afternoon (as of 3:21 p.m.).

Corona infection numbers continue to be high - fitness studio 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 quick 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 need 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 going down 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 will be extended - fitness studios will still be 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 last Tuesday in the federal-state switchboard.

There are, for example,

stricter contact

restrictions:

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 wake 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 that to the municipalities or only recommending the measure.

Baden-Württemberg, for example, is currently not planning a corresponding rule.

Also read

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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.

You can also read:

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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 rebuilt and reorganized so that hygiene and distance rules can be adhered to.

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 badly 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 the schools and daycare centers should go on - one day before the prime minister.

An extension of the lockdown would mean that

fitness studios in Germany

would

remain closed for a while.

Also read:

More time for tax returns with a tax advisor - due to the corona crisis, this new deadline applies!

Germany in corona lockdown - fitness studios continue to be 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 because of 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: If you

like to go

jogging outside during the day

alone or with

your

partner, for example

, you 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,

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, but it has to happen immediately," said the CSU politician to Der 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

.

This was reported by the German Press Agency (dpa) 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 4, 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 cycle 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 17th, 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 make 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 last consultations between the Chancellor and the country chiefs at the end of October that the closure of the facilities for culture, entertainment and gastronomy is to be limited until the end of November is still valid.

In “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 now had to talk about whether everything could be reopened on December 1st or not.

In the joint decision paper of 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 will close 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 has

happened

according to

Stiftung Warentest

, after reopening some operators, for example, extend their customers' contracts 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 law decree.

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 the studios can be operated again 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.

Affected people complain to us because their timely termination is not accepted - some are even supposed to pay an additional two or three months.

You don't have to accept this approach, ”wrote the

consumer advice center

on its website

in August 2020

.

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: Pay by card: Be careful, it can get so expensive.

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 could not use their fitness studio because of 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

dismissals until the original end of the contract

, it also says there, if they were done on time.

At the end of the agreed contract period, the obligation to contribute is no longer applicable.

The consumer advice center advises: "Whoever

pays

by

direct debit

can not only give notice of termination to the fitness studio, but also revoke the

direct debit

authorization in writing." Should the fitness studio continue 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 an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.de.

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Sources: Konsumentzentrale.de;

dpa

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This article contains affiliate links.

List of rubric lists: © picture alliance / Marius Becker / dpa

Source: merkur

All life articles on 2021-03-03

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