Research and analysis
Unfair contract terms: evaluation of OFT consumer enforcement case
An independently reviewed evaluation of the Office of Fair Trading’s (OFT) consumer enforcement action in the health and fitness sector.
Documents
Details
Between 2011 and 2013, the OFT carried out a number of interventions in the health and fitness sector on the contract terms offered by gyms, which led to a number of operators changing the terms of their membership contracts.
The Competition and Markets Authority has evaluated the impact of the intervention in the sector. This report, which has been subject to independent academic review, outlines the findings.
The report:
- considers the reasoning for the intervention
- analyses the direct impact of the OFT’s intervention
- assesses other potential effects of the intervention
- identifies lessons that can be learnt from the work