False advertising - local gym - any rights?

shawty

I was going to join a gym local to my work today as they have a massive (seriously its massive) sign outside saying 14 months membership for the price of 12 for €184. I also checked their website and the same deal exists on there.

When I went down first thing this morning to join they told me they no longer do that deal even though the sign is outside and the website advertises it!

Do I have any case for holding them to that price and getting my 14 month membership? Seems like fairly blatant false advertising to me!?

Tefral

shawty wrote: »

saying 14 months membership for the price of 12 for €184.

Do I have any case for holding them to that price and getting my 14 month membership? Seems like fairly blatant false advertising to me!?

No. That's a common misconception. Look up the definition of invitation to treat.

shawty

cronin_j wrote: »

No. That's a common misconception. Look up the definition of invitation to treat.

"..an invitation to treat is. "an expression of willingness to negotiate."

So by telling me one thing (that it only costs 184 for 14 months) they are just expressing a willingness to negotiate?! Seems like a flat out lie to me?

Quote for the site - "We are delighted to announce that we have changed our membership fee structure to a one 'size-fits-all' price of €184 – 14 months for the price of 12"

Peregrinus

You can't hold them to it, no.

You can complain about the misleading advertising to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission and there may be a sanction for the advertiser. But the sanction doesn't include requiring him to sell you membership on the advertised terms.

As you didn't actually buy a membership, you have no further remedy. It would be different if you had bought, still believing that you were getting a 14-month membership, and they only later told you that you weren't.

shawty

Peregrinus wrote: »

You can't hold them to it, no.

You can complain about the misleading advertising to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission and there may be a sanction for the advertiser. But the sanction doesn't include requiring him to sell you membership on the advertised terms.

As you didn't actually buy a membership, you have no further remedy. It would be different if you had bought, still believing that you were getting a 14-month membership, and they only later told you that you weren't.

I see, well that's a pretty comprehensive no then!

Time to look for a new gym or worst case scenario go back to see what "deals" the false advertising guys can really offer me!

Lux23

Do complain about it, if they are no longer offering the deal they should remove the references on their site and the big sign.

shawty

Lux23 wrote: »

Do complain about it, if they are no longer offering the deal they should remove the references on their site and the big sign.

I mentioned both of those things as I walked off devastated not to be getting a cheap cheap gym deal!!

Apparently they are under new ownership or something, new everything coming soon etc. etc.

callaway92

Yeh, not enough people know about invitation to treat.

Same goes if you see a shirt priced at €40 in the shop. The don't HAVE to sell it to you for €40.

shawty

callaway92 wrote: »

Yeh, not enough people know about invitation to treat.

Same goes if you see a shirt priced at €40 in the shop. The don't HAVE to sell it to you for €40.

To be fair to the gym, I joined in the end for €79 for 3 months and they said the offer is due to come back and I can tag it onto my 3 month deal when it does. I didn't get that in writing but 80 quid for 3 months is very cheap anyway so all good.