Requirements for Health Spas

  1. Law
  2. Georgia Code
  3. Commerce and Trade
  4. Selling and Other Trade Practices
  5. Deceptive or Unfair Practices
  6. Fair Business Practices Act
  7. Requirements for Health Spas

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  1. Health spas shall comply with the provisions of this Code section.
  2. A written contract shall be employed which shall constitute the entire agreement between the parties, a fully completed copy of which shall be furnished to the consumer at the time of its execution and which shall show the date of the transaction and the name and address of the seller; provided, however, that no contract shall be valid which has a term in excess of 36 months. Contracts may be renewable at the end of each 36 month period of time at the option of both parties to the contract.
  3. The contract or an attachment thereto shall state clearly any rules and regulations of the seller which are applicable to the consumer's use of the facilities or receipt of its services.
  4. The contract shall state clearly on its face the cancellation and refund policies of the seller.

    The health spa shall fill in the blank spaces in the above paragraph before the consumer signs the contract. In the event a consumer fails to provide with the cancellation notice all contract forms, membership cards, and any and all other documents and evidence of membership previously delivered, the health spa shall either cancel the contract or provide written notice by certified mail or statutory overnight delivery to the consumer that such documents must be provided within 30 days in order for the cancellation to be effective. In the event that the consumer provides the documents within 30 days, the contract shall be canceled as of the date on which the cancellation notice was delivered; provided, however, that should the consumer continue to use the facilities or services during the 30 day period, the cancellation shall be effective on the first business day following the last day on which the consumer uses the facilities or services.

    "You (the buyer) may cancel this agreement within 30 days from the time you knew or should have known of any substantial change in the services or programs available at the time you joined. Substantial changes include, but are not limited to, changing from being coed to being exclusively for one sex and vice versa. To cancel, send written notice of your cancellation to the address provided in this contract for sending a notice of cancellation. The best way to cancel is by keeping a photocopy and sending the cancellation by registered or certified mail or statutory overnight delivery, return receipt requested."

    The provisions of this subsection shall not apply in any instance where a court has ordered that a change be made in the sexual character of the health spa. The Attorney General is authorized upon petition to issue a declaratory ruling under Code Section 50-13-11 as to whether any planned change in a health spa is a substantial change or whether alternate locations are substantially similar under this Code section. Such declaratory rulings shall be subject to review as under Chapter 13 of Title 50, the "Georgia Administrative Procedure Act."

      1. The written contract used shall contain the following clause: "Under this contract, no further payments shall be due to anyone, including any purchaser of any note associated with or contained in this contract, in the event the health spa at which the contract is entered into ceases operation and fails to offer an alternate location, substantially similar, within ten miles."
      2. All payments due under the contract must be in equal monthly installments spread over the entire term of the contract.
      3. There can be no payments of any type, including, but not limited to, down payments, enrollment fees, membership fees, or any other direct payment to the health spa, other than the equal monthly installment payments.
      4. There can be no complimentary, compensatory, or other extensions of the term incident to the term of the contract, including but not limited to a promise of lifetime renewal for a minimal annual fee, provided that an agreement of both parties to extend the term of the contract to compensate for time during which the member could not fully utilize the spa due to a temporary physical or medical condition arising after the member joined shall not be considered to bring the spa into noncompliance under this paragraph; or
      1. The written contract used shall contain the following clause: "Under this contract, no further payments shall be due to anyone, including any purchaser of any note associated with or contained in this contract, in the event the health spa at which the contract is entered into ceases operation and fails to offer an alternate location, substantially similar, within ten miles."
      2. The written contract shall contain the following statement in boldface type which is larger and bolder than any other type which is in the contract and in at least 14 point boldface, which statement must be separately signed by the consumer:
        1. An alternate location for a health spa shall not be considered substantially similar if:
    3. The size, facilities, equipment, or services available to the member at the alternate location are not substantially equal to or do not exceed the size, facilities, equipment, or services available to the member at the health spa location at which the contract was entered into.
      1. The additional services and facilities are fully operational and available for use at the time of the conversion;
      2. Additional consideration, other than just a nominal consideration, is required from the consumer under the terms of the conversion; and
      3. The member has until seven days following the date the additional consideration or a part of the additional consideration becomes due and owing to cancel the remainder of the contract and receive a refund computed by dividing the total cost of the membership by the total number of months under the membership and multiplying the result by the number of months remaining under the membership term.

        The provisions of this subsection shall not apply if all of the following conditions are met:

      4. The health spa has submitted forms prescribed by the Attorney General requiring, in addition to whatever other information the Attorney General may require, as much detail as to the size, facilities, equipment, or services to be provided as the Attorney General may require;
      5. The health spa has obtained the approval in writing of the Attorney General to sell memberships to a health spa before it is fully operational and available for use;
      6. The health spa has agreed in writing with the Attorney General, on forms prescribed by the Attorney General, to deposit all funds obtained by selling memberships before a health spa is fully operational and available for use in a single account in a bank or trust company domiciled in the State of Georgia. Such deposits are to be held in safekeeping for release only upon authorization of the Attorney General. The bank or trust company must be approved by the Attorney General. The Attorney General may consult with the commissioner of banking and finance or with any of the employees of the commissioner of banking and finance regarding whether the bank or trust company should be approved and may disapprove the bank or trust company if he or she has reason to believe any deposits into the account might not be secure;
      7. Each deposit to the single account established under this paragraph shall be identified by the name and address of the individual who purchased the membership. The bank or trust company and the health spa shall maintain a list of the deposits, their amount, and the name and address of the membership purchaser, which list shall be available to the Attorney General or for inspection or copying by the Attorney General;
      8. The condition of the account established under this paragraph shall be that no funds shall be released from the account to any person unless the Attorney General has certified in writing to the bank or trust company that either the health spa is fully operational and available for use or that the health spa has not complied and does not appear likely to comply with its obligation to make the health spa fully operational and available for use in accordance with the documents submitted to the Attorney General or in accordance with representations made to membership purchasers. No action may be maintained in any court against the Attorney General or any of his or her employees for any determination or as a consequence of any determination made by the Attorney General under this subparagraph. Nothing contained or implied in this subparagraph shall operate or be construed or applied to deprive the Attorney General or any employee of any immunity, indemnity, benefits of law, rights, or any defense otherwise available by law;
      9. If the Attorney General certifies to the bank or trust company that the health spa is fully operational and available for use, then the funds in the account shall be released to the health spa, along with any accrued interest. If the Attorney General certifies to the bank or trust company that the health spa has not complied and does not appear likely to comply with its obligation to make the health spa fully operational and available for use, then the funds in the account shall be released to the Attorney General on behalf of the individuals who purchased memberships prior to the health spa's being fully operational and available for use. Any accrued interest on the account shall be paid on a pro rata basis to the membership purchasers;
      10. Any costs imposed by the bank or trust company for administering the account shall be borne by the health spa; and
      11. The member shall have until seven business days following the date upon which the health spa becomes fully operational and available for use to cancel the contract and receive a full refund of any payments and the cancellation of any evidence of indebtedness, provided that the member shall be liable for the fair market value of any services actually received, which in no event shall exceed $50.00. The preparation of any documents shall not be construed to be services; provided, however, that all documents prepared which are merely ancillary to services which are actually rendered shall not prevent the health spa from charging for such services actually rendered up to the limits specified in this subparagraph.
        1. All moneys due the consumer under contracts canceled for the reasons contained in this Code section shall be refunded within 30 days of receipt of such notice of cancellation. The notice must be accompanied by the contract forms, membership cards, and any and all other documents and evidence of membership previously delivered to the buyer, except in the case of a deceased member. In the event a consumer fails to provide with the cancellation notice all contract forms, membership cards, and any and all other documents and evidence of membership previously delivered, the health spa shall either cancel the contract or provide written notice by certified mail or statutory overnight delivery to the consumer that such documents must be provided within 30 days in order for the cancellation to be effective. In the event that the consumer provides the documents within 30 days, the contract shall be canceled as of the date on which the cancellation notice was delivered; provided, however, that should the consumer continue to use the facilities or services during the 30 day period, the cancellation shall be effective on the first business day following the last day on which the consumer uses the facility or services.
        2. Any contract which does not comply with this Code section shall be void and unenforceable; no purchaser of any note associated with or contained in any health spa contract shall make any attempt to collect on the note or to report the buyer as delinquent to any consumer reporting or consumer credit reporting agency if there has been any violation by the health spa of subsections (b) through (m) or of subsection (o) of this Code section. Any attempt by any purchaser or by any agent of any purchaser to collect on the note or to report the buyer as delinquent as described in this subsection shall be considered an unfair and deceptive act or practice as provided in Code Section 10-1-393.
        3. After November 15, 1989, no health spa contract shall be valid or enforceable unless the health spa operator has on file a statement signed by the Attorney General certifying that a copy of the contract is on file with the Attorney General and is in compliance with this part. Health spas may begin submitting a copy of their contract for approval by the Attorney General on July 1, 1989, and shall submit all contract changes thereafter for approval prior to entering or offering to enter into that contract with a consumer. In addition to any action which may be taken by the Attorney General under this part, and in addition to any recovery of a consumer in the private action provided for under this part, any consumer who has entered into a contract which has not been approved by the Attorney General prior to the date of the contract shall be entitled to recover as an additional penalty an amount equal to any amount paid plus any amount claimed owing on the contract.
        4. In addition to any other penalties provided for in this part, any person who operates or aids or assists in the operation of a health spa in violation of any of the provisions of subsection (i) or (o) of this Code section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. Each day of operation of a health spa in violation of subsection (i) or (o) shall be considered a separate and distinct violation. In addition to any other penalties provided in this part, any person who violates subsection (l) of this Code section shall be guilty of a felony. Each sale of a membership in violation of subsection (l) of this Code section shall be considered a separate and distinct violation. Each failure to place properly all of the funds generated from a particular membership agreement into a properly approved and established trust account shall be considered a separate and distinct violation.

(e) The health spa member shall have the right to cancel the contract within seven business days after the date of the signing of the contract by notifying the seller in writing of such intent and by either mailing the notice before 12:00 Midnight of the seventh business day after the date of the signing of the contract or by hand delivering the notice of cancellation to the health spa before 12:00 Midnight of the seventh business day following the date of the signing of the contract. The notice must be accompanied by the contract forms, membership cards, and any and all other documents and evidence of membership previously delivered to the buyer. If the health spa member so cancels, any payments made under the contract will be refunded and any evidence of indebtedness executed by the health spa member will be canceled by the seller, provided that the member shall be liable for the fair market value of services actually received, which in no event shall exceed $100.00. The preparation of any documents shall not be construed to be services; provided, however, that any documents prepared which are merely ancillary to services which are actually rendered shall not prevent the health spa from charging for such services actually rendered up to the limits specified in this subsection. Each health spa contract shall contain the following paragraphs separated from all other paragraphs:

"You (the buyer) have seven business days to cancel this contract. To cancel, mail or hand deliver a letter to the following address: _________________________________________________________________________ Name of health spa _________________________________________________________________________ Street address _________________________________________________________________________ City, State, ZIP Code Do not sign this contract if there are any blank spaces above. In the event optional services are offered, be sure that any options you have not selected are lined through or that it is otherwise indicated that you have not selected these options. It is recommended that you send your cancellation notice by registered or certified mail or statutory overnight delivery, return receipt requested, in order to prove that you did cancel. If you do hand deliver your cancellation, be sure to get a signed statement from an official of the spa acknowledging your cancellation. To be effective, your cancellation must be postmarked by midnight, or hand delivered by midnight on (date) , , and must include all contract forms, membership cards, and any and all other documents and evidence of membership previously delivered to you."

In the event a health spa no longer offers a substantial service which was offered at the time of the initiation of the contract, or in the event a health spa which previously limited its membership to members of one sex should become coeducational or one which was previously coeducational should become limited to members of one sex, the member shall have 30 days from the time the member knew or should have known of the change to cancel the remainder of the membership and receive a refund. The refund shall be calculated by dividing the total cost of the membership by the total number of months under the membership and refunding the monthly cost for any months or fractions of months remaining under the membership. The contract shall contain a clause in at least ten-point boldface type which reads as follows:

Every contract for health spa services shall contain a clause providing that if the member becomes totally and permanently disabled during the membership term, he or she may cancel his or her contract and that the health spa is entitled to a reasonable predetermined fee in such event in addition to an amount equal to the value of services made available for use. This amount shall be computed by dividing the total cost of the membership by the total number of months under the membership and multiplying the result by the number of months expired under the membership term. The health spa shall have the right to require and verify reasonable evidence of total and permanent disability. For purposes of this subsection, "total and permanent disability" means a condition which has existed or will exist for more than 45 days and which will prevent the member from using the facility to the same extent as the member used it before commencement of the condition.

The health spa contract shall state that if a consumer has a history of heart disease, he should consult a physician before joining a spa.

Every health spa contract shall comply with either paragraph (1) or paragraph (2) of this subsection:

Editor's notes.

- Ga. L. 2000, p. 1589, § 16, not codified by the General Assembly, provides that the amendment to this Code section is applicable with respect to notices delivered on or after July 1, 2000.

Law reviews.

- For comment, "The Georgia Fair Business Practices Act: Business As Usual," see 9 Ga. St. U.L. Rev. 453 (1993).

JUDICIAL DECISIONS

Violation of O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393.2. - Since it was apparent from the face of the health club contracts that the contracts did not comply with the requirements of O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393.2, summary judgment was properly granted to defendants. Georgia Receivables, Inc. v. Te, 240 Ga. App. 292, 523 S.E.2d 352 (1999).

Contract was void and unenforceable for failing to comply with statute.

- If the required language was not set out in three separate paragraphs as the statute requires, the language in the contract regarding the buyer's rights was not separated from all other paragraphs as the statute requires, and the consumer was not given a specific date for the last date to cancel the contract, then the health spa membership contract was void and unenforceable. Georgia Receivables, Inc. v. Welch, 242 Ga. App. 146, 529 S.E.2d 164 (2000).

Compliance with O.C.G.A.

§ 10-1-393.2 required. - In an action to collect payment under a health spa contract, grant of summary judgment to defendant based upon violations of O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393.2 was authorized even though defendant failed to raise the issue because any contract that does not comply with § 10-1-393.2 is void and unenforceable under subsection (n). Georgia Receivables, Inc. v. Kirk, 242 Ga. App. 801, 531 S.E.2d 393 (2000).

Exculpatory clauses upheld in gym contract.

- Trial court properly granted various gym defendants summary judgment in a member's suit for negligence because three agreements signed by the member contained unambiguous exculpatory clauses and constituted clear and express waivers and releases from liability. Herren v. Sucher, 325 Ga. App. 219, 750 S.E.2d 430 (2013).

RESEARCH REFERENCES

ALR.

- Liability of proprietor of private gymnasium, reducing salon, or similar health club for injury to patron, 79 A.L.R.4th 127.

Construction and applicability of state statutes governing health club membership contracts or fees, 48 A.L.R.6th 223.


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