This topic was closed on 10 March 2019. If you have a problem which is similar to the issues raised in this topic, then please start a new thread and you will get help and support there. If you would like to post up some information which is relevant to this particular topic then please flag the issue up to the site team and the thread will be reopened. - Consumer Action Group

Dear Seminole, In case you are not aware, The Office of Fair Trading was sufficiently concerned about leisure user contracts as to issue Guidance on Unfair Terms in Health and Fitness Club Agreements in March 2002. Following this, the Fitness Industry Association (FIA) published its Code of Practice in June 2004. I hope these are of use to you. If you haven't tried your Local Trading standards, they may also be interested. Paul Burns Leisure Connection Watch

I have suggested to Dave that there is a Moderated group on Leisure. While my main beef is with Leisure Connection, they manage the two recreation facilities nearest to me, I am aware of a range of issues to do with both public and private leisure facilities. Having set up "Leisure Connection Watch" at http://www.btinternet.com/~paul.burns/ with five years’ complaints logged l won't go into details here. I will say something about how leisure services have been weakened. The wider background includes lack of investment by central government in Leisure Facilities, the under-funding of local authorities, and councils being forced to out-source services far too quickly. No one is likely to get good value from a private sector contract without proper preparation and specification. Some local authorities have lacked the skills to write a good contact and others do not invest enough talent and or time into monitoring performance. User issues in the leisure sector include membership arrangements, safety management, hygiene standards, lack of information, unannounced changes to classes, poor staff attitude, charges growing way ahead of inflation without any improvement in service, and inadequate security in buildings, surroundings and car parks. Earlier this year I summarised the concerns about Lesiure Coonction that I had found in Audit Commission, Council and media reports in "The Leisure Connection Dossier". This is also availabe from the website, easily found by inserting "Leisure Connection Watch" into Google. Leisure Connection also own the Harpers Fitness and Camp Energy brands. My preferred exercise is swimming and I encourage people concerned about the reducing number of pools to check out the London Pools Campaign- www.londonpoolscampaign.com Paul - user of Vale Farm Leisure Centre in Brent and Harrow Leisure Centre

I used to keep Underground tickets as receipts for some of my journeys. When I asked LT about this they emailed me a PDF of the last 3 months and told me that they could not send more than that as they do not keep individual records for more than this period. With data storage getting cheaper by the year I think it possible that at some stage in the future the data will be kept for longer periods. The current terrorist threat is one reason that will be used to argue for for such retention. Having used Oyster for about a year I appreciate the advantages - not having to queue at peak times, not having to keep individual tickets as receipts, and if anything slightly easier to use than paper tickets. My main complaint is not with GLA but the rail companies that as yet have refused to accept Oyster and are therefore a barrier to integrated tranport. Compare the state of the North London Line carraiges, for example, with LT buses and trains, and I think there is a case for LT taking over the commuter services that were once part of BR. Paul