Sports Administration releases results of 2022 sports venue checks Average conformity rate is almost 90%
In cooperation with local governments, during the COVID-19 pandemic period , the Sports Administration promoted various epidemic prevention measures for sports venue and carried out sports venue checks to provide consumers with a safe sports environment and to protect their sports consumption rights. On February 23, the results of the annual checks were announced. 1,426 public and private sports venue operators were checked and the average conformity rate was 89.91%.
The Sports Administration said that, in 2022, 338 swimming pools were checked, with conformity rate of 92.01%; 503 fitness centers were checked with conformity rate of 88.47%; 470 sports venues selling fitness coach courses were checked, with conformity rate of 89.57%; 115 sports venues selling gift vouchers were checked, with conformity rate of 89.57%. Checks of sports venues that sell fitness coach courses in 2022 had a conformity rate of almost 90%, showing the results of the efforts of local governments to provide guidance to sports venue operators on regulations for standard contracts. The Sports Administration will also assist local government to increase the number of venues checked year by year and actively provide guidance to non-conforming venues for improvement.
The subjects of checks were swimming pools, fitness centers and sports venue operations that sell fitness coach courses and gift vouchers. The items checked include sports venue safety, emergency rescue equipment and carbon monoxide poisoning. In terms of consumer contract security, whether the contracts for sports venue member recruitment and sale of fitness coach courses or contents of gift vouchers of fitness centers and sports venues that sell fitness coach courses and issue gift vouchers met the requirements for Mandatory and Prohibitory Provisions to be Included in the Standard Form Contracts was checked.
In the checks this time, the most numerous non-conforming items for “swimming pools” were failure to meet the requirements of building management, fire prevention, air quality management and business registration regulations; for checks of “standard contracts for fitness center member” recruitment, the most numerous non-confirming item was failures to list the contents of services offered during opening hours as required by regulations; in checks of “fitness coach service standard contracts”, the most numerous non-conforming items were failure to list consumer eligibility conditions, total contract price, service class number, payment time, and payment method in the contract as required by regulations; in checks of “gift vouchers issued by sports venue operators”, failure to list the issuer, value use methods and other mandatory items on the front and back of the voucher were the most numerous non-conforming items.
As for the con-conforming sports venue operators found by city and county governments, the Sports Administration has written to the local governments requesting that they require operators to carry out improvements within a set period according to Article 36 of Consumer Protection Act; if violations are serious and are threaten to life, health or property of consumers, operators can be ordered to immediately cease operation; if operators fail to make the required improvements within the set time, a fine shall be imposed under Article 58 of the same act; the aim is to continue to follow up to guide operators to improve. As for operators who have not improved to conform to requirements, local governments have been requested to list them for priority checking; for those who have failed to conform for two years in succession and failed to improve in the set time, local governments are asked to deal with them appropriately according to the Consumer Protection Act and related Self-government Ordinances to give more complete protection to sports venue consumers.
The 2022 Sports venue check report has been posted on the Sports Administration official website (path: home page/unit operation/sports facilities/check announcement information, https://www.sa.gov.tw/PageContent?n=2441); the public can check under the “check announcement information” item. Before consumers go to a public or private sports venue to swim or exercise or sign a standard contract, they can first check on the website to see if it is a conforming sports venue. The Sports Administration also reminds consumers that before buying fitness coach courses, gift vouchers or fitness center membership, they should pay attention as to whether the gift voucher of standard contract meets requirements for Mandatory and Prohibitory Provisions to be Included and consider whether they have the required time, fitness level and financial ability and also should carefully read the contents of the contract in order to enjoy the health and happiness sport can bring.
