To be honest, I didn’t realize that Fitbox.de is a nationwide chain that operates nine studios in Berlin alone.
The workouts at the Moritzplatz location are led almost exclusively by young trainers and trainees working on their own. There is no supervision during the workouts. The staff are all really nice, but, as you’d expect given their age, they have little to no professional experience.
Due to the unqualified guidance of a trainer, I suffered a rib fracture during a workout and won’t be able to exercise for at least the next two to three months. If the EMS vest’s electrode is placed on your lower rib and the trainer wants you to roll onto your stomach on the concrete floor from side to side, it’s easy to break a rib or two. Looking back, this isn’t really a surprise.
But the Fitbox membership administration did provide a surprise: They generously offered me, as a “gesture of goodwill,” a three-month break and wanted to extend my contract by that period. Additionally, I was asked to sign an “agreement” for this. There is reason to believe that by signing, I would have waived all further claims against Fitbox.de.
They didn’t mention my injury at all. (Just as an aside: Regardless of who caused it, an injury entitles you by law to a break; this has nothing to do with “goodwill.”)
I have now terminated my contract immediately and for cause. I definitely no longer feel confident continuing to train here.
But that hasn’t stopped Fitbox from continuing to charge my account.
I have now explicitly asked them again to report the case to their liability insurance and have also claimed compensation for pain and suffering as well as other costs. Let’s wait and see how this plays out.
I actually found the EMS training itself to be very good and very effective, but I must clearly warn against this provider.
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