PURPOSE

International Physical Fitness Association, Inc. ("IPFA") exists for the purpose of providing a reciprocal membership plan for the members of the IPFA.

 

 

AFFILIATES

Members of the IPFA ("AFFILIATES") consist of companies having one or more physical fitness centers ("CLUBS") whose applications have been accepted, who have agreed to comply with the rules of IPFA, and who have not forfeited the affiliation or been suspended from the affiliation.

 

 

RULES

1. Every Affiliate of IPFA must honor in all of its clubs without charge the individual memberships ("MEMBERS") of every other IPFA Affiliate, for the remainder of the individual's then existing membership term (whether the term is the original term or a renewal term), or for twenty-four (24) months, whichever period is shorter, subject, however, to the following conditions:

 

(a) The individual member must comply with the rules and regulations of the Club he or she is attending.

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(b) Affiliated Clubs are NOT required to honor payments or credits for services or goods other than a basic club membership. Such things as racquet facilities, towel, massage privileges, court time, and food and beverage privileges and free or frozen time on memberships are NOT transferable.

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(c) IPFA clubs will not be required to honor members form IPFA clubs within a 25 mile radius of their clubs. This will protect IPFA clubs that are within a 25 mile radius of each other of having transfer privileges abused. An Affiliate will not be required to honor a transferring member if the affiliate has a club located within 25 miles of the transferring members' original club.

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(d) The transferring member shall NOT be able to extend his or her period of use in a transferee's Club beyond the period of time contemplated above by exercising any renewal right the member had with the original Affiliate. The transferring member must purchase an entirely new membership from the transfer Affiliate, at the end of the member's then existing membership term or at the end of 24 months, whichever is first to occur, if the member wishes to continue to use the transferee Club.

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(e) Memberships, for Transfer Eligibility, have to be sold to people living in the city, or within 25 miles of the IPFA club where the membership was purchased.

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(f) A transient is a club member temporarily in a new area who will return to his home area. Transient members are to be honored for 30 consecutive days, after this time, they must transfer their membership.

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2. Each Affiliate must accept all memberships as evidenced by the membership cards issued by all of the Affiliates whose Clubs appear in the current official IPFA directory. It is not necessary to check the original Club or Affiliate for verification of membership. If there is any question as to the member's standing with his enrolling club (meaning he has his account up to date, or if he is paid in full, etc.) you should still honor his membership, but in the meantime you can write the club where the member enrolled to find out what his status is. If the club where he enrolled feels the member is too far behind on his account to have his membership honored, it can write you accordingly, and you will not be required to honor said membership.

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3. When a member of an IPFA Club transfers to a new location and there is an unpaid balance on his account, the IPFA club from which he is transferring shall have the privilege of collecting the unpaid balance of the account.

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4. No Affiliate shall engage in "unfair methods of competition" or "unfair or deceptive acts or practices" in the courses of its business. Each Affiliate shall operate its clubs in accordance with generally accepted business standards and good practices of the physical fitness industry, and comply with all federal, state and local laws.

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5. Each Affiliate agrees to comply with the Rules of IPFA, as they may be amended from time to time.

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6. If the member of any Affiliate or Club should make any claim or obtain any judgment against IPFA or any of its shareholders, directors, officers, or agents, the Affiliate and Club which sold the membership to that member agrees, as a condition of its being a member or Affiliate of IPFA, to indemnify and hold harmless IPFA, its shareholders, directors, officers and agents, from and against such claim or judgment, the cost and expense of defending against the claim, and any losses or damages incurred or sustained as a result of such claim or judgment.

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7. IPFA does not guarantee that its Rules will be honored. Accordingly, each member and each Affiliate, for itself and its shareholders, directors, officers, agents, and Members, agree not to make any claim against IPFA, its shareholders, directors, officers, and agents, for any losses, damages, costs or expenses they or any of them incur by reason of the failure of any Affiliate or Club to comply with the Rules of IPFA.

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8. Each Affiliate, to remain as an IPFA member, will pay to IPFA dues each year in an amount established from time to time by the Board of Directors of IPFA.

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9. A "Permanent Transferring Member" must have purchased his current membership 90 days prior to transferring to an Affiliate. "Temporary Transient Members" are to be honored immediately.

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10. A Permanent Transferring Member will be required to purchase a new membership card at the transfer club; this should be the amount that the transfer club charges its own members for a lost or stolen card.

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11. In the event of a closed facility, it is the decision of the reciprocal club with the opened facilities to permit the honoring of members.

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12. IPFA reserves the right, at its own discretion, to delete any Health Club it feels is in the best interest of IPFA and in no event will there be a refund of any dues.

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Notice to IPFA Members:
National Headquarters is getting swamped with mail from members of different IPFA affiliates. Please adhere to the following:

(1) Do not imply IPFA is the main office of your club. We cannot settle your collection and other internal problems.

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(2) Please communicate between yourselves for members who transfer from your club to another.

IPFA members failing to follow IPFA rules and regulations will be deleted. We cannot tolerate transferring members being embarrassed by refusal to use an affiliate club. Indoctrinate all personnel to accept a transferring member, and then contact the club from which the member transferred if there is any doubt regarding the acceptance of the transferred member.