The Italian competition authority, known as the Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato, has concluded an investigation into Virgin Active Italia, a company managing 40 fitness and wellness facilities across major Italian cities. The investigation, initiated in December 2024, was prompted by numerous consumer complaints regarding the company's subscription practices.

Virgin Active Italia, which surpassed 100,000 subscriptions in 2024, was found to have provided inadequate information to consumers about the terms and conditions of subscription, automatic renewal, cancellation, and early termination. The company failed to communicate essential details regarding the automatic renewal of subscriptions, including the deadline for consumers to submit formal cancellations and did not adequately inform customers about price increases during 2024.

Additionally, Virgin Active Italia created obstacles for customers wishing to exercise their right to terminate contracts due to unforeseen circumstances. These actions were deemed interconnected and constituted a complex and unitary unfair commercial practice, violating multiple articles of the Italian Consumer Code.

As a result, customers were not adequately informed to make conscious decisions about subscribing to services or cancelling contracts, leading to unintended contractual obligations and associated costs. The authority's decision underscores the importance of transparency and fairness in consumer contracts.