Read the contract before you pay
The law says a business must give you a reasonable time to study a standard contract before you sign it. Standard contracts are the printed or on-screen forms a business uses with every customer, and most gym joining forms are of this kind. If a desk clerk pushes you to sign today, you can still ask to take a copy home.
The same law says the business must post a standard contract where customers can see it, and on its website or app if it has one. It must do this before you sign or pay a deposit. So ask to see the full terms first. A gym that has no written terms to show is a warning sign.
Plain language and your language
Under Article 23, a written consumer contract must be clear and easy to understand. Its language is Vietnamese by default. The parties may agree to use a foreign language as well. If the Vietnamese and English versions differ, the version that is better for the consumer wins.
Decree 55/2024/ND-CP adds rules for paper contracts. The font must be size 12 in Times New Roman or an equal size, and the text colour must contrast with the page. Tiny grey print breaks these rules. If you cannot read the contract in a language you understand, ask for a translated copy, and ask a friend who reads Vietnamese to check the key lines.
Sources: Law on Protection of Consumer Rights No. 19/2023/QH15, English translation (LuatVietnam), Articles 23 to 29; Decree No. 55/2024/ND-CP of 16 May 2024, English translation (LuatVietnam), Articles 6 and 7.
Auto-renewal and price changes
Auto-renewal is the clause that catches most members. Article 25 bans any term that lets a business extend your contract without telling you in advance, or without a way for you to choose to extend or end it. Look for the words "automatically renew" and check how many days before the end date you must speak up.
The same article bans terms that let a business change a signed contract on its own. It also bans price changes during a continuing service unless you have the right to end the contract. So check whether the monthly fee is fixed for the whole term, and what happens if the gym raises it. Write down the answers in the contract, not on a loose note.
Cancellation, fees and penalties
Article 25 also bans penalties that are unfair to the consumer when a contract is broken or ended. It bans any term that goes against good faith and leaves you with far more duties than the business. Article 23 says a standard contract must state when the contract can end and who pays what if it does.
Before you pay, find these lines and note them down:
- How you cancel: in person, by email or through an app.
- The notice period, in days.
- Any joining fee, card fee or exit fee, and its amount.
- What happens if you move away, are injured or the gym closes.
- Whether you can freeze the membership, and for how long.
If the contract is silent on any of these, ask the gym to add the answer in writing. Under Article 24, any doubt about what a term means is read in favour of the consumer, but it is easier to settle it before you pay than after.
Keep proof of payment and a copy
Article 29 says a business must give you invoices, receipts and documents about the deal, as the law requires or when you ask. For online deals, it must let you log in, download, save and print them. Ask for a receipt every time you pay, even for a small amount.
Article 26 says the gym must keep your signed contract until it ends. If you lose your copy, it must give you another within 7 working days after you ask. Still, take a photo of every page on the day you sign. Keep the photo, the receipts and any chat messages about the deal in one folder. This is the proof you need if a fee dispute starts.
If something goes wrong
Article 25 bans terms that limit your right to complain or to take legal action. A clause that says you give up that right should not stand. Start by writing to the gym, state the problem and what you want, and keep a copy of the message.
The law also lets the state consumer protection agency ask a business to cancel or change a standard contract that harms consumers. Some products and services must have their standard contracts registered with the state first, from a list set by the Prime Minister. Decree 55/2024/ND-CP sets the process. Ask the gym whether its contract is registered. This guide gives general information on gym contracts only. If you end up in a fee or refund fight with a gym, ask a Vietnam consumer law lawyer.
Sources: Law on Protection of Consumer Rights No. 19/2023/QH15, English translation (LuatVietnam), Articles 23 to 29; Decree No. 55/2024/ND-CP of 16 May 2024, English translation (LuatVietnam), Articles 6 and 7.