I have been a member of Nuffield Health gym locally since it was a Virgin Active and prior.

Nuffield Health bought out a few gyms from Virgin in 2016, including the one I'm a member of.

Prior to the sale I paid a premium for a Virgin Active contract with a fixed subscription (known as the Price for Life Contract). 

Until January Nuffield Health have stuck with our original price/agreement. But it recently wrote to say it was putting up my fees.

I said no as this would be a breach of contract that we have both stuck to since 2016 and it said I need to agree to their terms or leave. I said no to either option.

In the face of my protests, it has gone ahead and taken the additional fees from my account despite me repeatedly saying it must not and stating breach of contract would result and taking this without my permission is unlawful.

I have asked for my signed contract, and it doesn't have it, but say it posted a new agreement (which I have not seen) and can only show me a mail shot type letter from years ago. 

I am 100 per cent sure I have never seen and signed any such terms.

The increase is small, but it is the principle, and one increase will lead to more and the current membership is well over double mine - mine was c£54 and it has increased this by nearly £5.

I feel like it is strong arming me and others in the same position and for a healthcare firm with a net worth of just short of £1billion as of 2023 this feels very wrong.  

Increased costs will put this beyond reach for many with no competitive alternatives at a similar price. C.R, via email

Harvey Dorset, of This is Money, replies: Having signed a so-called 'price for life' membership contract, you were understandably put out after discovering that you're your 'price for life' was not what it said on the tin.

You say you can afford in the increased monthly fee - but I can also understand that your issue is with the principle.

By agreeing to a price for life contract, your gym has committed to the fact that you will pay the same price each month… for life.

In return, the price that you do pay was higher than that of a regular membership at the time you joined the gym. 

The compromise is that you know your membership price will not increase in the long term, but the gym knows you will be a long-term member. 

If you do decide to end your membership, the gym will have made money from the premium you paid in the short term.

Unfortunately, when your site was taken over by Nuffield Health, the price for life that had been promised by Virgin Active no longer applied.

Given that Virgin Active does not currently offer price for life contracts, the likelihood is that it wasn't a sustainable revenue model.

For some companies that have sold too many such deals, having done so could be the cause of them falling into administration, with the price for life proving to be the duration of the service, its 'life', rather than the duration of your own.

I took your case to Nuffield Health, but it said it hasn't breached your contract.

A Nuffield Health spokesman said: 'The Price for Life tariff was introduced by the previous operator, Virgin Active. 

'Nuffield Health acquired the site in 2016, and at this point the price for life tariff was no longer applicable. We wrote to the members in 2016 to notify them of their new terms and conditions under Nuffield Health.'

'As a gesture of goodwill, we tried to hold these members' fees flat for as long as possible. 

'However, with significant increases in staff and energy costs since 2016 this isn't viable any longer, and we made the decision to increase our monthly membership fees. 

'We value our members and understand that price increases can be challenging and, for this reason, we have kept this increase as low as possible.'

Unfortunately, without seeing your original contract there is no way of confirming whether or not there were clauses related to a price change.

As you mentioned, you asked Nuffield Health for a copy of the contract it says you signed in 2016. 

Frustratingly for you, companies are only required to keep such documents for a six-year period, after which point they have no obligation to hold onto such information.

Martyn James, a consumer champion, told This is Money: 'The 'lifetime promise' is one of the most contentious offers around - as nothing last forever. 

'Every year, I'm contracted by people who have been told that a deal they had for life is being changed.

'If you wanted to hold the business to its promise, you'd have to go to court as the ombudsman would undoubtedly argue that this matter was better suited to the courts, given the legal argument about what the contract promises.

'But a savvy or determined consumer could take the matter further if they were so minded, if they felt the contract was ambiguous or unclear. 

'However, regardless, they should be able to leave without penalty as the deal has changed.'