Please read the following Dispute Resolution and Arbitration; Class Action Waiver provision (this “Provision”) carefully. It affects your rights (without limiting any rights available to you under any applicable Non-excludable Guarantees).
All Disputes (as defined below) between you and the Company shall be resolved by binding arbitration. Arbitration is a form of private dispute resolution and replaces the right to go to court. In the absence of this Provision, you may otherwise have a right or opportunity to bring claims in a court, before a judge or jury, and/or to participate in or be represented in a case filed in court by others (including, but not limited to, class actions). Except as otherwise provided, entering into these Terms constitutes a waiver of your right to litigate claims and all opportunity to be heard by a judge or jury. There is no judge or jury in arbitration, and court review of an arbitration award is limited. The arbitrator must follow these Terms and can award the same damages and relief as a court (including attorney’s fees).
For the purpose of this Provision, “the Company” means the Company and its parents, subsidiary, and affiliate companies, and each of their respective officers, directors, employees, and agents. The term “Dispute” means any dispute, claim, or controversy between you and the Company regarding, arising out of or relating to any aspect of your relationship with the Company, whether based in contract, statute, regulation, ordinance, tort (including, but not limited to, fraud, misrepresentation, fraudulent inducement, or negligence), or any other legal or equitable cause of action or claim for relief, and includes the validity, enforceability or scope of this Provision (with the exception of the enforceability of the Class Action Waiver clause below). “Dispute” is to be given the broadest possible meaning that will be enforced, and shall include any claims against other parties relating to services or products provided or billed to you (such as the Company’s licensors, suppliers, dealers or third-party vendors) whenever you also assert claims against us in the same proceeding.
YOU AND THE COMPANY EACH AGREE THAT, EXCEPT AS PROVIDED BELOW, ANY AND ALL DISPUTES, AS DEFINED ABOVE, WHETHER PRESENTLY IN EXISTENCE OR BASED ON ACTS OR OMISSIONS IN THE PAST OR IN THE FUTURE, WILL BE RESOLVED EXCLUSIVELY AND FINALLY BY BINDING ARBITRATION RATHER THAN IN COURT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS PROVISION.
Pre-Arbitration Claim Resolution
For all Disputes, whether pursued in court or arbitration, you must first give the Company an opportunity to resolve the Dispute. You must commence this process by mailing written notification to Ultimate Fitness Group, LLC, 6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 200, Boca Raton, FL 33487, Attn.: Legal Department, Telephone: (954) 530-6903. That written notification must include (1) your name, (2) your address, (3) a written description of your claim, and (4) a description of the specific relief you seek. If the Company does not resolve the Dispute within 45 days after it receives your written notification, you may pursue your Dispute in arbitration. You may pursue your Dispute in a court only under the circumstances described below.
Exclusions from Arbitration/Right to Opt Out
Notwithstanding the above, you or the Company may choose to pursue a Dispute in court and not by arbitration if (a) the Dispute qualifies, it may be initiated in small claims court or, to the extent it has jurisdiction, an equivalent authority; or (b) YOU OPT-OUT OF THESE ARBITRATION PROCEDURES WITHIN 30 DAYS FROM THE DATE THAT YOU FIRST CONSENT TO THESE TERMS (the “Opt-Out Deadline”). You may opt out of this Provision by mailing written notification to Ultimate Fitness Group, LLC, 6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 200, Boca Raton, FL 33487, Attn.: Legal Department, Telephone: (954) 530-6903. Your written notification must include (1) your name, (2) your address, and (3) a clear statement that you do not wish to resolve disputes with the Company through arbitration. Your decision to opt-out of this Arbitration Provision will have no adverse effect on your relationship with the Company. Any opt-out request received after the Opt-Out Deadline will not be valid and you must pursue your Dispute in arbitration or small claims court (or, to the extent it has jurisdiction, an equivalent authority).
Arbitration Procedures
If this Provision applies and the Dispute is not resolved as provided above (Pre-Arbitration Claim Resolution) either you or the Company may initiate arbitration proceedings. The American Arbitration Association (“AAA”), www.adr.org, or JAMS, www.jamsadr.com, will arbitrate all Disputes, and the arbitration will be conducted before a single arbitrator. The arbitration shall be commenced as an individual arbitration only, and shall in no event be commenced as a class arbitration or a consolidated or representative action or arbitration. All issues shall be for the arbitrator to decide, including the scope of this Provision.
For arbitration before AAA, for Disputes of less than $75,000, the AAA’s Supplementary Procedures for Consumer-Related Disputes will apply; for Disputes involving $75,000 or more, the AAA’s Commercial Arbitration Rules will apply. In either instance, the AAA’s Optional Rules For Emergency Measures Of Protection shall apply. The AAA rules are available at www.adr.org or by calling 1 (800) 778-7879. For arbitration before JAMS, the JAMS Comprehensive Arbitration Rules & Procedures and the JAMS Recommended Arbitration Discovery Protocols For Domestic, Commercial Cases will apply. The JAMS rules are available at www.jamsadr.com or by calling 1 (800) 352-5267. This Provision governs in the event it conflicts with the applicable arbitration rules. Under no circumstances will class action or representative action procedures or rules apply to the arbitration.
Because the Site, the mobile applications, and these Terms concern interstate commerce, the Federal Arbitration Act (“FAA”) governs the arbitrability of all Disputes. However, the arbitrator will apply applicable substantive law consistent with the FAA and the applicable statute of limitations or condition precedent to suit.
Arbitration Award – The arbitrator may award on an individual basis any relief that would be available pursuant to applicable law and will not have the power to award relief to, against or for the benefit of any person who is not a party to the proceeding. The arbitrator will make any award in writing but need not provide a statement of reasons unless requested by a party or if required by applicable law. Such award will be final and binding on the parties, except for any right of appeal provided by the FAA or other applicable law and may be entered in any court having jurisdiction over the parties for purposes of enforcement.
Location of Arbitration – You or the Company may initiate arbitration in either Palm Beach County, Florida or the federal judicial district that includes your billing address.
Payment of Arbitration Fees and Costs – The Company will pay all arbitration filing fees and AAA or JAMS hearing fees and any arbitrator’s hearing fees, costs and expenses upon your written request to the arbitrator given at or before the first evidentiary hearing in the arbitration. You are responsible for all additional fees and costs that you incur in the arbitration, including, but not limited to, attorneys or expert witnesses. Fees and costs may be awarded as provided pursuant to applicable law. In addition to any rights to recover fees and costs under applicable law, if you provide notice and negotiate in good faith with the Company as provided in the section above titled “Pre-Arbitration Claim Resolution” and the arbitrator concludes that you are the prevailing party in the arbitration, you will be entitled to recover reasonable attorney’s fees and costs as determined by the arbitrator.
Class Action Waiver
Except as otherwise provided in this Provision, the arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person’s claims, and may not otherwise preside over any form of a class or representative proceeding or claims (such as a class action, consolidated action, representative action, or private attorney general action) unless both you and the Company specifically agree to do so in writing following initiation of the arbitration. If you choose to pursue your Dispute in court by opting out of the Arbitration Provision, as specified above, this Class Action Waiver will not apply to you. Neither you, nor any other user of the Site or the mobile applications can be a class representative, class member, or otherwise participate in a class, consolidated, or representative proceeding without having complied with the opt-out requirements above.
Jury Waiver
You understand and agree that by entering into these Terms, to the extent that a civil jury trial would otherwise be available to you and the Company, you and the Company are each waiving the right to a jury trial or a trial before a judge in a public court (except where applicable law prohibits such a waiver). In the absence of this Provision, you and the Company might otherwise have had a right or opportunity to bring Disputes in a court, before a judge or jury, and/or to participate or be represented in a case filed in court by others (including class actions). Except as otherwise provided below, those rights are waived. Other rights that you would have if you went to court, such as the right to appeal and to certain types of discovery, may be more limited or may also be waived.
Severability
If any clause within this Provision (other than the Class Action Waiver clause above) is found to be illegal or unenforceable, that clause will be severed from this Provision, and the remainder of this Provision will be given full force and effect. If the Class Action Waiver clause is found to be illegal or unenforceable, this entire Provision will be unenforceable, and the Dispute will be decided by a court.
If this Provision as a whole is not enforceable for any reason, then, except where prohibited by law , you agree that exclusive jurisdiction and venue in any legal proceeding directly or indirectly arising out of or relating to any Dispute will be decided in the courts located in Palm Beach County in the State of Florida.
Continuation
This Provision shall survive the termination of your service with the Company or its affiliates. Notwithstanding any provision in these Terms to the contrary, we agree that if the Company makes any change to this Provision (other than a change to the Notice Address), you may reject any such change and require the Company to adhere to the present language in this Provision if a dispute arises between you and the Company.
