Opinion

Henry Hart accuses Sport Imperial of fraud

In light of the recent contract changes to the terms of use of Ethos, comment writer Henry Hart accuses Sport Imperial of acting fraudulently

Fraud: Wrongful OR criminal deception intended to result in financial or personal gain. At least that’s the definition google gives me. It perfectly describes the situation that Sport Imperial has created with its new scheme to increase Ethos fees to £30 a year. Yes, I could hardly help but hear you screaming through the page that this is an incredibly good deal for students - I agree. However, it was not the deal I made when I handed over my £40 for use of Ethos for the entirety of my degree. Charge freshers this new reasonable fee but Sport Imperial are not entitled to void their contract with all previous gym users. That is fraud.

I was so astounded at this recent revelation, such that I could not believe that Sport Imperial would commit fraud, that I went to the Sport Imperial stand at Freshers’ fair and asked the representative to clarify the situation. To my shock he confirmed that even people who had paid the £40 would be required to pay £30 a year for gym access. He then qualified this by saying that Sport Imperial had consulted with the relevant student bodies, whatever that means, and that the gym facilities had been improved. Well that’s all very well and good, but that DOES NOT give you the right to void your contract with me or any other student who was conveniently left out of this ‘consultation’. And it was a contract. Aside from the legality surrounding the ‘verbal contracts’, a true Englishman’s word is his bond, and for Sport Imperial to cast that principle aside shames this organisation and this University. I am disgusted that the union is condoning fraud.

From Issue 1700

12th Oct 2018

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition

Read more

How the Supreme Court ruling on gender is impacting queer people at Imperial

News

How the Supreme Court ruling on gender is impacting queer people at Imperial

Last month, the UK Supreme Court (UKSC) ruled that for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010 (EA 2010), the definition of a woman is based on biological sex.  The case brought before the court, For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers, asked if transgender women should be included

By Oscar Mitcham and Isabella Duchovny
College opens Imperial Global India in Bengaluru

News

College opens Imperial Global India in Bengaluru

Imperial College London has launched its fourth global hub in Bengaluru. The hub will host research programmes with Indian partners, focusing on some of “the world’s most pressing challenges in areas such as climate change and sustainability, food and water security, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).” Launched at the Science

By Mohammad Majlisi