In a controversial move, a wellness centre in the Czech Republic charges male clients significantly more than female customers. The Czech Trade Inspection Authority (ČOI) uncovered this practice during its second-quarter inspections focused on discrimination.
During a controlled purchase, inspectors discovered that men were charged 700 crowns for entry, while women only paid 200 crowns. When questioned, the wellness centre justified this price disparity with two main arguments: it was a marketing strategy to attract more female customers, and it accounted for the demonstrably higher wages and earnings of men in society.
This case was one of three instances of suspected discrimination identified by the ČOI out of 40 inspections conducted. Another case involved discrimination based on ethnic origin, where an accommodation facility refused to host individuals of Roma descent, citing previous negative experiences.
The third case involved an e-shop that cancelled a customer’s order and informed them that future orders would be rejected due to frequent returns of previous purchases. The e-shop defended its actions by citing repeated product returns and the removal of tags from items that were not supposed to be used according to contractual terms.
The inspections focused on discrimination and checked compliance with other consumer protection laws. The ČOI identified 14 cases of violations, including failures to inform consumers about product prices or overcharging based on weight or measure. As a result, six fines totalling 55,000 crowns were imposed.