Oops, looks like I got it wrong a bit there! I didn't realise that WW charged back fees as well, my friend did it and told me that they didn't but to be honest, regardless of whether it's better at SW or WW, I still don't agree with having to pay back fees.
I understand that the consultant has to try and make money from the group but that doesn't mean that I should have to pay for a service that I haven't actually received that week. If I was taking up someone else's space so that they've missed out on a paying customer then yes I could understand it but otherwise, I don't agree with it. Instead of looking at it as they're losing £5 when I can't go, I think of it as they're gaining an extra £5 when I can. I don't really agree with the point that I won't reap the benefits if I don't go every week because there are plenty of people who do it alone at home but I do know what you mean, in terms of that motivation and support, no you definitely won't get that if you don't go every week and for some people that's vital and they won't do well without it but some people can do just as well without that. I'm not a shift worker but I do have a very busy and demanding schedule at the moment which means that I can't commit to attending a meeting every week and I would likely miss more than 6 weeks in a year because of that combined with holiday and sickness. I would most likely go every other week but because of the back fees, I probably won't be going at all so really it's done the consultant out of money because she won't get my fees and I won't buy the magazine from her, I'll get it from Sainsbury's instead.
Obviously I'm very much on my own with this thinking but it's still what I think.