My gym has closed, no prior warning

continualdiamond

HELP.......

Just went to go to my gym tonight and its closed, for good.

Sign on the door saying this gym has closed and a contact # for head office.

A separate letter says that the gym owners had no idea it being closed and that they're extremely sorry and that head office will contact every member.

Of course i tried to ring as soon as i got home. They must be closed, but no answer machine clicked on.

What happens with stuff like this??? Am i going to be out of pocket as i signed up and paid cash for 1 year membership, which doesn't expire until the 1st Sept.

I feel sick, i joined the gym after getting a 2nd job and treating myself to something i have always wanted to do and get myself healthy and now im worried that im going to loose all that money.

Optimist

Which gym is it ?

It really depends why it has closed. If they have gone out of business then you are a creditor and and pretty low on the list.

You really need to contact the phone number to find out the full story first.

continualdiamond

Gymophobics, one of those 30min lady only gyms.

I've been on the website, no info, still has it listed down as one of the gyms, they're all franchises.

I dug out my contract, nothing mentioned about closing, just that its under disretion of the head office to refund (thats stated if you wish to cancel).

~Beanie~

If you paid via credit card and it was over £100, you should be able to claim it back from them.

I know its no consolation to you but a quick google search shows that quite a few Gymophobic branches have gone the same way in the last year or so.

soolin

:eek: I am with gymphobics and mine is very busy but it is a worry that being a franchise they can just close overnight. I thought it was bad enough that they close so often for bank holidays plus extras, a whole 8 days over Christmas and no refund on fees.

continualdiamond

I paid cash, £216 for a years membership. I don't have any credit cards and at the time i had been on a free 6mth trial, they had a comp last March for 5 people to get 6mths free and they'd use your results for market research.

After that i decided to sign up, but my OH had been outta work those 6mths i had it free and he'd just got a job when it came time for me to either walk away or join.

Id taken on a 2nd job incase he didn't find any work soon cos we were desperate. Then i was over the moon when he did cos it mean't i could use my extra income to pay for it.

I decided to pay cash for a year rather than by direct debit cos his job was only temp and hated the idea of him loosing the job and still having to find the money every mth for the gym.

I just hope to god they give a refund, especially cos say a mth or so ago current members could renew on a 2 year membership for a certain price, ouch for those people if we don't get refunded.

LinasPilibaitisisbatman

If its a franchise I'll bet those franchisees went bust or couldnt pay and thats why its been closed.

Optimist

This isn't the first gymphobics gym to just close like that. There seems to have been a few over the last year.

Sorry but unless the head office offer to reimburse you, your options are limited if this franchisee has gone out of business.

You need to find out the administrator and put in a claim but you are at the bottom of the pile of debtors for any monies they manage to retrieve out of the business

continualdiamond

Well have an update, rang head office and they have been in my eyes fantastic. They have negoiated with Curves another gym in the area of a similiar idea, 30 min ladies only gym to honour gymophobics memberships for up to 6mths or less depending on what is left of your gymophobics membership for just £30 which is the initial start up cost, like fitness assessment and all of that, which is fair enough.

Im very lucky to be honest as mine expires on the 2nd Sept so i'll get my last 4mths at Curves. However if you have more than 6mths on your gymophobics membership i think you loose all your money.

The lady at head office did say i was one of the lucky ones and that a lot of people will loose a lot of money. Then quiet interestingly i asked why it had closed and was told that they had a tip off on the Friday from a member that is was closing and then end of that weekend the doors were shut.

They've had no explanation from the manager.....yet the note on the door says otherwise that they had no idea they were closing, which to me read that head office closed it, so some porkies are going on somewhere.

LinasPilibaitisisbatman

A bit of lying on both sides Id suggest

No way Gymophobics would have negotiated such a deal already unless they knew why it was closed and had some notice.

Id suggest they closed it for financial reasons and are passing the buck so they dont get the hassle.

also be careful what you agree to until you know your full legal rights re refund/service etc

continualdiamond

They closed the doors on the 19th i found out as people i work with have other friends/family that used gymophobics and it was running on Sunday 19th and then didn't open on Monday morning.

I found out the Tues, but couldn't ring head office as had things on after work, so was finally able to ring tonight at 4pm.

So they had a week to negotiate something and have done with Curves.

I have an appointment Wed at Curves and have to take along my copy of my gymophobics membership. If i like it, then i'll finish up my 4mths with them and then walk away, i do not want to join another one after this experience.

However i might ring head office at gymophobics and ask what happens if i don't like Curves, in that will i get my money back.