Anyone been to gymophobics? need help cancelling membership!

Flynn20

hello first time poster here, desperately need some help with cancelling my gym membership, a bit long winded but please bare with me -

back in january i joined gymophobics, i have been going 4 times a week for four months now, and have seen no results, so i want to cancel and go to a proper gym which a few of my friends also go to i know i havent been going for ages but i feel after 4 months, of going religiously 4 times a week, i should have had some sort of change. I have had little weight loss, and in all honesty i feel that the little weight loss i have achieved is wholly down to me changing my diet, i havent felt my body firming up or lost any inches/dropped a dress size. i feel like its a waste of money, time and all in all a bit of a fad. I would like to give a proper gym a try, but my problem is trying to cancel the membership? I personally dont think it is a very good programme for me, i come off the circuit feeling like i can go round another two times, i dont sweat or feel like i have worked out at all. in my opinion, 3 minutes on 10 machines for the gymophobics recommended 3 times a week is not going to help a great deal losing weight and surely is not worth the 300 and odd pounds a year membership!:mad:

I an altogether unhappy with much of the service i have received, when i went for my "trial" they did not actually take me on the circuit, they literally just stood in the room and pointed at the machines and told me what they did.. i found this a little odd at first, surely they should have let me try the machines? as soon as the instructor could she signed me up for an induction appointment a few days later - which was £108 if i remember correctly - she asked me to pay for it upfront, i said no as i didnt have any money on me, and she then asked if i could leave any amount of money there and then as a "deposit" which i also said no to as i had no money on me at all. I found this all a little bit odd and i should have really seen it as a warning sign :laugh: when i actually went for my induction, i felt i was pressured into signing there and then, they hadnt even taken me on the circuit before taking money off me - the instructors are nothing but salespeople in my opinion

i had a look at my contract and what i thought i was originally signing up for - a 12 month subscription with the gym - was actually a 12 month finance loan with a company called Debit Finance Collections. they never explained this, and i KNOW it is my fault for not reading the contract through, has anybody had any past experience with this gym? or know how i can cancel? i know i have signed a contract, but surely there is some way i can cancel the membership.:( i have been very naive with this, as i havent had much experience with gyms before, so i didnt know what to expect, but in hindsight, the service i have received is not really what should be expected of a gym

Any help is appreciated, sorry for a long story but thanks in advance :money:

Beast

Unfortunately the contract will be binding unless they have broken it in some way.

What is different about this gym from 'normal' gyms exactly?

McKneff

You cant cancel, full stop.
You signed a binding contract and you keep mentioning excuses that you think might get you out of it. It wont.

Keep going to the Gym and get your moneys worth, of course things will be changing, things change inside our bodies that we cant see and eventually
things will change that you can see.

Look on it as a lesson learned. Always read terms and conditions before signing anything.

soolin

I'm a member but I rarely go anymore and am wasting my membership really.

For those that ask this isn't anything like a real gym, you do a circuit of 10 machines, every 3 minutes a buzzer goes and you go to the next machine, so you basically get 2 mins per machine and a minute to change to the next one and adjust the seat etc. You don't even build up a sweat really except for the couple of minutes on the exercise bike. Oh, and one of the 3 minute slots is a machine to stretch, so not an exercise one.

My weight doesn't change a bit but I have toned by a miniscule amount and I think my posture is better. I won't renew though when my membership expires.

I was asked about finance but i refused and paid by card in one go.

Pressie

I have been going to Gymophobics in Southport for the last 4 months and have lost two dress sizes,it has changed my life.I can at last get into my jeans that I have not worn since being pregnant.The staff have been great and they have set me a new programme twice.I have been measured twice when they set me a new programme and have lost 16inches in that time.

I find it hard to understand that if you have been going 4 months 3 times a week that you have not lost anything.Have you not told them ,when they have measured you they must have said something as you must have made some comment.

As for the direct debit form,which I pay by too.It is a 12 month contract that I know I am tied into.If I were you I would ask to see the manager and ask her to set you a harder programme.I hope you will then get the results you were after.I have and I am sure you will to.

Good Luck

Flynn20

McKneff wrote: »

You cant cancel, full stop.
You signed a binding contract and you keep mentioning excuses that you think might get you out of it. It wont.
QUOTE]
theyre not really excuses as such, im just trying to explain that the instructors to me arent really focused on helping you get the best out of your membership, they are more sales people and once youve signed on the dotted line and they have your money they arent really interested in you.

I find it hard to understand that if you have been going 4 months 3 times a week that you have not lost anything.Have you not told them ,when they have measured you they must have said something as you must have made some comment. QUOTE]

This is the thing though - they actually havent re assesed me :huh:
In the induction they said that they would re assess me after my card was full or after so many sessions - my card got full and they said they would book me a re assessment appointment next time i came in, as they had no slots at the time and gave me a new card. After asking a couple times, i was told i couldnt because my instructor was off sick at first, - several weeks later, still nothing. i feel as though im being fobbed off for whatever reason. even when i go on the circuit and i turn up the machines so that i can feel it working on my muscles a bit more, if an instructor spots it on a higher level they turn it down

. im just really unhappy with the gym altogether. i guess i will just have to keep paying the membership, i will carry on going but if things dont improve i will just join another gym anyway.

Thanks everyone

DVardysShadow

Pressie wrote: »

I have been going to Gymophobics in Southport for the last 4 months and have lost two dress sizes,it has changed my life.I can at last get into my jeans that I have not worn since being pregnant.The staff have been great and they have set me a new programme twice.I have been measured twice when they set me a new programme and have lost 16inches in that time.

I find it hard to understand that if you have been going 4 months 3 times a week that you have not lost anything.Have you not told them ,when they have measured you they must have said something as you must have made some comment.

As for the direct debit form,which I pay by too.It is a 12 month contract that I know I am tied into.If I were you I would ask to see the manager and ask her to set you a harder programme.I hope you will then get the results you were after.I have and I am sure you will to.

Good Luck

I was waiting for a one post wonder.

We are not idiots, please don't insult us. Plainly you are a representative of Gymphobics and not a customer. You are not the first person to think of the tactic of pretending to be a customer. Some how it seems that the more dodgy a business is the more it likes to put up faux satisfied customers rather than deal with the customer's complaint or just take it on the chin.

Go away.

Keeping_Positive

Sounds like you have a bad franchise there. You should have been taken round each machine and advised which seat and setting. Then the next two visits they go around with you. Reassements are every 10 weeks.

That said I have only been a member since April 1st so still a newbie. I do feel cared about although not excessively, I do feel its a workout but yes little to no sweat but thats a bonus as I can go before or during work and no changing except into trainers.

I would keep going as you have paid but demand a proper asseement or see if there is a head office to complain to. Also how about setting the machine setting abit higher if you find some to easy?

Pressie

How can you come up with a wild comment like that!!!!!. Can I not join in this post? How dare you!. Do you go to the gym then.It is clear that the lady who started this is not getting the service that I am.I do not work for this gym or any gym come to that.I really enjoy my experience,sorry you dont like the facts!!!!

Flynn20

DVardysShadow wrote: »

I was waiting for a one post wonder.

We are not idiots, please don't insult us. Plainly you are a representative of Gymphobics and not a customer. You are not the first person to think of the tactic of pretending to be a customer. Some how it seems that the more dodgy a business is the more it likes to put up faux satisfied customers rather than deal with the customer's complaint or just take it on the chin.

Go away.

Now you mention it.. it is pretty obvious that shes a representative... she sounds like an advert now ive read it again :laugh:

Flynn20

Keeping_Positive wrote: »

Sounds like you have a bad franchise there. You should have been taken round each machine and advised which seat and setting. Then the next two visits they go around with you. Reassements are every 10 weeks.

That said I have only been a member since April 1st so still a newbie. I do feel cared about although not excessively, I do feel its a workout but yes little to no sweat but thats a bonus as I can go before or during work and no changing except into trainers.

I would keep going as you have paid but demand a proper asseement or see if there is a head office to complain to. Also how about setting the machine setting abit higher if you find some to easy?

I thought it would be a bonus not sweating etc but after going for 4 months i do think what am i paying for? i dont feel like i get any benefits. I find the staff and other members quite friendly, but they seem to be more interested in having a chat - which makes it a nice place to go to i suppose. i have tried setting the machine a bit higher but as ive said, the instructors do tend to set it back to the recommended setting if they spot it - it all feels a bit like i have no say in how i work out. im still waiting for my re assessment, im going to give it a couple more weeks trying to get assessed again but if i get nowhere im just going to have to go elsewhere. I do know there is a head office somewhere, but i have read elsewhere that they arent very helpful to complain to as they will just say it is a franchise and so has nothing to do with them.