Anyone been to gymophobics? need help cancelling membership!

McKneff

CHR15 wrote: »

I think being dead, the heart rate would be nearer 0 bpm

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::T

SillyStudent_3

"Has she, we wonder, talked direct to her Gym or does she prefer to write anonymous comments onto a web site?"
Wow that reeked of catty sarcasm. Unnecessary.

Equaliser123

SillyStudent wrote: »

"Has she, we wonder, talked direct to her Gym or does she prefer to write anonymous comments onto a web site?"
Wow that reeked of catty sarcasm. Unnecessary.

The gym is making a fair point in my view.

Myrtle77

Wow! What a snotty response! That post alone has put me off bothering with Gymophobics, as I was considering it only yesterday!

It seems to me that 'the lady' Flynn20 has tried to communicate with the gym, but hasn't had a helpful response.

And the whole point of requesting advice on a forum is that they're anonymous - so stop you're whinging, you money-grabbing fool.

Oh, and comparing yourself to other gyms, who also use heavy-handed sales techniques to lock customers into expensive contracts, is hardly going to strengthen your case.

apixie

At the risk of being seen as a one post wonder I thought I would add a comment to this thread.

I have recently become a member of the Gym and it seems it does depend on the franchise.

I was also unaware that I was signing a credit agreement. With my credit rating I was pretty sure that I wouldn't be able to get one anyway and nothing has appeared on Experian so far. However they may not report to a Credit reference agency and my first DD has yet to be taken. It should have been made clearer in the sign up process. I didn't feel that I was pressured into it however and I came back two days later to sign up. - Again, yeah I should have read the credit document / annoyed with myself on that front as I always read things first. :wall:

I did have a full induction however and was show each piece of equipment. The ladies at the Gym seem to take an interest and corrected me when I set a machine incorrectly. I'm 9 sessions in and am due for a re-assessment on session 30. My card gets signed and dated every time I go and I have already questioned my routine and been told not to increase the weight just the reps.

It's not a perfect system. However I am overweight in a job where I sit down all day and it is very convenient to go before or after work (I don't drive) In two weeks I have lost 3/4 pounds which Is about the correct rate I would assume. I haven't changed my diet or my activity rate beyond the gym.
I havent tried to cancel the membership. I was aware that I was signing up for 12 months though so I assumed that it was similar to a mobile phone contract. You use the minutes you pay for, or not, until the contract expires. At the moment I figure that If I go four times a week (how long that will last I dont know) - see where I get by session 30 and take it from there.

Sorry that the OP has had so much difficulty with her branch. My experience thus far has been different. Not that I'm in any position to defend the system after such as short time however I thought I would add an objective honest viewpoint to the discussion.

gotfoundout

Flynn20 wrote: »

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

PRESSIE did work at Southport gym and now works as an admin clerk at head office!!!! NOT VERY PROFFESIONAL!!!!!

gotfoundout

Louise Press Williams....AKA PRESSIE

yvonnerobbo

I signed up to a Gymophobics gym in June last year.

I was shown arond but did not take too much notice of the facilities, I assumed that when they said changing rooms and shower, they would be adaquate.

I also belived that I would get lots of support and encouragement.

After 2 weeks I found out that this was not true and I tried to cancel my agreement. This request was declined and I was told that I as I signed on the premises I was tied in to my contract for a year.

I have paid £174 so far and have not returned to the Gym.

What a waste of money, but I have no choice. Or do I?

Please help if you can

Miss_C_J

Hello - please bear with me - this is my first post on this website.

I check this site for absolutely everything now before I sign up to get advice on everything to banking/debt/day's out with the kids - I have found it invaluable.

I did check this site before joining Gymophobics and was very nearly put off by the comments but due to sitting at a desk all day and needing to do something active I joined up with them anyway.

I don't regret it. I am able to go 4/5 times a week and while trying to eat healthy as well the weight is slowly coming off and I am toning up. The staff are very friendly and encouraging. The franchise that I attend are doing everything that they promised they would and more - with additional free and paid activities outside of the gym.

I am sure that OP had some valid problems with her franchise but I think that it is a bit unfair to tar the whole of Gymophobics with the same brush and I just wanted to put my point across so that the next lady that comes on here looking for additional information pre joining could get another point of view.

PS I don't work for them - I work in waste management!

heretolearn_2

Hi

Sounds like a pretty rubbish experience at your gym but I also think the head office has a point in asking if you've tried talking to anyone about it rather than immediately bad-mouthing them on here. If there is a duff franchisee I'm sure they'd rather hear about it and sort it out than have their reputation ruined overall :-) Or maybe not, but you don't know till you try.

On the credit agreement thing, relax. It isn't really a credit agreement in the usual sense. We use exactly the same thing (via a different funder) for our clients's fees, and yes, it can cause them the same worries.

It's actually very difficult to get licensed to collect direct debits directly yourselves, so a lot of companies use third party firms to manage their direct debit payments. They are set up in a few different ways but our one is also a 'credit agreement' as it's a full year funding. When a client signs up, we get given the full years amount of fees in one go. Then direct debits are collected monthly as usual from the client. This is what makes it a credit arrangement (rather than a scheme whereby each individual monthly payment is passed to us). However, it doesn't work in the same way as a loan or personal credit normally would. We are the ones who got all the money, not the client. If the client defaults or cancels, the funder just takes rest of the money back from us, and doesn't bother the client at all.

Of course, if you just cancelled, while the direct debit company won't care, the gym will as they have now lost your annual fee that they had. Gyms are notorious for being difficult to cancel.