Lancaster Total Fitness Shut Down - how do we get membership refunded?

Audity

I recently recieved a message from Total Fitness which read something along the lines of: "Total Fitness Lancaster forced to close due to unsuccessful attempts to negotiate with the landlord and their bank to reduce onerous lease agreements of the premises which commanded rent significantly higher than market rate and meant the running of the club was no longer financially viable."

Basically, they're saying my membership is transferable to any other Total Fitness gym, which is of no consequence really as you are permitted entry to any gym anyway. They have also secured a deal with a gym in Morecambe which is 5 miles/two buses away (one of which is only an hourly service).

There is no way I can regularly travel to the nearest gym in Preston and getting to the replacement gym is also far from ideal.

My membership is 9 months (student deal) and runs out in July. Do I have a right to ask to extend my membership to 12 months so that when I return home to Wigan around July I can use that branch which is far closer? Or do I have have a right to ask for a refund for the unused months?

Thanks in advance

Nine_Lives

Similar issue (With Lancaster at least): https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3113504

VVV is some way away. My membership expires 29th Aug. Still don't know whether i can get a refund or not.

squeaky

Hi,

I'll merge these two threads together shortly, since they cover the same gym.

Good luck with getting something sorted. Somehow.

retromama3010

Hi I too was a member and paid upfront last September we really enjoyed going but did find that quickly things seemed to deteriorate, cleanliness some staff were jsut rude and unaproachable, I can not say this for them all though some were fantastic!

However the closure of total fitness was a shock and what disgusts me is that we have had no corespondence other than a text to my husband which was very short and blunt and in my opinion a cop out. We rang and asked for our money back and were told " we dont do refunds" the customer service is is disgusting!

We were told that DW Fitness would honour our membership so went to look it is fantastic a massive improvement on total fitness its clean ,the machines work , they are top of the range machines to the staff cant do enough for you either. though we were informed that they were not taking over TF memberships but as a gesture from them they were offering the rest of March and April Free the membership is taken on 6 months unlike TF if you wish to cancel after that its one months notice.

We joined and have enjoyed or visits so far!!

However when calling back TF they said it was vvv that were doing the membership takeover seriously they need to talk to there staff and communicate better. We still want our money back as I feel its my right as a consumer they closed the doors with no notice and I dont think they can dictate which gym will take over the membership as its not conveinient for everyone to use VVV.

Today I have seen that they have closed 3 gyms in Ireland on the same grounds Rent increases I smell a rat!!!!!

Monkeytoes

Well VVV can't be that bad and have got to have been doing something right as it TF that's closed, a big corporate business and it's VVV, small-fry in TF's eyes, that's weathered the storm of the last 2 years and come out on top! They've got my vote anyway!

jeremy_braund

I'm in the same situation as others,8 months membership still owing & the other gyms are too far away. I assume TF are saving thousands by closing this site (rent,up keep,wages)so are profiting from not reimbursing us. I assume they've also paid VVV something to take on members.
Back to the original question what is the first step legally that an individual can take.
The local Paper Visitor have an e address for the local courts on their site.

squeaky

There's an article here... We want our money back

wealdroam

jeremy_braund wrote: »

Back to the original question what is the first step legally that an individual can take.

Post #7 and post #10 both offer advice.

To save you going back...

wealdroam wrote: »

Work out what the company owe you. Should be easy. Just send them a bill to refund the amount due because they are no longer providing the service.

If you paid by credit card, that may help later.

Do this in writing.
Give them (say) 14 days to receive a refund.

willward

I suggest a letter addressed to the Registered Office of Total Fitness in a format similar to the following:

Sir/Madam
Member No. FFIT001300???
I wish to claim and require the refund of £???.??
This amount represents that part of my membership which I am unable to use as the result of the unexpected closure of your Lancaster facility.

I am advise that you are in breach of your contract with me and, from a legal stand point, are required to refund that part of my membership which is unused.

I arrived at the amount of £???.??? by counting the number of unused days (169 days). I then divided the annual fee paid £265 by the number of days in the year (365) and multiplied the result by the number of unused days (169).

A cheque within 10 days please to my home address. Otherwise I have no option but to take further legal advise.

Yours faithfully

HelsBelz_2

Well I gave Total Fitness a call the other day. No luck with a refund for the rest of the month, but they chap I spoke to just told me to cancel the direct debit. I guess I'm fortunate as i'm on a monthly direct debit. He also said that they have arranged a deal with VVV in Hest Bank, so that Total Fitness members can use the gym free of charge until the end of March. I'm going to give this a try this evening, but it is a little out of the way so i'll see how it goes.

DW Sports in Morecambe are offering TF members free use of the gym until the 1st May, so that might be useful.

If you are unsure about your membership, I would suggest giving them a ring. The guy I spoke with was polite and understanding.

I wonder what's going to happen to the gym? Maybe another gym will take it over?