Halp who is the regulatory board for gym memberships?

Not_a_happy_gym_bunny

Hi Guys new to the forum here so please bear with me.

Back in January I joined fitness first on a year contract with the same intentions as everyone else to start going gym, get fitter etc.

I joined at the Berley Square branch as it was round the corner from my work, but chose the multiclub option as I was keen to go the crouch end branch too as this is a women only gym.

So I went for the free day pass, went to check it out (basically went on the cross trainer because there were no classes, got bored after 20 mins and stopped). After I had showered and returned to the reception the hard sell started, but it wasn't that bad as I had already thought I defo wanted a membership. So I paid the joining fee (with two personal trainer sessions) and first months member fee and away I left.

When I got into work the next day, I told the girls I'd joined and they didn't seem too excited for me. One explained that she had also looked at joining but the thing that stopped her was there was no studio for the clasees, there were just a couple of mats in the corner of the gym where the classes take place. STOP THE PRESS!!!! What you expect me to take classes in front of the whole gym (which by the way includes the MD of my company and my direct line manager)??? When signing up, I wasn't given a tour I just automatically assumed classes took place in a room, her exact word when I asked about the classes were "oh even if there are only one or two people here for classes they still go ahead" of course they blooming go ahead they only have space for one or two people to take the class?!?!

But this didn't deter me I just thought no bother I'll use the crouch end gym which is woman only. I made this clear when I got my membership that I would also be using crouch end as it's woman only and that definately made me feel more comfortable. Well at no point did she say that oh by the way that one MAY be changing hands soon.

So anyway long story short, I turned up at crouch end gym yesterday only to be told they've been bought by trugym and that my membership was no longer valid. Kindly they let me go in yesterday for spin class and gave me all the contact details to ring fitness first to try and query my memebership.

So I ring them this morning, explained that I had joind berkley square under false pretences I didn;t think I'd have to take clasees with my bum in the air in front of my bosses, but didn't cancel my memebership due to the fact I could still use crouch end. Now they've taken that away from me would they kindly cancel my membership. I got a big fat NO.

Now like most I joined I went a few times, then I dropped out. To be fair so many excuses, colds, ibs, bad back etc etc but anyway thats not their concern. I went a few times in Jan but then life got in the way, so I didn'tgo back during Feb/March. But now the weather is getting better and now that I've booked my wedding next year, I'm very aware that I want to look good. Aparrantly there were signs up all through the club to notify of closure but as I wasn't there I didn't see it and therefore I missed the boat.

Is there someone I can contact to contest this as there were things not told to me when I joined regarding berkley square, and yesterday at crouch end said they'd known about the chaninging hands since the September before my membership even started. Obviously Fitness First are denying this and saying there were talks of closures but they were still assesing which ones at that point. I'm now going to have to pay two club memberships which if anyone knows about saving for a wedding is not ideal. Another thing going against me is that there are actually other bigger fitness firsts which are closer to my home but I live in a pretty rough area and I really dont fancy going to those gyms, as I know it just wouldn't be a comfortable experience and they are defo filled with pervy guys/rude boys and just basically quite a ghetto crowd.

Oh and those two personal trainer sessions, have I used them? NO!! Do you wana know why? I can only use them at the gym I signed up at. So once again I would have to be doing this in front of my bosses. They didn't make this clear, and once again got home looked at the pack and it's in the small print. I'm peeved but thats 50% my bad too I guess.

If anyone knows of anyuthing please help me.

Thanks

P.s sorry for the essay message!

Not_a_happy_gym_bunny

Sorry my title should say HELP not HALP!!!

Treevo

Not_a_happy_gym_bunny wrote: »

Hi Guys new to the forum here so please bear with me.

Back in January I joined fitness first on a year contract with the same intentions as everyone else to start going gym, get fitter etc.

I joined at the Berley Square branch as it was round the corner from my work, but chose the multiclub option as I was keen to go the crouch end branch too as this is a women only gym.

So I went for the free day pass, went to check it out (basically went on the cross trainer because there were no classes, got bored after 20 mins and stopped). After I had showered and returned to the reception the hard sell started, but it wasn't that bad as I had already thought I defo wanted a membership. So I paid the joining fee (with two personal trainer sessions) and first months member fee and away I left.

When I got into work the next day, I told the girls I'd joined and they didn't seem too excited for me. One explained that she had also looked at joining but the thing that stopped her was there was no studio for the clasees, there were just a couple of mats in the corner of the gym where the classes take place. STOP THE PRESS!!!! What you expect me to take classes in front of the whole gym (which by the way includes the MD of my company and my direct line manager)??? When signing up, I wasn't given a tour I just automatically assumed classes took place in a room, her exact word when I asked about the classes were "oh even if there are only one or two people here for classes they still go ahead" of course they blooming go ahead they only have space for one or two people to take the class?!?!

But this didn't deter me I just thought no bother I'll use the crouch end gym which is woman only. I made this clear when I got my membership that I would also be using crouch end as it's woman only and that definately made me feel more comfortable. Well at no point did she say that oh by the way that one MAY be changing hands soon.

So anyway long story short, I turned up at crouch end gym yesterday only to be told they've been bought by trugym and that my membership was no longer valid. Kindly they let me go in yesterday for spin class and gave me all the contact details to ring fitness first to try and query my memebership.

So I ring them this morning, explained that I had joind berkley square under false pretences I didn;t think I'd have to take clasees with my bum in the air in front of my bosses, but didn't cancel my memebership due to the fact I could still use crouch end. Now they've taken that away from me would they kindly cancel my membership. I got a big fat NO.

Now like most I joined I went a few times, then I dropped out. To be fair so many excuses, colds, ibs, bad back etc etc but anyway thats not their concern. I went a few times in Jan but then life got in the way, so I didn'tgo back during Feb/March. But now the weather is getting better and now that I've booked my wedding next year, I'm very aware that I want to look good. Aparrantly there were signs up all through the club to notify of closure but as I wasn't there I didn't see it and therefore I missed the boat.

Is there someone I can contact to contest this as there were things not told to me when I joined regarding berkley square, and yesterday at crouch end said they'd known about the chaninging hands since the September before my membership even started. Obviously Fitness First are denying this and saying there were talks of closures but they were still assesing which ones at that point. I'm now going to have to pay two club memberships which if anyone knows about saving for a wedding is not ideal. Another thing going against me is that there are actually other bigger fitness firsts which are closer to my home but I live in a pretty rough area and I really dont fancy going to those gyms, as I know it just wouldn't be a comfortable experience and they are defo filled with pervy guys/rude boys and just basically quite a ghetto crowd.

Oh and those two personal trainer sessions, have I used them? NO!! Do you wana know why? I can only use them at the gym I signed up at. So once again I would have to be doing this in front of my bosses. They didn't make this clear, and once again got home looked at the pack and it's in the small print. I'm peeved but thats 50% my bad too I guess.

If anyone knows of anyuthing please help me.

Thanks

P.s sorry for the essay message!

So to cut this down.

1. You joined a Fitness First near to work
2. You weren't impressed with the gym but you joined anyway
3. After you told the above to your work colleagues, they weren't interested or impressed
4. You found out information that you could have found out before you joined if you had done your research
5. It finally dawns on you that joining the gym near work means that you might see people from work
6. One of the many potential gyms that you can use is closing (not your primary gym) and you feel that you should have been privy to this sensitive company information, months before any decision had been made
7. You haven't actually bothered to attend the gym for several months because of 'life'
8. Something about you being so irresistible that men can't help but stare at your bottom - everyone from 'ghetto boys' to your employer, and so you don't feel comfortable using the personal training services that you voluntarily signed up for
9. All of the above is the gym's fault and you want to withdraw from the contract that you agreed to

Have I got that about right? Because it's mental.

paulineb_2

They arent responsible for the fact that people from your workplace use the gym and yes it can be a pain in the backside when you have to do classes in the corner of a gym, but when space is tight thats what does happen in some gyms.

Having worked in gyms, some will pursue a debt if someone cancels a direct debit at the bank, others wont.

However theres usually a clause in a contract that membership can be suspended for a few months, but thats generally due to illness or injury.

Personally, Id just bite the bullet and use the gyms near where you live, if they have studios where classes are taking place you arent going to run into the crowds of people who use the gym.

ca55ie

Sorry you're unhappy with your membership. I'm sure that most people working in the gym will be concentrating on their own routines not watching other people. So why not give it a go - if your bosses are happy to be seen getting hot and sweaty I'm sure they won't be judging you:)