David Lloyd 18% gym price increase! What rights do I have?

axs58506

Ive been a member of David Lloyds in Raynes Park since Sept 2022 signing up to a 12 month contract at £144 per month. 
I receive an email on 8th Dec stating the monthly payment will increase to £170.50 from 1st Jan 2023. 
This is an increase 18.4% -can they do this? What rights do I have plus they gave me hardly any notice whatsoever!

Brie

What do the T&Cs say?  Is it that there will be an increase every January or every 12 months or the January following you being a member for 12 months??  

As for notice....they've given you the standard DD notice if they emailed early December.  I assume you didn't see that and have just noticed the new charge on your bank statement?  It may be a case of going back to the email and see if there's any get out of jail clauses on there.

Grumpy_chap

axs58506 said:

Ive been a member of David Lloyds in Raynes Park since Sept 2022 signing up to a 12 month contract at £144 per month. 
I receive an email on 8th Dec stating the monthly payment will increase to £170.50 from 1st Jan 2023. 
This is an increase 18.4% -can they do this? What rights do I have plus they gave me hardly any notice whatsoever!

I suspect the contract allows them to review the price periodically and, as with mobile phones, that can probably be mid-contract.  What do the terms say for your membership?

Was the original price the full price, or was it something like "15% off the first three months"?  

Check those first, but then, even if the rise is permitted within the rules of the contract, you can speak with David Lloyd and seek a lower price.  How does the price you are now being asked to pay compare to a new member joining?
If they don't negotiate on price, are you willing to leave and go to a different gym?

The David Lloyd gyms are really nice and have loads of features but are you using all those features and are all those features good value for you?
In some ways, it is like a packaged bank account, great if you need all the bits, but poor if you never take foreign holiday or  don't  drive or whatever.

What would the cost be at alternative gyms near where you live?
The price you quoted seems high to me - my wife and I are members of a different chain of gyms and our joint membership is lower than you were paying (but your OP does not state whether that is single, joint, family membership).
Our gym is not the cheapest in the area, I was tempted to change to one that is a third cheaper, but there is no pool there and Mrs G-C does like the pool.  Each member has to weigh up what facilities are important to them.

ecraig

axs58506 said:

Ive been a member of David Lloyds in Raynes Park since Sept 2022 signing up to a 12 month contract at £144 per month. 
I receive an email on 8th Dec stating the monthly payment will increase to £170.50 from 1st Jan 2023. 
This is an increase 18.4% -can they do this? What rights do I have plus they gave me hardly any notice whatsoever!

You need to check your contract to see what specific percentage increase you agreed to.

I think my contract is upto 3pc+CPI per year increase. Whatever percentage it is, My increase this year was on the limit.

I re-added my wife onto my account at the end of October - but they didn't increase her fee.

Generally though, they have increased the fee every year to the max as specified in the contract. That's the DL way unfortunately.

DavidJatt

Like others, I'm guessing there will be a loophole in the contract.

Have you tried speaking with the front desk staff to explain the situation? They may be able to do something to help, especially as you're a new member.

mr_stripey

the DL gyms are really nice, but seem to be very expensive. I work next door to one and they offered us a discounted membership but it was still north of £80 a month. I guess if you go every day and make use of the facilities then it's great but I don't think it would work for me.

That said, the place is always busy with a procession of smart cars driving in and out all day long (so much so that many gym members overspill into our car park)