Locker broken into at the gym...

moneysavexpert1986

I went to the gym on Friday night and as I was in the changing rooms I heard someone complaining to his friends that people were trying to break into the lockers. These people were not members but people who were on day passes or something. I locked my locker using the £5 padlock bought from the gym and went out of the chaning rooms. To get to the gym, you have to go past reception, where I heard the same man complaining to the receptionist that this was happening and they were letting anyone in without checking their details. I went upstairs to the gym and did my 45 minute run, before coming back to the changing rooms to find that my locker had been broken into. The padlock was fine but the metal mechanism on the door was bent and the wood that it rests in was broken. My car keys, £45 wallet and £170 watch were all gone (the watch and wallet were presents for my 21st birthday). I ran outside to see whether my car was gone but luckily it wasn't, and when I came back in someone said they'd found them on the floor. The gym is LA Fitness in Brooklands and since then they have been absolutely disgraceful, saying that it's not there responsibility, despite the fact that the lad was warned, I pay £40 a month for the gym, it was their lock and locker. There was also 2 other lockers broken into. The police are looking into it and have a list of people who visited between them times, but of course, there's not CCTV in the changing rooms. On the night it happened there was no manager on duty, neither was there one the next day and today there is only a deputy manager. I've got the details of the CEO but not a direct line or email address - is there any way of getting these? I'm gutted that my two most special presents (one off my girlfriend and one off my parents) were taken by some scally after I'd been at work all week. It's a private club and they've done nothing to stop it

MothballsWallet

It's not good, but most places like that tend to have "valuables left at your own risk" signs up and clauses in their agreements.

It's unfortunate, but they seem to get away with it, but I'm surprised that their security is less than what you might expect from a private gym.

Perhaps speak to the manager at the branch and, if you can find the man who made the complaint to reception, ask him if he'd be willing to back you up about the poor security and lack of checking?

superscaper

Address, phone number, list of officers:
http://www.answers.com/topic/la-fitness?cat=biz-fin

maninthestreet

If LA Fitness have been negligent, then they may well be liable for your loss - it seems that they were informed that lockers were being broken into when you were at the gym, but what did they do to investigate this, and try to prevent any further incidents? From your description, the receptionist may have done very little, if any thing at all.

bicycle_repair_man_2

wouldn't this be covered on the company's insurance, so they can repay the OP and then claim on their insurance?

superscaper

bicycle_repair_man wrote: »

wouldn't this be covered on the company's insurance, so they can repay the OP and then claim on their insurance?

I don't think they'd necessarily be covered for customer's property necessarily. I'd expect that'd bump their premiums up significantly. What if the customers put expensive jewellery in their lockers etc (e.g. £2000 watch).

Brooker_Dave

moneysavexpert1986 wrote: »

I went to the gym on Friday night and as I was in the changing rooms I heard someone complaining to his friends that people were trying to break into the lockers. These people were not members but people who were on day passes or something. I locked my locker using the £5 padlock bought from the gym and went out of the chaning rooms. To get to the gym, you have to go past reception, where I heard the same man complaining to the receptionist that this was happening and they were letting anyone in without checking their details. I went upstairs to the gym and did my 45 minute run, before coming back to the changing rooms to find that my locker had been broken into. The padlock was fine but the metal mechanism on the door was bent and the wood that it rests in was broken. My car keys, £45 wallet and £170 watch were all gone (the watch and wallet were presents for my 21st birthday). I ran outside to see whether my car was gone but luckily it wasn't, and when I came back in someone said they'd found them on the floor. The gym is LA Fitness in Brooklands and since then they have been absolutely disgraceful, saying that it's not there responsibility, despite the fact that the lad was warned, I pay £40 a month for the gym, it was their lock and locker. There was also 2 other lockers broken into. The police are looking into it and have a list of people who visited between them times, but of course, there's not CCTV in the changing rooms. On the night it happened there was no manager on duty, neither was there one the next day and today there is only a deputy manager. I've got the details of the CEO but not a direct line or email address - is there any way of getting these? I'm gutted that my two most special presents (one off my girlfriend and one off my parents) were taken by some scally after I'd been at work all week. It's a private club and they've done nothing to stop it

I'm sorry to hear of your loss, but the gym will not be responsible for your missing items.

Would you expect them to pay if your car was damaged in their car park?

pulliptears

Brooker_Dave wrote: »

Would you expect them to pay if your car was damaged in their car park?

If it had been reported that someone was damaging cars in the car park minutes before then yes.

seems to me they have failed in their duty of care, if they were made aware thieves were on the premises and did nothing about it then thats negligent. Of course, proving they knew is an entirely different kettle of fish....

Brooker_Dave

pulliptears wrote: »

If it had been reported that someone was damaging cars in the car park minutes before then yes.

Why?

pulliptears wrote: »

seems to me they have failed in their duty of care, if they were made aware thieves were on the premises and did nothing about it then thats negligent. Of course, proving they knew is an entirely different kettle of fish....

How are they supposed to stop crime?

C_Ronaldo

Maybe they couldnt stop it but they could at least make an attempt to try and prevent it from happening again

uktim29

pulliptears wrote: »

If it had been reported that someone was damaging cars in the car park minutes before then yes.

seems to me they have failed in their duty of care, if they were made aware thieves were on the premises and did nothing about it then thats negligent. Of course, proving they knew is an entirely different kettle of fish....

I don't see how it would be failed in duty of care.

What do you expect them to do, wrestle whoever it was to the ground? What about the risk to themselves?