Gym Rip Off

Wexfordgal

I joinned a gym in Sandymout last November, paid €230 as a joining free (in my opinion thats excessive) and €50 per month.
When I went in yesterday to pay by subscription I was told that the price had gone up to €60, just like that without prior warning etc
Is this allowed?

jor el

Of course. It's only a rip off if you pay, and even then, you can only blame yourself if you do.

AARRRGH

Wexfordgal wrote: »

paid €230 as a joining fee (in my opinion thats excessive)...

To be fair on the gym, no one forced you to join them or pay that fee.

Wexfordgal wrote: »

...and €50 per month.
When I went in yesterday to pay by subscription I was told that the price had gone up to €60, just like that without prior warning etc
Is this allowed?

What does your contract say?

mikemac

Did you try to haggle down the 230 euro?
A lot of gyms have this but you can nearly always haggle it down, probably to 50 euro. It's easy enough to do

You need to check your contract to see what can be done, they probably reserve the right to increase fees with a months notice

muletide

Of course they can do it but its only a rip off if you pay it -

Of course there is always the option to save yourself €900 a year (Or about the €1300 that you have to earn to get 900 net)Its a revolutionary option but simple - go for a run/walk - do some sit ups/push ups in your room

Gyms always tend to be ripoffs

eth0_

I don't think they can put the monthly fee up during the year of your contract....read your contract and see if this is mentioned.

As for the joining fee - that's your own fault for paying it. No one forced you and you can easily bargain them down.

JonnyC

eth0_ wrote: »

I don't think they can put the monthly fee up during the year of your contract....read your contract and see if this is mentioned.

As for the joining fee - that's your own fault for paying it. No one forced you and you can easily bargain them down.

There are a real lot of smug replies to this but i pick your one as being a moderator.

Firstly the OP was complaining about the rise from 50 to 60 a month she just passed a opinion on the joining fee.

No where did it say what gym it was so how can you say you can easily bargain then down? A statement thrown in to make the OP feel even worse.

Cabaal

JonnyC wrote: »

There are a real lot of smug replies to this but i pick your one as being a moderator.

Firstly the OP was complaining about the rise from 50 to 60 a month she just passed a opinion on the joining fee.

No where did it say what gym it was so how can you say you can easily bargain then down? A statement thrown in to make the OP feel even worse.

eth0_ is not a mod in this forum and as such is treated the same as any other user in this forum...same as me.

The OP's complaint is abit pointless, like any company the gym can charge what the want and can increase prices if they want based on there Terms & Conditions (for example they may need to give 30 days notice) the OP needs to read his contract and until he/she does then nobody can assist them

JonnyC

Cabaal wrote: »

eth0_ is not a mod in this forum and as such is treated the same as any other user in this forum...same as me.

The OP's complaint is abit pointless, like any company the gym can charge what the want and can increase prices if they want based on there Terms & Conditions (for example they may need to give 30 days notice) the OP needs to read his contract and until he/she does then nobody can assist them

I picked that reply as an example (as a moderator should know better), i could have nearly picked any other reply to the OP. You know it and I certainly know it there was a really condescending tone in most replies back.

chancer_007

Hi wexfordgal,

I think its very unfair of gym to do what they did.

I have some friends who recently opened a gym in town that focuses on core strength,free weights,its not set up as a cardio gym.

If you want you can PM me & I can give you more details.
have been in the gym & its very impressive.

EKRIUQ

Yes your right, Moderators on boards.ie are bastions of not only boards but of all society in general and should know better. With all the expenses, backhanders and extra privilages on top of their wages there getting.

Nody

EKRIUQ wrote: »

Yes your right, Moderators on boards.ie are bastions of not only boards but of all society in general and should know better. With all the expenses, backhanders and extra privilages on top of their wages there getting.

Ask any moderator and they will tell you it is all for the chicks/hunks, nothing swoons them such as the line "Do you know I'm a moderator on boards.ie in sub forum X?"

eth0_

JonnyC wrote: »

There are a real lot of smug replies to this but i pick your one as being a moderator.

My reply wasn't smug in the slightest.
I gave the OP some solid advice - to check his contract to see if there was any mention of them being allowed to increase the monthly fee during his 1 year contract - what exactly have you brought to the discussion other than giving out about my innocuous reply?

JonnyC wrote: »

No where did it say what gym it was so how can you say you can easily bargain then down? A statement thrown in to make the OP feel even worse.

It doesn't really matter what gym it is, the 'joining fee' varies from month to month in many of them depending on their sales figures. If people are walking in the door of their own volition and signing up, they will charge them a higher joining fee. If business is slow they advertise 'no joining fee!' or a cheaper fee.

I've been a member of three or four gyms and i've bargained down the joining fee in three of them, so I am speaking from experience.

Cabaal

As eth0 and myself have already mention the OP needs to re-read there contract in respect of charges, once they do this they will know where they stand and how to proceed

craichoe

Wexfordgal wrote: »

I joinned a gym in Sandymout last November, paid €230 as a joining free (in my opinion thats excessive) and €50 per month.
When I went in yesterday to pay by subscription I was told that the price had gone up to €60, just like that without prior warning etc
Is this allowed?

If they change the conditions of the contract then the contract is no longer valid, i.e. you can say you wish to opt out of it. This goes for everything. If this was not the case then they could just increase the cost by 500% or whatever and say, tough , your stuck in the contract now :P

3DataModem

This is my attempt at a helpful response;

Wexfordgal wrote: »

Is this allowed?

Probably not in the first year, probably yes thereafter.

Only way to be sure is check your contract.

dudara

JonnyC wrote: »

I picked that reply as an example (as a moderator should know better), i could have nearly picked any other reply to the OP. You know it and I certainly know it there was a really condescending tone in most replies back.

You've already been told that moderators have no clout outside their forums, and are treated exactly the same as other posters. Please do not continue down this line of argument.

dudara

rubadub

craichoe wrote: »

If they change the conditions of the contract then the contract is no longer valid, i.e. you can say you wish to opt out of it. This goes for everything. If this was not the case then they could just increase the cost by 500% or whatever and say, tough , your stuck in the contract now :P

Exactly, you could have a joining fee of €500, monthly fee of €1, then jack it up to €100,000 per month, everybody leaves, and you head off with all the joining fees. If you got the contract right.

In the fitness forum there are loads of threads about gym contracts, seems a lot of them are using dodgy tactics, all contracts have to be gone over with a keen eye for possible crap like this.

Cabaal

craichoe wrote: »

If they change the conditions of the contract then the contract is no longer valid, i.e. you can say you wish to opt out of it. This goes for everything. If this was not the case then they could just increase the cost by 500% or whatever and say, tough , your stuck in the contract now :P

This is not 100% correct, depending on whats stated in the contract you may only have a grace period to opt out, for example its common for contracts to advise that if there is a price change you have 30 days in which you can opt out of the contract.

If you stay until day 31 then your in the contract again, again the OP MUST re-read the contract they first signed...nobody can tell him anything for fact until then.