Jackie Skelley's

Hammiepeters · 06-09-2007 11:05pm

Cheeky Chops wrote:

Well I was only posting my personal opinion, as I stated. No need to be smart with me.

Not being smart with you. I just feel thet the many people who have voiced dissatisfaction with the business ethicate of that company deserve voice over the few who reckon that they're okay.

mikedragon32 · 07-09-2007 10:20am

Hammie, neither of you has a voice over the other.

Cheeky is happy, you aren't. While you have every right to express your dissatisfaction, Cheeky also has the right to say that he/she is satisfied.

As long as you both express those opinions in a way that doesn't get the site or yourselves sued for libel, you're free to do so.

Life would be dull if we all agreed with each other all the time.

zantoro · 20-09-2007 9:49pm

My boyfriend and I, who have been members of that gym since January (worst new year's resolution ever), filled in a cancellation request last month in the gym as we're moving from Ireland to go travelling. As we weren't hearing back from them one month later, we went to the gym to check that everything was ok.
They basically had ignored outr request and the solution they offered was to pay until the end of the year, which did not make much sense to us since we're leaving...After the discussion, an employee of the gym (who in her own words has a "masters in economics", did I forget to mention that they're absolutely terrible at human relations?) was offering us a "discount" on the cancellation... So they don't just have discounts for joining members (what's up with the fee varying per customer???) thay apparently also do for cancellation.

Anyway, the next day, I called the gym and asked again, if there's any other solution, for instance passing on the membership to a friend. The person advised me that it wasn't possible for 2 months but that in our case everything has been sorted... So I hang up happy thinking, "yes I think i remember paying for a month in advance as I joined so that makes sense".

Today, I checked my bank account and dear god, the equivalent of 4 times the monthly fee has been taken from my account (in addition to this month's monthly fee debited last week), by... Jacky Skellie, not as a direct debit but using apparently my laser card details to help themselves to 2 full months of membership for me and my boyfriend (needless to say, not only rather shocking as I never allowed them to do anything like that plus not a nice surprise when you've been saving up to go away...)

As for more general comments on sanitary issues, no member of staff is ever watching after the pool, so people go happily from sauna to jacuzzi to steam room to pool without passing by the shower, plus swim hats seem optional... yuk.

Hammiepeters · 20-09-2007 10:16pm

Do not let them get away with this. If you do, they will keep doing it. You can get this money refunded.

Joliegood · 21-09-2007 9:21am

zantoro wrote:

My boyfriend and I, who have been members of that gym since January (worst new year's resolution ever), filled in a cancellation request last month in the gym as we're moving from Ireland to go travelling. As we weren't hearing back from them one month later, we went to the gym to check that everything was ok.
They basically had ignored outr request and the solution they offered was to pay until the end of the year, which did not make much sense to us since we're leaving...After the discussion, an employee of the gym (who in her own words has a "masters in economics", did I forget to mention that they're absolutely terrible at human relations?) was offering us a "discount" on the cancellation... So they don't just have discounts for joining members (what's up with the fee varying per customer???) thay apparently also do for cancellation.

Anyway, the next day, I called the gym and asked again, if there's any other solution, for instance passing on the membership to a friend. The person advised me that it wasn't possible for 2 months but that in our case everything has been sorted... So I hang up happy thinking, "yes I think i remember paying for a month in advance as I joined so that makes sense".

Today, I checked my bank account and dear god, the equivalent of 4 times the monthly fee has been taken from my account (in addition to this month's monthly fee debited last week), by... Jacky Skellie, not as a direct debit but using apparently my laser card details to help themselves to 2 full months of membership for me and my boyfriend (needless to say, not only rather shocking as I never allowed them to do anything like that plus not a nice surprise when you've been saving up to go away...)

As for more general comments on sanitary issues, no member of staff is ever watching after the pool, so people go happily from sauna to jacuzzi to steam room to pool without passing by the shower, plus swim hats seem optional... yuk.

Contact your bank and have the transaction cancelled or have them issue an indemnity. It is illegal for a third party to use your cc/laser details to debit an unauthorised amount. I would strongly suggest you seek legal advice on this and take it further.

Earlsie · 21-09-2007 9:31am

I'd just like to mirror what has been said about Jackie Skelleys, I had been a member of Crunch Fitness and decided to move to Jackies as I was living in Greystones,

Big Mistake !!

In my opinion the gym is a joke, long queues for the machines, waiting weeks for my Introduction\review of the equipment.
At the start I was promised a gym that would cater easily for the number of people that where members as this was my concern, I work 9-5 so hit the gym at 7ish and it was always crammed.

The gym also just fealt that it was a place to go and train, at Crunch you are assigned a trainer who checked in on you every 4 weeks, if I missed a weeks training I was called (mobile) and encouraged back down, they reguraly changed my routine also so I did not get bored.

My point is Skellys seems to sign as many new members, tie them into contracts and hoover the money in.

I no longer attend any gym and just jog 3 times (Charlesland to Beachhouse and back up),

I play football up there twice a week and have no Issues with the facilities, plus we never have to deal with there staff,

Earlsie

mikedragon32 · 21-09-2007 10:00am

The Astroturf pitches and tennis/basketball courts, along with the track and skatepark are run by Wicklow Co. Co., not by Jackie Skelly's.

Earlsie · 21-09-2007 11:17am

mikedragon32 wrote:

The Astroturf pitches and tennis/basketball courts, along with the track and skatepark are run by Wicklow Co. Co., not by Jackie Skelly's.

Ahh probably the reason why I have no issues with the Astro Pitches !!

Grovey · 21-09-2007 1:14pm

was going to join the gym but not after reading all this :eek:

Hammiepeters · 21-09-2007 4:57pm

Grovey wrote:

was going to join the gym but not after reading all this :eek:

Great stuff. check out the Glenview Hotel for total contrast.

Loopers · 28-09-2007 4:40pm

Grovey,

I wouldn't necessarily be put off by this thread. I've been a member of Jackie Skelly's for over a year and I am very satisfied. I was a regular user for about 11 months and I never had a problem. Since then, I've joined a running club and only go once a week. I approached them about my declining use of the facilities and they even reduced my membership fee to accommodate my needs. As you can see from this thread serious problems arise where clients try to cancel their membership before the year is out. Therefore, before you join make sure that you are committed to going regularly and make use of the montly/six week assessments. They really work!

Hammiepeters · 29-09-2007 9:36am

Loopers. People cancelling their membership up there has nothing to do with commitment to excercise or lack of. You're assuming that those cancelling their membership went off and became couch potatoes. Not so. We joined another club. The reasons memberships were cancelled was because JS is a filthy, unsafe dump staffed by people who only get excited when they are taking your money.
I followed all the legal requirements when deciding that this place was not for me and my kids, and they behaved illegally in pursuit of monies. I had to report them to get it back. So Grovey, have a good look at it before you give them anything. It's a dump.

Derek Byr · 02-10-2007 2:34pm

Joined the gym from the marriott when it first opened on the 18 month membership deal which involved paying 15 months and getting the last 3 months free.Checked my account and discovered 16th payment had been taken and when i informed them they admitted the mistake and offered the month to be carried over i.e 19 for the price of 16 instead of 18 for 15, not a great deal !!!. I informed them I would just take the refund as I would be rejoining the marriott when my membership was up 30/09 and was told it would take 6-8 weeks to get my own money back!. After 11 weeks and no refund I paid them a visit and was told another 2 weeks and today received a letter informing me because my membership which was up yesterday company policy does not refund canceled accounts - absolute joke. At this stage I dont care about the money but the principle and how this large company seems to have no regard for its customers or the law means I will gladly pay a solicitor to take this further just so they dont think they can get away with this kind of thing.

TnJ · 02-10-2007 8:29pm

I have been a member of this gym in Greystones for over a year now and I am appalled at the way it has been getting progressively worse over this time. My personal issues with the gym are as follows;

1. Unhygenic and dirty dresssing rooms & facilities in general, which creates a nasty smell and appearance throughout.
2. Fire Extinguishers being used to hold doors open, surely in breach of every Health & Safety Law and Fire law in this country.
3. Disgusting condition of the swimming pool, plasters and human excrement floating in the water therein, clearly through lack of cleaning.
4. Blatent lack of staff to supervise pool area and gym in general, surely a law suit in waiting.
5. Complete lack of exforcement of gym rules for staff members such as children using the fast lanes in swimming pool and even worse their parents watching on.
6. Complete lack of customer service, in breach of consumer rights and laws and safety issues.
6. Ridiculous waiting lists for gym machines and facilities.

Remember that Libel is only actionable if what you are communicating happens to be untrue. Therefore I would urge that anyone with any further views should step forward and we could issue letters to the gym demanding change.
This just isn't good enough!!!!!

Bettyboop · 02-10-2007 11:55pm

I cancelled my direct debit with the bank after the 12 mths and received a letter
saying a debt collecter would call for the 2 months I owe for cancelling my contract with them,:mad: even though I only owe one,now 3 months on my daughter received a text message telling her that they were now sending out a debt collecter to her to recover the debt.What I cant understand is I was the one who signed her up as my son needed an adult to join in order for him to be able to use the gym,so how can they try and sue my daughter when I was the one who signed the contract and the direct debits came out of my personal bank account,she signed nothing with them and I think they have a nerve to send a text message to her,when it has nothing to do with her at all.

Ru · 10-10-2007 9:50am

Bettyboop wrote:

,now 3 months on my daughter received a text message telling her that they were now sending out a debt collecter to her to recover the debt.

Two questions.

1) Is your daughter under 18 (classified as a minor)
2) Did your daughter sign "any" documents?

If your daughter is a minor, sending her a threatening text message is WAY over the line and I would take immediate legal action.

If she hasn't signed any contracts, she is not liable for any debts whether valid or not and on this point, you could take legal action on the basis that a message threatening a debt collector knocking at your door is quite a scary prospect, irrelevant of age and sex...

Bettyboop · 10-10-2007 5:33pm

Ru wrote:

Two questions.

1) Is your daughter under 18 (classified as a minor)
2) Did your daughter sign "any" documents?

If your daughter is a minor, sending her a threatening text message is WAY over the line and I would take immediate legal action.

If she hasn't signed any contracts, she is not liable for any debts whether valid or not and on this point, you could take legal action on the basis that a message threatening a debt collector knocking at your door is quite a scary prospect, irrelevant of age and sex...

No she is 23,and signed no documents only me. Was thinking of legal action alright,I will look into it.
Thanks for reply

Don@slickfish.i · 15-10-2007 11:16am

Hmm, I wish I had found this forum earlier! We joined JS in April and now want to leave due to lack of use. We are now facing the common problem of getting out while they are insisting we have a 12 month contract. What is interesting is that we never received the paperwork, and never signed anything, we simply made the first payment by credit card. Ever since the have been debiting the card, and there is no bank Direct debit in place. I thought I could instruct the card company to cease payment by seemingly they cant do this as the must honour even a verbal agreement, even if we cancel the card they still have to keep paying JS!

So we are now wondering how to get out of their clutches, it seems mad to me that not having any contract or paperwork in place that we can't just walk away.

Any tips?

BoB the 7th · 20-10-2007 9:43pm

Tks for all ur in put. Guess wot i'm not joining in the near future. Good Luck with ur probs with JS...

fat frog · 27-10-2007 6:32pm

I joined JS last year. Used it for a while, I found it OK, Then my bar code thing broke and I asked for a repalcement. They had no record of me nor had they taken any money from me at all (as far as I could see but reading all this I better check everything from the kids piggy bank to my secret account in the Cayman Islands). They said no problem and that I could start afresh and pay from then. However a friend of mine got the 'Debt Collectors' bit when she tried to cancel so on that alone I would not go near the place again. But still one up on them

aminahb · 31-10-2007 1:35pm

As an ex-employee of a gym, I can tell you that if you have a copy of this un-signed contract then you are not legally binded to anything.If they say you signed, ask for a photocopy.
If you signed a Direct Debit mandate but not a contract,then they are not entitled to take any money out,as the contract states the amount to be taken and for what.Otherwise we could all set up Direct Debits left right and centre.I suggest talking to your Bank Manager if they wont cancel payments.
When you sign a contract for 12 months installments direct Debit,you are unfortunately bound to make those 12 payments no matter what happens.It is not flexible,and it is not an option to end membership just because you no longer use the facility.And the contracts are ALWAYS roll-over contracts,in that they will continue at the end of the 12 months unless you hand in a cancellation request before the 2nd last month of the 12 month duration.
Unfortunately all of this is in small,small confusing writing on the contract.
A gym contract is a legally binding document.And of all the complaints we dealt with as a gym,not one succeeded in reaching the courts, despite numerous lawyers threatening us.They never found fault in the contracts when getting down to the nitty gritty.
So when you sign, keep a copy. Be aware that if someone tells you "Yeah no problem you can cancel whenever" its a ploy to get you to join, they know once you sign theres nothing you can do.
Be aware the very high turnover of staff,so the manager you dealt wtih today could be someone totally different in 6 months.
Also the "Gym Manager" does very,very little in regards to the running of the club.They have a target to hit each month for sales...that is ALL they are interested in...
Gyms will try every single excuse and reason to get you to stay.They are not interested in your opinions, complaints, suggestions or annoyance at kids in the pool.All they care about are keeping sales up,and absolute minimal maintenance.I know because I worked in one,and saw it ALL the time.
So when you sign.......make sure u know what youre getting yourself into.
p.s all of the above is why I left.

leaba · 04-12-2007 10:37am

If you're a JS member, better check your current account. Both my OH and I were charged twice this month (independant accounts) JS are checking it out and gonna get back to us.

Cheeky Chops · 04-12-2007 11:26am

Thanks Leabha. Just checked and I've been charged twice.

LMC · 04-12-2007 12:21pm

Cheeky Chops wrote: »

Thanks Leabha. Just checked and I've been charged twice.

A guy I work with was only compaining about the same thing this morning!! Looks like they did it to everyone :rolleyes:

Cheeky Chops · 04-12-2007 1:24pm

"Apparently" it is the Banks fault and the money will be returned tomorrow.

leaba · 04-12-2007 2:12pm

I wonder does this represent a breach of contract!

Hammiepeters · 04-12-2007 6:52pm

I wonder how an institution like [snip], which as banks go, enjoys a good reputation would feel about being blamed by a company which routinely overcharges its customers as being at ''fault''.

leaba · 05-12-2007 4:29pm

Money still not back in account...

essentialjc · 05-12-2007 5:00pm

I joined up over the phone a few months back, paid my membership of a few hundred euro or whatever it was for the whole family.
Waited for a direct debit mandate or any sort of contract - NOTHING received...yet yesterday I got a letter threatening me for not paying the first 2 months of contract!!!!!
Few hundred quid they are after - sorry, nothing off of me without signing nowt etc etc
Will be writing an equally nasty letter back this evening!

The Real B-man · 06-12-2007 1:22am

i joined up recently aswell and tbh im gonna get outta that place as soon as my contracts up i dont like how its run at all

Jackie Skelley's

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