UNACCEPTABLE

PHIL HERNON · Feb 18, 2009

THESE ECONOMIC TIMES ARE TOUGH............I AM MOVING MY GYM IN 5 MONTHS TO A BIGGER PLACE BUT CHEAPER ALSO............OTHER GYMS DO NOT TELL THEIR CLIENTS AND JUST CLOSE UP SHOP.......NOT RIGHT....A FEW AROUND HERE HAVE DONE THAT AND IT IS NOT RIGHT............IT IS STEALING.

oldfella · Feb 18, 2009

PHIL HERNON said:
THESE ECONOMIC TIMES ARE TOUGH............I AM MOVING MY GYM IN 5 MONTHS TO A BIGGER PLACE BUT CHEAPER ALSO............OTHER GYMS DO NOT TELL THEIR CLIENTS AND JUST CLOSE UP SHOP.......NOT RIGHT....A FEW AROUND HERE HAVE DONE THAT AND IT IS NOT RIGHT............IT IS STEALING.

Well it is only stealing if they continue to take money from people right up to the last minute. If they do not take any more clients and stop taking money from exisiting clients for a final period then I would say they have done the right thing. For many it is a matter of survival. Also as you would know, greed on the part of the landlord will play a big role in this.

mikeyt869 · Feb 18, 2009

PHIL HERNON said:
THESE ECONOMIC TIMES ARE TOUGH............I AM MOVING MY GYM IN 5 MONTHS TO A BIGGER PLACE BUT CHEAPER ALSO............OTHER GYMS DO NOT TELL THEIR CLIENTS AND JUST CLOSE UP SHOP.......NOT RIGHT....A FEW AROUND HERE HAVE DONE THAT AND IT IS NOT RIGHT............IT IS STEALING.

thats is bad business, but like you stated many gyms do pull shit like that fortunately we have people like you who are honest and realistic! Where are you moving your gym to phil, closer my way?

7_Deadly_Sins · Feb 18, 2009

Honestly that thing is why I pay by the month, b/c you never know when a gym will close down and you wont be able to get a refund, espically if you pre-paid say 12 months at once to get a discount.
Very nice of you phil, how big is the upgrade?

PHIL HERNON · Feb 18, 2009

yes

I am moving into a warehouse......8,000 sq feet............used to house school busses.............sharing it with a gymnastics studio.......cost me $500 a month..........I am paying $3,800 a month now for 5,800 SQ ft.

Tom · Feb 18, 2009

greed

greedy landlord is losing a good tenant with an established business. now that building will sit empty for months.....his loss Phil.

RONJON · Feb 18, 2009

yea its tough where I work too right now, but im hoping that things are gunna look up. Wish that gym was down in Texas Id be there in .2 seconds! Im sure you will make it a kick-ass place tho PHIL

PHIL HERNON · Feb 18, 2009

oh no.....

Tom said:
greedy landlord is losing a good tenant with an established business. now that building will sit empty for months.....his loss Phil.

Tom, I am in a great location.........he has been good to me....$8 a sq foot. Believe me it is worth it.........I just cant afford it.........I have 150 clients at $35 per.......with gas/electric bills .........I make nothing.

tatteredxangelx · Feb 18, 2009

So you are saving $3300 a month?

Phidias · Feb 18, 2009

As long as your loyal customers ain't presented with the fait accompli and they're able to anticipate the move, that's what matters.

But I trust you to take good care of them, Phil.

PHIL HERNON · Feb 18, 2009

OH YES

Phidias said:
As long as your loyal customers ain't presented with the fait accompli and they're able to anticipate the move, that's what matters.

But I trust you to take good care of them, Phil.

I AM TELLING THEM NOW.........I AM MOVING AUGUST 1ST.

lacabra · Feb 19, 2009

PHIL HERNON said:
I AM TELLING THEM NOW.........I AM MOVING AUGUST 1ST.

I wish more people in the industry had a conscience like this.

Two years ago, I bought a three month membership at a gym and literally one week later, they posted up a notice that they were closing down at the end of the month. I had to talk to the manager many, many times before they agreed to give me a refund. I wasn't the only one signing up that month either.

SZona · Feb 19, 2009

Wow!

PHIL HERNON said:
I am moving into a warehouse......8,000 sq feet............used to house school busses.............sharing it with a gymnastics studio.......cost me $500 a month..........I am paying $3,800 a month now for 5,800 SQ ft.

Where at? Saving $3300 a month and more square footage?! Thats awesome!

Z

Thor · Feb 19, 2009

Happened here too

lacabra said:
I wish more people in the industry had a conscience like this.

Two years ago, I bought a three month membership at a gym and literally one week later, they posted up a notice that they were closing down at the end of the month. I had to talk to the manager many, many times before they agreed to give me a refund. I wasn't the only one signing up that month either.

one established popular gym was renewing memberships for the next year and taking the full years pay, then they were just gone overnite., and another one moved all the machines and weights in to a building and was getting people to sign up and pay for the whole year at a good discount and then literally in the middle of the nite they took everything out and vanished. Both of those places almost got me but I told them I needed to think about it. These were both private gyms and this was many years ago, but it is why I only go to golds now and only pay monthly..... I would love to train at Phils gym but it would be about a 4 hour drive.

PHIL HERNON · Feb 19, 2009

Hi Sam!!

SZona said:
Where at? Saving $3300 a month and more square footage?! Thats awesome!

Z

Right down the 14 going out of town towards the 90..........by the rollerdome

Nssca · Feb 19, 2009

I remember back in the 80's when Franchise Gyms/spa's would charge hundreds if not over a Grand for a lifetime or AKA Charter membership and then Close long before they should have.
If I'm correct, there where laws passed to keep these businesses from charging and writing up a contract for more than a year. If a gym closes and you have paid then they should refund your money or pro-rate for the amount you didn't use for the month they closed.

e6er · Feb 19, 2009

PHIL HERNON said:
THESE ECONOMIC TIMES ARE TOUGH............I AM MOVING MY GYM IN 5 MONTHS TO A BIGGER PLACE BUT CHEAPER ALSO............OTHER GYMS DO NOT TELL THEIR CLIENTS AND JUST CLOSE UP SHOP.......NOT RIGHT....A FEW AROUND HERE HAVE DONE THAT AND IT IS NOT RIGHT............IT IS STEALING.

Either they close shop without saying anything, or sell it and then they change the gym, get rid of the heavy weights and push Bb'ers out. New owners then decide that they want to market more towards the evry day gym go'er (families).

If it were me and they closed shop, I would be charging back a few months of gym membership.

zephyr22 · Feb 19, 2009

In college I worked at a gym.....

It closed also after about 5 years. I loved that gym. Awesome Nebula brand equipment etc....Anyways there were multiple owners of the gym and all had different ideas. So anyways it closed and a guy bought all the equipment and moved it down about 3 miles away. Now the new owner has been in prison for multiple bad buisness ventures and thus has changed his name multiple times. Anyways I always see different signs out in front of his gym like "act now for a 75 cents per day membership". And gimmecks like "buy 3 years get one free" . I know this bastard will take as much money as he can until he closes. Not good at all. Way to go Phil I hope all works out for you.

zephyr22 · Feb 19, 2009

Also watch out for the....

Yeah you got to watch out for the random calls to your home saying you won a membership to some local club. I can say this because the gym I worked at had hired a company to come in and sell memberships and it was the sleeziest deal I had ever seen. They call tell you that you won a membership and to come to the gym and claim it etc....Then once there the salesmen who wont let you say no will have them put a dollar down and give them a day to think about it. Also they membership was free but you had to pay a maintenance fee which was pretty much a membership fee. Anyways once there is a dollar down it is now a legal contract (they also signed the contract). I was not happy about this either. I told me boss basically that this was wrong and that it in the long run would make buisness worse because people would think that the gym was a scam. To this day I still remember people reeming me out on the phone because they went to buy a car or something and a marker was put on there credit becuase they never paid there gym bill (which most of them never even used once). It reminds of the damn Kirbey vacume cleaner scam I felll for about 5 yrs ago.....

e6er · Feb 19, 2009

zephyr22 said:
It closed also after about 5 years. I loved that gym. Awesome Nebula brand equipment etc....Anyways there were multiple owners of the gym and all had different ideas. So anyways it closed and a guy bought all the equipment and moved it down about 3 miles away. Now the new owner has been in prison for multiple bad buisness ventures and thus has changed his name multiple times. Anyways I always see different signs out in front of his gym like "act now for a 75 cents per day membership". And gimmecks like "buy 3 years get one free" . I know this bastard will take as much money as he can until he closes. Not good at all. Way to go Phil I hope all works out for you.

If you pay for something, and they close shop dispute with your Bank. If a Owner closes shop their merchant account will remain open for at least 6 months just in case any refunds or chargebacks arise. The bank they use usually holds a reserve for these types of reasons.