deedee_b

Hi,

So I've been caking up this winter and would like to trim up for summer, I would like to join the gym, I live very close by to Surfers, I would like a gym that is well priced, and has a wide range of equipment, good members of staff, any suggestions?

I have thought about Centrepoint and Jetts which are very close... any experiences with those?

Thanks

moneypenny20

No idea up there except to stay away from Fitness First. Avoid them like the plague.

soapy©

best jim i know runs the golf days lol

good luck finding a gym though

johnnyx0

Yes. Known as "Finance First" in the industry....

azeds

If you consider surfer sparidise as the goldcoast, there is a gym at the furthest part of the bullevard closest to the mountain where the river mouth is, its called osmething like 'appliance gym' alot of my mates go there, so i assume its very good

Sheilas Wheels

Hi, I am a member at Conrad Jupiters (the casino). Its $29.50 a fortnight and you get full use of the gym, all classes and use of the pool. Good value and friendly people!

sammyg

The one in broadbeach (can't think what it's called but it's in the oasis shopping centre) is supposed to be good, they have a dj playing music and it overlooks the beach.

I go Fitness First and i really don't see what all the drama is about! It is a gym that has different membership contract times and you choose which one you want. If you want to break that contract they wont want you to without a fight -it's a contract!!

In the Uk we used various gyms, Virgin etc and it was exactly the same.
Some people moan because they can't get out of a contract that they agreed to
Infact the contracts are better here than they are in the UK as you can have a 6 month one and pay as you go, in the UK it was yearly.
Read all the small print carefully and you will know when to suspend/cancel contracts with less complications.

deedee_b

Thanks everyone!!

I used to use Fitness First when I lived in London, and I loved it. The Fitness First GC is too far away for me. I'll have a look at the Broadbeach and Jupiters suggestions.

If the contracts are too long or too expensive, I can always walk along the beach... it's free...

johnnyx0

A few quotes form people who have tried to cancel their contracts with Fitness First (after the one year membership period!):

1) "Over a year ago, I decided it would be good if I did some exercises. I walked in Fitness First and signed myself one year membership. That only took 5 minutes. Not long after that, I discovered that I am just not the type who can attend regularly. Being on the one year membership, I have found the only use for the membership card is reminding myself and showing friends that I am simply no good for exercises.

One would think it will only need a phone call to cancel the membership after one year. I have been so wrong. Membership can not be canceled over the phone. Above two weeks ago, I went back to Fitness First and was told I would need an appointment to get the membership canceled. However the person who can cancel my membership has been fully booked. So I said: no problem, just call me when he/she becomes available. So I left my phone number etc. It does not surprise me no one has called so far. I just went in again to make the appointment, the first available spot is a week late at precisely 12:30pm.

So I asked what if I missed this appointment? she said you will need to come in to make another appointment. There are 5 consultants on premises to sign anyone who walks in, but they can not cancel my membership! There is only one person who can, presume only during working hours. This not only wastes my time, but also makes me pay quite a few more $20/week."

2) "It seems every time I hear a horror story about gym membership payments it involves fitness first, my nephew was on a monthly direct debit and they 'accidently' debited a 12 month membership payment and he has spent more then a month trying to get them to fix it, being given the run around constantly, I don't know anything about them but the more I hear about their business ethics the worse they sound."

3)Just came back from the Bank. Apparently the bank can not stop the auto debit to the credit card. I will write a letter to inform them I want to cancel. Hope that will give me more security. As soon as I mentioned about gym/membership, the bank clerk asked which one. They started to shake heads as soon as I said Fitness First. So they must have been dealing with a lot of unhappy Fitness First customers."

4) Called the bank just now and told them I want to cancel an "auto charge" to my credit card, to my astonishment, she asked me: is that for FitnessFirst?

johnnyx0

A guy I know works for Fitness First as a trainer, and he said it's their policy to only give members just enough information & instruction to be safe on the equipment, nothing else. Any other help or advice is only to be given when they pay for a personal training session.
This goes against what I do as a PT, as I like to give people lots of help and advice and see them do well. My philosophy as a trainer is that if people are getting results, and are happy, then they'll keep coming back. No need for the pressure sales techniques. I happily give members free advice and tips in the gym, and they appreciate it.

moneypenny20

It has been known for FF to ask for a death certificate before they'll allow a membership to be closed for the dead person. Someone on here had to move back to the UK for treatment for cancer of the brain, they requested medical confirmation. A friend of mine had to close his bank account and open one with a new bank as the only way to prevent them from removing money from his account every month.

If someone is happy with FF then good for them. I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole and neither would the hundreds who frequent the anti FF websites.

deedee_b

Whoops! Seems like I've started something.

It's interesting because FF in England was pretty good. Although the were also pretty fussy about closing the account, I told them I was leaving the country and they would only suspend it for 3 months, I went back and by then I'd completed the 12 month contract and they were happy to close it down, my bank, Natwest at the time was happy to stop the direct debit.

Anyway, I've rung a boxercise company in Southport, they do pay as you go, no contracts and no sign ups... I think this is more my type of thing not fannying around machines pretending to know what I'm doing... we'll see...

Centurion

Check out http://www.crossfitgoldcoast.com.au/ or indeed any of the CrossFit affiliates Australia wide at www.crossfit.com

Its been a very long time since I did anything other than broad modality functional movement training. Most of the bodybuilder types I know simply can't hack it

Deancm

Whatever you do do, do not use Fitness First.

Deancm

A lot of the problems with Fitness First have come when the contract has expired, you have cancelled and they keep direct debiting your account, and then hand it on to a debt collection agency.