"Gym giant deducts £45 monthly fees from bank accounts BEFORE clients have signed contracts"

I laughed out loud when I saw this story in Sunday's People. For people who have missed it, I kindly scanned in the whole story - :)

http://www.nojoiningfee.co.uk/people.php

It mentions Romford and Chelmsford, has anyone from Sheffield had this happen to them?

Stuart

Does not surprise me. thanks for the scan stu!

The figures they quote are true - sales staff in fitness first and places like virgin inactive are expected to get around 100 new members on some days and they will stop at nothing to achieve that.

And whilst they are piling in new members, treadmills get busier and classes get full. I'm hearing stories that some classes at virgin inactive have a waiting list - yet people are still paying full price membership fees.

Interesting stats:-

169 fitness first clubs
source http://www.fitnessfirst.co.uk/UK-Gym-Health-Club-Locator/Fitness-First-Gym-Locator.aspx

Sales staff expecting to get 150 new members per month
source Sunday People - 18th March 2007 (I have made the presumption this is the sales target per club)

GBP 30.00 admin cost to setup a new membership.
source - myself going in and asking in the club

Admin charges per year to setup new memberships:-
169 * 150 * 30.00 * 12 = GBP 9,126,000.00
Blimey thats a lot of admin!

I guess they don't actually expect to hit those numbers.

Stuart