Jackie Skelley's

leaba · 06-12-2007 10:36am

Money is still not in account. Rang again just now and was told it will definitely be back by Friday!?!

The Real B-man · 07-12-2007 12:42am

leaba wrote: »

Money is still not in account. Rang again just now and was told it will definitely be back by Friday!?!

I have to get a Bank statement i think i may have been charged twice also :mad:

leaba · 07-12-2007 10:25am

Just checked, and still not there...

Hammiepeters · 07-12-2007 9:24pm

I wonder if it really was the bank or just a clever way of boosting cash flow for the week? Not suggesting that this crowd would do anything as low as that! Are they still using the fire exts. for doorstops? If so and you want to get out. Use that and make a stink. Ring the local fire safety inspector.
Close them down. Roll on new community centre pool. Its on schedule.

leaba · 10-12-2007 10:35am

Money back in account today...

Cheeky Chops · 10-12-2007 8:41pm

Mine went in on Sat. Thanks for alerting me leaba.

Fratton Fred · 14-12-2007 4:32pm

TnJ wrote: »

I1. 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.

We joined JS three months ago, mainly so I could use the gym, which I find fine (Except pretty much every earphone socket seems not to work, do they maintain the place) and so i could take my 5 year old daughter swimming.

I find the pool to be very cold but generally ok, however we had an incident yesterday which I find appalling.

My daughter is having swimming lessons and I have to say, the instructor is first class and really brought my daughter's swimming on well, however, yesterday there 10 kids in the class which I consider too many for one instructor. For some reason, my daughter jumped in after an older girl and started to get into difficulties. The instructor did not notice because she had her back turned (As I say, 10 kids t look afer is a lot) and it was only because my wife had decided to go for a swim, that she managed to grab my daughter before she went under.

The two issues I have are this, 10 kids to only one instructor is too many, especially when most of them can't swim or are novices. Secondly, there was no life guard on duty and no other member of staff supervising the pool. Surely this can't be legal?

We only put our daughter in the group classes because JS put the price of a private lesson up by 25%.

We have tried complaining, but the manager does not want to return our calls.

Hammiepeters · 14-12-2007 5:49pm

Put it in writing and start proceedings to get out of your membership. The place is a dangerous dump.

leaba · 02-01-2008 2:14pm

Looks like JS have increased my standing order by a euro. Is this across the board. Should members not be informed that there is an increase in the fees?

MegFi · 02-01-2008 3:40pm

Fratton Fred wrote: »

We have tried complaining, but the manager does not want to return our calls.

I was a member last year and had a few compaints. I rang every day for 6 days looking for a manager who was not available and left a message to return my call..which never happened! I have been members opf other gyms -one for 5 years, another for a year and she I once made a complaint it was dealt with immediately!

Ice Man · 02-01-2008 3:41pm

Was annoyed to find that the gym was closed on New Year's Eve, whatever about the reduced opening times over the Christmas period!! Not a bank holiday on Monday so why was it not open? Surely we should expect it to be open on normal working days like everywhere else!!!

MegFi · 02-01-2008 3:49pm

aminahb wrote: »

As an ex-employee of a gym, 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.

I have to agree on the above about Jacke Skelley unfortunately, but as a member of another two gyms (both same owner) in the past, I found them very well run, very clean and extremely and efficiently well maintained, excellent friendly helpful staff and very reactive staff/managers to customers comments AND costed less than half the cost under €300 PA per year!!! It is such a shame the owner would not open one in the Greystones area - I would be their first customer (I actually wrote the owner a letter suggesting they do so...to no avail!!!). I have become very unfit since giving up my membership in JS and would love to get fit again, but it frustrated me so much in JS everytime I went there with all the broken gym equipment even within a month after it opened!

girliegirl · 02-01-2008 4:02pm

leaba wrote: »

Looks like JS have increased my standing order by a euro. Is this across the board. Should members not be informed that there is an increase in the fees?

After reading this, i checked my account and mine has increased too. This happened a friend of mine a short while back and he complained but didnt get his money back and didnt decrease it back to what it was supposed to be either. If they've done this to everyone in the gym they'll make a killing.

Hammiepeters · 02-01-2008 4:31pm

MegFi wrote: »

I have to agree on the above about Jacke Skelley unfortunately, but as a member of another two gyms (both same owner) in the past, I found them very well run, very clean and extremely and efficiently well maintained, excellent friendly helpful staff and very reactive staff/managers to customers comments AND costed less than half the cost under €300 PA per year!!! It is such a shame the owner would not open one in the Greystones area - I would be their first customer (I actually wrote the owner a letter suggesting they do so...to no avail!!!). I have become very unfit since giving up my membership in JS and would love to get fit again, but it frustrated me so much in JS everytime I went there with all the broken gym equipment even within a month after it opened!

Couldn't reccommend the Glen Highly enough. Great club. The Marriot looks good too. it's always easy to speculate that when people leave a gym it's because they are lazy or lost motivation. With JS, not so. It's a first rate dump.

MegFi · 02-01-2008 8:57pm

Hammiepeters wrote: »

Couldn't reccommend the Glen Highly enough. Great club. The Marriot looks good too. it's always easy to speculate that when people leave a gym it's because they are lazy or lost motivation. With JS, not so. It's a first rate dump.

When you say the Glen, do you mean the Glenview hotel?

Hammiepeters · 02-01-2008 10:32pm

MegFi wrote: »

When you say the Glen, do you mean the Glenview hotel?

Yes

MegFi · 03-01-2008 12:49am

Thanks

CHD · 03-01-2008 5:05am

Marriott isnt that good

mikedragon32 · 03-01-2008 9:06am

chdpoker wrote: »

Marriott isnt that good

Wow. Quality input.

Care to explain why?

Anyone else who's opined about it previously has said it was great.

MegFi · 03-01-2008 10:03pm

mikedragon32 wrote: »

Wow. Quality input.

Care to explain why?

Anyone else who's opined about it previously has said it was great.

Yes, I must say that having been there as a hotel guest and although small, it is clean, well-maintained, and seems fine (though pricey)!??

JKB · 04-01-2008 10:24am

girliegirl wrote: »

After reading this, i checked my account and mine has increased too. This happened a friend of mine a short while back and he complained but didnt get his money back and didnt decrease it back to what it was supposed to be either. If they've done this to everyone in the gym they'll make a killing.

Same with mine, I just called and left my details and asked to be called back. The girl didn't know when the accounts person would be in.... joke!! Must check my contract as I am sure this is a breach, no notification nothing.

Has everyone else called about this??

leaba · 04-01-2008 10:35am

No I haven't called them. I was going to mention it at reception the other day, but the girl looked at me like I'd eaten her baby so I went all Zen and decided that talking to her wasn't the path to happiness!

JKB · 04-01-2008 10:42am

Looked at the contract and there is nothing stating that they can increase fees. The only thing mentioned is in relation to under 18's their fees increase as they hit certain age brackets. Nothing at all for the rest of us.

leaba · 07-01-2008 2:56pm

I received a response from JS informing me of the following. I don't have a copy of my contract so I can't confirm it. I will ask for one though.

"As per the terms and conditions stated on the back of your contract, due to inflation, each membership increases yearly by €1. "

JKB · 10-01-2008 10:03am

It certainly doesn't say that on the back of mine. All it mentions is that children will have their fees automatically increased as they reach certain age brackets.

Having said all that I have filled out a cancellation form.... had enough at this stage. To add to that I got my finger caught in the horrific door on the way out, only I had rings on my finger didn't break, but one of the rings is ruined and I'll have to take it to a jewellers and get it reset, finger doesn't look to hot either, all swollen and bruised. Only a matter of time before a kid crushes their hand in that door.

As I said enough is enough, they aren't taking my hard earned cash anymore !!

DTinthegrove · 10-01-2008 11:21am

This is a long thread with lots of negative things about JS, many to do with contracts and small print conditions which should always be read.

I am in no way saying that JS is a first rate facility and i am not supporting them for the way they handle customers, broken doors etc. BUT for me it's an affordable facility that Greystones never had 2 years ago, and its filled a gap in the local facilities.

We have family membership, its half the price we would have paid in the UK, and I have seen much much worse conditions and paid much more money for them. We take it for what it is, not great, but affordable and something we never had before.

As for the pool being cold, yes its a training pool; as for no life guards, yes it a private pool so they don't need them and parents should always look after their kids near a pool even if it is attended; As for it not being clean, I've never really noticed (I guess people have higher expectations than me)

We only really use the pool and in the 2 years I have taught both my children how to swim, which i wouldn't of done with out these local facility. (Glen too small too expensive, Marriot too expensive, Wicklow to far away meaning we just wouldn't go)

Now the kids can go on our summer holiday and enjoy the pool which has added to their fun!! I guess what I am saying is for my fanily I think we have got something out of it, even though its not perfect, its been worth the investment (from my point of view)

It has always been a short term measure and we will cancel as soon as the new Greytones public facility is avialble (Yes, i have read the terms and conditions so i know how much notice i will have to give etc)

MegFi · 10-01-2008 1:10pm

I am prepared to even pay a bit more for a cleaner better maintained well-staffed facility, I haven't had any good experiences over my year membership in JS - unlike other (way cheaper) gyms, unfortunately not within this area...but I need to bite the bullet and get fit again - this weather of late hasn't allowed for much jogging!...so I have just got the prices (a bit more I might add, but they are both waving the joining fee this time of year) for the Marriott & Glenview so I am going up now for a look to see which I will join! :rolleyes:

Clifford Chance · 10-01-2008 3:04pm

I've got to say that I have been a member of quite a few gyms - Killiney Castle, Crunch, Westwood and Jackie Skelly's - and they are all the same. I have no problems with Jackie Skelly's and have been a member since it opened. There are no problems that I am encountering with this gym that I haven't encountered with all the others. The only difference is that it is cheaper.

leaba · 10-01-2008 6:52pm

Sorry Clifford, but I have to disagree.

I've been a member of a number of gyms too, including Westwood. Unless I'm the only dope paying a high fee to JS, it's no cheaper than Westwood.

Facitilities don't match either of the main Westwood gyms. Tiny Jacuzzi for the size of the gym. Westwood had a seperate kids gym, so none of the problems with kids running around, picking up weights and using machines. Not being able to find a staff member, never mind talk to them in the gym area is a common occurance in JS Greystones.

I never had my rates increase in the 3 years I was with Westwood, never mind them being increased without any notice. The only problem I had with Westwood was that they made it difficult for me to leave even though I had been a customer for 3 years and was moving house.

If you have no problems with JS, and you haven't had any problems with JS that you haven't had anywhere else. Then you haven't had any problems anywhere else either!

Sorry for being a smart ass, and you're obviously entitled to your opinion, but even the staff in JS have admitted on various occasions that there has been serious problems with JS greystones.

MegFi · 10-01-2008 8:44pm

I agree... I have NOTHING good to say about JS and lots good in every other gym I have been member of for the last 10 years! Just been to the Mariott & Glenview - I am impressed with both and am joining the Marriott. Pricing a littlt more than the others but only a few Euro so that is fine! Main thing I want is cleanliness, maintenance and trained staff - so fingers crossed.... time will tell!! :rolleyes:

Jackie Skelley's

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