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Gyms in Cork

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  • 03-12-2008 12:20pm
    #1
    JohnDennehy
    Registered Users Posts: 12 ✭


    Hi,

    I know a lot of people will be joining gyms after the Christmas holidays. Most of them will be pretty aggressive signing up new members but here's something to consider, especially if you have kids.

    I am a member of Planet Health Club in Blackpool, Cork. I recently went to the gym with my wife and three kids. I was charged €15 for my wife as a guest and €5 for each kid (they're 1,2 and 4). Works out at €30 for a swim on top of my membership fee.

    I told the guy at reception that I wasn't aware there was a €5 fee for babies. He basically said tough and that I could pay or leave. I'm obviously not going back.

    For the past two years I had been going there I was never charged for bringing in kids although I do remember being charged €15 for arm bands on one occassion!

    I phoned around to see what the policy in other gyms is. Source Fitness in Silver Springs don't charge for babies. The Metropole charge €3 for kids but I think they also allow babies in for free.

    I had paid in Planet up front for a year. After finding out this stealth charge I asked to cancel my membership. They wouldn't provide any refund although you can transfer your membership to somebody else. At a cost of €50 of course.

    Lesson is - if you're joining a gym, especially if you're paying up front for a year, check the small print. And if you have young kids I would strongly advice you not to join Planet Health Club in Blackpool.

    John
    Tagged:


Comments

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    #2
    Bill-e
    Registered Users Posts: 986 ✭✭✭Bill-e


    Kids and gyms are a no go imo


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    #3
    DamienH
    Registered Users Posts: 1,507 ✭✭✭DamienH


    Does anyone know a good gym that you can pay to go to? I'll be home or christmas and want to keep on going


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    #4
    Colonel_McCoy
    Registered Users Posts: 751 ✭✭✭Colonel_McCoy


    Leisureworld Bishopstown


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    #5
    Fast_Mover
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,619 ✭✭✭Fast_Mover


    Aura in Cobh is pay as you go aswell.


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    #6
    geffkane
    Closed Accounts Posts: 67 ✭✭geffkane


    Why do you want to bring a 1 year old baby to the gym? I am a member of the Planet and to be honest I would prefer to be able to have a workout without having to put up with crying babies. Its a bit like people who complain that they can't bring babies to pubs.


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    #7
    run_Forrest_run
    Registered Users Posts: 6,430 ✭✭✭run_Forrest_run


    geffkane wrote: »
    Why do you want to bring a 1 year old baby to the gym? I am a member of the Planet and to be honest I would prefer to be able to have a workout without having to put up with crying babies. Its a bit like people who complain that they can't bring babies to pubs.

    perhaps the OP didn't have anyone else to mind the child, maybe we don't know the full story...and gyms and pubs are very different.


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    #8
    hunnymonster
    Registered Users Posts: 5,365 ✭✭✭hunnymonster


    The OP said he was taking the kids for a swim. I assume noone expects to be able to take a baby to a gym section of a sports centre. If you don't want to swim when there are kids there, go to the pool first thing in the morning or last thing at night.


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    #9
    run_Forrest_run
    Registered Users Posts: 6,430 ✭✭✭run_Forrest_run


    interesting to read this, myself and the wife were members of Rochestown Park Hotel Gym and once we were going for a swim with our daughter (2 and a half years old) and the staff member asked us in a sort of rude/smart way did we want to sign our daughter up for membership (€135 per year) or €5 per visit.
    We were quite taken back by this, we said that she was only two and a half and the woman said, yeah, she needs to be a member.

    We were bringing her to the pool because we were going to the pool, we don't have family etc. who would mind her while we went to the pool so really I thought the idea of joining a toddler up in a gym was crazy, because the toddler only goes if they are brought, it's not as is they make their own decision on whether they will go to the gym/pool today or not!

    I understand paying a membership fee for kids alright, no problem there but I thought expecting payment for a toddler who's parents are already members was a bit rich.

    Anyway, when membership renewal came around for myself and my wife we didn't accept, feck em.

    I reckon gyms are feeling the pinch big time and they are becoming ruthless in order to stay afloat, well they messed up with us anyway...and also friends of ours who have a toddler didn't renew their membership either...so the gym lost more than what they stood to earn...eejits.


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    #10
    hunnymonster
    Registered Users Posts: 5,365 ✭✭✭hunnymonster


    We have family membership at the Mardyke and as far as I remember, the price for a family was the same as two adults. Kids have to be out by 6 pm (could be a bit later but certainly they have to be out early) which suits me perfectly.


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    #11
    gimmick
    Closed Accounts Posts: 21,296 ✭✭✭✭gimmick


    JohnDennehy wrote: »
    Lesson is - if you're joining a gym, especially if you're paying up front for a year, check the small print. And if you have young kids I would strongly advice you not to join Planet Health Club in Blackpool.

    John

    You should have taken your own advice so and not wibble about it online. There are public pools which cater for kids around the city, most notably Leisureworld in Churchfield and Bishopstown.

    I am a member of The Planet as well and am quite happy with their policy toward kids.


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    #12
    run_Forrest_run
    Registered Users Posts: 6,430 ✭✭✭run_Forrest_run


    gimmick wrote: »
    You should have taken your own advice so and not wibble about it online. There are public pools which cater for kids around the city, most notably Leisureworld in Churchfield and Bishopstown.

    I am a member of The Planet as well and am quite happy with their policy toward kids.

    he is taking his own advice on the matter now, he can hardly have known about it before it actually happened to him!
    He's not 'wibbling' either, he's just sharing his experience on a public internet forum, often designed for things like that you know.


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    #13
    geffkane
    Closed Accounts Posts: 67 ✭✭geffkane


    hunnymonster wrote: »
    The OP said he was taking the kids for a swim. I assume noone expects to be able to take a baby to a gym section of a sports centre. If you don't want to swim when there are kids there, go to the pool first thing in the morning or last thing at night.

    to be honest having other peoples one year old crying babies in the pool with me takes some of the pleasure out of going for a swim. There are pay as you go pools in Churchfield and Bishopstown which are aimed at those that want to take young childen with them but I am glad that most private health clubs try to discourage it.


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    #14
    MunsterCycling
    Registered Users Posts: 4,864 ✭✭✭MunsterCycling


    gimmick wrote: »
    You should have taken your own advice so and not wibble about it online. There are public pools which cater for kids around the city, most notably Leisureworld in Churchfield and Bishopstown.

    I am a member of The Planet as well and am quite happy with their policy toward kids.
    LeisureWorld are private pools that have some public hours, no public pools in Cork anymore.


    MC


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    #15
    Dixie Chick
    Registered Users Posts: 1,062 ✭✭✭Dixie Chick


    I also was a member of Planet and I moved house and my commute to the gym went from 15 minutes to 40 so i basically called into the manager and explained to him the situation and I only had to pay on final direct debit and I was able to cancel. I did have to be tough though

    But, I agree about the kids in the pool. If kids were free into the pool then you would never get a decent swim in again at a weekend. I understand that you paid membership for yourself but I was made well aware of how much it was to bring a kid/ guest in if you wanted. But other people also paid membership and its an adults only gym, so basically by putting this charge on bringing a child in i think just helps to stop the mases arriving.


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    #16
    run_Forrest_run
    Registered Users Posts: 6,430 ✭✭✭run_Forrest_run


    Dixie Chick wrote: »
    If kids were free into the pool then you would never get a decent swim in again at a weekend.

    as opposed to the teenagers who act like kids in a pool half the time (mainly lads..perhaps they are in denial!!) and I've often seen adults trying to have their 'decent' swim and to be honest their pathetic flapping around the place was causing more disruption to others than any child could ever do.


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    #17
    chloe90
    Registered Users Posts: 42 ✭chloe90


    i was planing to read this just because i was looking for details on black pools gym's and i can honestly say if i went to go look at their gym and saw kids there with there parents i wouldn't join, and if i was a parent i would know that taking a kid to a gym is very rude to everyone around, cause no one can say " get the kid out of here i'm trying to relax from my life and work out" not to be an ass but, for a parent to even think they're right on this subject is just plain rude and selfish.while you don't mind that your kid gets to stay and think it doesn't bother anyone , think if you were younger and trying to have a long hard work out with a baby giggling or parents playing games with their baby. fact is parents think its cute , but most of the people around them Don't . i personally find that annoying and would tell management cause no matter how good your intentions are it will probably distract me from preforming my best . i think the fee should honestly be higher for children because if a fiver can allow kids in , i don't want to join for hundreds .


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