With the upcoming opening of the new Powerhouse Gym in the Daytona Beach area, a consumer has asked us if it makes sense to purchase a membership to a gym that hasn't opened, nor has construction began. Apparently the Powerhouse Gym is offering a pre-opening discount to all members that enroll in a long term contract before the gym is opened. What the consumer really is attempting to determine is;
Would the potential savings be worth the risk of investment?
Our immediate answer would be no if the savings is based on a long term contract or commitment. Without reading the contract or written agreement, we can't, at this point, determine what the financial risk would be to the consumer but if the Daytona Beach Powerhouse Gym truly wants the consumer's business they should honor any pre-opening price if and when the gym actually opens. There are many area gym options available to the local consumer and many of them come with risk-free, no long term obligation clauses. Powerhouse Gym would be foolish not to accept a consumer's business at opening and honor the pre-opening price at that time.
In this economic climate the consumer can negotiate their own price for almost anything. It simply depends on how bad the business wants your business.
Before we can offer any definitive statements with regards to this particular facility, we will research the specific offer and provide our feedback as soon as possible.
In our opinion, it is never a good idea to purchase a product, sight unseen, at any price, regardless of the terms and conditions unless specific language provides an opt out clause at the time of delivery, a full refund is offered if unsatisfied and ample time has been provided to assure that the product is right for you.
Many area health clubs and gyms offer a short term free or reduced price membership for that very reason. They want you to be completely satisfied before purchasing their product. We will attempt to compile a list of area facilities that offer such programs and post it here as soon as possible.
Florida Law does provide for a three (3) day right of rescission for all contracts but the statutory period of time would expire before the consumer would be able to fully gauge if the Gym Membership would be a proper fit. Apparently the Daytona Powerhouse Gym won't open for at least another 90 days, based on information that has been provided to us.
In one situation, although not locally, over 3000 individuals pre-purchased a gym membership for a gym that didn't open. In fact, the gym was not authorized by the State to open or sell memberships. Here is the story - Gym Memberships Paid But No Gym
According to a study conducted in 2007, Complaints received by Better Business Bureau for fitness clubs had increased more than 90 percent in the previous 5 years. According to the analysis, the most common complaints consumers had about fitness clubs focused on two related areas, contract disputes (41.5 percent) and billing issues (31.7 percent). BBB also recognized a rise in complaints about fitness centers that sold memberships, only to go out of business a few weeks later (15.1 percent), leaving disgruntled customers behind trying to recoup their advance payments.
At this point, our advice would be to wait until the gym is opened before any decisions are made. There are plenty of local gyms that will allow you to use their facilities on a month to month basis without committing to any long term contracts or depositing your youngest child as collateral.
Your physical health is a commodity that should be protected but not at the expense of your future financial health. Read the Fine Print and remember Buyer Beware!
Keywords: Health Club Membership, Gym Membership, Powerhouse Gym Daytona Beach, Pre-sale Membership, Pre-opening Membership
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