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Original poster

David Lloyd - 3 year old £27/month?!

45 replies

MeakTiger · 10/02/2019 11:47

I’ve been a member at David Lloyd three years, joining when my DS was a few weeks old. My membership is £85/month and I can’t say I’ve achieved my goals of weight loss or fitness but I do like the club although can only go two or three times a week as I work 4 days of long hours with a long commute.

My two year old turns three soon and will go from £0 to £27 a month. I normally take him for a swim a couple of times a month but can’t justify £27 a month. Does this pricing seem correct?

I really do enjoy going but struggle to justify the goat for what is normally eight classes and two or three swims a month.

There is only one other gym locally with a pool though and I really dislike it there. I’m thinking of trying to do more running and maybe trying the Les Mills at home videos for classes. Has anyone experience of these?

OP posts:
RandomMess · 10/02/2019 11:48

Can you not pay a guest rate for him instead?

Todaythiscouldbe · 10/02/2019 11:52

That sounds right. DL changed their pricing structure a few years ago, our club started charging for children over 3 months old on a sliding scale. Guest passes are about £10 a time and can't be used for the same person more than twice a year unless it's changed, we left when it started to cost us £180 a month for me, DH and my then 9 year old

bokkleorandoove · 10/02/2019 12:39

I used to be a David Lloyd member but I didn't sign my kids up. I thought the kids membership includes swimming lessons and kids classes?

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anxiousbundle · 10/02/2019 12:45

£85pm for gym & pool membership?!! That's crazy- I thought Bannatynes was bad for £60 a month! ShockShock

How cheeky of them to charge for a 3 year old!

Bookishandblondish · 10/02/2019 12:50

Why is it cheeky? Presumably the £27 per month would allow the 3 yr old to use it every day ( so insurance, cleaning, space, heating etc) is covered. They may also lose customers who pay £85 per month who don’t want to share a pool with a 3 yr old.

The fact the OP won’t use it enough isn’t David Lloyd’s problem.

Original poster
MeakTiger · 10/02/2019 13:10

Swimming lessons are extra on top of the £27 but are fairly reasonable £9/lesson with small groups. He isn’t having lessons though.

I think it is a shame they charge the same for 3 years old as they do 18 years old. He doesn’t have the same access to facilitates (or even close) to that of an 18 year old.

Unfortunately the £85 is the top of my limit, which includes taking him swimming. I can’t afford or justify £112/month. I only justified the £85 as it included him. I’d be happy paying £75 for myself and £10 for him which is kind of how I balanced it in my head.

OP posts:
PenguinPandas · 10/02/2019 13:18

Our DL was about £30 a month per child, goes up above certain age 16 or so but was excellent value if you used it - up to 3 hours kids clubs a night, a playcentre, indoor and outdoor pools, they met friends there and had playdates and could play in playcentre and free towels. The adult price was harder to get value from but used to use pools, jacuzzi, sauna a lot so not too bad but would say kids were being subsidised by adult prices. Fine for me as 2 kids but caused resentment with other adults with no kids. Tennis was free for kids too.

PenguinPandas · 10/02/2019 13:19

At ours if you approach swimming instructor they could have lessons without joining DL, if you ask at reception they can't.

flumpybear · 10/02/2019 13:27

Do they do free crèche sessions there? We've found Virgin is brilliant, free crèche, holiday club is less at around 25 per day too

CottonSock · 10/02/2019 13:29

I looked into it and found the kids pricing ridiculous too

obviouslymarvellous · 10/02/2019 13:57

Sorry it's daylight robbery! I use the village gyms and my children are free on my membership, they can swim and do some classes. If you are happy to pay it then fine, but i think that's ridiculous personally.

obviouslymarvellous · 10/02/2019 14:00

LMOD by the way is great, new releases and plenty of workouts to use. I do a mixture of both gym and home. I actually do like using a gym though for meeting people and the social side

Kez200 · 10/02/2019 14:03

Im guessing you get stuff for this. Maybe a creche? Swimming lessons or aqua babies or something?

Sounds like your work times stop you using it to make the best value out of it. It does sound expensive but everyone I know with DL seem to like it.

YeOldeTrout · 10/02/2019 14:05

"I normally take him for a swim a couple of times a month"

Twice a month swim for 3 yr old would cost £6 at my local pool (leisure centre).

Gosh, I'm reading £15/day for a guest to use a DLloyd pool. That is insane, but I guess it makes £27/month look like a bargain.

TeenTimesTwo · 10/02/2019 14:44

As far as I can see, DLL don't want you bringing in random guests all over the shop. They also don't really want the place overrun with kids. So they price accordingly.

I have been a member for ~20 years. I agree it is pricey, especially as I don't use the gym, definitely a luxury. But I feel the money goes to ensure:

  • pool never that busy in the week, I often get a lane to myself or just one other person
  • changing rooms beautifully clean

Both my DDs learned to swim at DLL. When they were smaller we used to go at least twice a week. At most 6 in a swimming class, often only 3 or 4.

A much 'nicer' experience than the local fun pool.

Fiddie · 10/02/2019 14:54

There's a chance they want to discourage young kids. It would put me off.

PenguinPandas · 10/02/2019 14:55

When mine were members they did about 10 hours of sports / arts clubs each per week on it plus there was a playcentre so for us was excellent value. Pool was a lot warmer than our local one, free towels, and shower gel, jacuzzi, steam rooms and sauna and indoor, outdoor and kids pools plus gym, classes, tennis courts etc. Was a lot more than a pool. You can often get offers for free day passes for guests - our membership included free guests twice a month. Ours was overrun by kids at times but pool was normally fairly empty. Probably varies by area - we were close to London. 18 year olds would be paying roughly double the child rate. You do need to be able to use it a reasonable amount though that's why we stopped ours when kids joined secondary as not home until 4.30pm then homework.

Original poster
MeakTiger · 10/02/2019 17:04

They have some kids clubs but I could only use them at the weekend (due to work) and they don’t coincide with when I’d go. Swimming / crèche are extra.

I have to give three full months notice so can’t cancel until June which I question the legality of too given that I’ve been a member three years!

OP posts:
Original poster
MeakTiger · 10/02/2019 17:05

My main issue is that a three year old is charged the same as an 18 year old!

OP posts:
NicoAndTheNiners · 10/02/2019 17:12

I'm surprised it's that much. Ime they seem to value family memberships as they get extra money from people paying for crèche, swimming lessons, etc. So I'm surprised it's that much extra when all the stuff they can access you still have to pay for!

I love DL but have never had any need to investigate the child side of membership. My local one is swarming with kids though, so plenty of people do pay!

Icypop · 10/02/2019 17:21

I pay £5 a class at my gym...in your case that would be £40 per month...you'd then have loads of money left to find a nice pool elsewhere (hotels often let people swim in their pools) or i can privately hire a small local pool for an hour for £15. My kids swimming lessons are only £9pw too so that's another option!

Original poster
MeakTiger · 10/02/2019 17:28

There is a gym offering the same classes on a pay as you go basis for £5 a session so I’m not worried about these, they are at better times and the same instructors!

It’s the swimming though that I’m struggling find a replacement for though!

OP posts:
PenguinPandas · 10/02/2019 17:31

Our contract was 3 calendar months as well so if you gave it on 2nd was almost 4 months, didn't like that but think its legal though law did tighten on what is allowed. When you leave they offer you discounts to stay so can be worth giving notice. Ours only had couple of hours kids club each day at weekend but in week had about 4pm to 8pm of after school sports clubs and I worked until 3pm so could use everyday.

CoperCabana · 10/02/2019 17:46

Christ on a bike. Our mates have family membership and were trying to flog it to us. Their selling point was being able to put the kids in a club or classes whilst they chill in the pool/cafe. I like to see my kids at the weekend so said no, but had no idea it was so expensive!

CoperCabana · 10/02/2019 17:49

That didn’t come out quite right. The only time I would be able to use it is the weekend, and I would rather spend that time with the kids.

Our local leisure swimming lessons are quite cheap and they get to swim for free at all other times. It is not a ‘fun pool’ so doesn’t get ridiculously busy.

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