David Lloyd gym price increase AIBU?

[NotMariah]

I’ll start with the disclaimer that I KNOW David Lloyd is very expensive, and this is aimed at other DL current member pls.

We have been members for a long time partly because of local provision otherwise is poor, and partly because one of our family has health needs which are better met by their facilities. This is relevent.

The AIBU is the fee increase for next year is a whacking +14.5%, on top on annual increases if never less than 10% for lst many many years. This is wildly more than inflation now, it’s ridiculous and I feel stuck. They know they have the monopoly. I feel stuck because it’s a chance to make a real difference to a family members health. And as a wider family it’s beneficial as we do go together - but - the rates will just be too much to justify, the principle / tipping point. We don’t go every day which is frankly what would be needed to make it count.

can I ask how much other pay for full access (blaze etc) family membership for 2 ad + 2 kids (one teen one not)

fwiw this is not one of their newest clubs, and has blaze & courts but nothing else new or different.

has anyone negotiated successfully ? I have sent them a reply but I don’t hold my breath.

thanks

My dh was just considering cancelling his membership as it was going up to £82 for just him. I pay £34.99 for my council run membership and can go to any council sports centre in my local authority.

It’ll be the big minimum wage rise that’s coming in April and the business NI rise of 4% too that’s doing it. Lots to f companies are putting their prices up above inflation.

I pay £106 a month, that's for a club membership so not platinum (no tennis). That's with corporate discount.

It's honestly the shittest DL in the country and I can't believe how much I pay when other DLs have much better facilities. We don't even have Blaze. The gym is tiny - there are 4 floor mats, 3 benches, one squat rack, one smith machine and very limited equipment. The air con never works, the ceilings leak when it rains, the whole place is dirty. Hardly any classes. Sadly it's my nearest gym by some distance!

If you are thinking of cancelling don’t dawdle as it’s a 3 month cancellation policy too as my husband is finding out! Ludicrous.

Calculating per class cost nearby is about £40 or £35 and court time per hour nearby, you may find it is on par on cheaper? So not daily per day cost of monthly charge but the classes or court time if you booked it nearby separately. This would give an idea whether it is worth it.

I have two platinum memberships for me and DD15 I'm cancelling them. Plus they let males who have lady feelz into the female change areas so that and the price increase has tipped me over the edge.

We pay £945 each annually but that is off peak non racquets. It is a massive amount for how much we use it, but it is uncrowded, clean, good showers, and a good relaxing experience. It is our most expensive luxury.

Not David Lloyd but I cancelled our gym membership when it got to around £100 a month each. It's a shame because the times swimming is available at my local council pool don't really work for me with my job and I really miss swimming but it was just too expensive.

@DanielaDressen I wonder if we're at the same club? Friends of ours are about 45 mins away and their DL is so big and shiny! Nothing like our run down little hut.

Likely I'll be cancelling our children's memberships at the very least, they're all at school now and the weekends are taken up with team sports so it been hard to justify the price for them on top of our adult memberships when they come with us once or twice a month.

Mine had just gone up to £225/month, just for me.

I use it twice a week, so it is £27 per workout or game of tennis. It seems a lot! But I can’t easily replace it.

I have cancelled my teens’ memberships at £600 each as they just weren’t going enough to justify it, which is a shame.

I wish someone would come and open a competitor nearby.

They don't negotiate. I tried and they were having none of it. Mine went up a similar amount.

I think we pay something like £260 for 2 adults and one teen. We used to have the older 2 on there aswell but cancelled theirs a few years ago.
It’s a very ‘nice’ one in the SE, the spa has regular refits and the gym is huge, loads of classes, spotless.
None of us use it half as much as we should but it’s very handy as it’s just down the end of our road.

We've just cancelled our membership - platinum for myself, husband and toddler that costs £202 a month. Facilities starting to look a bit shabby, pool area needs updating and absolutely not worth it with the increase. We're looking at another leisure club in the area instead.

I agree OP. Ours has just had a refit and my membership (standard, not blaze) has gone up around 20%.

I put in my notice a month ago so only another 2 to go. My club has been undergoing renovations all year and we’ve had to put up with a building site and loss of various facilities over the year, no discounts offered and I’ve just had my renewal notice through and it’s going up from £125 a month to £139 !! That’s basic membership, no tennis or blaze.

The reason I decided to leave, before I knew the hike in prices, was the lack of decent classes in the evenings, All the good classes are on in the mornings and get booked up very quickly. The afternoons / early evenings / weekends are all kids stuff. So those of us who work have the odd class to choose from later in the evening.

I will make use of the local council one which is only £50 per month and has some good evening classes and I’ll do online pilates. Come summer I’ll make use of the great outdoors.

I loved DL. Went regularly until we started our business which took over. We would love to go back but the last quote I got was £110 each and £65 joing fee (and thats half price!).

Our local one in Scotland for 2 adults 2 children is £270/month for Platinum online (plus £140 joining fee). We had corporate memberships before kids and would like to join again, but that is just obscene.

I did go and visit them after lockdown eased and got the tour/sales pitch and was offered it at £180/month with no joining fee. Obviously prices have increased since then, but I still feel I was getting a discount talking direct with a sales guy

I pay £45 per month for unlimited fitness classes (not gym / swimming) at local authority centre. The building is clean, studios are well equipped and the same instructors as in David Lloyd etc

See if you have a local hotel with gym facilities or swimming pool - much quieter and usually well
maintained

Of maybe they just charge as much as they think customers will pay. A lot of the people who work there are self employed so they won't be paying higher national insurance for them.

I'm not sure that's necessarily lawful as you should be able to cancel before a price increase affects you. It might depend on the contract terms, but I also think a term that says "we can put the price up and you can't cancel before it takes effect" would be ineffective and if you wrote to them pointing that out and saying see you in court they would let it lie.

Yes, and also look at the Hussle gym pass to see if could work for you.

If you have had any other bills increase, they allow you to cancel with immediate affect.

Ours was going up to £310 from £260 for family with swimming, but the same month our mortgage had gone from £1,200pcm to £1,600pcm and we said we were unable to afford it.

I will now be paying £104 a month, just for me, and I only use the pool.
It does ensure that I go, though, to get my money’s worth! It’s also extremely convenient for me - a short bus ride away. Any other pool would certainly be cheaper, but much more of a faff to get to, and I’d have to pay to park. So I know I’d often feel that I couldn’t be bothered.

The other thing I like is that the pool is never remotely busy. Plus of course the ‘free’ towel - not having to cart a soggy one home.