Other branches of Gymbox in London:
Holborn (Main Branch)Gymbox reviews
The sales staff lack ethics. Joining fee is ridiculous, and quickly comes down if you bargain hard enough. This just shows how much Gymbox are prepared to profit from customers. I got the joining fee down from £140, to £40. Still didn't join though, because the place on Lombard Street feels like a dungeon.
by gaz-e, 07 Dec 2009
by gaz-e, 07 Dec 2009
Don't sign up! Shady gym! They have been withdrawing money from my account 3 months after cancellation!
by anja219, 11 Nov 2009
by anja219, 11 Nov 2009
I used to work out in Fitness First. I joined Gymbox 6 months ago and love it! Being new to London, I have made lots of fab friends from the members and staff. Have had help from trainers and instructors with training tips and have picked up loads of new exciting ways of working out: boxing, skipping, resistance training, pole dancing... I have and will recommend friends to Gymbox.
by donny 24, 13 Oct 2009
by donny 24, 13 Oct 2009
GYMBOX BANK STOLE MY MONEY!!
I'm not surprised but disappointed to discover whilst reading these reviews that I am not the first person that the Bank branch of Gymbox have 'stolen' money from! I decided to cancel my membership after a year and so as to avoid any unnecessary bother I read through the terms and conditions thoroughly and gave them a month and a half's notice in writing. I also cancelled my direct debit after the last payment as suggested in the T&Cs.
I thought that was the end of it but yesterday (nearly 2 months after sending them the cancellation letter) I looked at my bank account and found that they had taken £62 from my account!! More worryingly, the deduction was shown as 'POS' which in my experience means that someone has to physically enter your debit card or account details into a system, and that person was most certainly not me, so who was it?
Well, after calling the branch to complaint and get a refund, I was asked if I had filled out a Cancellation Form. As they had never responded to my letter (but their bank had, so I know they recieved it) I was totally unaware that this was required, and in my opinion it is also pointless as I had already expressed the wish to cancel my membership in a signed and dated letter. I have come to the conclusion that nothing less than a signature in blood would be sufficient for them to follow their own rules.
I have now written a strongly worded email to the manager, who conveniently was not available yesterday, and am yet to receive a reply. Again, having read these reviews I don't hold out much hope for one either, in which case I shall walk into Gymbox Bank and take my £62 from their till, and see how they like it!!
(Please note that the only reason I rated one star is because you have to. In my opinion they deserve none at all!)
by phillyraah, 15 Sep 2009
I'm not surprised but disappointed to discover whilst reading these reviews that I am not the first person that the Bank branch of Gymbox have 'stolen' money from! I decided to cancel my membership after a year and so as to avoid any unnecessary bother I read through the terms and conditions thoroughly and gave them a month and a half's notice in writing. I also cancelled my direct debit after the last payment as suggested in the T&Cs.
I thought that was the end of it but yesterday (nearly 2 months after sending them the cancellation letter) I looked at my bank account and found that they had taken £62 from my account!! More worryingly, the deduction was shown as 'POS' which in my experience means that someone has to physically enter your debit card or account details into a system, and that person was most certainly not me, so who was it?
Well, after calling the branch to complaint and get a refund, I was asked if I had filled out a Cancellation Form. As they had never responded to my letter (but their bank had, so I know they recieved it) I was totally unaware that this was required, and in my opinion it is also pointless as I had already expressed the wish to cancel my membership in a signed and dated letter. I have come to the conclusion that nothing less than a signature in blood would be sufficient for them to follow their own rules.
I have now written a strongly worded email to the manager, who conveniently was not available yesterday, and am yet to receive a reply. Again, having read these reviews I don't hold out much hope for one either, in which case I shall walk into Gymbox Bank and take my £62 from their till, and see how they like it!!
(Please note that the only reason I rated one star is because you have to. In my opinion they deserve none at all!)
by phillyraah, 15 Sep 2009
I had been with Fitness First for years and couldn't believe my eyes when I first saw the gym. For around 15 quid more a month I get an enormous amount of classes, my favourite being the rave. I've been working with one of the personal trainers there called Penny and have lost 9kgs in about 2 months - very pleased. The girl that sold me my membership was really bubbly and helpful. The reception staff used to be a little weird but recently there seems to be a lot of new faces, so that has dramatically improved.
by atthur, 09 Sep 2009
by atthur, 09 Sep 2009
WOW! At first it seems pretty different and the DJ can take some getting used to, but I am loving it there. Been a member of Virgin and Third Space before but must say I prefer Gymbox - it has a lot more character and doesn't feel so lifeless (the last thing I want when I'm working out is feeling like I'm in a low energy environment, which is what a lot of gyms seem to promote).
Well done Gymbox. Can't wait for my next session!
by L Davey, 27 May 2009
Well done Gymbox. Can't wait for my next session!
by L Davey, 27 May 2009
Being a member of gyms for years in Australia, I had never seen anything quite like Gymbox. Amazing design. They have DJs on at night, which makes your workout so much more fun rather than always just looking up at the clock. Staff are pretty friendly but I've found the personal trainers the biggest help - I've lost 15kgs and never been happier.
The best results I've ever had. Love working out there and would recommend to all my friends.
by kuffel67, 27 May 2009
The best results I've ever had. Love working out there and would recommend to all my friends.
by kuffel67, 27 May 2009
I only joined this pretentious gym (wants to be the coolest around and uses advertising slogans like an internet dating site) because my trainer - the best I ever had - moved there. Actually, I find all the trainers there very nice, but the gym itself I wouldn't bother with. The equipment is great but it's a dark bunker down there.
The rate they promised me for joining in the first week was upped to the standard rate after only two months, plus I got double charged for three months, actually taking more money off the direct debit than was authorised. (My bank says that is possible, the authorisation is not tied to a specific amount). This has now been rectified but I still have not been refunded for the three months. The manager is impossible to get a hold of, requests to set up a meeting are denied, promises to call back never kept.
Sadly, my previous experiences with other gyms are much along the same lines, so don't feel like embarking on another disappointing mission to switch...
by anon43634, 06 Jan 2009
The rate they promised me for joining in the first week was upped to the standard rate after only two months, plus I got double charged for three months, actually taking more money off the direct debit than was authorised. (My bank says that is possible, the authorisation is not tied to a specific amount). This has now been rectified but I still have not been refunded for the three months. The manager is impossible to get a hold of, requests to set up a meeting are denied, promises to call back never kept.
Sadly, my previous experiences with other gyms are much along the same lines, so don't feel like embarking on another disappointing mission to switch...
by anon43634, 06 Jan 2009
re: Gymbox Bank.
DO NOT JOIN.
I was sold a yearly membership, with a verbal 14-day cooling off period. Went to cancel, as the gym was a joke, on day 11. They then told me I cannot cancel after 10 days!
All my calls have been ignored, and my letters. I only get contact from the gym regarding payments. The manager is very rude and unhelpful. Terrible. My case continues. I may take legal action.
by kam125, 15 Dec 2008
DO NOT JOIN.
I was sold a yearly membership, with a verbal 14-day cooling off period. Went to cancel, as the gym was a joke, on day 11. They then told me I cannot cancel after 10 days!
All my calls have been ignored, and my letters. I only get contact from the gym regarding payments. The manager is very rude and unhelpful. Terrible. My case continues. I may take legal action.
by kam125, 15 Dec 2008
Sorry, I've got to agree with the dissenters. Was a member of the gym for two years and whilst the list of classes are really impressive, it's extremely gimmicky and the calibre of the trainers is (with a couple of exceptions), distinctly average.
PTs swagger around like they are God's Gift, it's very cliquey and in the face of adversity, the customer service is appalling. You will find that they are all love and light when things are OK, but the minute you have a gripe or want to complain... they switch. The management are frustratingly inadequate. The receptionists are the saving grace for this gym.
If you want a serious gym, then Gymbox is NOT for you; if you just want a bit of lighthearted fun and want to make yourself feel like you're 'working out', then by all means sign on the dotted line.
by Blackberri, 11 Dec 2008
PTs swagger around like they are God's Gift, it's very cliquey and in the face of adversity, the customer service is appalling. You will find that they are all love and light when things are OK, but the minute you have a gripe or want to complain... they switch. The management are frustratingly inadequate. The receptionists are the saving grace for this gym.
If you want a serious gym, then Gymbox is NOT for you; if you just want a bit of lighthearted fun and want to make yourself feel like you're 'working out', then by all means sign on the dotted line.
by Blackberri, 11 Dec 2008
BAD EXPERIENCE AT GYMBOX, BANK STATION BRANCH.
Look, the gym is fine facility-wise, in fact quite good. But that's as far as it goes. Their aggressive and cut-throat sales approach and cancellation policy is disgusting. And what a horrible, cold, unfriendly atmosphere - it's like a morgue down there!
I joined on a short membership, which I took over from an existing user, with a pre-agreed expiry date as I was leaving London in 2 months. I know what gyms are like when it comes to the end of memberships, so I covered all my bases (I thought) and got assurances that there would be no problems and payments taken at the end of the membership.
Boy, was I wrong. 1 month before the expiry I checked at the desk that everything was still OK. The receptionist yells out to the manager: "THERE'S A CANCELLATION!", like a criminal offence has been committed. Aggressively, the manager stops in her steps: "A CANCELLATION??", as if to say: "What are you talking about?". (At this point I felt sorry for the receptionist - she probably just lost her bonus!) I proceeded to explain to the manager that it wasn't a cancellation, it was the expiry of my membership, which was just an extra 2 months extension of an already expired membership. After trying to pursuade me to suspend the membership at a reduced membership fee per month even though I was leaving the country, she thought, and thought, and calculated, then decided to get me to sign a new official-looking 'cancellation form', which I now realise was for the purpose of invoking their cancellation policy which conveniently requires completion before the 1st of the month or another month's subscription is charged.
What they did next beggars belief. After my direct debit was cancelled and I had left the country, they took my debit card details and without my permission illegally charged my card another month's subscription without any notification. The manager had my email address (and home address)... a letter or something would have been nice. Also, I had offered to suspend that extra month that they wanted to charge me until next year. That fell on deaf ears. Furthermore, they charged my card with a 'personal training induction fee', which I never used.
Other complaints: the staff walk around trying to hard-sell you personal training sessions whilst you're working out (I think they're all on commission); the sales staff are arrogant, as is the manager, who's also aggressive, unfriendly and I think a little bit clueless (I was refused entry once because I was 1 minute over the off-peak entry cut-off according to the manager, whose watch was wrong but she still didn't get it); they don't respond to your emails when it doesn't suit them.
The end result is a lot of expense and a very bad taste in my mouth. When you're not throwing money at them they become nasty! It's a shame, because they could make a successful business but for the management. What they fail to realise is that for every person who leaves on bad terms another 10 don't join, so ultimately it's costing them more even more. AVOID - IT'S NOT WORTH THE GRIEF!!
by mclaud, 19 Nov 2008
Look, the gym is fine facility-wise, in fact quite good. But that's as far as it goes. Their aggressive and cut-throat sales approach and cancellation policy is disgusting. And what a horrible, cold, unfriendly atmosphere - it's like a morgue down there!
I joined on a short membership, which I took over from an existing user, with a pre-agreed expiry date as I was leaving London in 2 months. I know what gyms are like when it comes to the end of memberships, so I covered all my bases (I thought) and got assurances that there would be no problems and payments taken at the end of the membership.
Boy, was I wrong. 1 month before the expiry I checked at the desk that everything was still OK. The receptionist yells out to the manager: "THERE'S A CANCELLATION!", like a criminal offence has been committed. Aggressively, the manager stops in her steps: "A CANCELLATION??", as if to say: "What are you talking about?". (At this point I felt sorry for the receptionist - she probably just lost her bonus!) I proceeded to explain to the manager that it wasn't a cancellation, it was the expiry of my membership, which was just an extra 2 months extension of an already expired membership. After trying to pursuade me to suspend the membership at a reduced membership fee per month even though I was leaving the country, she thought, and thought, and calculated, then decided to get me to sign a new official-looking 'cancellation form', which I now realise was for the purpose of invoking their cancellation policy which conveniently requires completion before the 1st of the month or another month's subscription is charged.
What they did next beggars belief. After my direct debit was cancelled and I had left the country, they took my debit card details and without my permission illegally charged my card another month's subscription without any notification. The manager had my email address (and home address)... a letter or something would have been nice. Also, I had offered to suspend that extra month that they wanted to charge me until next year. That fell on deaf ears. Furthermore, they charged my card with a 'personal training induction fee', which I never used.
Other complaints: the staff walk around trying to hard-sell you personal training sessions whilst you're working out (I think they're all on commission); the sales staff are arrogant, as is the manager, who's also aggressive, unfriendly and I think a little bit clueless (I was refused entry once because I was 1 minute over the off-peak entry cut-off according to the manager, whose watch was wrong but she still didn't get it); they don't respond to your emails when it doesn't suit them.
The end result is a lot of expense and a very bad taste in my mouth. When you're not throwing money at them they become nasty! It's a shame, because they could make a successful business but for the management. What they fail to realise is that for every person who leaves on bad terms another 10 don't join, so ultimately it's costing them more even more. AVOID - IT'S NOT WORTH THE GRIEF!!
by mclaud, 19 Nov 2008
Only just started here and I only signed up for the heavybag selection, free weights and a couple of machines.
The staff seem okay and I love the pretentiousness of the members. Feels like I'm working out at muscle beach. Wish I could get in the ring though; but, as I understand, you need to be with a PT and quite frankly I don't need one.
It's a good gym, but then again gyms are always what you make of them; you only get out what you put in.
by muscle_escort, 03 Nov 2008
The staff seem okay and I love the pretentiousness of the members. Feels like I'm working out at muscle beach. Wish I could get in the ring though; but, as I understand, you need to be with a PT and quite frankly I don't need one.
It's a good gym, but then again gyms are always what you make of them; you only get out what you put in.
by muscle_escort, 03 Nov 2008
I have been a member for 2 months now and love the club and classes.
by stripe121 (2 reviews), 29 Oct 2008
by stripe121 (2 reviews), 29 Oct 2008
I used to be a member of Fitness First, which was fine... However, for a little extra money a month I found Gymbox cleaner and jam-packed full of superior equipment. I agree with another reviewer that this gym is a little pretentious, but that's mainly to do with the people that work out there. This kind of thing happens in most gyms. The classes are excellent though. I don't believe there are any other gyms that have such a varied timetable, and the instructors really know how to work you!
The only real downside, I feel, is the reception staff. It would be nice to have a "Thank you, goodbye" every time I leave, rather than the view of the top of a head behind the counter. That's the simple kind of customer service that I miss about Fitness First. Just a little more enthusiasm needed! Other than that, I would advise my friends to join.
by merrybuckle, 22 Oct 2008
The only real downside, I feel, is the reception staff. It would be nice to have a "Thank you, goodbye" every time I leave, rather than the view of the top of a head behind the counter. That's the simple kind of customer service that I miss about Fitness First. Just a little more enthusiasm needed! Other than that, I would advise my friends to join.
by merrybuckle, 22 Oct 2008
Don't trust these people. They clearly write their own positive reviews. They will sell, sell, sell until you sign and then offer a rubbish service, terrible equipment and classes all in a dark and dingy shop with an amateur DJ practising for his weekend gig. I hope HSBC knew what they were doing when they invested so heavily. Annoying that I have to give it even 1 star!
by Annon24 (2 reviews), 06 Oct 2008
by Annon24 (2 reviews), 06 Oct 2008
Never been in a better gym. The classes are amazing and instructors professional but friendly. You can also learn how to box, love it!
The only thing is that you have to pay for a towel when you want to borrow it, come one guys!
by jander84, 06 Jun 2008
The only thing is that you have to pay for a towel when you want to borrow it, come one guys!
by jander84, 06 Jun 2008
Great gym till I tried to leave, then they were incredibly rude (the manager and staff) and tried to make me pay for an unreasonable number of additional months. Really disappointed in them and the unprofessional attitude they showed towards me.
by dissatisfaction, 19 May 2008
by dissatisfaction, 19 May 2008
Pretentious and awful gym. I joined on an offer in The London Paper. The sales staff were pushy and superficial. I signed for a monthly pay-as-you-go fee and was not happy with the attitude or knowledge of the staff. There were always 3 or 4 of each type of machine which were out of order, despite the fact that I never see many people using the gym. I read the terms and conditions of my contract and cancelled within the correct time limit (annoyingly, you need to give a month's notice otherwise you have to pay another month's fee even if it's 27 rather than 28 days). Even giving my notice orally and in writing with the unfriendly reception staff and cancelling my direct debit well in advance, another month's payment was still taken from my account. The manager was unbelievably rude when I called up about it and it took some talking just to be refunded for the extra month's fee they unlawfully took from me.
All in all, it's just one big gimmick so that people can feel like they're getting a new experience, but the classes are pretty contrived and either overcrowded or the instructor won't teach if there are 5 or less people. Definitely go elsewhere - this place has short-term appeal only!
by tonypickering, 07 Apr 2008
All in all, it's just one big gimmick so that people can feel like they're getting a new experience, but the classes are pretty contrived and either overcrowded or the instructor won't teach if there are 5 or less people. Definitely go elsewhere - this place has short-term appeal only!
by tonypickering, 07 Apr 2008
Absolutely awesome and the staff are really helpful and HOT! Best gym I have ever been to. I love it!
by Mrs Smith, 29 Oct 2007
by Mrs Smith, 29 Oct 2007
Classes are fun but because they are all pitched at a 'suitable for all' level, the intensity is quite low. Studios are pretty small and the spin room is ridiculously compact! That said, great selection of classes - plenty to choose from. Staff are pretty fab.
by bambina, 31 Jul 2007
by bambina, 31 Jul 2007
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