Gold's Gym shuts down Worli branch suddenly saying structure is unsafe, but landlords rubbish claim, even as members demand refund
Gold's Gym shuts down Worli branch suddenly saying structure is unsafe, but landlords rubbish claim, even as members demand refund
A couple of days before Gold's Gym in Worli shut down, businessman Siddharth Sabharwal paid up to be a member.
An angry Sabharwal said, "I want a full refund. And I paid for a personal trainer too."
Asks another member, "If they were going to shut down, why did they accept memberships till two days before? Were they trying to dupe us?"
The gym, which has several branches across the city and suburbs, has given members the option to use the facilities at the Napeansea Road or Bandra branches, which in the morning or evening means a 20-minute or 50-minute drive.
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What a Pain! Dinesh Lalwani braves traffic snarls from Prabhadevi to get to the Napean Sea Road branch of the gym. Kalindi Pasta (below left) and Siddharth Sabharwal too have been inconvenienced. |
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GOLD RUST: Gold's Gym near the Eden Hall building at Worli, shut down on November 28 citing safety concerns |
Added Sabharwal, "Providing viable alternatives means an option of a gym in Worli." Dinesh Lalwani said he had to brave traffic snarls from Prabhadevi to get to to the Napean Sea Road branch.
"I would not insist on a refund, but Gold's Worli should have had a tie-up with a Worli or Prabhadevi gym. Commuting to Napean Sea Road is horrendously inconvenient. And obviously, my training is suffering too."
What happened?The Worli branch of the international gym chain near the upmarket Eden Hall building at Samudra Point, shut down abruptly on November 28 citing safety concerns.
Gold Gym's letter to members state, "Civil administrative authorities along with structural engineers have unanimously certified the facility as 'unfit' and 'unsafe' for any type of occupation".
However, Haroun and Anu Yusuf, landlords of the gym's premises said, "This is a ploy to get out of our agreement without paying proper compensation and to enable Gold's to deal with irate members. We will not tolerate Gold's nonsense."
And there are enough irate members. Worli resident Kalindi Pasta, who joined in October said, "I now go to Bandra, but will be able to make it there till I begin working.
Once I do, I don't think I will be able to gym."
Added Harsha Ashar (60), also from Worli, "After paying Rs 12,600 for an annual membership in November, I went to the gym for a total of four days.
Then, the gym closed. I have been promised a refund in seven days, but this is after stringent follow ups and being told numerous times that it is not the gym's policy to refund money at all."
| The Other Side |
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Althea Shah, general manager, operations, Gold's Gym, says, "A small percentage has asked for a refund and they will be given a refund by next month."
She agreed that some members were getting a little jittery, "We have not given a refund as yet, but that is because we are 'moving' premises. Technically, we have not shut down.
We would be moving to a new location close by very soon." Asked why they had accepted memberships till a couple of days before the gym shut down, she said, "We suddenly discovered it was unsafe. We did not want to put anybody u00a0at risk." |
