Complain about a product or service

High Tech Women's Gym

Mission Viejo, CA

Lisa of Lake Forest CA writes (7/3/01): On October 24, 1999 I signed up for a two year membership with High Tech Womens Health Club. At the time when I signed up I asked if they planned on being around for awhile. I was told yes. They had no plans of going out of business and they had been around for many years. The reason I asked this was because a year prior to this I had a membership with a local gym that went out of business and I was only a member for three months.

Well, High Tech Womens Health Club went out of business and without any kind of notification. I am now out $408.00 I showed up to the gym on Thursday, February 4, 2000 and they were gone. There were two other women there at the same time and they were just as shocked to see the gym closed.

On Friday, February 5, 2000 the Orange County Register published an artical in the Saddleback Valley News about the High Tech Womens Health Club "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow". This article basically states that everyone was in the dark about the gym closing. One woman signed up a week before the gym closed. She paid $350 and was not told of the closing when she signed her contract.

Another woman met with her personal trainer over the weekend and showed up on January 26, 2000 to find the gym closed down. The article also stated that on January 26, 2000 there was a note posted on the door saying, "We apologize. We are moving to a new location. Each member will be notified". I have not been notified yet. When I arrived on Thursday, February 3, 2000 there were signs on the windows advertising the new gym that would be opening soon.

There was also a sign that read "Total Woman Day Spa and Gym is honoring all High Tech Womens Health Club Memberships" -- Pre - Business hours Mon - Fri 9:00 - 4:00 p.m.. On Friday, February 5, 2000 I went to the Total Woman Day Spa and Gym during its Pre-Business hours. Sheila Kuhn told me that the evicted owner of High Tech Womens Health Club (Casandra) knew they were being evicted and that is why they were trying to get so many people to join. As for my membership it is non-transferrable. Total Woman Day Spa and Gym will just try to give me a good deal and the same amenities that I signed up for with at High Tech Womens Gym are no longer valid at Total Women Day Spa and Gym. Can you help me recover my money? I will never sign up with this new gym or any other gym. I have already been burnt twice in a short period of time.

This is hardly uncommon. Gyms are famous for going out of business with no notice. Assuming the owners have filed for bankruptcy and/or left town, there's not much Lisa can do.

Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.