David Lloyd Clubs - Can you haggle?

Metalface Mark · 24 May 2011 at 15:01

Myself and my friend currently spend a fair chunk playing badminton at a local council run sports facility which I am a member off, I pay £200 a year for use of the pools/gym etc but its a further £8.40 a pop every time we play badminton.

Now, theres a David Lloyd not too far away and I had a tour of this today, It looks brilliant inside, but the costs are prohibitive. £85.50 per month plus £25 setup fee or £901 for a year plus setup fee. Couples membership is £65 a month but we cannot class ourselves as a couple and they dont offer a friends membership.

I just wondered what people paid for their membership, we like the idea of David Lloyd so we can play Tennis as well as using the gym/pool etc as well.

The guy said his hands were tied and he couldnt haggle prices, I just wondered if this is true or not, I made a point of putting the prices he had written down in the bin as I had already given him my contact details to get a hold of me.

Morba · 24 May 2011 at 15:21

There is some element of movement from them, unless they don't need your custom tbh.
Joining fees, "free" sessions with personal trainer etc can all be removed and save you some money.

Other than that though, you might have to search for discount codes or see if that old health insurance discount works.

platypus · 24 May 2011 at 15:25

Can you not pretend you're a couple?

Metalface Mark · 24 May 2011 at 15:30

platypus said:
Can you not pretend you're a couple?

He said couples need to be living at the same address and have proof that they are.

cheets64 · 24 May 2011 at 15:34

£85 a month, wow, would expect to be waited on hand and foot for that price

Or is it a case of keeping out the proles

Metalface Mark · 24 May 2011 at 15:38

cheets64 said:
£85 a month, wow, would expect to be waited on hand and foot for that price

Or is it a case of keeping out the proles

Yeah its not really for people like you cheets, you stick to your broomstick and two cheeses for your weights.

Morba · 24 May 2011 at 15:45

cheets64 said:
£85 a month, wow, would expect to be waited on hand and foot for that price

Or is it a case of keeping out the proles

That's cheap

cheets64 · 24 May 2011 at 16:02

Morba said:
That's cheap

How is it, apart from free use of the tennis courts, a lot of gyms offer the same thing for half the price.

Does going to a DL gym make you a better lifter?

Skillmister · 24 May 2011 at 16:11

£85 a month?!
There is no way i would every pay that.
I thought £60 was bad for esporta (considering the service isnt exactly good), and like £35 offpeak.

Morba · 24 May 2011 at 16:14

cheets64 said:
How is it, apart from free use of the tennis courts, a lot of gyms offer the same thing for half the price.

Does going to a DL gym make you a better lifter?

I (should) pay more than that for my esporta membership and that doesn't have any racket sports

Metalface Mark · 24 May 2011 at 16:23

cheets64 said:
How is it, apart from free use of the tennis courts, a lot of gyms offer the same thing for half the price.

Does going to a DL gym make you a better lifter?

It is dear for a normal gym comparison, its £13 cheaper per month without the raquet sports which is why we want to join there as we pay £40-60 a month between us each month at the moment playing badminton at the local council sports centre.

Depends where you are though doesnt it, if you are in Wigan, then its expensive, if its centre of london, its reasonable.

regulus · 24 May 2011 at 16:32

Even in London I would not pay that. My local Esporta is around £120 a month for an any time membership. Also have Virgin near charging £100+ a month. £40 a month is where I draw the line.

Metalface Mark · 24 May 2011 at 16:57

£40-50 would be my max for a regular gym (the one im at at the moment is only £240 a year though)

Morba · 24 May 2011 at 17:12

regulus said:
Even in London I would not pay that. My local Esporta is around £120 a month for an any time membership. Also have Virgin near charging £100+ a month. £40 a month is where I draw the line.

Will be interesting to see what they both charge in a few months when they are both virgin.

cheets64 · 24 May 2011 at 17:16

Metalface Mark said:
Yeah its not really for people like you cheets, you stick to your broomstick and two cheeses for your weights.

But I am the one not trying to haggle in an upmarket gym for posers

Metalface Mark said:
It is dear for a normal gym comparison, its £13 cheaper per month without the raquet sports which is why we want to join there as we pay £40-60 a month between us each month at the moment playing badminton at the local council sports centre.

Depends where you are though doesnt it, if you are in Wigan, then its expensive, if its centre of london, its reasonable.

I looked an there is a DL gym near me 7 miles away but it doesnt mention fees, they want to ring you up

Morba · 24 May 2011 at 17:19

cheets64 said:
I looked an there is a DL gym near me 7 miles away but it doesnt mention fees, they want to ring you up

ring up and go in, easier for them to sell it to you

Rich_L · 24 May 2011 at 17:20

Ask them what their corporate rate is, then you at least know they are talking rubbish when they say their hands are tied - i.e. is there a corporate 'joint' rate, or small business rate. You could always just say your mate was an employee

Both FitnessFirst and Virgin in London were more than happy to give me the corporate rate even though I was going in on my own, it's just a tickbox for them and put in your company name after all.

Morba · 24 May 2011 at 17:25

Rich_L said:
Ask them what their corporate rate is, then you at least know they are talking rubbish when they say their hands are tied.

Then just hope that you can get a corporate deal. Most of the time they insist that you prove that you work for someone so you continue to receive the discount.

I had to for mine, even though my initial communication was from a corporate email address etc.

Metalface Mark · 24 May 2011 at 17:55

cheets64 said:
But I am the one not trying to haggle in an upmarket gym for posers

I looked an there is a DL gym near me 7 miles away but it doesnt mention fees, they want to ring you up

Its not an upmarket gym for posers, its the only place that has inside tennis courts anywhere near me and badminton as part of the membership.