TERRIBLE TREATMENT FROM ESPORTA, HUNTS GROUND ROAD IN BRISTOL TO PREGNANT MEMBER.

I AM TOTALLY DISGUSTED WITH ESPORTA IN HUNTS GROUND ROAD IN BRISTOL AND THEY CONTINUE TO IGNORE COMPLAINTS.

I joined in Sept 2010 and was very active and mainly swam and did combat and the gym. i became pregnant in Dec/ Jan 2011 and due to complications and advice from my GP was advised initially not to exercise. I made contact with Esporta and spoke to 2 x managers over a few months to ask them to at least reduce my £55.99 membership fees as i wasn’t able to access the gym and would only be able to swim at a later date in my pregnancy. i was informed that as it was an ‘open plan building’ that they couldn’t be sure i would only use the pool so had to have my full fee knowing and even seeing i was physically not able to do this.

Managers made plans to make contact with me over the Easter weekend as again i had to actually go in and make face to face complaints after staff there had emailed me to say i could attend yoga whilst being pregnant- again i am physically unable to do this. Managers continued to use ‘delay tactics’ and refused to answer the phone personally to me on numerous occasions and answer my questions- this continued for about 5 months…costing me £55.99 a months for nothing…and a baby on the way…

Eventually i was spoken to by a new manager who offered me a suspension on my membership of 3 months…only if i sent a copy of my state maternity (MATB1) form to head office and then this could be ‘looked at’…i feel that when i was 6 months pregnant that this was inappropriate as i was obviously pregnant, they could see on their records i hadn’t been accessing the gym and was having to pay each month- also i wanted to now swim so suspension wouldn’t be a good thing for me…also meaning that it would be re-initiated as soon as my baby was born- Esporta don’t seem to realise- YOU CANNOT EXERCISE AFTER GIVING BIRTH…IT IS AGAINST MEDICAL ADVISE…for up to 8 weeks, however is individual…

The changing rooms are filthy, appear to have faeces and/ or menstrual blood on the inside of the fabric curtains in changing areas, strange holes in the ceiling in ladies changing areas, in curtained areas (in the corner changing area)….i first reported this almost 10 months ago and also put it in a written complain-

ALSO THEY DON’T OR HAVEN’T ACKNOWLEDGED MY WRITTEN COMPLAINTS AND REMAIN IGNORANT…IM GLAD THEY ARE BEING BOUGHT OUT BY VIRGIN- maybe Virgin will be kinder to ladies who fall pregnant and think of them and not just the membership fee’s- so- i am now looking for another gym and will let everyone know how badly treated i have been and how they continued to promise a full re-fit and how it doesn’t happen and the place looks dingy, small plasma screens, dark and depressing gym, filthy changing rooms and Managers who wont acknowledge complains- the general staff and staff who run the classes however were great- i feel very sorry for them- they were brilliant-

THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT IS…ESPORTA HAVEN’T ACKNOWLEDGED MY COMPLAINTS AND APPEAR TO ONLY BE INTERESTED IN YOUR MONEY- NOT HELPING YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR- DISGUSTED, THROUGH AND THROUGH… i am now 8.5 months pregnant and very stressed and out of pocket…and looking for a gym as i will need to shape up in the next few months but will not being going to my local or any branch of Esporta…