Beny UK Sports Limited GY020 Home Multi-Gym

The Beny UK home Multi Gym is indicative of the world we live in today. We live in a self-assembly society. Parents spend all Christmas Day building their children's toys. Furniture, garden equipment - you name it.

Now first of all can I say that I do have the personal ability to undertake complicated (but not too heavy) work on cars, and many household installations. I have comprehensive tool kits and have the time to complete work satisfactorily.

We looked at the V-Fit lay flat gym in the Argos catalogue at £169.99. Our eldest son is wishing to increase weight and muscle tone. Our youngest son is wishing to start an early exercise programme, and us two 'oldies' want to work out twice a week. This system seemed just fine for our eldest (combined with a diet supplement), and also the rest of us. We measured up space and height in our garage, and also just fine.

Two boxes arrive from Argos. My instinct told me there and then that this was not your ordinary self-assembly job. I opened the boxes and scrutinised the parts, and this is absolute insanity! Why on earth should ANYONE pay good money for this. If you only had limited time it could take you days to assemble this unit. So what are you wanting to do? Are you wanting to keep fit, or are you wanting to spend hours upon hours assembling the biggest "Meccano" kit in the world? If the latter, then you'll love it. If the former then steer a mile away from this. I notice Argos also have other products not only made by V-Fit, but also Reebok, York and Sportline. I have no reason to believe any of these others would be different. For those who really like big "Meccano" kits maybe the £799 Sportline unit would be the ultimate. The Argos catalogue shows the customary "screwdriver" logo next to these products. Believe me, you'll need MORE than a screwdriver. There is a notice on the Beny Uk Sports box - "should you encounter any difficulty with the assembly, operation or use of your exercise product please DO NOT return it to your retailer, but contact us first for help". Oh yeah, - so you'll send someone round to assemble your products will you then? Pull the other one, it has bells attached!

This 'self-assembly' society is becoming scandalous. Consumers are being cheated left, right and centre with products. You pay a good price for something and then have to build it yourself.

How on earth do disabled, very old, or those without construction ability survive in this culture I wonder?

We ended up buying a bench and a set of free standing weights. Absolutely delighted with all this at half the price exactly, i.e., £79.98p. total.