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Motorcise gyms to stay closed
Tuesday 22nd April 2008, 11:42AM BST.
Motorcise gyms in the Black Country that closed without warning last week look set to remain shut despite a multi-million pound takeover, it emerged today.
The gyms in Cleveland Street, Wolverhampton, West Bromwich High Street and Castle Street, Dudley, are not included in the deal by Energie Group which has snapped up 30 branches across the country. The gyms are aimed at the over-40s, but the three Black Country gyms will not feature in the buy-out.
The news is likely to anger hundreds of members, who paid £395 for a 12-month membership and now fear they could be out of pocket.
Jan Spaticchia, of the Energie Group, said its subsidiary Energie Fitness For Women had come to the rescue of the most branches of Motorcise, which he said had become insolvent.
But he added: “Any of the gyms that closed last week are not included in the deal.
“Energie took over 30 clubs and it would appear that the managers of Motorcise chose to close the rest of their branches last week.
“We are saddened that Motorcise took this decision and would urge members to speak to the administrators.”
Shocked members turned up last week to find the Cleveland Street branch shut. Workers were just as stunned. They said they had not been paid for a month.
Regional manager Doug Johnson said last week wages were guaranteed and he hoped the Black Country branches would be taken on by Energie Fitness for Women. Manchester-based administrators Begbies Traynor are now handling claims and can be contacted on 0161 837 1700.
Motorcise is the latest gym to shut suddenly in the Black Country.
Healthland, at the Bentley Bridge site, shut in February, 2006, leaving 4,000 members in the lurch and 50 staff out of a job.
The landmark building, which opened in 1998, has since become a magnet for yobs and vandals who have pelted it with stones.
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I would like to point out that we as members were told by the Manager of West Bromwich centre that we would receive letters explaining the situation a week later we are still waiting, some of the ladies paid their membership on the 1.4.08 and the centre closed on the 14.4.08 disgusting way to treat customers. What is more perplexing is that the centres are mobility centres and such they are ideal for stroke victims, disabled ladies and ladies with poor mobility and older ladies that would not feel comfortable in a “normal” gym, where do they go now. I am a member that used to go in the eveings after work, and not only was it for the exercise as we have made friends there, and both in the evening and daytime the ladies that go there it was also a social event which we will all miss very much, and for some ladies it was a lifeline to other people. It would be nice to think that if enough pressure was put on the new company that they would re-open some of the centres, because the government is continually encouraging us to get fit and for us older ladies Motorcise was ideal. We all hope that someone will take notice of our plight.
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I would also like to say how here in leicester we are all feeling the same as the ladies of west Bromwich Branch and hope some one will take up our case as we all have lost money.
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Here in oldham we have just had our centre shut with no warning,go to your trading standers office and speak to them,then they should take up your cases,ok,that is what we will be doing.we cant get any answers either…
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What a shock to go to the motorcise gym and find it closed. No phone call or letter to warn members of closure. Wigan members will miss it and lose monies paid for membership. What a shoddy way to treat people. I presume staff knew nothing about closure. Management must have known what was about to happen and should have done the honourable thing and notified staff and members.We should boycott Energy fitness for women if and when they open.
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What a disgustuing way to treat Members – even an apology would have been nice !!
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Us at Dudley had a loyalty bonus offer running for the 2 weeks prior to the sudden shutdown. The management not moto staff)arrange these offers, therfore they have taken money under false pretenses, as they were obviously in negotiations/talks 2 weeks before. That is illegal.
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Like the comments above, we have not received ANY letter whatsoever!! The Leicester branch still has a hand-written note stuck on it’s front door stating “Closed due to forseen circumstances” I Bet!!!!
However, you DON’T decide to close a business overnight and they will have KNOWN of their position!!
Disgusting way to treat past valued customers!!
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I worked in the sutton branch of motorcise for a total of 205 hrs and was not paid one penny. At sutton the first we knew of the take over was when we contacted the area manager on the 14th april to find out where our wages were only to be told we would be lucky to have a job the next day which of course we didnt. I have had no contact from the former owners and feel used and deceived.
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I wrote a poem which was published in the Express and Star and I received several calls from women who had paid a considerable amount of money in advance, shortly before their branch of Motorcise closed without warning or explanation. I understand that the staff were not aware of the situation and that their insurance stamps had not been paid for some time. Surely this is fraud. Can we contact the police or are these people going to “get away with it” as usual?
Judy Hunter
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i have just found that the preston branch of motorcise has closed without any notice to its members they have not had the decency to inform anyone just to let you turn up at their door and be greeted with a notice pinned to it saying it has closed smacks of gross indecency what is this country coming to when firms like this take a lot of money from you one day and then close down the next they knew they were in trouble earlier in the year so why did they carry on taking money off people pity of it is there is now noone left to carry the blame for this and they wont be punished for fraud which is what it amounts to
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I have just been to my local motorcise gym in ROCHDALE and found that it was close, any body wanting more information should contact or ring the recievers, this place has closed without any notice to its members they have not had the decency to inform anyone just to let you turn up at their door and be greeted with a notice pinned to it saying it has closed smacks of gross indecency what is this country coming to when firms like this take a lot of money from you one day and then close down the next they knew they were in trouble earlier in the year so why did they have an open day and they had special offers taking money off people, pity of it is there is now.
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I have just called at the Warrington motorcise gym to find a notice pinned to the door saying it had closed. It is unbelievable that a company can take money off you knowing full well that they are in financial difficulty and are unlikely to continue trading. There are a lot of pensioners who use this particular gym and for some it is the only contact they have with the outside world they will be bitterly disappointed. If anyone has any advice on how to get my money back i would be grateful.
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I AM A MEMBER OF THE WALSALL GYM, AND IT CLOSED WITHOUT WARNING ON 15TH AUGUST. THE LANDLORD HAD NOT BEEN PAID RENT SINCE APRIL. HE LEFT A NOTE ON THE WALL EXPLAINING SITUATION AND GAVE A TELEPHONE NO. TO RING. I PHONED THE NUMBER GIVEN A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, AND A LADY THAT ANSWERED TOOK MY TELEPHONE NO. AND ADDRESS AND SAID THAT FOLLOWING A MEETING LATER THAT WEEK, WE WOULD BE NOTIFIED OF POSITION .. I, LIKE MANY OTHERS, AM STILL WAITING TO HEAR SOMETHING. EVEN DURING THE WEEK LEADING TO THE “CLOSURE” STAFF AT THE SITE WERE PROMOTING A “PAY £50 OFF NEXT YEARS MEMBERSHIP, AND GET ONE MONTHS MEMBERSHIP FREE” OFFER.. ALTHOUGH I DON’T BLAME THE STAFF AS I FEEL THEY WERE AS MUCH “IN THE DARK” AS THE MEMBERS WERE… I DON’T HOLD OUT MUCH HOPE OF GETTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR SIX MONTHS MEMBERSHIP NOT USED.
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preston closed same way as walsall
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Motorcise in Rochdale has closed with no notification to any of its members. Groups of ladies agreed to meet outside the club to find out what was happening. Unfortunately, no directors of Motorcise turned up. It is appalling that people can be treated like this, especially as the company had taken people’s money in advance. Also, what happens to the staff who have always been friendly and helpful to all ladies who have entered the building, will they, like others above not be paid for keeping the club going.
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As a long standing member of the Warrington branch we are in the same position, ours closed after trading last Friday night, phone calls from members in at the time did alert us before we went on Monday, one woman paid a full years membership that week. There should be some control over firms taking money under false pretences
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Hi my mother in law was a member of the preston motorcise. Like most of you she paid a years fee in advance, last payment the day before they closed. We telephoned the number of the letter pinned to the door. The message advised us to write to the liquidators, the address is below for anyone who wishes to try and retreive some of your hard earned money back. Don`t ask you don`t get is my moto. Not sure if you will but can at least try.
name Panos Eliades Franklin & Co, 6th floor 2 Balcombe st, London NW1 6NW. tel no 0207 723 1525
Good luck
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My mum Doreen was shocked to find that this had closed without notice, very sad too for the rest of the ladies who found this place not only a great way to get excercise but to continue with a social life too. I find it shameful that a company who knew were in financial difficulty could continue taking monies from these ladies – and from whom most of them are retired!!. I hope the Administrators manage to retrieve their monies before its all used for their new ventures!!!
Those who are owed money – must write to the administrators – it will take time, but if its possible, they will refund what they can.
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I’m a ‘disabled member’ of the Preston Branch & I agree with ALL of the ‘Members’ Comments re the way we were asked to ‘PAY MONEY’ towards Next Year’s Membership eventhough it was ‘on the cards’ that the company was in difficulties:-(!!!
I know the ‘Staff’ hadn’t been paid their Wages & I’ve lost over £300!!
THE WHOLE MATTER IS A DISGRACE!!!
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I too was a member of Preston branch, and have only today become aware of the closure.It is appalling that we haven’t even received a letter or a phone call to inform us of this, and that a lot of people have paid towards next years membership, despite the company knowing what a precarious financial situation it was in!!!
I will definitely be contacting the liquidators, and urge all other members to do the same!!
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I was a member of the Hanley branch,the people over here didn’t get any notice they just turned up to locked doors,the members there were also paying the week prior to closure and we also made lots of friends i think all members have been deceived and cheated by.
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