Fusion rip off

[LouieM]

Is it just me or is Fusion East Dulwich ridilously expensive for a council gym? I'm not a member but I just went to do an exercise class and it cost me ?7.25. There were 12 people in the class which means they made ?87 in one hour. Is it any wonder lots of people are overweight if that's how much it costs? There, rant over...

[Only me!]

?7.25 is the non member one off charge & after the class you could have used the gym for as long as you wished on the same ticket.

If you use the facilities regularly, twice a week or more averaged across the year, then membership makes sense & will end up costing you about ?4.00 a go. Possibly less, if you join during a special offer or Promo period. (Of which there seem to be many.)

I have no axe to grind or benefit to gain from this, just went through the same maths after the most recent (steep!) price rise & joined.

On the whole the size of the place & classes are pretty good. Early eve periods which you expect to be busy are & at other times you can have the gym almost to yourself.

[Marmora Man]

A simple piece of maths - the centre is open 15 hours a day Mon - Fri and 10 hours a day Sat / Sun = 95 hours. I have no idea what they spend on maintenance (not as much as they should given general state), energy & utilities (a lot probably - given pool requirements) + staff + trying to make enough to fund future developments - all that will add up to a significant sum.

If they are only making ?87.00 an hour (approx ?2.9m a year) - they are probably operating at a loss and being subsidised by council tax.

[Lizziedjango]

My membership costs ?30 a month and I work out 4 times a week. Therefore it is very cost effective, whereas paying a one off fee is not. Perhaps you need to become a member?

[LouieM]

All good points - I could become a member but because of my young baby, I don't always know when I'm going to make it to the gym. Once a week is probably what I would manage which would work out more expensive. I guess I'll just start running instead!

Marmora man - that ?87 is just from one hour in one studio. At the same time they have a gym, a pool, a creche and other studios all going and all generating income. I'm not denying they have a lot of overheads - but I still think ?7.25 is a rip off!

[bon3yard]

I swim there almost daily and pay 17 quid a month...I think thats a bargain. I for one am glad that they keep on pushing back the date for refurbishment. I'll be lost once they close the place down.

[will dex]

Also they are trying to rip people off. I asked if there was any way i could reduce my membership cost and they said no, no way. My girlfreind asks them 4 months later, and, oh yes, there is a joint membership available to her (and i)..... suspicious!

[Cassius]

I am not sure if that is suspicious or whether it indicates that the staff are not necessarily as well trained as they could be in all aspects of membership. Did you ask the aame person? Some of the staff who work in the gym or at reception might not be aware of all the available options.

[SteveT]

Fusion has an even bigger rip off, in brockwell park gym it costs ?11+ and you get no discount even if you have membership for ED or the pulse, and it was refurbished on lottery money like the pulse.

[Cassius]

However if you get membership for Brockwell park, which apparently is not much more on a monthly basis, then you can use that membership for ED and PP (so I've been told).

[Marmora Man]

Fusion has an even bigger rip off, in brockwell park gym it costs ?11+ and you get no discount even if you have membership for ED or the pulse, and it was refurbished on lottery money like the pulse.

I think you'll find the Brockwell Lido was refurbished using Fusion's own money in return for Fusion obtaining a lengthy (15 / 20 year) option to operate the place. IE - in return for the investment they were given the opportunity to get a return on their investment.

I also understand that membership at Brockwell give you no access to Fusion at ED or PP - that's because Brockwell is a Lambeth borough area / facility while ED & PP are Southwark. Fusion effectively have a long lease on Brockwell but act only as contract managers for Southwark and therefore have no say in the costing / access policy.

[SteveT]

Thank you for the info MM

[LouieM]

I've solved the problem by joining JAGS sports club instead. It's actually CHEAPER than ED Fusion amazingly. You can't use it during school hours but it's ten times nicer.

[SteveT]

Fusion at Brockwell Park is a shade under ?500 per annum but you can use the pulse and GG

[shoshntosh]

actually my Lido/fusion membership does give me access to peckham pulse and to east dulwich.

at least is always has before. i haven't been in awhile.

actually, i went once in the past three months.

to swim at the lido.

i guess it cost me ?135.

and i got to freeze me baps off in the process.

[snorky]

If you can afford to go private, then feel free to do it - many people who use them cannot afford to take out fat memberships at private clubs

during the summer, Peckham pool in the eveningwas full of local yoof - a bit boisterous, but all good natured - would sooner these kids were soenbding a few hours in the pool than hanging with their comrades on street corners

I have no problem with the Fusion branches - if we dont give them our patronage, then we will regret it in the long term

[Luisa]

Does anyone know when East Dulwich Fusion is closing for a refurb?

I'm think of becoming a full member as use it quite a lot - is it worth bartering on the price? How much do people pay?

[kai]

Fusion is a rip off considering it's a council gym I agree

E Dulwich pool is stuck in the Victorian era...I used to use that pool as a kid we did swimming classes there over 35 years ago and it hasn't changed a bit...still cold bleak with paint stripping...gym now has massive fans for ac...due to it not being economical to fix as closing down for refurb!!! but it's still economical to keep taking our money though!!!

If you have a child and want to put them in the creche then you'd best remortgage your house...

Peckham pulse has equipment that is always plastered with signs saying not working..,the instructors work to there own time tables ..lets not even get started on the others across the borough....basically Fusion need to get there act together....has anyone tried the new gym on Lordship Lane yet?

[Fuschia]

I am fed up at ringing Peckham for info about swimming etc only to have the phone ring out. Called Fusion head office in the end who said they know it's a problem... but they were saying the same thing a whole year ago!

[Dez]

I used to use that gym before it was given the brand name treatment. It was friendly and cheap then. Once it was taken over I was priced out of it.

[Dez]

has anyone tried the new gym on Lordship Lane yet?

I keep getting mails from that esphysio gym and it looks excellent but too expensive for me. Clearly a lot of people in the parish these day with more expendable legal tender.

[SteveT]

LouieM wrote: Is it any wonder lots of people are overweight if that's how much it costs?

Bullcrap louieM, people get fat by eating more carbs and calories (fat 'n sugar) than they use.

No one fat ever came out of Belsen.

[Cassius]

How much does it cost to jog round the park?

[Dez]

How much does it cost to jog round the park?

Jogging is a waste of time for getting fit

[Cassius]

Jogging is not the best form of exercise by itself and would be better as part of a overall fitness plan, but it does provide a cardio work-out and as the comment was that people are overweight because gyms cost so much, a jog would be better than nothing and does cost nothing.