Gym

“Washington Sports Club Still Charging?”

By Prince Of Petworth

Ed. Note: On Monday a few folks tweeted me at @PoPville to say they had been charged for September too.

“Dear PoPville,

I received an email today from WSC saying that I have a balance on my account, even though WSC announced in April that they’d be freezing accounts due to COVID and even though a judge granted DC’s request for a temporary restraining order against Town Sports, and directed Washington Sports Club not to charge consumers on September 1 if they canceled their accounts during the time the gyms were closed in March – June. (more…)

“So those spinning studios”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by Pablo Raw

“Dear PoPville,

Do we have any update on the spinning studios in town? I know Elevate, OrangeTheory, Soldicore and CrossFit is open. Rumble Boxing sent out a theory getting feels. And all the major gyms are open. Are spinning studios just going to be closed till this whole thing is over? Anyone have any insight? Peloton time?”

“The judge granted the District’s request for a temporary restraining order against the company, and directed Washington Sports Club not to charge consumers on September 1”

By Prince Of Petworth

Follow up from the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia regarding: “the lawsuit AG Racine filed against Washington Sports Club for charging members during the COVID-19 shutdowns, I wanted to let you know that we scored a win in court today [Friday]! The judge granted the District’s request for a temporary restraining order against the company, (more…)

Cringe or Genuine Gesture?

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by Arav Kharkwal

“Dear PoPville,

Am I the only one who finds this a little cringe?

I get their heart is in the “right place,” but I feel this is capitalizing on a movement and for a brand “trying to get some good name recognition.” This all seems like a marketing ploy of like “performative activism” to get people in the door and then pressure them to get a membership.”

“AG Racine Sues Washington Sports Club for Charging Gym Members During COVID-19 Shutdown”

By Prince Of Petworth

From the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia:

“Attorney General Karl A. Racine today filed suit against the parent company of Washington Sports Club (WSC), Town Sports International, LLC (TSI), for failing to abide by promises made to gym members while its facilities were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In mid-April, responding to a letter sent by AG Racine and other state Attorneys General, TSI had agreed to freeze memberships, credit consumers for dues paid while their gyms were inaccessible, and process requests for cancelations. Since reopening on June 22, however, the company has neither issued those credits to account holders, nor processed all membership cancelations. In response, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) is seeking a court order forcing TSI to follow through on its agreement to credit consumers and process cancelations, along with civil penalties. This is the second consumer protection lawsuit OAG has filed against the company. (more…)

“outdoor exercise classes?”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by John Sonderman

“Dear PoPville,

I’m missing the gym like crazy, especially for the classes. I don’t do well with virtual classes, so I’m interested in seeing where I can find and take outdoor exercise classes (other than yoga). I’d really appreciate any leads, even in the suburbs.”

“Any update from those who went to gyms last/this week?” “Info on Outdoor Exercise Classes?”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by Eric Williams-13

“Dear PoPville,

Any update from those who went to gyms last week on how they are handling cleaning and keeping people safe?”

Another reader asks: “I’m starting to see organized outdoor exercise classes around town. Does anyone know who is organizing them? I would like to get involved. In particular, I’ve seen them happening in the field of Garrison Elementary.”

“WSC is Shangri La compared to LA Fitness”

By Prince Of Petworth


1101 Connecticut Ave, NW via LA Fitness

“Dear PoPville,

LA Fitness’ re-opening email has NOT ONE syllable about what they’ve specifically done to clean the place, let alone anything on an ongoing basis. The WSC email you published on Monday (it’s now Tuesday) talked the talk about “deep cleaning.” How well they execute that, I sure don’t know. At least they talk the talk. I am considering switching from LAF to WSC.

Read this sentence for how much hedging they do !!
‘While closed, we’ve been working on changes aimed at making our clubs the safest place you can work out.’

So, they’ve been “working” — passive
“on changes” — it’s still in process
“aimed at” — not having achieved, but aimed at, that’s great
“making” — still in the process”

—

Dear Member, (more…)

“How ridiculous is this WSC email!?”

By Prince Of Petworth

Thanks to all who passed on the email from Washington Sports Club over the weekend:

“I just received this gem from everyone’s “favorite” gym chain, WSC. As you can see below, they’re saying that they expect to reopen at 6am on Monday but declined to provide literally *any* pertinent health and safety information (like, I don’t know, a reservation system), nor did they say anything about charging membership dues again. They only note that they’re “working diligently” to follow federal and county guidelines (which, boilerplate email fail on the latter point). That’s of course alarming, considering that they’re planning to reopen in 36 hours… (more…)

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