David Lloyd Leisure
Reviews and Complaints

Paid £170 per month for family membership, I used kids facilities to enable me to use the gym once per week and after 1 year they cancelled all the kids afternoon clubs for 3-4 year olds without warning. I advised the club I would need to cancel the membership due to no alternative childcare arrangements and they are making me pay 3 months fees to cancel the membership... terms and conditions say that they will use noticeboard to advise of changes yet the Aberdeen noticeboard has not been in use since at least 3 months re kids clubs! Some of the staff were very rude on the telephone and I am now reporting them to the financial services ombudsmen for the nasty repetitive calls for fees whilst my complaint was pending investigation. My advice is to Avoid David Lloyds Aberdeen.

After 2.5 years paid membership I relocated and gave over 2 months notice. I had an amendment to my DL contract allowing me relocate without penalty - negotiated on joining.
David Lloyd Lincoln began chasing me for the final month - I did not attend the gym for the final 3 months. What kind of customer service is this? I have just paid the inflated amount to a debt collection agency because DL Lincoln don't return my calls to discuss and I have now given up.
My advice to anyone - don't sign anything with David Lloyd - they have so many opt outs - you have no chance.
This is an antiquated membership system that may have worked in the 80's but is now unacceptable - the other gyms don't operate like this. All David Lloyd are doing is penalising their own members for things beyond their control and then passing all responsibility to a debt collection agency.
A real poor show in this day and age.

I am disgusted at the approach of David Lloyd health clubs towards its members when they try to terminate their membership. Not only is the contract of 3 months notice (which goes from the 1st of the following month after informing) absurd. But as I and many other people have experienced, this club will try every trick possible to extort more money by claiming non-compliance with their termination policy. Whatever method you pay (annual or monthly) the club will make it extremely difficult for you when you try to leave.

After being a loyal member for many years, I will never re-join this club.

I received a letter from debt collecting agency alleging I was owe money to David Lloyd Leisure. I phoned up to tell them they had made a mistake and was shocked at their response.

I had been a named person on a family membership belonging to my husband. When we split up I understood the membership had been cancelled but they told me that my husband had asked for the membership to be transferred into my name. They had gone ahead and done this back in July 2008 with no communication from me, no signed contract in my name - nothing. When I queried the legality of this I was told it was "his membership to do what he wanted with". I don't know what his motivation was in doing this although I suspect it was revenge because I'm now with someone else but it doesn't alter the fact that they should never have done it without my agreement. Apparently my husband continued to make the payments from his bank account between July 2008 and May 2009 and only whenhe cancelled the d/d did they decide to pursue me. They insist theyare in the right and that I am owe them money but agree they have no signed contract, direct debit mandate or correspondence from me relating to a membership. I feel they are trying to frighten me into paying up because they realise they have messed up and want to balance their books. I've told them I want copies of any paperwork relating to this transfer and that I intend to see them in court and so far I've had no response from David Lloyd or the debt agency.

On 15.03.2009 my 18 year old son who I might state at this point has NO credit experience whatsoever, visited David Lloyd Leisure with a view to joining. After he had been shown around for 15 minutes he was asked to complete a form with his details which he did not know was a legally binding agreement. He was asked to go home and obtain his bank details for them to set up a direct debit. The very same day when they rang him for these details he advised them that after reviewing his finances he felt that he could not afford the fee of £65 per month and wanted to withdraw his initial interest. At that point things changed when they told him he would have to pay the membership cancellation fee(three months membership), even though he changed his mind the same day, caused them no problems and never set foot in the gym to use the equipment. After numerous phone calls from which I (his mother) has received nothing but total lack of help, consideration or empathy for my sons lack of judgement in signing a form. 2 complaint emails were sent to head office, both of which I have had to chase up the response because bascially we didnt get one from them, No one will deal with this problem, all we have been told to do is to speak with the General Manager at the Branch concerned but he is the person we have complained about to head office. My argument is that they are prepared to squeeze money out of an 18 year lad who has never experienced credit or contracts, never used their gym or caused them any major problems just because they are so desparate for money I can only assume. Are they really prepared to take him to court over this non payment just because he made a simple error of judgment. I might add that my son has stressed that he was NOT told it was a legally binding agreement and that if he signed it on the premises he would not receive a cancellation period. Also they have never checked that any of the information he provided on the form was indeed correct. Is this how a large leisure organisation gets new members, doesnt tell them the correct information and then harrasses them for money that in theory should not be owed. Would a judge in a court really pass a judgement on an 18year who has no credit experience for this error of judgement especially when companies of all types are being blamed for pressurising people into committments they cant adhere to.