- Report: #1328265
Complaint Review: Virgin Active Norwest - Baulk ham Hills, NSW Other
Reported By:
wonsdwew -
Kellyville, Other, Australia
Submitted:
Updated:
-
Author Confirmed
Why?
Virgin Active Norwest
108/2-8 Brookhollow Ave Baulk ham Hills, NSW, 2153 Other, Australia
Web:
http://www.virginactive.com.au/home/our_clubs/norwest/club_information.aspx
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Virgin Active Norwest Gym, Worst Gym in Sydney Baulkham Hills NSW
I wrote a review about Virgin Active Norwest on Yelp. A few weeks later, I couldn't find my review on the site and realized that Virgin Active had asked Yelp to hide my review (under Not recommended reviews). I then found more bad reviews which were hidden by Yelp/Virgin Active Norwest.
This is a seriously bad gym with really bad staff. They are good at marketing and hide customer feedback through dodgy and misleading means.
For the benefit of community, I am posting hidden reviews on this site (they still exist on Yelp and other sites but you need to scroll all the way down and then click on 'Reviews Not Recommended' link which is barely visible.)
Review 1:
personal trainers are rude & intimidating. they won't let you exercise on your own and pick on you if you are not buying sessions from them.
very hard to cancel (you have to come in person as they won't take cancellations on phone).
this place has been ruined by aggressive staff (read reviews on Pitt St and Moore Park locations particularly those hidden by Yelp which you can find by scrolling all the way down).
Review 2:
This one is a rotten egg among other Virgin Active gyms in Sydney. I have been a member from the very beginning and but Norwest location has gone real bad in a short time since it opened.
You should keep in mind that Virgin Active gyms are purely just 'feel good' gyms at best and don't help with achieving results but this one is not even a feel good gym.
Poor Vibe - This is not a typical Virgin Active club, it is on the fringes of The Hills district and now attracts some really rough crowd instead of attracting 'professional 9-5 workers' from nearby Norwest business park. Peak time traffic is so bad in the area that most people who work in the area don't want to get stuck in the traffic on Norwest Boulevard for 30+minutes just to get to a gym class.
Equipment - They use equipment from a company called Technogym who generally sell their lowest quality equipment to gyms at a cheaper price. Most machines at Virgin Active Norwest are discontinued models and are completely useless at targeting muscles. There are no tricep or bicep machines nor one decent machine for ab crunches. Fitness First or Fit n Fast have 100 times better (and relevant) equipment than Virgin.
Staff - Worst staff, no customer service skills. Personal trainers are rude and pushy. They force you to sign up for private lessons and then show up late or cancel at last minute. If you want to pay someone to 'bully' you, Virgin Norwest is the place for you.
Classes - Very few available classes during peak times, variable quality of instructors (some good, others real bad). Good classes are full in advance and if taking classes is your only objective, look elsewhere.
Hygiene - Poor in general. Toilets are rubbish with pubic hair on the floors at times.
Pool - Poorly maintained and possibly dirty.
Cafe - A decent cafe is the only upside. Nice prices and good shakes.
Prices - They charge you 'business class' prices for a 'budget airline' service. It's a joke that their prices are almost twice as much as some other gyms.
I hope Virgin Active brings this gym in line with other gyms. It might be harder to attract quality staff due to location but it seems like a place that they have given up on and waiting for the lease to finish before shutting it down
Review 3:
Overpriced, overcrowded. Selective customer service. You cannot cancel over the phone. you cannot freeze for free. still have to pay $5 pw..... they just find ways to charge your credit card. beware people. Unless you have cash to through away or want to show off to your friends, just go to your local gym. you'll get better service and save money.
Review 4:
personal trainers are rude & intimidating. they won't let you exercise on your own and pick on you if you are not buying sessions from them.
very hard to cancel (you have to come in person as they won't take cancellations on phone).
this place has been ruined by aggressive staff (read reviews on Pitt St and Moore Park locations particularly those hidden by Yelp which you can find by scrolling all the way down).
Other alarming reviews from Google/Facebook
Review 5:
Avoid this place for your kids and your health & safety. very unhygienic pools and poorly run swim school. I enrolled my daughter to virgin active swim school because it was cheaper but when she got an ear infection twice and then an eye infection, my gp finally asked me if i send my daughter to virgin active norwest pools. she said she's been seeing many kids and adults with infections and she herself cancelled her membership. I don't see any paper towels on the gym floor or spray to wipe down the machines and no hand hygiene practices to stop the spread of germs throughout the gym and to the pools. my advice - don't be fooled by shiny signs, and do your homework on the place. it's cheaper for a reason because people eventually figure out whats wrong and cancel after 1-2 terms.
