A Maple Ridge man and his wife signed up for a local gym in January and thought it was a great way to exercise, but after the gym was closed and maintained a one-year membership fee, it was a big headache. It turned out that.
Sahil Mahajan and his partner Suhani signed up for Snap Fitness Maple Ridge in January 2022. I chose Snap Fitness Maple Ridge because the gym is just a few minutes walk from my home. They offered Snap Fitness over $ 1,000 for their one-year prepaid membership.
However, one day in the spring, they arrived in training equipment and found the gym closed and the building rented. A realtor looking to find a new commercial tenant for Space told Daily Hive that it listed the unit in June.
Sahil Mahajan / Submitted
Mahajan said he tried to ask Jim about his membership balance by email or phone, but hadn’t heard anything yet.
“I feel fooled,” he told Daily Hive. “I must have left at least 10 voicemails … if Jim is gone, that’s understandable, but at least then return our money.”
Mahajan couldn’t get in touch with the gym staff, and when he called elsewhere in the chain, they said they were clearly not their problem. Daily Hive also contacted Snap Fitness’s media relations team, but did not respond.
Zack Sale, manager of Burnaby’s Snap Fitness location, said he knew the Maple Ridge location was closed, but didn’t know why. He added that his location accommodates calls from frustrated members.
According to Sale, the location is a fairly remote franchise, and Burnaby’s location cannot help Maple Ridge members over the phone.
The sale said the best way to offer Maple Ridge members is to access the Burnaby location. Initially, the member’s information does not appear on his system, but he said it would have to be transferred after about a month and could be canceled at Burnaby’s location.
The Maple Ridge gym no longer appears online on Snap Fitness’s location map, but the Facebook and Instagram pages that represent the Maple Ridge franchise are still posting content, which is puzzling to Mahajan.
Other users have also commented on Jim’s social media posts, leaving Google reviews asking why Jim is closed and still posted, and when membership fees will be refunded.
DailyHive is seeking comment from Consumer Protection BC and will update this story.
