Still, most
Empire clients
go with Geld’s

By Robert Galster

News Reporter
robert@nsnews.com

A sweetheart deal that
saw Gold’s Gym accept
members of the now-
defunct Empire Fitness
Centre and honor their
.contracts has turned out
to be too sweet to be
ruc.

gNogh: ,Vancouver’s Tony

dich, vas a longtirre member
of-thée Lower Lonsdale Empire
Fitness facility. He was sad to
learn his club was closing
down, but he had lirtle choice
and approached Gold’s Gym.

“It’s a lot of deception I'm
dealing with,” said Baichu.
“He (Gold's Gym co-owner
Roy Baumgartner) wants me
to tie in toa nwo-year deal.”

Tt turns out the deception
originated at least partially on
the Empire side.

“We've been finding there
are a lot of people with bogus
memberships,” said
Baumgarmer. “There’s a lot of,
for a lack of a better word,
kinky deals.”

The deals he is referring to
include guaranteed renewals at
what Baumgartner calls

“absolutely ludicrous” rates of
$99 per year.

When Empire owners Steve

Swean $80.95

One Day

NEWS photo Mike Wakefield

GOLD'S Gym’s Roy Baumgartner, Empire owners Steve Rankin and Judy
McVeigh, and Gold’s Wade Baumgartner.

Rankin and Judy McVeigh ini-
tially approached Gold’s Gym
owners Rov and Wade
Baumyariner in early
September, they said only a
small portion of their 1,500
members had the cut-rate deal.
The Baumgartners then agreed
to honor all of the Empire
memberships, but soon found
themselves swamped with an
ever-increasing number of
cheap claims.

“Tke memberships are all
ever the = map,” said
Baumgartner. “Anvone that’s
paid a price that’s compaiable
to ours there’s no problem, but
when it gets ro guys that have
paid $100 for a year that’s

exactly why Empire’s out of

business.”-

Nevertheless, more than
90% of the cheap membership
holders have renewed their

Meet P

contracts on Gold's terms. The
ones that haven't simply aren’t
in touch with reality, said
Baumgartner,

“Some of these people are
living in the fifties — they think
that’s what it costs to run the
club,” said Baumgartner.

Gold's offered Empire
members pvo options until
Sept. 30. Both included the
$39.95 transfer fee up front.
Under one scenario, wansfer-
ring Empire members can con-
tinue with the terms of their
Empire contract in addition to
paying $10 per month. Those
choosing that option are also
required to sign a Gold's con-
tract at $29.95 per month for
the number ef | months
required to make the nwo add
up to 24 months.

The other option had
Gold’s owners allowing former

Only.

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Empire members access to

their gym for the period of

time covered by their last pre-
mium at the cost of $39.95 per
month. As a result the $99 per
year cut-rate contract hoiders

would pay the transfer fee of

$39.95 and be allowed access
to Gold's for about twe and a
half months.

For those that remain dis-
satisfied, Baumgartner says
there is the following (option:
“They lose everything.”

The Empire Fitness Centre
phone number and Rankin’s
home number have been dis-
connected.

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