St. Augustine Beach gym tells VIP member not to come back after refund request

A VIP member at a St. Augustine Beach gym says management told her not to come back after she told them she wanted a refund.

Action News Jax first reported on Sept. 29 that World Gym is not letting customers out of their contracts after merging locations.

World Gym shut down its U.S. 1 location last month. Now, only its smaller location on A1A remains open.

Members said that location does not offer any classes or childcare -- which they had already paid for.

One member who requested a refund forwarded Action News Jax an email from World Gym manager Tracy Jones saying, "Please do not call, email, or stop by the facility again regarding this matter."

“I was furious,” said the gym member, who asked Action News Jax to conceal her identity out of fear of retaliation. “My interpretation of my correspondence from Tracy was that I was not to come to the gym.

"But I am paid in full through May 2018, so I am still technically a member. So I guess, just money gone.”

Her contract says she has a right to cancel “If the services of the gym cease to be offered as stated in the contract.”

While her contract says she has VIP membership, it doesn’t actually say what services that includes.

After Action News Jax's original story aired on Sept. 29, World Gym owner Mike Lynch emailed us, saying in part, "We have reduced the members monthly membership dues who were paying $19.99 down to $15."

Lynch has not responded to Action News Jax’s emails or phone calls asking about yearly members.

Staff told Action News Jax that Lynch was not at the gym on Monday when we showed up.

Cox Media Group