Includes everything that I had to pay when membership was transferred to me. I know jack about sign up fees? Gyms charge sign up fees? That’s whack.
So, now I hear that the big Cali Kahuna flew to Taiwan and paisey’d all over the place.
No closures.
The problem was that their practice of allowing people 2 days for cancelling their new subsciptions was in violation of Taiwan’s business laws that state eveyone should have 7 days.
I wonder how many red envelopes were passed around?
Anyway, from now on all customers get 7 days to change their minds.
I’m not a member, so why do I know/care? Hmm…
Well, They quoted about 18,000 NT. This includes a membership fee or sign up fee or whatever it is called of about 10,000NT and the monthly charge for a year. Also use of sauna is 36,oooNT for a year. Does that make sense to you. So how do I get a membership transferred?
Someone else transferred membership to me.
$18,000 sounds like a lot! Did you try to bargain them down?
By the way, California has a 7 day trail membership, FREE. you just sign up online:
californiafitness.com/home.j … tw&lang=en
and then fill out the form. Someone called me 2 days ago and said if I go in for the trial before Dec 31, they can extend it to 14 days. So I better go in before tomorrow to sign up.
Does Alexander’s have anything like that?
I did not try to bargain them down, but I will. So, what is a ballpark figure for a yearly fee?
I got a 1 year membership at Alexanders gym.
11 MONTHS LATER - they gave me my membership card.
For 11 months I had to carry in a fading paper receipt. I thought my case was unique, but it has also happened to a co-worker of mine. He waited 8 MONTHS before they gave him his card.
Their excuse is: “Oh… It’s being ‘processed’ at E-Sun bank…” Every month… “Oh… It’s still being ‘processed’…”
Last time I asked (a few months ago), Alexanders only had one rate for foreigners: 30,000 NT a year. Taiwanese citizens, however, are eligible for numerous different payment options.
Has anyone had similar shite from Alexanders? Obviously, they’re not making any effort to get foreign members.
$30K? Yikes, they raised their rate.
When I was a member there, a year or two ago, it was $2K/month, which I thought was expensive and I was pissed that they wouldn’t give a discount. Other than that I had no complaints with them. I did receive a card.
I got a card 2 month before I was an official member. Maybe the applying for the card thingy takes so much time because the Alexander membership card is in fact a credit card. I told them strait in the beginning that I do not want an other credit card and it seemed to work.
No complaints about the service, but the equipment is actually not as good as it looks likes or as one would expect. The machines are often “out of order” or they make a lot of noise so that one doesn’t really enjoy the work out.
Oh, and don’t kill me for that, but there a way to many old people at my gym… :s
I can handle old people in the gym, so long as they’re exercising and not sitting around gabbing, while they occupy the station I’m waiting for. I’d rather have a bunch of geezers than the muscle dudes strutting around inspecting themselves in the mirrors and pulling up other muscle dudes’ shirts so they can compare abs. Plus, the good thing about having geezers in the gym is you feel like superman every time you lift after them and move the pin up 10 places in the machine. 
That’s part of their excuse. Foreigners can’t get credit cards, and their “gym card” is actually a “visa/master card + gym card”.
But still, that’s no excuse to not give foreigners a membership card until they’ve been there for 8 to 11 months.
I had my 11 month card problem at Wen Xin branch in Taichung. My friend from work had his 8 month card problem at some branch in Taipei. He goes to Chung-Ho, but I don’t know if that’s where he applied. Where did you apply, Mesheel?
We quit Alexanders…and it was a nightmare. they charged us for two months after we’d quit and reduced my wife to tears of frustration while she was trying to to unfuck the situation.
Gym, good.
Sauna, good.
Jacuzzi, good.
Service, blows.
Which gym in town is best for a younger single crowd?
I personally liked Gold’s Gym a lot. Not too crowded, good equipment, nice facility overall. No frills, just work out.
California is fine too, according to my friend who works out there, but also has a reputation for being a place to see and be seen, so YMMV. I got the impression that Alexander (the one near Warner) was way too crowded at least when I checked it out (Sunday afternoon).
best bet is to visit as many as you can, get their pricing, and then play one against the other. That’s how I got a good deal.
See my review of Gold’s in here.
Being sounds interesting, but are there any boxing gyms in Taipei?
Sinister Tiddlywinks:
I didn’t even try to apply for the credit card, crossed out that option myself and wrote that I only wanted the membership card. I don’t know if that helped or if they got a lot of complaints and their service is better now…
I’m in Taipei, Hsinyi.
[quote]
I can handle old people in the gym, so long as they’re exercising and not sitting around gabbing, while they occupy the station I’m waiting for. [/quote]
But that’s what they do 
They sit on MY machine for hours just relaxing and resting. But what disturbs me most is that they never ever put their towl on the station when working out or at least clean of their sweat of the station after working out. Disgusting!! And lately their is this Ah-Gong working out in the mornings. He’s wearing his underwear and rolls up his shirt so everybody can se his fat, ugly, sweaty stomach and nipples. That’s just too much for me at 7 am. Please somebody remove thsi guy… :help: :help:
There are two similar threads going on at the same time (In Sports forum and Health/fitness). I hope this will help both/either
If anyone’s interested in Alexander gym, I’ve just posted a looooooooooong (but highlighted for easy browsing 
) review in a parallel thread in Health and Fitness forum:
forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopi … 265#377265
Tash, great comments, thanks. Now we just need the same type info for Cal Fitness, Golds, and any others. Then I’ll be able to make my decision on which to join!
I am looking for:
- Location/Convenience to home. I live near TP101 and want to be able to walk or jog over before/after work and on weekends.
- Some decent aerobic opportunities in addition to weights.
- Uncrowded locker rooms. Dun like bumping butts and elbows when trying to dry and dress.
- Clean.
- Social atmosphere easy to chat and meet people. New in town so looking for places to make friends.
- Long term lockers would be great.
- Parking an additional perk.
[quote=“tango42”]
I am looking for:
- Location/Convenience to home. I live near TP101 and want to be able to walk or jog over before/after work and on weekends. JUST ACROSS THE ROAD FROM 101
- Some decent aerobic opportunities in addition to weights YES
- Uncrowded locker rooms. Dun like bumping butts and elbows when trying to dry and dress. UH, HAVEN’T BEEN IN MEN’S
- Clean. YES
- Social atmosphere easy to chat and meet people. New in town so looking for places to make friends. AS GOOD AS ANY. VERY GOOD IF YOU’RE GAY
- Long term lockers would be great. YES
- Parking YES an additional perk.[/quote]
I’d hold out for reviews on other gyms anyway, but I can say that NY, NY already meets all your requirements (see my comments in CAPs). If you want to come check it out PM me and I’ll take you there this weekend.
(5 minutes later, came back to re-edit this post)
Oops, I just realized this comes off as pretty heavy endorsement. So just in case anyone was wondering: I do not work for Alexander 