California Wow.........again

[Jiu-Jitsu]

Thanks I'll try Tony's next time if its not too expensive.

Tony's Gym compexes are excellent. I would recommend all of his gyms over anywhere else in Pattaya as far as value for money is concerned.

Just a word of warning if you go the Tony's way. There are banks upon banks of aircon units and lots of fans in all of Tony's gyms, but they're not really big on using them (frustrates me no end), so if you like cool gyms to train in Tony's is not the way to go.

If you ask me, that's the most misleading aspect of Tony's gyms.

Erm...switch them on for yourself. In every gym, you'll find people who don't like aircon and fans on them when they train.

So, if you want a unit switched on that isn't already, switch it on for yourself or instruct one of the staff to do it for you.

[tropo]

Erm...switch them on for yourself. In every gym, you'll find people who don't like aircon and fans on them when they train.

So, if you want a unit switched on that isn't already, switch it on for yourself or instruct one of the staff to do it for you.

Erm... a total waste of time...but thanks for the suggestion.

Aircon units take a long while to reduce the air temperature in a huge area such as Tony's gyms and you'd need all the units on to keep the temperature below 25 C....and even then it may not be possible. To keep the place air-conditioned they need to be left on all day and set at a specific temperature.

Apart from that, you can switch them on all day long...it doesn't take long before someone else comes along and switches them off.

[999Aacha]

With prices that low I wouldn't be surprised if it's a last, desperate cash grab before they go under.

Well in business you never know and for sure not in thailand but when you do some research you will find out that the parent company exists over 20 years already.Also california gym is listed on the thai stock exchange and major cineplex is a very big stockholder in the company.Not sure if tony has same references.

Yeah. no kidding. They didn't just build the place to go under in a few months.

What they're doing with these low prices, is trying to make other gyms go under.

This is much like what happens when places like TESCO LOTUS opens a new branch in town.

They have enough of a budget that they can sell at a loss deliberately to drive their competitors out of business.

That's exactly what they're doing..

The way out for the competitors, might be to combine their packages. Somehow, the combined packages with different stuffs, like resto', coffee shop, internet cafe', gym, pool, etc... would makes competitive to the low-price-promotion of the Cal. Wow, eventually. This is the solution, when the big fish try to eat all the small ones at a time...

[torrenova]

I use the gym at the Marriott, nice but very expensive. But I accept it, due to its location, gym, tennis, pool, sauna, juicebar, spa, rebate at restos, free parking. But I have found that they also have this rediculous dual pricing for Thais. Some <expletive removed> told my g/f that she felt so good by having "all these stupid falangs" sponsering her membership. Wonderful, you go for it girl, I admire your value system!

If you have that information please pass the relevant price details to me. I have been to the hill with Marriott before on dual pricing in Bangkok and won so if they are trying this shit here, let me know. My last case rested on the local non Thai versus Thai discrimination which Marriott profess they do not operate and not against the Thai / local non Thai versus tourist price variances which they do operate.

[torrenova]

California Wow is just a con. After umpteen email exchanges with some muppet on their staff I got a response from the US manager. Even that clown could not give me a straight answer (I doubt he could lie straight in bed).

Went with the missus to investigate this Bt399 offer. They don't want to speak English and keep harping on about having to see someone. I am more than capable enough to analyse all the details but all she could show me was a cigarette box sized laminated card which showed one month at Bt6000 or so. And this was after we went in for the Bt399 !!!!

Of coures, the Bt399 offer ended that day despite there being no dates on any of the promotional literature or in the gym. It took a while to explain that marketing ploy to the missus.

It is obvious that with no published price list and current offers, that they are in the business of pricing according to the customer's stupidity.

[misterman21]

Had a look around a few weeks ago after agreeing to sit through a sales pitch. The american guy at the front desk (thought he was american/thai) looked like he had been designed for the job!

The place is crammed with machines - which made it look soul-less, a sort of Macdonalds of gyms. Annoying music and signed pictures of B celebritites with quotes thanking ' California WoW for my great bodie" gives it that extra cheese!

After the viewing i sat with the sales girl who pitched me at 25k per year plus an additional 25k for the aerobics (or was it yoga) classes. However, even though i fained interest she - almost in the same breath - dropped to 25k for both the gym and aerobics!

if i had of paid 25k for one year then seen people getting lifetime memberships for 12k i would have felt a bit cheated. But - how can they do lifetime at 12K. Maybe they have no limit on membership numbers and will just keep selling and hoping most people drop out - as they do!

[torrenova]

My last email with their US manager was the day he was flying (that is what he said) back to the US for a week. Despite another follow up he hasn't got the balls to front it out and send me some details or understand that I don't need one of his performing monkeys to waste an hour of my life before i decide whether I want to use his gym.

What he should have done as all hgood gym's I know do is offer you a free day or week pass and leave you to make up your own mind.

The 25k+25k sounds like a complete rip off and right up their street.

I'll go back and ask for the Bt299 lifetime membership when I have the chance !

[tattoodrob]

My last email with their US manager was the day he was flying (that is what he said) back to the US for a week. Despite another follow up he hasn't got the balls to front it out and send me some details or understand that I don't need one of his performing monkeys to waste an hour of my life before i decide whether I want to use his gym.

What he should have done as all hgood gym's I know do is offer you a free day or week pass and leave you to make up your own mind.

The 25k+25k sounds like a complete rip off and right up their street.

I'll go back and ask for the Bt299 lifetime membership when I have the chance !

u hit the nail on the head with ur previous post.......they just wanna get you there then do the hard sell,obviously they get good commision on the high priced memberships.

if you get a lifetime for 299 bt then let me know how you did it as id be keen for that price even though i dont like there tactics etc

from what i have seen then prices/promotions etc vary everyday and i was offerd a few days trial when i went and a friend was offered same when didnt join......different day different monkey