Photo: QueensPost
April 2, 2012 By Christian Murray
Darlene Campbell went to Pulse Fitness, located at 38-04 48th Street, this morning for her regular yoga session.
Campbell, who had signed up for a 2-year membership in Oct., arrived to a crowded scene of regulars who were transfixed to the sign on the locked front door: “Due to Landlord tenant issues and a bad economy…it was with deep regret…that Pulse Fitness will close its doors as of April 2.
“It was completely locked and even our yoga instructor turned up not knowing what was going on,” Campbell said. A group of about 10 attendees began forming a petition to see if there was any sort of remedy to get their money back.
The gym was open over the weekend. In fact, one Sunnyside Gardens resident said she had bought a one-year membership on Sunday. “I just filed a dispute with my bank for the charge made yesterday,” the woman said.
Meanwhile, late Monday several angry members gathered outside looking to get inside the gym. They too began signing petitions to see if they could have their funds returned and stated that they wanted to take their issue to the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs and/or the TV show “Shame on You.”
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63 Comments
Really any news?
guy didnt anyone get there money back ??????
My boyfriend and I were both screwed as well. If anyone is planning to contact them please email me Vnatal787@yahoo.com
well I have information regarding this situation if anyone would like to get back at them seeing how they pretty much took advantage of me and now I unemployed. I will frequent this site and contact this paper to see if we can get together and bring down this corrupt owner.
I WAS FOOLISH TO PAY BY CHECK FOR MEMBERSHIP TO THE PULSE FITNESS. MY CHECK WAS DEPOSITED INTO WOULY ACCOUNT. PLEASE CONTACT ME. WE MUST PRESS CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST THESE CROOKS. MY ADDRESS IS AS FOLLOWS:
MARY MICHALOS
34-06 Broadway
Long Island City, N.Y. 11106
Hope to hear from you soon,
Mary
I have been going there since 2007… I was paid up tell March of next year 2013. I paid for my sister in law last Nov 2011 and just got my husband to sign this Feb 2012. Think my husband only went like five times. I am really up set I didn’t know intell just a few days ago and there is now no letter there that I could see. You would think if they were having problems with the land lord they would have told us… To pay month to month. This way we would lose as much money, but no everyone is all about the money. I just hope that it comes back to kick them in the ass.
Any information on refunds or class action lawsuits?
THE SAME CREEP OWNER WAS THE ONE WHO USE TO WORK AT AMERICAN FITNESS ON 50TH STREET BETWEEN ROOSEVELT AND 43 AVENUE. I RECEIVED A TEXT RIGHT BEFORE THEY CLOSED ASKING FOR MORE MONEY TO SIGN UP FOR A SPECIAL NEW MEMBERSHIP DEAL. I HAVE THE TEXT.
Yes! I cant believe this theivery! When and where do we meet folks, power in numbers!
THIS IS REDICULOUS !!!!!! I’M WITH YOU GUYS. IF ANYBODY PLANS ACTION TOWARDS THESE CROOKS I’M WITH YOU!
@ John: Do you have contact info for this Peter fellow? If we get further information we can place a lawsuit against him and the the business for defrauding the members.
I wouldn’t be opposed to going to his office. Time and date?
What a bunch of crooks, taking peoples money right up until the last day!!!! As John said before me, we should all meet together and try to get our money back. They should’nt be able to walk away with everyone’s hard earned money and get away with it. There’s only strength in numbers, if a large enough group of us go, maybe we can recoup some of the $$$$ they stole from us!!!!!! THIEVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The owners name is Peter. I have found out where he works. He owns a couple of real estate businesses. His main office is located in the building that is connected to the ditmars blvd train station. If there are other people that want to go we can meet up together and all go and urge for our money back. Let me know guys?
What eventually happened?
sorry it was not few weeks but few months
we are unhappy to this membership cos we were there only for few weeks and that was iiregular too.we were wasting our time by expecting that it gonna open soon. till now v visit there for more than fifteen times. so we want our money back and we will join at another place
@mike novak..i wouldnt be surprised if they tried.. No wonder why the NYSC has been so crowded for the past couple of days.. The owners of this gym should be a shamed of themselves
Has anyone found a way to get a refund?
w
Look everyone, there is a Great New Gym ( Retro Fitness) opening this month 49th street off Northern Blvd.$19.00 a month with childcare. Just ask for Nick and Mention Richie Bulk Mail for a extra discount.
This gym was collecting membership until the last day. Undoubtedly this gym had plenty of issues, one very serious the Black Mold on the ceilings in the entire gym. During the summer the gym had a overwhelming smell of mold. This was actually a nail in the coffin due to Department of Healths recent inspection.Don’t sit back and let these greedy sloppy owners get away with your money.P,S you get what you pay for!
Pulse Fitness you guys suck balls.
Go to ultimate formally be. Owner does the right thing.
Whoever said this neighborhood needs a good strip joint is obviously either out of their minds, on drugs, perverse beyond description or evil. Maybe all four. But, hey, diversity, right? No one here makes me laugh, but a lot make me cringe. Especially Mike. That building was built as a parking garage for Sunnyside Gardens residents. It should be restored to its original function. Quasi criminal proprietors of gyms and pool halls masquerading as a family fun center, both of which bring car traffic from the region, are not beneficial to the neighborhood, they crowd it, dirty it and bring troublesome people. We need affordable parking.
Please knock it off with the book stores: people buy kindles and nooks. The book trade is dying. If they do open a strip joint you know that the neighbors will be outside protesting with Van Bramer et al. The street is in the border of Sunnyside Gardens – it won’t happen.
Didn’t these ppl have a sister gym somewhere in jackson heights…is that place closed??
I remember when this place first opened up and I remember the nice guy Tony who opened it. He was kind and supportive of my mother who joined. She spoke very highly of him and I remember how saddened we were to hear that he had passed away. I joined with my wife and sister in law last November and I was upset to see that it had declined so much since Tony had past. This was a great place to work out. I’ll miss it. Rest in Peace Tony and thanks for bringing us an affordable place to work out.
I loved this gym, it was my dream to open it way back in 2003 after working as a sale manager for many years at BQE Fitness ( Now Ultimate Fitness ) I put my life into opening it up and was so proud when it opened, it had so much potential. Beware of business partners because just three short years later in 2006 the stress of dealing with there bad decisions and meaningless disputes got to be too much and i died of a heart attack. My death was also the death of that gym ever becoming what i wanted it to be, instead it became from what i read of the comments above a DUMP!!!! I just want to say to everyone IM SORRY SO SO SORRY!!!!!!!
Yes… Let’s all join new York sports club… It’s only $80 a month and unlimited gay men inside … I will never go back there again.. I went there for a visit and its not worth $80 a month and gay guys looking at my body like a piece of meat.. now I know how the pretty females feel when us guys look at them…
i joined 4 years ago with a 2 years membership , went for a week and never came back … i guess if you want a good and clean gym you can expect less than 50 a month
I joined that gym, and then quickly realized what a big mistake I had made when the place was always in a mess (looking for a free weight? Good luck with that), and then when the weather turned warm the air was never, ever on. When I pointed out this was actually *dangerous* I was told members liked it warm because they sweat more. Heaven forbid someone who owns/runs a gym should know the difference between healthy sweat (from actively burning energy) and overheating. Also, there was never any hot water in the bathroom.
After the owner/manager refused to talk to me about these issues, I disputed the charges on my credit card (didn’t provide the services a gym ought to provide) and had charges reversed. I don’t mind an econo-gym. I do mind a dangerous and unsanitary one. I hope whoever signed up on Sunday can at least get some financial recourse (It’s appalling, but my guess is whoever signed her up didn’t know he/she was going to be out of a job the next day).
At least we won’t have their postcards littering the neighborhood anymore.
And to think an underage woman was allegedly sexually assaulted there by one of their fine “instructors”…
Maybe that’s just a precursor to it becoming a Strip Club…
If you paid with a credit card, call your card issuer and see what they can do. You might at least get a prorated refund.
I LIVED IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD FOR OVER 25 YEARS IM SURPRISED THAT THEY’VE MANAGED TO SATAY IN BUSINESS FOR SO LONG IN THE FIRST PLACE ….LMFAO YOU STUPID YUPPIES …..NOW K HAS IT RIGHT THIS NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS A GOOD STRIP JOINT … BUT THANKS TO YOU ALL AND GIULIANI THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The place wouldn’t have been quite so bad if they were a bit more selective in their clientele. The members in that place were the sleaziest most disgusting people I have ever seen. I have seen them pissing on the floors. I saw feces rubbed all over the bathroom wall one day. Spitting on the floor and never cleaning up after themselves. Not to mention 90% of the broken machines were due to vandalism. A place will only ever be as good as the people it lets in, and they let in the absolute DREGS!!!!
Wow. The real story is why this took so long.
I’ve been waiting for them to take everyone’s membership money and abscond to where they’re originally from for a few years now.
I’ve been, literally, to about 100 gyms – spanning several states and countries. And I have NEVER seen a place as poorly-run and with as much contempt for its members as Pulse.
As someone stated, it was always 100-degrees in there. But that was the tip of the iceberg. These people were crooks, and it’s amazing they lasted so long.
Unfortunately, I predict that no one is going to get their money back.
They must’ve ran that place at a loss the entire time it was open.
They were scuzzy three years ago when I left. Dirty and never followed through on their promises. Sorry for all who got scammed.
Finally people in the area can find a decent parking space with those gym freaks not driving 6-7 blocks and parking in the area and the back.. WALK! Free exercise!
We really need a Trader Joes!!! Great location for one!!
I’ve been saying this for years, but the location could be perfect for some sort of bookstore. They keep opening things we don’t need (remember when there were about 5 t-mobiles along Queens Blvd and Greenpoint?), whereas a bookstore is really needed in this neighborhood.
A sleazy enterprise and a crazy street!
…”notify our dear members and employees…” wow, that’s how you get notice of termination? They treat the members poorly, but the employees worse!
Not surprised. Several years ago I renewed my membership for a year solely on the fact they had babysitting. Paid for their babysitting service. When I showed up with my child a week later, I was told they canceled babysitting. Obviously they new this when they took my money. I fought them for months and got my babysitting money back, but didn’t get my membership refunded. What comes around goes around and I hope those owners get what they deserve.
I joined Pulse fitness in December for a two year Membership Deal and last Saturday my girlfriend wanted to join as well. Lucky $100, to use at another Gym.
Not for nothing but I saw some ‘gym rats’ in the gym about a month ago with a General Contractor/Architect type. They were gong through all the rooms a taking notes. Seems to me that it is coming back as a gym….
@ Oppressed Masses, I’m with you regarding the fraud at the gym. But about the idiots on this site, you were wrong to advise them to think, they are incapable of it.
If the person who joined over the weekend can’t get his/her money back, contact me and I’ll work on getting your money gratis. It was fraud for the gym to take ther money a day or two before closing. The A-holes in here who think that this is funny should think for a moment how they would feel if this happened to them.
I want my 75$ back, I’m getting it back, I’m suing your ass glad it closed down anyway
Vigil Ante’s gonna call that phone number relentlessly and annoy them Dat’s wut Vigil’s gunna do.
This is really sad, I was member for only four month, I have paid the whole year,they just shut the place without any notification, really scam sorry fot the people that have paid more money.
Retro gym doesnt open in May they been sayin this since last year. Th
There taking peoples money as well for what, to say theyll open up next month every month?! Sounds like another SCAM!
This evening I went there and was really disappointed with the situation, also it will be hard to find a good spinning instructor like Solangel. On a brighter note- retro gym opens up shortly just few blocks away and it’s very affordable, unfortunately it will not be open until May.
She paid for a membership yesterday, and they closed today. That makes my Grinch heart grow two sizes.
Fear not we have a new work out place on skilman and 49th street for yyoga… it was on 43ave and 40 th street and it moved to skillman ave..first class is free..
LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOO AT THE PERSON WHO JOINED YESTERDAY
Wow wish I could get my money back.
I wish it was a topless bar ….
Not surprised at all. The jerk that owned the place drove us out long before this. Not to mention how hot it got it there! NO a/c at all unless you paid the big $$$. Good riddance PULSE less
This means nsc is about to get REALLY crowded.
Turn it back into a parking lot, we really need it now!
I’m not surprised…but I am glad to have had such fantastically inexpensive gym membership for about 5 years! My schedule allowed me to go during the day…it was a god-send. Not looking forward to the hunt for another gym..
A bad April Fool’s Joke perhaps?
Oh God, please….do not let ANOTHER 99 cent store open there.