New Life Fitness Centre in Woodville shuts suddenly, goes into liquidation

A gym was taking memberships days before it went into liquidation, clients say, as shocked users turned up for a Tuesday workout to find the doors locked.

A Woodville gym has abruptly closed and will not offer refunds, wiping its social media after angry customers flooded it with complaints it was still taking memberships days before it shut.

New Life Fitness, a 24-hour gym on Port Rd with 2500 members and 12 casual staff, was placed into liquidation on Monday.

Customers say they were blindsided by the closure, and that a special deal of $199 for a year’s membership was ending the same day it closed. A banner was displaying the offer when The Advertiser visited on Tuesday morning.

The company said it was “unable to provide a refund for any unexpired term of your membership” and “current economic conditions and circumstances” forced it into liquidation.

Ann Lu said she signed up on Friday and hadn’t even used the gym when she discovered it had closed.

“I was deferring my use until August – they advertised a $199-for-a-year deal that finished on Monday, that’s why I signed up,” Ms Lu said.

New Life Fitness members Ann Lu, Anthony Archontis, Paul Molloy, Margot Holloway and Michael Piovesan. Picture: NewsWire / Roy VanDerVegt

“But what else can we do? S**t happens, there’s no point in crying.”

Long-time user Michael Piovesan said gym users were “in shock” on Tuesday morning when they arrived to find the doors locked.

He used the treadmills on Monday morning and came back for an evening session to find the doors closed.

“I learnt about it last night – there was no warning whatsoever,” he said.

Mr Piovesan said on Monday the gym was still taking names for a list of people who wanted to know when a replacement sauna would be installed.

“Everything suggested things were going on as normal – people are still signing up almost every day, having a tour,” he said.

He said he renewed his membership in December for $275, but knew of other users who signed up last week.

Michael Piovesan reads the closure notice on the front door of New Life Fitness at Woodville. Picture: NewsWire / Roy VanDerVegt

“They had a fantastic offer – $199 for a year – but that was fool’s gold,” he said.

“One guy cancelled his Good Life membership, signed up with that deal and came here this morning to get his receipt and they were gone.”

MS sufferer Anthony Archontis has been a member for seven years and relies on the gym for help with his condition.

“I’m dumbfounded – the writing wasn’t on the wall,” he said. “Going to the gym really helps me with my functioning, everything. It’s a massive thing for me. I just feel so disappointed.

“They could have given a month’s warning, and we could have found another gym. I can’t believe this has happened. I just don’t understand.

“They put down their membership fees to $369 to $249 to $199, and I’m thinking, maybe that was it?”

Members outside the gym on Tuesday morning, discovering it has closed without warning. Picture: NewsWire / Roy VanDerVegt

The multi-level gym offered dozens of machines, ladies-only studio, group classes, free sauna and free childcare.

Users were still turning up on Tuesday morning to find the gym closed.

Liquidator Andrew Langshaw said investigations into the company’s liabilities to creditors had started.

“The gym and fitness industry is highly competitive and as an independent operator the business was unable to compete with the large chains on gym membership pricing and coupled with rising costs of doing business,” he said.

“It became unviable over the past 12 months. The business just could not continue in its current form given the market conditions and economic environment.”

The Advertiser has contacted the owners for comment.