Luxury gym brand David Lloyd has been accused of posting “false” reviews of club facilities online to cover up scathing customer testimonials exposing unsanitary conditions, including restaurants infested with mice and restaurants “covered” in flies. .
Dozens of members of the gym, which charges up to £219 a month, have claimed that staff members write reviews describing the facilities as “excellent”, “amazing” and “fabulous”.
MailOnline has discovered that at least five members of staff have written a varied collection of glowing Google reviews for several different branches, without revealing their employer.
It is a promotional practice that the UK’s advertising watchdog has criticised.
“Companies should not pose as reviewers,” the Advertising Standards Authority told MailOnline. “They should also make clear any commercial interest with relevant testimonials.”
More than 80 percent of consumers trust Google reviews to help inform their purchasing decisions, according to brightlocal’s 2024 Local Consumer Review Survey, making them essential to business reputation.
Anyone can leave a review on a company’s official Google page, as well as a rating out of five for their experience. Google uses this data to calculate an average star rating for each property.
Despite being an employee of the fitness brand for over two years, according to her LinkedIn profile, sales manager Stacey Jasiewicz wrote of the Kingston location: “I saw the renovation on Instagram so I thought I’d check it out.” and I registered on the spot.” .
Members of David Lloyd Purley have taken to Facebook and Google to share complaints about the club, including “filthy” changing room conditions. A month ago, a member named John Jani posted a picture of some mice in the restaurant.
Last month, members complained about moldy ceilings at the Purley club, despite glowing reviews written by staff members.
‘An incredible club and the team here is incredible! What a gym!!’ The club has an overall rating of 4.2 out of 5.
David Winch, senior sales manager for the brand, posted five-star reviews for 11 David Lloyd clubs, including the Purley, Cheam and Raynes Park locations.
She praised the “superb nursery”, the “great atmosphere” and the spa which is “an amazing place to relax”.
Molly Stringer, a sales consultant at David Lloyd, wrote that she “loves” the Purley branch.
“It’s very convenient to have a place to work and then finish the day and enjoy a session at the gym and spa,” he said, adding that “the employees are welcoming too.”
Disgruntled members responded to the series of glowing reviews on some branches’ Google pages, highlighting the conflict of interest.
Last week, Daniel Mensah suggested that some reviews on the Purley branch’s Google page had been mysteriously removed, which he suggested was because “staff were called out for posting fake reviews”.
It highlighted moldy bathrooms and showers, leaky ceilings, flies in the club room, untidy locker rooms, damaged tennis court floors and broken water fountains.
Members have posted images of worm-like creatures seen in the showers at the Purley branch. One customer wrote on Google: ‘Probably 987 flies on the ceiling of the restaurant. This place is disgusting, they should throw the whole place in the trash and start over. DON’T join, EXPENSIVE and DISGRACE!!!’
Two months ago, customers complained about problems with the facilities, such as broken showers and toilets, as well as a lack of hot water.
A woman called Lucy W, who left a two-star review for the Purley club, which has an overall rating of 4.1 out of 5, wrote: “Staff added fake five-star reviews claiming to have joined DL clubs and had made trips up and down”. the country… fake, to say the least!’
Lucy’s experience at Club Purley is far from the “great club and atmosphere” the sales manager suggests, according to her Google reviews.
The locker rooms and bathrooms are “constantly smelly and dirty,” he wrote.
‘The shower and bathroom doors are missing basic elements such as hooks. The outdoor pool is always full of leaves, sand and dirt. Water outages occur every two weeks, meaning there are no toilets, showers or water fountains.
Other members have shared images of mice said to have been seen in David Lloyd Purley’s restaurant, as well as creepy worm-like bugs and moldy ceilings.
Three customers have spoken of a fly infestation at the Purley branch, with the insects said to be “all over the lounge area”, with “around 987 on the ceiling of the restaurant”.
Meanwhile, other branches have received their fair share of equally scathing criticism online.
More than 15,000 members have joined the David LLoyd Clubs Complaints Facebook group, where they share their disappointment at the expensive club experience.
A member of the Chorley branch, which has an overall rating of 4.5 on Google, posted a review in April describing their club as “absolutely dirty”, with the floor of the women’s changing rooms littered with “dirty nappies”. and “hairballs.” .
MailOnline has uncovered at least five members of David Lloyd’s staff who have left glowing reviews on Google for various branches, without disclosing their conflict of interest.
And those paying for the club’s facilities in Dudley and Chigwell (with ratings of 4.2 and 4.5 respectively) spoke of toilets with “a urinal on offer but filled to the brim with urine” and “regularly broken, with bad smell and flooded”.
David Lloyd, which has 133 clubs in the UK and Europe, offers high-quality gyms, heated swimming pools, racquet sports with “championship quality” courts, “restorative” spa facilities, children’s activities and play areas .
Members can also enjoy comfortable and inviting social rooms to enjoy a restaurant-quality meal. Membership prices range from approximately £94 per month to £219, depending on the club and facilities chosen.
It is considered a more expensive option than other luxury gym brands, such as Virgin Active, where the top rate is £148 per month.
Last year it was reported that the private equity firm that owns David Lloyd, TDL Capital, was preparing to sell the business for a whopping £2bn.
A David Lloyd spokesperson said: ‘We have made a significant investment in Purley since taking ownership, including the addition of an outdoor swimming pool, spa retreat and terrace, and we continue to improve the experience for all our members.
‘We invest in our clubs to ensure they operate to the highest possible standards and we take member satisfaction very seriously. We recently had a review from the Environmental Health Officer and they were satisfied that we should maintain our 5 star rating for the highest level of hygiene. We urge members with concerns to contact us directly so we can resolve them as quickly as possible.’