gymetc Reviews 

Congleton's branch is a fine gym, but in the last year or so cleaning standards really fell off the cliff. Men showers stink and there was a month or so when they weren't cleaned at all. Yellow grime was visible on every floor and wall tile. It's better since, but it still kinda stinks and floor grills haven't been cleaned since atleast 2024, as I constantly see the same bunch of hairs lol. Cannot comment on sauna or pool, haven't entered them since end of 2024.

Dumbells are constantly all over the place. Paper dispensers are empty more often than not. Most TVs are constantly showing either GB News or Sky News and realistically, staying politically neutral and just playing some sports videos would probably be best. Overall, just a messy place. Everything has a layer of dust at best.

But if you live near and it's the closest gym around, it ain't necessarily a deal breaker. It has a good variety of equipment to use, seemingly plenty of PTs and it ain't too expensive.

With a good all-over deep clean and a continued proper unkeep, this place would be pretty great.

If I could give no stars I would Disappointing experience at GymEtc Stalybridge.

My 15-year-old son’s membership was terminated without warning after he allowed his 10-year-old sister into the gym. She briefly sat on a machine but did not use any equipment.

I accept this was a breach of the rules — but the response felt disproportionate:

• No warning
• No parental contact
• Immediate cancellation
• Refusal to reconsider

Labelled a “gross breach” despite the circumstances.

This isn’t about the rules, but how they’re applied — particularly with young members. I would have expected a more measured approach.

Absolutely disgusting the congleton branch , swimming lesson cancelled no email or text letting us know , then too top it off some idiot decided to put a sticker on our car calling us c£&ts as we were parked in a disabled bay !!!! Unknown to idiot our badge was on the seat as it had fallen off !!! My little girl was able to read the sticker on our car !!!! So unprofessional and disgusting especially when they knew we had 2 children in the car and would see it

Leyland fantastic gym but large groups of teenagers now in the gym from 5pm onwards and very little equipment to use. It used to be a great place to train but has really gone downhill last 6 months.

I’ve been really disappointed with the level of customer service at this gym, especially around cancelling my membership. I was directly advised by staff at the front desk to simply cancel my direct debit in order to end my membership. I acted on their instructions only to later be told this was “not the correct process” and that all staff supposedly know this. Clearly, they don’t.

After being asked to provide details of when and who I spoke to, I sent all the information over. My email was then ignored for over a week, and only after chasing did I receive a generic reply that didn’t acknowledge anything I had provided, didn’t check their own records, didn’t confirm next steps, and took no accountability for the incorrect guidance I’d been given.

Despite leaving the gym due to ongoing maintenance issues (broken sauna, poor handling of maintenance while members were using it, showers not working properly), I’m now being pestered for payments I do not owe — all because their own staff gave the wrong instructions.
What’s even more concerning is that I’ve since seen many other reviews online reporting the same issues: poor customer service, unclear cancellation processes, and customers being misadvised by staff.

Overall, the experience has been frustrating, unprofessional, and completely avoidable. I would not recommend this gym based on the way they treat their members, especially when it comes to something as simple as cancelling a membership.

Stalybridge is great, but please do something about people hogging lockers in the mens changing.
Your web site says that lockers will be emptied overnight, but some lockers (especially top lockers at the end of rows) are never available and have had the same padlocks on for months now.

I love spas but not ones with NO Cold water at all to use after steam or sauna for healthy detox.
But I could only use half of it as both swimming pool and jacuzzi were so strongly accented with chlorine !!!
This is TOXIC !!!!
You could easily use salt or ozone to clean these but as it is, all are being harmed especially in jacuzzi where get TOXIC GAS inhalation with your bubbles !!!! Gross !!!
HEALTH & SAFETY ISSUES here !!!! And certainly NOT HEALTHY !!!!

Signing up was easy - most of the staff are great but some of the PTs are so rude. Management are so slow to reply to emails and you go in and they are sat having coffees. Equipment is always scattered everywhere but that’s from some shocking members they have, not the gyms fault. They advertise it as a spa style but have kids swimming classes and music blasting when classes are on, I didn’t mind it but sat in the sauna a lot of the older members moan. Locker room always soaking wet, take some flip flops! I wanted to cancel and they told me I had 2 more payments left, no problem at all, then 2 days later the reason I was leaving didn’t go through so I wanted to reverse it, spoke to two great members of staff who said speak to the manager as it’s happened before, she was so rude about it which felt like just because I was a man she couldn’t be bothered. I had to resign up to a year contract which it went up a couple of pound and pay another joining fee so I won’t be going back. Olympic gym is Ashton is much better for proper lifters or if you want the sauna the village in Ashton is much cleaner

I have been to a lot of classes and thoroughly enjoyed every one. I highly recommend them.
The customer service is great and the staff friendly.
The gym is really good and you can always get on what you want.
I highly recommend Gym etc to all my friends and anyone that I have a chat with.

Friendly staff, lovely clean facilities, been going for 6 weeks every day now and never had an issue once.
Sauna/pool is great, gym is limited but theres enough.

I wouldn't even give it one star. If you cancel in September you're forced not only to pay your one month's notice, but they also take your annual fee FOR A SERVICE YOU ARENT USING. No mention of this in their T&Cs so this is illegal. Was told rudely "this is our policy" and when I asked them to show me where in their T&Cs or on their website it states this, they ignored my emails and hung up on me on the phone. Emailed heads office instead and was also ignored. They then continued to take my direct debit THREE months after I cancelled, and have ignored all emails about getting it back. Do not sign up unless you want to be stolen from.

Oh and the gym itself is very average - the reviews about the lack of aircon in the height of summer are spot on, the pool is tiny, and changing rooms often dirty.

Gymetc Lowton. Have been going for around 18 months now. The place can get quite busy especially at the weekend. Also, sometimes the equipment is out of order, and it takes quite a while to be repaired. Additionally, I've tried to switch from the 'Early Termination' membership to the Pay Yearly membership only for the gym's own system to not allow this. Surely a simple Chip & Pin card payment would be much easier and just as secure...

My child is autistic with an anxiety diagnosis at just 5 years old , her swim bug instructor allowed her to be under the water drowning because she had her back to her, she also would refuse to get her goggles for her because they were “too far” before pouring water in her eyes , my child did 5 months here and left absolutely traumatised and terrified of water NOT recommended for SEN children

This Gym used to be good when I attended 3 years ago but it seems to have hone down hill rapidly.

1. They have male contractors walking through the women's changing rooms unaccompanied. My partner reported this to reception.

2. The male showers still smell like raw sewage 90% of the time.

3. The amount of young people (16>) unsupervised using free weights is wild and frankly dangerous.

4. They don't have any items to clean equipment, no spray bottles at all. When the gym is as warm as it is, to not have people cleaning equipment is just grim.

5. I tend to go at random various times and I haven't once in the 2+ months of going seen anyone cleaning equipment.

6. Things like the treadmills are very outdated.

It feels like they are investing in new areas of the pool but are neglecting the general upkeep of the gym the facilities are nice for the price you pay but the basics leave an awful lot to be desired.

Aircon should be on when it’s 25 outside. Absolutely ridiculous. Why are we paying membership? You guys trying to save money either way it should be on!! Congleton gym!

The good: friendly staff. The bad: training area too dark, unable to ring branch, emails only (great in an emergency) which are not answered, little girls allowed in male changing room with male parents, air conditioning totally inadequate, rip off extra membership fee charged once a year. The ugly: toilets stink, greedy owners are ruining overall experience - recommend finding somewhere else to train.

Unfortunately I’m trying to get a refund in Congleton after my first visit was awful .. dirty and smelly shower area, dirty areas stepping in from female changing room to the pool area - it literally had a pool of grit, dirt and yuck I had to step over . The pool was murky water it certainly wasn’t clear and I ended up ill after it also which I suspect was down to the poor hygiene and ended catching a cough .

I reported it via email and got a “ we will contact you at some point “ response .. I wrote again ( as there is no way to contact them by phone ) and was then told someone would contact me - two weeks later I’m still asking for a refunding and complaining . Next step is to contact the owners .. all I want is a refund and an apology . Perhaps many might find the standard okay but honestly I’m so disappointed and gutted - it was just dreadful smelly with stuff all cluttered in the shower drainage area - it just needed a good clean

Gym Etc Staybridge - Advertise 6.30am opening time for everything but you can not use the sauna or steam room until 7.00 am at the earliest.

Sauna and steam room cleaned after the 6.30 opening times do not attempt to use prior to 7.30am multiple complaints to management seems to fall on deaf ears same scenario every day.

Price raised twice in 24 hours this month with no communication to members.

Would give 0 stars but not an option do not care about the members change your opening times to suit availability of the facilities or get a new cleaner that starts early

2 very friendly staff there at gateshead Nathan and Mel, always a pleasure to see them make you feel very welcome 😀

Place would be no good without them

was told I could park in the car park at the Gateshead branch & not be fined as long as I parked near the back of the car park, received a parking fine from ukcps who if you don’t know are an extremely dodgy parking company who ignore your appeals, won’t deal with anything on the telephone & generally make it virtually impossible to make an appeal, I emailed GymEtc & told them about the fine & they said they couldn’t do anything about the fine which I find extremely difficult to believe as I employ a parking company G24 a my business & if ai beleive achare is unfair, the simply cancel after s email