Not only did the local Flex Fit gyms close without warning Monday, KRIS 6 News has learned they were ordered closed by the state.
According to court documents, Flex Fit was in violation of the Texas Health Spa Act, which requires gym owners to have an operator’s license. Flex Fit and its owner Aaron Pineda didn’t have one.
According to court documents, the State of Texas sued Flex Fit and Pineda. Besides closing the gyms, Pineda was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and $4,000 to the state in attorney’s fees.
Several attempts to contact Pineda by KRIS 6 News were unsuccessful.
Pineda’s father, Paul Pineda, helped open Flex Fit in 2008, but hasn’t been associated with the gym in six years.
“He needs to answer to the public for what he’s done,” said Paul Pineda. “That’s wrong.”
Flex Fit members like Chloe Goss now belong to Freedom Fitness. Goss says she found out about the closure through a Facebook group, but couldn’t find any information online.
“I ended up going down to the gym, and reading it on the door,” said Goss. “All the equipment was gone.”
The gym later posted on Facebook. In the post, Flex Fit said: “unfortunately when it comes to business arrangements, things do not work out ideally.”
Flex fit communityI wanted to take a minute to personally address the news that flex fit will be closing. First, I…
Posted by Flex Fit Gym 24/7 – Corpus Christi on Monday, April 29, 2019
Goss says she’s tried to cancel her membership, but was told by Freedom Fitness she’d have to pay for May.
“Freedom Fitness is saying they require 30 days to cancel,” said Goss. “They didn’t give us any warning, but we apparently have to give them warning.”
Freedom Fitness says they are willing to work with Flex Fit members who want to cancel their membership. Freedom’s cancellation policy normally requires 15 days notice, but is requiring Flex Fit members to give 30 days notice to cancel now, because that was Flex Fit’s policy.
“We’re applying by their policies for this next month in the transition,” said Jake Garry with Freedom Fitness. “If somebody wants to cancel their membership, 100 percent can work with them.”
They also say they didn’t know Flex Fit was operating without a license when it acquired those memberships.
Flex Fit members who wish to cancel their membership are asked to stop in at the nearest Freedom Fitness location. They have to cancel before midnight tonight, to avoid paying for June.
