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Why pay $600 for club membership with no pool?
Nov 30th, 2016 at 12:25am
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Swimming pool at resident club in south plaza closed last Sunday so I'm thinking of canceling my membership until it reopens in 5 months time (April 2017).  Or maybe there's other benefits I haven't thought of.  Can anyone tell me why they continue to be a paid member if they don't play tennis or use the gym?  Maybe you like to use the reading room for $600 a month?

I think they should offer a discount to members during the month the pool is closed, or compensate by making activities like snooker, squash and table tennis free for members during this time.  They are saving a LOT of money by not running a pool.  What do you think?
  
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Re: Why pay $600 for club membership with no pool?
Reply #1 - Nov 30th, 2016 at 3:23am
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You can swim in the indoor pool at Sienna club Smiley
  
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Re: Why pay $600 for club membership with no pool?
Reply #2 - Nov 30th, 2016 at 4:04am
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As a resident we all support your suggestion but the problem lies with HKRI. If HKRI does not intend to do anything, nothing can be done.

I have stopped using the swimming pool because the changing room has become some kind of private club. There are always cloths and toiletries left hanging or on the washbasin countertops all day all night.

Wondered what the lockers are for?

Furthermore, isn't it unhygienic for dirty cloths hang on the hangers all day by some residents.

If the swimming pool is closed, how is it there were several members bathing in changing room next to the swimming pool.
  
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Re: Why pay $600 for club membership with no pool?
Reply #3 - Nov 30th, 2016 at 7:58am
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I'm afraid there is a penalty involved if you want to cancel your membership during the winter months. I don't remember the exact terms but it's not as easy as you might think.
I cancelled my membership a few years ago.
Good Luck.
  
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Re: Why pay $600 for club membership with no pool?
Reply #4 - Nov 30th, 2016 at 9:08am
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They close the pool because of the weather, as they are not expecting too many people using the facility and the indoor pool is available, but... what really bothers me is to pay $600 for a whole club membership but if you want to use any other facility you must pay an extra fee, like $80 for using the gym for just 1 day... seriously?!

We keep it because it's very convenience if you have kids, also the pool, the sauna, the reading room for when you are working from home, to spend the day if your are feeling too lazy to go too far away from home, among other reasons, yet I still consider it overpriced  because even with all those reasons, you don't really get to use it as often as too justify $600 per month unless all the facilities are really included without any extra fee.
« Last Edit: Nov 30th, 2016 at 4:19pm by Generic »  
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Re: Why pay $600 for club membership with no pool?
Reply #5 - Nov 30th, 2016 at 4:02pm
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ksandt wrote on Nov 30th, 2016 at 7:58am:
I'm afraid there is a penalty involved if you want to cancel your membership during the winter months. I don't remember the exact terms but it's not as easy as you might think.
I cancelled my membership a few years ago.
Good Luck.


As far as I know, if you cancel your membership and want to reactivate it later you need to pay your membership fees back to when you cancelled. Hence no point in cancelling if you intend to reactivate later.
This is applicable to membership under the same name and the same address so it mostly hurts owner occupiers who have no intention of moving.
Membership goes with the property. So if you cancel now and move in May 2017, you will need to apply for new membership in May 2017 under the new address. No penalty as it is a new membership under a new address.
I have cancelled my membership years ago as the swimming pool was the only "members only" facility I used a handful of times a year during summer months. Now I just pay the day fee at Club Siena whenever I want to enjoy a dip in the pool. The $7,200 annual fee more than covers the odd swimming pool visits during summer months.
  
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Re: Why pay $600 for club membership with no pool?
Reply #6 - Nov 30th, 2016 at 11:03pm
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the outdoor pools (at both siena and the res club) aren't just closed for a month, they are closed 'indefinitely' around this time each year. This gives them leeway to  keep them closed for a longer time if they wish. They won't open again until around April. Completely agree with the previous comments. It's an utter ripoff. Siena indoor pool remains open but that's not exactly convenient to those living at the south side of DB.  Angry
  
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Re: Why pay $600 for club membership with no pool?
Reply #7 - Dec 1st, 2016 at 12:51am
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I understand the Club membership fee is based on a year round calculation with 99% of facilities available throughout the year. The outdoor pools are closed when it gets too cold and re- open on or before Easter. Sounds reasonable to me. Expecting a discount for the months a pool is closed is just the same as a member never using the pool expecting a discount for not using it. HK$ 600.-- per family is a very reasonable member ship fee, in fact as cheap as (probably) nowhere else in Hong Kong.

Everybody is free to join the Club or not, for 1 month, 6 months or 12 months.

Everybody is free to move to a different area in Hong Kong where a Club  membership is cheaper.

Everybody is free to go back to his/ her home country and join a Club there.

Everybody is free to use any possibly available loophole and cancel/ re- join (although I believe the Clubs are professionally run to make profits so the cancellation and re- joining fees may make such "on/ off" very unattractive).
  
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Re: Why pay $600 for club membership with no pool?
Reply #8 - Dec 1st, 2016 at 12:59am
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As everybody is free to talk about it and complaint as much as they want without being judge, as everybody is free to stay where they are and still allow to complaint as much as they want.

If someone is not interested in participate in the discussion , may as well move to any other of the 900 topics in this forum, as you must be someone new in HK and DB because all the complex have the same club house for free for all the residents or a minimal fee for an specific facility (management fees not higher) not like CS/DBRC where you have to pay a monthly fee plus an extra fee to use 90% of the facilities, still we are allow to complaint about it as much as we want without moving anywhere.

Freedom implies to respect others freedom.
  
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Re: Why pay $600 for club membership with no pool?
Reply #9 - Dec 1st, 2016 at 1:42am
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couldn't agree more, Generic!!! I love such discussions/ complaints.... of people living in paradise , yet so unhappy with themselves that...
  
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Re: Why pay $600 for club membership with no pool?
Reply #10 - Dec 1st, 2016 at 1:46am
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Thank you!

(Troll detected)
  
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Re: Why pay $600 for club membership with no pool?
Reply #11 - Dec 1st, 2016 at 6:47am
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Generic ,

I am afraid you have been caught and bowled by MCC. He set you up with a couple of short ones and then got you with a slower one.

Just when we thought the forum was dying , MCC comes out of retirement and makes you wonder why you started the discussion !

  
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Re: Why pay $600 for club membership with no pool?
Reply #12 - Dec 1st, 2016 at 8:33am
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MCC wrote on Dec 1st, 2016 at 12:51am:
The outdoor pools are closed when it gets too cold and re-open on or before Easter. Sounds reasonable to me. Expecting a discount for the months a pool is closed is just the same as a member never using the pool expecting a discount for not using it. HK$ 600.-- per family is a very reasonable member ship fee, in fact as cheap as (probably) nowhere else in Hong Kong.

I see little that is troll-like in this post, though I detect a mild irritation at the sense of entitlement displayed by some, an irritation which I share.  It occurred to me, too, that if the gym and other facilities are included in the membership charge, many of us would be paying for things we would never use.

I've friends on HK Island who pay thousands a month, rather than hundreds, for clubs that have little more to offer than our own.
  
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Re: Why pay $600 for club membership with no pool?
Reply #13 - Dec 2nd, 2016 at 1:19pm
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OP's question has already been answered. There is no need to cancel membership as Club Siena has an indoor heated swimming pool that is accessible all year round.

The outdoor swimming pools are closed for half the year (Nov 1 to Apr 15).

If anyone is considering de-activating their membership, I suggest reading carefully the PDF below and if still uncertain, you can contact Accounts Department 2238 3161 for any enquiries.
http://www.dbrc.hk/icms/File/dbrc/Membership%20Tariff%20(Sep16).pdf

As to what is worth doing at the club, there's a page on their website listing the available facilities, requirements and fees.
http://www.dbrc.hk/icms/template?series=291&lang=en

De-activation process requires 14 days notice in writing to the club, it will be effective 14 days from the date the club acknowledges receiving your request. You need to settle all outstanding charges.

You must surrender your membership card otherwise the club will continue to bill you for your monthly membership. Also, there's an iffy clause stating that membership can't be reactivated in the next 12 months unless "special approval" is given by the club. But I think there should be no problem if you state the reason is that you will be away for an extended period or something to the effect that you won't be able to make use of the club facilities. I would refrain from mentioning about the pool being closed. As long as the club does not deem you to be troublesome member, they can and will reactivate anytime.

Take note that reactivation within 12 months will incur $1,500 (or more) "administration fee". So at most, if you deactivate your membership for six months, you can save $2,100.

I also think MCC is not trolling, it is a valid and fair opinion to frown that DBers live in a nice place but can never be happy enough. It wasn't directed at anyone specifically.

I, too, think $600 is not too expensive. Consider Tung Chung monthly swimming pass is $300, and bus fare, 15 days is $600 already.
  
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Re: Why pay $600 for club membership with no pool?
Reply #14 - Dec 5th, 2016 at 12:31am
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ksandt wrote on Nov 30th, 2016 at 7:58am:
I'm afraid there is a penalty involved if you want to cancel your membership during the winter months. I don't remember the exact terms but it's not as easy as you might think.
I cancelled my membership a few years ago.
Good Luck.


You get penalty if you rejoin within 12 months. And $600 monthly becomes $1500 I believe.
  
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Re: Why pay $600 for club membership with no pool?
Reply #15 - Dec 5th, 2016 at 12:35am
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[quote author=6F697A65697C67080 link=1480465528/13#13 date=1480684744]OP's question has already been answered. There is no need to cancel membership as Club Siena has an indoor heated swimming pool that is accessible all year round.

...


The thing is HKRI has monopoly over transport in and out of DB. And since the transport costs are not cheap, it kind of forces you to stay in DB and use their facilities whether you like it or not.
  
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Re: Why pay $600 for club membership with no pool?
Reply #16 - Dec 5th, 2016 at 1:36am
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It is not 600 a month per family, it is 600 per adult and 100 per kid over 6 years old!  MCC wrote on Dec 1st, 2016 at 12:51am:
I understand the Club membership fee is based on a year round calculation with 99% of facilities available throughout the year. The outdoor pools are closed when it gets too cold and re- open on or before Easter. Sounds reasonable to me. Expecting a discount for the months a pool is closed is just the same as a member never using the pool expecting a discount for not using it. HK$ 600.-- per family is a very reasonable member ship fee, in fact as cheap as (probably) nowhere else in Hong Kong.

Everybody is free to join the Club or not, for 1 month, 6 months or 12 months.

Everybody is free to move to a different area in Hong Kong where a Club  membership is cheaper.

Everybody is free to go back to his/ her home country and join a Club there.

Everybody is free to use any possibly available loophole and cancel/ re- join (although I believe the Clubs are professionally run to make profits so the cancellation and re- joining fees may make such "on/ off" very unattractive).

  
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Re: Why pay $600 for club membership with no pool?
Reply #17 - Dec 5th, 2016 at 2:11am
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MCC I don't think it costs $600 per family monthly, its per adult.
  
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Re: Why pay $600 for club membership with no pool?
Reply #18 - Dec 5th, 2016 at 3:29am
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Would be good to know what you get for $600/adult that doesn't incur any additional cost per usage.
  
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Re: Why pay $600 for club membership with no pool?
Reply #19 - Dec 5th, 2016 at 7:47am
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as in "how many free beers are included in the 600?", or how many tennis lessons, or how many meals, or how many...;

or how many free dreams? Cheesy
  
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Re: Why pay $600 for club membership with no pool?
Reply #20 - Dec 6th, 2016 at 11:05am
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RunningRoach wrote on Dec 5th, 2016 at 3:29am:
Would be good to know what you get for $600/adult that doesn't incur any additional cost per usage.


Only the swimming pool is free to use.

List of fees (PDF):
http://www.dbrc.hk/icms/File/dbrc/forms&downloads/Latest%20Facilities%20Fee%20Op...

Even LSCD is not free to use:
http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/leisurelink/index/ls_booking_charges_urban.html
  
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