News - They paid, but did not train: dozens of complaints and lawsuits against 'In Shape'.

Ani Hayrapetyan signed a contract with the 'In Shape' gym on June 14, 2025, paying 90,000 AMD for a one-year package. In one month she attended only 5 training sessions, instead of the 24 provided by the contract; the other sessions were canceled by the gym for various reasons. Ani learned about the gym from social media advertisements. 'They also offered me a financing option, but I preferred to pay the full amount upfront and use it. I transferred the money to the company’s accountant Ani Andreasyan’s personal account, not to the company’s bank account. After that the contract was sent via Telegram; the contract did not include the company’s requisites, the company’s obligations, or my rights; I only received a copy of the contract after payment, the procedure was completely distorted,' says Ani Hayrapetyan. According to Ani, trainings were canceled for various reasons—trainer absence, ventilation or power problems, schedule changes—and gym attendees were not notified in advance. 'It happened often that I arranged my schedule so I could go to the gym, but upon arriving I learned that, for some reason, the sessions had been postponed,' Ani says. A month later, disillusioned with the gym’s services, Ani decided to terminate the contract and demand a refund. On August 12 she submitted a refund request, but to this day she has not received the money. She attended the company’s Ajapnyak district branch. 'They told me the program isn’t working, the accountant is sick, the lawyer is absent. Then they even sent a photo of a transfer receipt showing that the money had been refunded, but in reality I did not receive the money; I’ve checked with the bank as well—no refund to my account,' she says. Ani is not the only one; many women have found themselves in a similar situation. Fifteen other clients created a group in the Viber app to discuss the topic. Refund requests have remained unanswered. Liana Manukyan says that just one month after joining the In Shape gym in July 2025, she had to stop training because sessions were regularly canceled and clients were not informed in advance. 'I spoke a few days ago with their administrator Hasmik. It’s me and a friend. We recorded that conversation because, without evidence, it would be impossible to prove anything. Hasmik promised that on Monday they would call and terminate the contract. But no one called. Then they stopped answering any calls. I visited their Gevorg Chaush Street branch, inside a business center, but it was closed; I photographed it to have proof. They told us there was no light, the ventilation wasn’t working, but other offices on the same floor were functioning. The lack of light is their internal problem, not a reason to cancel sessions,' says Liana. 'I arranged the credit option with a monthly payment of 7,500 AMD. That is, I continue paying for a service I do not use at all,' she says. The administrator Hasmik promised Lianna that they would terminate the contract and cancel the arranged credit on her behalf. 'I just want people to know what is going on. Dozens of people are in this situation, but many do not complain. It’s precisely because of that that they continue to take advantage,' says Lianna Manukyan. Victoria (surname not disclosed upon her request) bought a six-month gym package for 50,000 AMD in January 2025 as part of the '5 Plus 1' promotion, under which the sixth month is gifted when buying a five-month package. Victoria’s mother and two sisters also registered. 'They said our specialists would assess us, monitor us, tell us which exercise to do and which not. My mother is 73; we had specifically emphasized that she has health issues. But when we went, no one approached us or asked about it. They simply said: do what you can, do not do what you cannot,' Victoria recounts. Her claim is that the gym did not provide the promised support and supervision. After several sessions, her mother became disappointed and stopped attending. During that time Victoria developed health problems and needed surgery. She asked the gym to freeze the package; they said there would be no problem; if she presented a medical certificate, they could freeze it, and when the issues subsided, she could resume. After the surgery Victoria tried to return to the gym, but the Ajapnyak branch with which she signed the contract had already closed. A new one opened at another address, but it was not convenient for Victoria. 'I called and asked what would happen, calculate how many days I have been there, return the remaining money. They said it’s not possible. You can go to another branch; we do not refund,' she notes. She tried to visit other branches, but it was physically and time-wise impossible. 'I am a working person; I would have to travel by two modes of transportation. Once I went there, there was no power; another time there was no ventilation. They told us downstairs the door is closed, go up. Once we trained by the light of a phone. I told everyone it wasn’t convenient for me, and I would pay the full amount, not on credit. But again they said we won’t refund,' Victoria recounts. Her sisters and mother also bought similar packages. Only one sister was satisfied with the Kanaker-Zeytun district branch and finished the training without problems. The others were disappointed and stopped attending. There are also negative reviews about the In Shape sports club on Google. The club’s rating on Google is 1.8 out of 5. Former client Sara Papoyan details her complaints here: 'To say that I am satisfied with the services provided to me, for, by the way, not a small amount, means saying nothing. I paid for six months and went to this so-called gym for four months because I was already annoyed with the trainers and the lack of trainers, the administration and the technical issues, which they promised hundreds of times to fix but never did. First, the shower cubicles are completely transparent; the administrator said they would seal them with a special membrane so that showering after training would be more comfortable; this was said in February, but by June there were no changes. I have visited trainers three times, and the administrator said: 'Oh, they forgot to tell you that there won’t be a training,' 'Didn’t you see on the trainer’s Instagram page that there won’t be a training?' It’s unclear why I should know this from an Instagram page rather than the official page. I have attended five trainings, and because of the number of people 'unsatisfied' the trainings were canceled. Last month there were no trainings at all because the previous trainer injured their foot; as if that was my problem to solve. The gym itself isn’t bad, but I would not recommend this gym as a service at all.' Another client, Lika Khachatryan, left the following comment: 'Irresponsible attitude toward customers. When selling, another thing is stated; in reality, another thing is provided. I would not recommend using it and becoming a victim of deception. When there are problems, the staff do not answer calls, they do not provide clear information on any issue.' Another client, Ani, wrote: 'I had a very bad experience with this gym. They closed the branch where I first took out a subscription. After a long wait, supposedly they would repair and reopen; I asked them to refund my money because I hadn’t attended even a single day of workouts (the card wasn’t even activated), and visiting other branches wasn’t convenient for me. It took almost half a year, calling dozens of times and different people, to get my money back.' The comments were written at different times. Of the 19 customers who left Google reviews, only 4 are satisfied with the gym. One-sided contract in favor of the company Under the Armenian Law on Consumer Protection, a service must be provided in the scope and quality defined by the contract. In addition, the consumer must be informed in advance of any expected changes. In case of improper service, the consumer has the right to demand a full or partial refund. Clause 4 of the contract between Ani Hayrapetyan and the gym states that by paying for this contract the client acknowledges and declares that they are aware that during trainings there may be temporary equipment malfunctions, training area limitations, changes to the coaching staff, training schedules, or other types of changes, as well as cases of club closure for operation, repair, safety and other purposes; and the client acknowledges and declares that these circumstances are acceptable to them, do not constitute improper service, and they will not present claims to In Shape. Clause 8 states that the money paid under the contract is non-refundable, and clause 9 states that by paying for the contract the client confirms that they have read and agree with the services provided under the contract, their delivery timelines, all contract clauses, and the Club’s technical equipment. Notably, clients are provided with the contract online only after payment; it appears they do not have an opportunity to review its contents beforehand. In addition, the contract does not specify the service provider’s obligations. The phrasing that 'the client confirms that they will not present claims' is also one-sided. There is no cancellation or termination procedure. There is no clause that the service provider must ensure proper equipment operation, comfort, and safety. 'In Shape' Sports Club has four branches in Yerevan: Shengavit district at 34 Garegin Nzhdeh Avenue; Kanaker-Zeytun district at 24/15 Azatutyan Avenue; Nor Nork district at 38/5 Miasnikyan Street; and Ajapnyak district at 11/5 Gevorg Chaush Street. According to the State Registry of Legal Entities, 'Get in Shape' LLC is registered in Yerevan’s Central Administrative District at 2 Charents Street, Building 2. The founder-director is Marine Andreasyan. Complaints, court cases and legal violations The 'Datalex' judicial information system lists five civil cases against the company, all concerning debt collection. In one case, 'TI JI EY Group' LLC demanded Get in Shape LLC to recover 6,662,500 AMD. The case is ongoing and was registered on August 11, 2025. In another case, the 'Center for Fundamental Research' LLC filed a claim against the company for debt collection. The court granted the claim, ordering Get in Shape LLC to pay 321,308 AMD for rent arrears and electricity debt in favor of the Center for Fundamental Research LLC (closed joint-stock company). The 'Investment Support Center' Foundation also filed in court to recover 1,726,002.69 AMD from Get in Shape LLC and from Marine Valeri Andreasyan. The case is ongoing. The company’s response: the issue is resolved, do not publish Hetq attempted to obtain a comment from the gym. Using one of the customers’ phone numbers, Ani Andreasyan answered. The customers claim she is the company’s accountant and also the mother of the founder, Marine Andreasyan. After hearing our questions, Ani Andreasyan said that all problems had been resolved and there was no need to write an article. She then said that the company director would contact us soon. Moments later, Marine Andreasyan, the director of Get in Shape LLC, called. She confirmed Ani Andreasyan’s words, said there were problems related to the branch relocation, but as of yesterday these had been resolved. In response to our question about the contract, Marine Andreasyan said that it is drafted in accordance with international standards. Although the contract contains no clause about emergencies, she assured that in case of problems they act in favor of the client. She said that Ani Andreasyan is her mother but not the company’s accountant. Then she said that problems can occur for anyone and asked not to publish. After being refused, the call was cut. A few minutes later, a woman called the editor, identifying herself as Marine Andreasyan’s sister and suggested not publishing the article since the minor problem had already been resolved. After being refused, she threatened that she would call at 1-02 and solve the problem that way.