Members Asking Questions After Seattle Gym Closes

A popular Seattle gym has closed its doors and now members who have paid in advance are wondering, where's my money?

"Om Lifestyle and Wellness" members said that they didn’t even know the club, located on Queen Anne’s south slope, had closed until they showed up to work out and were locked out.

Luke Showalter and his fiancée belonged to Om, he said for its amenities and because it was close to their home.

When Showalter showed up to exercise after work earlier this month, there was a “closed” sign on the locked front door.

“There was no equipment left,” he said, “It’s kind of funny. The week before I’d noticed they were moving stuff out of there and I kind of started questioning it, but I thought they were switching out equipment.”

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Showalter is disappointed club owner, Ryan Matthews, didn't give members any advance warning. Online bloggers complain about the same thing.

In an early July posting on the club's website, Matthews blamed extensive water damage for what was supposed to have been a temporary closure, but in his latest posting, Matthews writes Om is closed for good, and "all outstanding dues/fees are in the processed (sic) of being refunded."

Some members who paid in advance claim they're owed hundreds of dollars.

Showalter said he and his fiancée should have about $180 coming back to them, but despite Matthews most recent promise, Showalter is skeptical.

“I can’t imagine that I’m going to see it again, just with how this all happened,” Showalter said.

KIRO 7 called Matthews to find out more about the refunds. He said the insurance company is handling his claim and that members with money coming should have it in about a month.

He said all automatic withdrawals have been cancelled.

Matthews said for members who have questions for him, or if you have items still at the club to leave him an e-mail on the Om contact page - omqueenanne.com/Contact_Us.