EXCLUSIVE David Lloyd members outraged by 'mice-infested' and 'mouldy' gyms 'swarming with flies' - and accuse staff of posting 'fake' Google reviews to cover it up READ MORE: Gym fanatic, 37, suffered cardiac arrest after a workout By EMMA NELSON FOR MAILONLINE Published: 08:45, 9 November 2024 | Updated: 08:51, 9 November 2024 e-mail View comments Upmarket gym brand David Lloyd has been accused of posting 'fake' reviews of the clubs' facilities online in order to cover up customers' scathing testimonies that expose unsanitary conditions — including mice-infested restaurant and restaurants 'covered' in flies. Scores of members of the fitness club, which charges up to £219 a month, have claimed that reviews describing facilities as 'excellent', 'amazing' and 'fabulous' are written by staff members. MailOnline has discovered at least five staff members have penned a varied collection of glowing Google reviews for multiple different branches, without disclosing their employer.
It is a practice of promotion that the UK's advertising watchdog has lambasted. 'Businesses mustn’t pose as reviewers,' the Advertising Standards Authority told MailOnline. 'They also need to make clear any commercial interests with any relevant testimonials.
' More than 80 per cent of consumers rely on Google reviews to help inform purchasing decisions, according to the brightlocal’s Local Consumer Review Survey 2024, making them essential to business reputation. Anyone can leave a review on a busi.