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Flirty Girl Fitness Closes, Members Left Seeking Refunds

By Ted Cox | October 6, 2017 11:00am | Updated on October 9, 2017 8:54am
 The poles are closed at Flirty Girl Fitness.
The poles are closed at Flirty Girl Fitness.
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DNAinfo/Ted Cox

LINCOLN PARK — The poles are now closed at Flirty Girl Fitness.

The trendy women's gym based on exercise routines typically involving a stripper pole, Flirty Girl Fitness opened five years ago at 2215 N. Halsted St. But it closed up shop at the end of September, its windows are now papered over and its website has been removed from the Internet.

In a letter to members sent out Sept. 23, founder Kerry Knee blamed "a perfect storm of circumstances that caused this situation." She promised, "Your billing for this last month will be reduced and prorated based on your individual recurring billing date."

But former member Monica Stabile said she was improperly charged for a full month shortly before the gym closed up shop, and a promised refund has yet to be delivered. She said emails to an address Knee suggested for billing issues have gone unanswered.

Stabile, an Old Town resident, said she was a member for a month on a Groupon voucher, but of course had to submit credit-card information as a condition. She said she canceled her membership with the required seven-day notice before the end of the month, but was nevertheless charged $109.

"The employees there claimed they incorrectly charged my account due to a 'glitch' in their system and I was told that I would receive a full refund within 7-10 days," Stabile said. "That was two weeks ago. Since then, I received an email that the gym was planning to close indefinitely and that members will probably not be receiving their refund. Despite the many emails I have sent to their company, i have received zero response in return.

Flirty Girl Fitness did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

"As I understand this situation, this company is committing theft.

"Flirty Girl earned a liquor license in early 2013 over some public opposition, and later tried taking the fitness regimen into nightclubs.