THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT  
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Monday, July 22, 1996                 TAG: 9607200128
SECTION: BUSINESS WEEKLY         PAGE: 13   EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: BY JUANITA RAISOR 
        STAFF WRITER 
                                            LENGTH:   46 lines

CORRECTION/CLARIFICATION: ***************************************************************** Only one Hardbodies Health & Fitness Center in Virginia Beach has closed - the one at 544 Newtown Road. The first paragraph of a story in Monday's Business Weekly implied that more than one center had closed. Hardbodies is still operating a facility at Hilltop Plaza Shopping Center in Virginia Beach. Some former members of the Newtown Road operation are eligible to receive refunds on membership fees. Correction published Tuesday, July 23, 1996. ***************************************************************** MEMBERS DUE REFUNDS AFTER SPA CLOSES

Former members of the defunct Hardbodies Health and Fitness Centers in Virginia Beach are eligible to receive refunds, according to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Office of Consumer Affairs.

The consumer service said that following the closing of the Newtown Road spa location, members were offered a transfer to the Hardbodies located at the Hilltop Plaza Shopping Center. The distance between the two spas exceeds the five driving miles allowed by the Virginia Health Spa Act when members are transferred. Therefore, the spa act allows members to cancel.

The Office of Consumer Affairs also said that the interim transfer to Fitness First, which was offered following the closing of the Newtown Road Hardbodies spa, is no longer in effect because the planned purchase of Fitness First by Hardbodies has fallen through.

W.G. Enterprises Inc., trading as Hardbodies Health and Fitness Centers, David Geissinger, president, filed Chapter 7 on June 13.

Any former member who wants a refund, the consumer service said, must send written notice to cancel their membership via certified mail with a return receipt requested to Hardbodies Health and Fitness, 544 Newtown Road, Virginia Beach 23462. Hardbodies has 30 days to refund to the buyer all money collected towards the unused portion of the membership term.

If the fitness center does not provide the refund within 30 days, consumers may contact the Office of Consumer Affairs at 1-800-552-9963 to file a complaint. by CNB