Peak Physique Gym Closes; Members Wonder About Refunds

Members at the year-old gym in downtown Kirkwood learned that it closed when they saw a note on the door. Some paid for annual memberships up front and don't know how they'll get their money back.

With the fanfare of a visit from the lieutenant governor and two state lawmakers, the Peak Physique gym in downtown Kirkwood opened about a year ago. Now, members are finding that the gym has shut down with anything but fanfare. "There was absolutely no notice to anyone that they were closing," said T.J. Mudd, a Kirkwood resident who learned it was closed when he went to work out Wednesday night. A sign on the door said the gym was closed indefinitely. He learned the news a month and a half after he paid the last installment on his $537.71 annual membership. "We paid our membership in full, in three monthly installments starting in October," said Mudd, a financial planner who works in St. Charles. "This gym closed indefinitely. They put a …

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BBB: Charities See Few Dollars From Kirkwood Fundraising Firm

Records show that the bulk of contributions raised through Precision Performance Marketing has not gone to people in need, the St. Louis Better Business Bureau reports.

Glendale Man Loses $5,000+ in Phone Scam

The Better Business Bureau notes these scams are common, but the size of this loss is not.

An elderly Glendale man wired at least $5,000 to scammers in Mississippi in a common ruse that promises a sweepstakes win if the victim sends money to cover taxes up front. Glendale police spokesman St. Bob Catlett would not identify the victim other than to say he was an older man from Frederick Lane who "is extremely embarrassed that he fell for the scams." Police received three calls from the man, saying first that he had been contacted by scammers claiming to be from Publisher's Clearinghouse Sweepstakes. They told the man to wire $4,500 to an address in Biloxi to cover up-front taxes. Police said a teller at a local bank recognized the scam and called police, who persuaded the resident not to wire the money. The next day, police said…

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Local Voices: ObamaCare, Paranoid Pups and a Business Expelled

"Patch” rounds up seven recent standout blog posts from Local Voices bloggers.

As Patch’s resident Local Voices aficionado, I think it’s safe to say that our bloggers have been on fire this week—and not just because of the oppressive temperatures outside. Between a historic post from Mercy St. Louis, a Patchy post from a lake-lover, some sage advice and a certain adorable kitten, I found myself amused, informed and once again in “aww” of the brilliance of our blogging neighbors. That’s why, yet again, I’m here to share seven of the most interesting, entertaining and/or useful posts I found around Patchland this week. As you might know, this is only a very small cross-section of the Patch Local Voices blogger population. Which blog posts did you enjoy this week? Share your favorites in the comments section, below. Got…

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Student Loses $2400 In Nanny Scam, BBB Warns

Better Business Bureau Investigator Bill Smith looked into a report that a Mizzou student from Florissant lost $2,400 to a scammer who posed as a parent needing a nanny for her son over the summer.

Thieves Steal County Firm's Name in Work-at-Home Scam

The owner of a St. Louis County business said Internet thieves have stolen the name of her company and are using it to get cash and personal information from job seekers in an elaborate work-at-home scam, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) warns.

BBB Warns Residents of Door-to-Door Scam

Young people are falsely posing as students of L’École Culinaire in an effort to get victims to buy phony magazine subscriptions, according to the Better Business Bureau.

The Better Business Bureau released the following alert Tuesday. St. Louis area residents should be alert for a new door-to-door magazine sales scam involving young people posing as students of L’École Culinaire, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) warns. A homeowner in the 5400 block of Pernod Avenue, in the city’s North Hampton neighborhood, said she was approached by a young man and a woman last week who asked her to buy magazine subscriptions to be sent to servicemen and women overseas. They told her that they were enrolled at the well-known culinary school in St. Louis County and were raising money to further their studies in Italy. The homeowner said she became suspicious when she asked the young woman for the name of the street where …

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Getting More for Your Gift Card Buck

STLMommy.com operator gives tips on saving with gift cards, and the Better Business Bureau shows how not to get stuck with accompanying fees.

Gift cards are great for any shopper puzzled over what to get a friend, family member or loved one. They’re also great last minute gifts. Sure, you can head to any store and pay $20 for a $20 gift card—or you can up your game and get more card for your buck. Kim Julian, a St. Louis-based author who operates stlmommy.com, suggests tryingplasticjungle.com to check for bargains. “They offer anywhere from 10 to 50 percent off of gift cards,” said Julian, who links to some of the better deals on her site. “Sites like Groupon or livingsocial.com, the way they increase their database is to offer good deals on gift cards. The beauty in that is that, although they’re building their database, you can always unsubscribe if gets to be hassle.” …

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