True Fitness Has Ceased All Its Operations In Malaysia. What Now?
The fitness chain was recruiting new members up to 2 days before they shut down.
By Sadho Ram — 10 Jun 2017, 05:47 PM
Earlier today, 10 June, members of True Fitness woke up to the shocking news of the fitness centre abruptly closing its operations
True Fitness, which has been operating in Malaysia for the past 12 years, ceased all its operations beginning Saturday, 10 June, saying that the "past few years have proved challenging, and unfortunately the businesses are no longer financially viable."
The fitness centre sent out emails to its members, announcing the closure.
However, the announcement took the members by surprise as there was no prior information provided to them about True Fitness shutting its business. Especially, since they have been recruiting new members up to 2 days before they shut down, Adrina Choy, who has a 5-year membership for married couples, revealed to SAYS.
The fact that the fitness chain closed its operations in Malaysia without any prior notice has angered True Fitness members
A number of them took to Facebook to share their shock and voice out against this abrupt move by the fitness chain. They shared the screenshot of the email they received this morning, wondering what will happen to their membership now.
Meanwhile, True Fitness has issued a statement on its website
There it said that the fitness chain has been working to find alternatives for the members to continue their membership months and personal training sessions.
According to the statement on their website, True Fitness has made arrangements with CHI Fitness for you to "continue with your fitness regime with them."
Here's the rest of the statement taken from True Fitness website:
True Fitness, which focused on a wide range of fitness programmes, had centres in five different locations in the Klang Valley, including Desa Sri Hartamas, Sunway Giza, Jaya 33 and USJ Subang Jaya
Some of the members who turned up at the branch gyms today only to find its shutters closed with a paper stuck onto it notifying them of the closure.
Image via Astro AWANIWhat now?
Well, according to the statement issued by True Fitness, the fitness chain has purchased memberships for members to redeem and personal training sessions to be utilised at CHI Fitness, which will only commence from 3 July 2017 onwards.
The company has said that they "will communicate to all Members by 20 June on the procedures for Membership and Personal Training redemption."
Can True Fitness member contact CHI Fitness for details?
True Fitness has actually requested its members to NOT contact any CHI Fitness Centres until 3 July, saying that because all terms of redemptions have been set by True Fitness, "CHI Fitness will not be able to facilitate service redemption queries."
However, if members have any questions regarding this or any other matter, they have been asked to contact TF customer service at [email protected].
Surprisingly, though, the customer service email provided by True Fitness for its members appears to be a nonexistent one:
SAYS has reached out to True Fitness for a response.
We spoke to Adrina Choy, who has a 5-year membership with True Fitness for married couples and still has more than 4 years left in her membership contract. Her membership cost her RM9,336.
Speaking about her concern, Adrina told us that she still hasn't received a copy of the contract which True Fitness had promised to mail to her, and in addition to that her hubby has also not received his membership card till date.
"Without a contract, I'm concerned that the terms of my contract would not be honoured by the new gym (CHI Fitness) since I'm unsure of what the agreement terms are between True Fitness and CHI," Adrina told SAYS.
Like other members, Adrina is concerned that True Fitness has the intention to leave them in the lurch as the company didn't notify them beforehand.
"If they are sincere in helping their members to move on, the announcement should be made in advance," she said, adding that "the fact that they have asked us not to contact CHI Fitness until 3 July (to buy more time for themselves to run away?)."
Has she reached out to True Fitness yet?
She has.
"They are not picking up calls on their official numbers," Adrina said.
So she spoke to one of the employees, through his personal number.
He told her that "the employees have also just found out this morning when they turned up for work. At the time of the call, around 11am, he was headed to the HQ to demand answers together with other employees."
Apparently, the employee has not been paid his salary as well.
When asked what should True Fitness have done instead, Adrina said that they should have definitely informed members way beforehand, adding that the whole thing just smells fishy
"Instead of being a given a choice as paying consumers, we are now being forced to accept what is being shoved down our throats," she told us.
She also voiced her concern about how True Fitness has instructed members not to contact the new gym until almost a month later, which isn't giving the members the kind of assurance they want
"This is not a way to conduct a legitimate business," Adrina echoed the same sentiments that are being voiced out by other members of the fitness chain, who are planning to pursue legal action over the matter.
Meanwhile, one of the True Fitness members, who spoke to CHI Fitness about the matter, said that, "CHI Fitness is not taking over True Fitness members."
She also said that CHI Fitness told her that True Fitness has bought monthly passes for its members from CHI Fitness and that they are "limited".
