Gym-Goers Want Their Money Back After Outlet Issues Handwritten Notes On Abrupt Closure
Some 35 members even held a peaceful protest in front of the Gorgeous Fitness outlet at 1Shamelin Shopping Mall, Cheras on Sunday.
By Tang Ruxyn — 25 Aug 2015, 12:12 PM — Updated over 8 years ago
On Sunday, 23 August, 35 disgruntled Gorgeous Fitness members gathered in front of its 1Shamelin Shopping Mall, Cheras branch to demand for refunds after the outlet closed down abruptly without giving prior notice
Also present at the peaceful protest was Teratai assemblyman YB Tiew Way Keng
The members of Gorgeous Fitness are currently in contact with Puan Tiew Way Keng and making arrangements to make tribunal claims as a group.
Members who signed up with the 1Shamelin branch had apparently paid their membership fees in advance, with the sum ranging from RM888 to RM2000
It is understood that members who signed up at the 1Shamelin branch were offered a 3-month membership extension as compensation and were advised to visit another Gorgeous Fitness branch in Viva Home Shopping Mall, Cheras instead
A Facebook group was created on 16 August and has become the medium of communication between members of Gorgeous Fitness
The Facebook group named "Request Refund from Gorgeous Fitness 1 Shamelin" has gathered more than 600 members so far
Several police reports have been made against Gorgeous Fitness and the admin of the aforementioned Facebook group has urged other members to do the same
According to a member in the Facebook group, a handwritten notice announcing that the 1Shamelin outlet was shifting to Viva Mall was affixed at the entrance of the fitness outlet last week
However, some pictures that were also posted in the group show that there were at least 2 different variations of handwritten notices - one announcing the outlet's closure due to electricity disruptions, another announcing their relocation
Some complained that the fitness centre lacked good facilities and classes were also cancelled despite members having paid quite a considerable amount of money for packages and memberships
An ex-employee of Gorgeous Fitness claimed that the same thing happened to a former outlet in Southgate Commercial Centre KL, which was closed down before shifting to 1Shamelin
Adding that the membership consultants of Gorgeous Fitness were unethical and very cutthroat in their recruiting methods, he also pointed out some misdemeanours on the management's side of things
On 24 August, the management of 1Shamelin Shopping Mall issued an official statement on its Facebook page explaining their side of the story
In its statement, 1Shamelin Shopping Mall claims that Gorgeous Fitness owes the management more than RM700k in utilities, interest, and rental costs
The statement also backs the allegations that Gorgeous Fitness has been collecting money from members in advance, although the fitness centre was supposed to transfer their assets to 1Shamelin Shopping Mall to satisfy part of their debts
1Shamelin's management added that cutting off their power supply was necessary to protect "innocent members and public from being hurt further" from Gorgeous Fitness' "unscrupulous action"
