Members of California Fitness Singapore were apprehensive when the gym closed its doors for good in Hong Kong recently. Closer to home, the Ngee Ann City outlet went down in February, and Raffles Club at Republic Plaza shuttered on July 16. Now it seems the fitness chain can no longer hold on, as all gyms in Singapore have been closed until further notice, in an abrupt announcement made after midnight on Wednesday, July 20.
That means, with immediate effect, the Novena and Bugis branches are no longer open to members, according to a media statement by provisional liquidators from recovery firm Ferrier Hodgson. This is due to the fact that the gym’s owner, JV Fitness, has insufficient finances to keep it afloat.
Since the Raffles Place outlet ceased operations, members have been coming forward to demand refunds. Many even filed official complaints with the Small Claims Tribunal and the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) in an attempt to take back their membership fees, some of which are as high as thousands of dollars. Case has already received more than 100 complaints.
Several members have also joined a 500-strong Facebook group to fight for their refunds together, and online petition ‘Get California Fitness to refund its victims’ is appealing to Minister for Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang with more than 1,000 signatures.
