In a statement uploaded on the company’s website on Friday, the management of True Fitness & True Spa announced it was shutting its Malaysian operations effective yesterday.
It said the past few years had proven to be “challenging” and the businesses were no longer financially viable due to evolving market conditions.
“Thanks to members like yourselves, we’ve been able to build a strong community of like-minded individuals who are passionate about wellness and health, and we value the support you’ve shown us,” it said.
It added that arrangements had been made with CHI Fitness for patrons to continue with their fitness regime there.
“True Fitness members in Malaysia will have access to all CHI clubs except those located in Bangsar, Bangsar South (Nexus) and the Northern Clubs,” it said.
“Under the arrangement, True Fitness has purchased memberships for members to redeem and personal training sessions to be utilised at Chi Fitness. Redemptions can be completed online,” it added.
It said the company was unable to refund in cash the unused portions of their subscribers’ membership months or personal training sessions.
In an updated message yesterday, it added that the membership and personal training redemptions can only be made at Chi Fitness from July 3 onwards. It said True Fitness will communicate with all its members by June 20 on the related procedures.
“In the meantime, we seek the kind understanding from members not to proceed to or contact any CHI Fitness Centre until 3 July 2017,” it added.
According to online portal SAYS, the announcement took members by surprise as there was no prior information on the matter.
In its report yesterday, it cited Adrina Choy, who has a five-year membership for married couples, as saying that the company had been recruiting new members up to two days before it shut down.
It said Choy’s membership contract that cost her RM9,336, has more than four years still left.
She reportedly claimed she had not received a copy of the contract which True Fitness had promised to mail to her, and her husband had not received his membership card.
“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,” she was quoted as saying.
She also said True Fitness was not picking up her calls to the company’s official numbers.
She said an employee told her that staff there also found out about the closing down of operations on Friday 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,” Choy was quoted as saying.
The portal also said a number of the members aired their shock and objection against the abrupt closure on Facebook.
It added that some members who turned up at a branch gym yesterday found the shutters closed with a notice of the closure displayed.
According to SAYS, one True Fitness member who spoke to CHI Fitness about the matter said, “CHI Fitness is not taking over True Fitness members.”
She said CHI Fitness told her that True Fitness has bought monthly passes for its members from CHI Fitness and that these are “limited”, it added.