Complaints against Hong Kong gym chain Physical jump 50% after arrest of 2 bosses

The number of complaints filed against Physical Health Centre has jumped 50 per cent in just a day, following the high-profile arrest of two directors of the recently closed Hong Kong gym chain.

As of 7am on Thursday, 1,357 people submitted claims to the Customs and Excise Department regarding the gym chain, up from about 900 a day earlier. The total amount involved nearly doubled in a day, surging from HK$39 million (US$5 million) to HK$71 million.

The biggest case involved a payment of HK$1.86 million for more than 1,900 prepaid private classes and a 10-year membership.

“Sometimes customers bought more classes than they needed and did not use up their packages before the expiry period. Trainers told customer their unused credits would only remain valid if they bought extra classes. That is how things snowballed,” Consumer Council chief executive Gilly Wong Fung-han told a radio programme.

She said customers might have considered the “uncertainties” of signing and renewing long-term packages. Changes to their health could prevent them from going to the gym, while service providers might not remain viable over the 10- to 30-year periods of their agreements, she explained.