California Fitness announced that its Whampoa branch, opened only four months ago, will be closed indefinitely from Monday. A liquidation request is being launched against JV Fitness, which operates the chain.
The gym chain said that the location had to close because “the landlord indicate[d] its intention to stop supplying some essential services to the premises.”
It said that it will “try its best to negotiate with the landlord to resume our services to members.”
A permanent member of the fitness club told Apple Daily that cleaning services has stopped and the club was “relatively messy.” According to the gym chain’s Facebook, a swimming pool in its MegaBox branch is also closed for maintenance until further notice.
A Facebook user commented, “Water and electricity are essential services. They may be so poor they cannot pay electricity bills.”
Ms Shum, spokesperson for an alliance for victims of the Whampoa club closure, said that the alliance has already attracted 200 individuals.
Liquidation request
A construction firm is currently seeking liquidation of JV Fitness Limited and the case will be heard on August 31. Apple Daily reported that the construction firm’s board of directors member P.K. Wong was a former director of J.V. Fitness.
In May, two employees from the gym were arrested for intimidating customers into purchasing fitness plans.
California Fitness was also named by the Consumer Council in April for “intimidating and misleading” business practices. The consumer watchdog said that it received up to 296 complaints related to the gym last year, leading to compensation payments totalling HK$28 million.
HKFP has contacted California Fitness for comment.
