fitness first

[roborovsky]

Bro! I’m jin upset with FF now! I inform the staff (who handled my case) over WhatsApp that I don’t wish to continue and I want to cancel. And I asked him if I have to go down to AMK to get it done. He said no need. He will do it on his end and send me the receipt. When I didn’t get the receipt I WhatsApp him to ask again, he assured me he has emailed me and he will check again.

Today FF AMK called me to check why i haven’t been going this month. I told her that I’ve cancelled. Then she told me in the system it shows that money has been deducted from my cc for FEB!

Why you so special? Why would they take note of any member who hasn't been going to their club location? Everyday they've so many members in and out of amk club, why would they bother with who hasn't been to their club location for the 1st 9 days of Feb?
Something is not right.

 

[bochup84]

Why you so special? Why would they take note of any member who hasn't been going to their club location? Everyday they've so many members in and out of amk club, why would they bother with who hasn't been to their club location for the 1st 9 days of Feb?
Something is not right.

I was surprised to get the call also! Then she say since I already paid why not I just continue? I so angry now. I told her I made clear I don’t wish to and I said it is because I couldn’t get classes. She say she will check with the consultant and get back to me.

Do you think they are scamming customers?

 

[roborovsky]

I was surprised to get the call also! Then she say since I already paid why not I just continue? I so angry now. I told her I made clear I don’t wish to and I said it is because I couldn’t get classes. She say she will check with the consultant and get back to me.

Do you think they are scamming customers?

There might be some miscomm.
Did your sales consultant forgot to inform them so there's a charge on 1st Feb? Or your consultant didn't inform you of the 1 month notice requirement? This is for you to sort it out with your consultant.

For paying members we're required to give 1 month notice, so there will always be another paying month before you can quit the gym. Not sure what's your tnc with your consultant.

 

[Unic0rn]

I was surprised to get the call also! Then she say since I already paid why not I just continue? I so angry now. I told her I made clear I don’t wish to and I said it is because I couldn’t get classes. She say she will check with the consultant and get back to me.

Do you think they are scamming customers?

bro since you paid, just continue to use the facilities lah until end of Feb there is 1 month notice for customers that has completed their contract, the extra 1 month has to pay when cancellation

 

[bochup84]

There might be some miscomm.
Did your sales consultant forgot to inform them so there's a charge on 1st Feb? Or your consultant didn't inform you of the 1 month notice requirement? This is for you to sort it out with your consultant.

For paying members we're required to give 1 month notice, so there will always be another paying month before you can quit the gym. Not sure what's your tnc with your consultant.

That’s the problem. There wasn’t a written document. I asked the consultant about it because I told him I’m not comfortable to sign the reactivation contract because (1) it states it’s 12 months lock in and (2) there’s no tnc for this “promo” for former members to come back for one month to try complimentary (if we not continuing, inform them before 25/1, nothing will be charged). But he assures me with a system screenshot that in remarks it states my promo as such. He said cos it is a promo they don’t print new tnc for it since it’s not a permanent process.

When I tried two weeks and cannot get classes, I decided I’ll not continue the rest of the month even when it’s supposedly foc. I asked the consultant if I cancel at AMK reception. He told me he will do it on his end for my case. The day after I asked him if he has cancelled. He said yes. I told him I never receive receipt. He said he will check and I asked him again on two occasions, he said he cancelled. Again I didn’t receive any email receipts. Then the next thing I know is FF calls me to inform me they charge me for Feb and welcome back to FF.

While I don’t have formal document of all these, I do have whatapp exchanges to show that there is no miscommunication. It is exactly what I’ve said. It may not be much in legal discourse but I can make it public. Which is what I told AMK FF earlier when I went down to clarify the issue with them since I don’t trust the consultant now. But they told me that the consultant is from bugis so they can’t handle the case. They can only ask bugis side to call me back.

So now I’m prepare to lose that one month fee (Heng I can afford. Treat it as a lesson), but I just want to make sure they don’t continue charging me by claiming I’m on membership. So I asked AMK to check if my membership is cancelled. They say yes. So I ask them to print out for me black and white. They say they cannot do that now (last time they do when I cancelled a year ago). They say now is system generated email. But I checked I didn’t receive. So I asked them to send the email again. But AMK staff say they can’t do that in the system due to constraints. So now basically their processes put customers at a disadvantage. Everything is under their control. Everything is they say one. And they don’t give customer anything in writing. Jin scary.

What I will do now is call my bank to make sure FF cannot charge to my card again. Then handle it from there.

 

[dean_h]

Similar experience as @bochup84.

Member for 10+ years and super disappointed at their anti-customer behaviour recently. It's quite clear FF is desperate for business and is now pulling out all the "immoral but not illegal" tactics to keep the money flowing in. It's sad because they used to quite customer-focused. For example, I could get a FOC membership freeze waiver for a few months if I was unable to attend due to travel or injury.

I tried to cancel a few months back during the gym closure period and they ghosted me. I was anxious because it was getting close to the next billing cycle and they will charge my card again, so I called for a few consecutive days to get them to respond. The person on the other end will always give excuses like they're busy, it's peak period, etc. and say they will call back but they NEVER will, so I had no choice but to cancel my credit card and go through the hassle of rearranging the recurring payments again.

(Additional rant for banks: Most of them will not entertain your request to block a specific merchant. They will give some stupid reason and say that you will have to declare the card is lost and get another card number. What a self pwn waste of resources.)

What happened next? They somehow put me on a membership freeze, even though I did not I did not agree to this or sign any form. Month after month, they kept racking up the charges on my account like a loan shark. Every few days, one of their staff will call and insist that I owe them money. Tried to explain that I did not request for freeze, and they insist I did. Told them I wanted to cancel, and of course they said I couldn't. Fortunately, they don't have my card details now.

My advice is:

• Not to be nice to these jokers, because they don't care, they just want your money
• Watch your credit card because once they have the details, they can charge you if they cook up a legit reason to, and it's always because of their "rules" or "policies"
• Do not sign up for their "pay upfront and get a discount" schemes. Who knows when they'll conk off, given their super zealous application of "safe management" measures and limited booking slots, most members can't get slots especially during peak periods.

 

[bochup84]

Similar experience as @bochup84.

Member for 10+ years and super disappointed at their anti-customer behaviour recently. It's quite clear FF is desperate for business and is now pulling out all the "immoral but not illegal" tactics to keep the money flowing in. It's sad because they used to quite customer-focused. For example, I could get a FOC membership freeze waiver for a few months if I was unable to attend due to travel or injury.

I tried to cancel a few months back during the gym closure period and they ghosted me. I was anxious because it was getting close to the next billing cycle and they will charge my card again, so I called for a few consecutive days to get them to respond. The person on the other end will always give excuses like they're busy, it's peak period, etc. and say they will call back but they NEVER will, so I had no choice but to cancel my credit card and go through the hassle of rearranging the recurring payments again.

(Additional rant for banks: Most of them will not entertain your request to block a specific merchant. They will give some stupid reason and say that you will have to declare the card is lost and get another card number. What a self pwn waste of resources.)

What happened next? They somehow put me on a membership freeze, even though I did not I did not agree to this or sign any form. Month after month, they kept racking up the charges on my account like a loan shark. Every few days, one of their staff will call and insist that I owe them money. Tried to explain that I did not request for freeze, and they insist I did. Told them I wanted to cancel, and of course they said I couldn't. Fortunately, they don't have my card details now.

My advice is:

• Not to be nice to these jokers, because they don't care, they just want your money
• Watch your credit card because once they have the details, they can charge you if they cook up a legit reason to, and it's always because of their "rules" or "policies"
• Do not sign up for their "pay upfront and get a discount" schemes. Who knows when they'll conk off, given their super zealous application of "safe management" measures and limited booking slots, most members can't get slots especially during peak periods.

Thank you for sharing your story. I wish I’d thought of cancelling my cc linked to FF payment earlier. But now that they have charged it, I can’t cancel it because they say the refund will be credited back to that cc. After threatening to go to mothership with my episode, I’ve finally received an email from bugis manager that they have processed my cancellation and will refund my Feb payment of $164. Even so, I have to ask twice before I really received the email. Because when they say they sent, I didn’t receive at all. When dealing with FF, really have to triple check that they did what they said. It’s like they’re trying their luck all the time.

 

[Gambler.]

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong...ernational-gym-chain-fitness-first-shuts-down

 

[Unic0rn]

FF shuts HK all eight branches in the city 🏙and goes into liquidation proceedings!

FF SG has 18 branches, the latest to close is the cathey branch at the end of Dec 2020.

 

[Unic0rn]

Fitness First no longer requires pre bookings for gym floor usage and swimming pool. They have increased the group exercise class’s capacity in March 2022 to 30! Faster signups now! Cheap membership at $100 per month! 2019’s was $189 per month (mine) and I paid throughout 2020, 2021 and now at 2022 in solidarity and support for staying active and healthy! Health is wealth!

 

[roborovsky]

Fitness First no longer requires pre bookings for gym floor usage and swimming pool. They have increased the group exercise class’s capacity in March 2022 to 30! Faster signups now! Cheap membership at $100 per month! 2019’s was $189 per month (mine) and I paid throughout 2020, 2021 and now at 2022 in solidarity and support for staying active and healthy! Health is wealth!

$100/mth? Really ah?

 

[Unic0rn]

$100/mth? Really ah?

For the first 3 months!

 

[Gambler.]

Fitness First no longer requires pre bookings for gym floor usage and swimming pool. They have increased the group exercise class’s capacity in March 2022 to 30! Faster signups now! Cheap membership at $100 per month! 2019’s was $189 per month (mine) and I paid throughout 2020, 2021 and now at 2022 in solidarity and support for staying active and healthy! Health is wealth!

you seem like a really loyal member. That’s good!

my last day is 31 March 2022.

 

[Unic0rn]

you seem like a really loyal member. That’s good!

my last day is 31 March 2022.

Can you try to visit this month to experience their relaxed regulations?

Can walk-in anytime for gym and pool usage, no need bookings.

Capacity for main studio and mind and body studio has increased dramatically too!

Honor, Loyalty and Strength! My sales consultant is quite good both my wife and I signed up with him, we even lost our metal straw during the pandemic and he gave us two for free because we are longtime members.

 

[Gambler.]

Can you try to visit this month to experience their relaxed regulations?

Can walk-in anytime for gym and pool usage, no need bookings.

Capacity for main studio and mind and body studio has increased dramatically too!

Honor, Loyalty and Strength! My sales consultant is quite good both my wife and I signed up with him, we even lost our metal straw during the pandemic and he gave us two for free because we are longtime members.

I’m now at FF at point of writing. Off peak so definitely it’s not crowded.

but I’m not going as often so will still cancel

 

[Unic0rn]

I’m now at FF at point of writing. Off peak so definitely it’s not crowded.

but I’m not going as often so will still cancel

Yeah oh dear why still canceling? Can share how much are you paying per month?

 

[Gambler.]

Yeah oh dear why still canceling? Can share how much are you paying per month?

Already said ah. I’m not utilising.

I average once or twice a month, no point spending $1xx for this

 

[magnate_]

prices are quite ex, you can get a home gym and it will last for life

 

[bochup84]

Can you try to visit this month to experience their relaxed regulations?

Can walk-in anytime for gym and pool usage, no need bookings.

Capacity for main studio and mind and body studio has increased dramatically too!

Honor, Loyalty and Strength! My sales consultant is quite good both my wife and I signed up with him, we even lost our metal straw during the pandemic and he gave us two for free because we are longtime members.

Hello again brother! Has the studio capacity returned to pre covid levels ah? Also hor, no walk in to queue yet right?

 

[Unic0rn]

Hello again brother! Has the studio capacity returned to pre covid levels ah? Also hor, no walk in to queue yet right?

Brother bochup the studio capacity has increased by 70% and there is no need to pre bookings for gym floor usage and pool usage.

With unlimited booking privileges and 70% increase in number of slots island-wide,
securing a spot to your favourite group fitness class(es) has never been easier.