fmen Posted July 20, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 California Fitness shuts remaining outlets in Singapore Early this morning, it was announced that California Fitness has shut down all its outlets here until further notice. This was revealed in a media statement sent out at 12.03am by its provisional liquidators from recovery firm Ferrier Hodgson. The statement said the outlets, including the ones in Novena and Bugis, were closed with immediate effect because its owner, JV Fitness, lacks the finances to keep them running. ''The Provisional Liquidators will quickly explore options that maybe available to enable the business to operate but for the time being, it is necessary to cease the operations of the fitness centres with immediate effect,'' the statement read. This follows the abrupt closure of its downtown Republic Plaza branch last Saturday. Since then, scores of members of the gym chain have been seeking refunds. Some have lodged official complaints with the Small Claims Tribunal or approached the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) in an attempt to recover their membership fees, which, for many of them, run into the thousands. In the four days since the Republic Plaza branch shut, Case received over 100 complaints against the chain. One 29-year-old member, who wanted to be known only as Mr Chng, decided to take his complaint to the Small Claims Tribunal yesterday. He signed up for a five-year membership and 80 personal training sessions with California Fitness in January. The real estate agent said he stands to lose an estimated $8,000 should these branches also shut their doors. Yesterday, gym-goers got to work out as usual at the Bugis and Novena branches, but staff remained tight-lipped when asked about future operations. The mood among some members was sombre. Mr Michael Da Silva, a 26-year-old pilot who worked out at the Bugis branch on Monday, said: ''The atmosphere is really bad. Everyone seems really uncertain of what's going on.'' The sense of uncertainty had been heightened after the chain's Republic Plaza branch was repossessed abruptly after it was unable to pay the rent. All California Fitness outlets in Hong Kong closed last week due to mounting debt. In Singapore, a Ngee Ann City outlet closed in February. Yesterday, calls to the management went unanswered. Its main office in Novena Square also seemed deserted during office hours when The StraitsTimes visited yesterday. A Facebook group, for which Mr Chng acts as an administrator, is exploring ways to ensure that those who paid fees to the gym chain do not lose out. The group has gained more than 580 members in the two days since it was created. An online petition titled ''Get California Fitness to refund its victims'' - addressed to Mr Lim Hng Kiang, Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade)-has over 1,000 signatures. One lawyer, however, cautioned that customers face an uphill battle to secure refunds, in cases where a business goes bust due to financial difficulties. Said Mr Amolat Singh: ''Any assets (that a business has) will go towards paying landlords, the tax authorities or employees before it goes towards refunding the customers.'' A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 20, 2016, with the headline 'California Fitness shuts remaining outlets'. -------- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fmen Posted July 20, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 California Fitness会员到分店取回物品 盼中心员工给交代 （联合早报网讯）位于武吉士和诺维娜的California Fitness分店今天凌晨宣布关闭，有不少公众今天上午前往两家分店，除了盼能取回寄放在健身房内的物品外，也希望中心职员能给个交代。 受委为J.V. Fitness Pte Ltd的临时清盘公司菲日尔霍森（Ferrier Hodgson）今天凌晨发布声明表示，J.V. Fitness没有足够的流动资产继续经营，因此将从今日起关闭本地的所有分行，直至另行通知。 J.V. Fitness拥有并经营位于莱佛士坊、诺维娜和武吉士的California Fitness。 记者今早走访维娜和武吉士分店，诺维娜分店虽有员工在店内走动，但闸门紧闭，前去想得到交待并取回寄放物品的公众在抵达后才发现扑了一场空。 位于武吉士的分店则有工作人员在场。一些前去领取物品的公众被要求留下联系方式，工作人员表示会在明天与他们联系，为他们安排领取物品的合适时间。 一名不愿具名的会员透露，她前去要求退款。她说：“工作人员说不能保证一定能拿回钱，但他们会试试看能否把钱退给我，并给我一张纸叫我联系纸上写的联络人。” 现场可看到有一些人在武吉士的分店内，一名不愿具名的工作人员透露，在里面的人都是健身中心的员工，他们今天前去签薪水单，希望能拿到应有的薪资。 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fmen Posted July 20, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 (edited) SINGAPORE — Upset members of California Fitness have signed a petition hoping to get a refund on their membership fees while others are talking about taking legal action following the announcement of the gym’s closure of all its Singapore outlets early on Wednesday (July 20). Ms Jerilyn Tan wrote on a Change.org petition on Tuesday that she had renewed her membership just a few weeks ago. The club has “‘cheated’ their members and the public to continue to renew or sign for membership despite being aware that they are closing,” she wrote. “This is deceitful of (C)alifornia (Fitness) to make its members and the public believe that the gym membership they are signing for will follow through.” The petition was initially set up after the gym closed its Orchard Road outlet in February but the petition gained momentum after the announcement of the closure of the gym’s Singapore outlets. Writing on California Fitness Singapore’s official Facebook page, a user going by the name of Arti Vinna said that she had paid more than S$4,000 to join the club and had never even used her membership. She wrote that she was planning to file a complaint with the Consumer Association of Singapore as well as the Small Claims Tribunal. Another Facebook user, Ms Maxine Wong, wrote that she had just renewed her membership in March and had spent S$2,200 for a three-year membership. Calling it the “biggest scam of the year”, she said she planned to file a claim at the Small Claims Tribunal. California Fitness has not responded to these comments. On its Facebook page, its latest post was about the schedule of an upcoming group exercise session which was posted on Sunday, July 17. The company's websitealso has no mention of the closure and in fact, anyone going to the website is greeted with a pop-up window inviting people to join the company as employees. A page inviting people to join as members of California Fitness still exists but it leads to the contact details of the club's outlets at Bugis, Raffles Place and Novena Square. Mixed in amongst the anger were people who were sad about the closure of the gym. Ms Diane Wu wrote: “Feeling so so so sad. I have been a member since day 1 in year 2000 at Republic Plaza branch. It’s like a second home to me.” Ms Natalia Nilasari wrote that she had lost S$1,500 but she was “much more upset to lose my 2nd home for 15 years than the money.” Apart from anger and sadness, some people are making plans to move on. Start-up founder Martin Goh, 38, quickly set up a Facebook group CaliFit Exit on Saturday to try to get people together in hopes of getting a group discount from another chain. “A bunch of us will need to get new gyms and if we can get a people people together, we might get group buying power,” he said. The closed Facebook group had about 470 members as of 11.30am on Thursday. However, only about 140 people have actually emailed him to say they were interested in joining him in looking for another gym, he said. Mr Goh said that in his preliminary talks with other chains, he has found very little movement on monthly rates. However, he was not disheartened by his finding. “It says they look after their members and that they have a sustainable business model, unlike California Fitness.” Mr Irving Henson, the managing director of gym The Pit Singapore said: “No matter how you look at it, it’s not good news (for the gym industry as a whole).” He noted that the closure would mean that the freelance trainer market would probably going to get even more saturated, which smaller and newer gyms might see as more competition. “Members who just forked out a large sum of money are going to be reluctant to buy a new membership so quickly or readily,” he said. Ferrier Hodgson have been appointed as Provisional Liquidators of JV Fitness Pte Ltd, by the order of the High Court on Tuesday. JV Fitness is the owner of California Fitness branches. “JV Fitness does not have adequate liquid resources to continue its operations and therefore all outlets in Singapore will be closed from today until further notice,” said a media release issued early on Wednesday. “The Provisional Liquidators will quickly explore options that may be available to enable the business to operate but for time being, it is necessary to cease the operations of the fitness centres with immediate effect.” Last week, JV Fitness closed all its 12 branches in Hong Kong, with the outlets in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou following suit. http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/california-fitness-members-here-sign-petition-plan-legal-action-get-refunds liquidators of California fitness Edited July 20, 2016 by fmen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mith Posted July 20, 2016 Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 a while back, many long time safra gym members quit safra and join cali gym... i think many affected by this sudden closure... they will flock back to safra soon! xdlover 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2016 Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 2 hours ago, Guest Guest said: I was told by my friend's PT in Cali, Cali pays their staff on the 15th of every mth, so the staff would already hv been paid this month. Sounds legit, thats why Raffles only closed on 16th morning, after pay day. But the PT said that they really didnt know all outlets will close, they are equally as clueless as the members and are damn worried now. raffles close on 16th i think is just coincidence that it falls one day after their payday. The repossession is initiated by landlord. When is the date of repossession is decided by landlord, not by gym. But it's true the PTs and staff are not aware when they will close. They still turn up for work on monday and tuesday. There are also classes on Tuesday. The date of closure is decided by Ferrier Hogdson. Once into liquidation, control of the company goes to liquidators. The General manager has no more power. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lanlan Posted July 20, 2016 Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 Wonder what will the property owners use the empty space. When Novena Velocity started it was supposed to be a 'sports theme' mall with a fairly big gym there to bring in the AtAs crowd from the offices and the upper class people living in nearby condos the space at Bugis and Republic plaza can easily be converted into office space. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonelyglobe Posted July 20, 2016 Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 858 postslonelyglobe 117 Location: singapore Posted March 13 · Report post they can always cook up whatever reason they want....no wonder the fitness sector have became the top ten in CASE disputes cases, be extremely cautious when signing up for membership or PT sessions...... Guys, have we not have enough lesson? from true yoga to sky fitness to California fitness and who is the next to close down and runaway with all your hard earn money??? No body know but surely there are too many gym in this small country which is not sustainable, a few more need to go and only the strongest few will survive. Bank is only interested in taking your money, getting back money from them is like a mission impossible, case trust? honestly there is only so much they can do, when the company closed, what can they do? Any commitment of more than 6 month membership is a risk that you have to take, no matter how cheap is the offer, the only safer choice might be safra and sg active gym but then again, no body knows, do not over commit is your best bet. Quote Edt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonelyglobe Posted July 20, 2016 Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 Posted the above warning in march, Guys, have we not have enough lesson? from true yoga to sky fitness to California fitness and who is the next to close down and runaway with all your hard earn money??? No body know but surely there are too many gym in this small country which is not sustainable, a few more need to go and only the strongest few will survive. Bank is only interested in taking your money, getting back money from them is like a mission impossible, case trust? honestly there is only so much they can do, when the company closed, what can they do? Any commitment of more than 6 month membership is a risk that you have to take, no matter how cheap is the offer, the only safer choice might be safra and sg active gym but then again, no body knows, do not over commit is your best bet. camus 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Damn Posted July 20, 2016 Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 21 minutes ago, lonelyglobe said: Posted the above warning in march, Guys, have we not have enough lesson? from true yoga to sky fitness to California fitness and who is the next to close down and runaway with all your hard earn money??? No body know but surely there are too many gym in this small country which is not sustainable, a few more need to go and only the strongest few will survive. Bank is only interested in taking your money, getting back money from them is like a mission impossible, case trust? honestly there is only so much they can do, when the company closed, what can they do? Any commitment of more than 6 month membership is a risk that you have to take, no matter how cheap is the offer, the only safer choice might be safra and sg active gym but then again, no body knows, do not over commit is your best bet. Dont worry for these gays lah. All beri rich. Love to by analed deep and hard. To begin with they are get, hardcore anal is fun anyway. Some jokers even post here say it's nothing to do with government, company or the staff is innocent. LOL. No wonder so many FTs cum to SG to scam scam and scam. Such low intelligence and penchance for deep hardcore anal sex. Skyfitness was also run by bunch of FTs who scam and disappeared. No wonder SGX is trading at such low volume. So much scams (BS listed companies) that no one with the right mind will put their money there. i will only expect more scams in this country since many of these anal sex lovers think that it's not the govt Biz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hot Swimmer Posted July 20, 2016 Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 Pray hard TF will not shut down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abang Posted July 20, 2016 Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 36 minutes ago, lonelyglobe said: only safer choice might be safra and sg active gym I believe that SAFRA gyms are also filled to the max... so much so as they only closed for the day at 10.30 pm. SAFRA gyms are NOT likely to fold as SAFRA lease out a lot of retail space and really, SAFRA has DEEP pockets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2016 Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 safra gym is very boring. All singaporeans heartlanders. No international crowd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abang Posted July 20, 2016 Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 Question at hand ..do you go to the gym to exercise or to ogle at guys? Networking with AMDKs? Just for anyone's interest, SAFRA gyms do attract some AMDK during non-peak hours. And just in case someone who yet to step into a SAFRA gym, the steam room and Jacuzzi are well-maintained. Yes, towels are provided unlike the "more" prestigious gym at Bugis, Raffles Place and Novena. One more thing, there is no bench to sit on so, no old uncles/aunties ... So what is wrong with heartlanders? Most of us have the means to live in a private condo and don't scorn at us - I choose to stay at HDB flats because it is BIGGER than a condo (same 3 bedrooms). For those who live in private condo, how often do you use the condo facilities? mate69, xdlover and forbidd3n 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonelyglobe Posted July 20, 2016 Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 guest guest only mention international, maybe he prefer those from south asia apart from having "deep pockets", safra is a club for NS men, so in a way it do have some social responsibility and cannot suka suka closed down like commercial gym. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest California Posted July 20, 2016 Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 Judging from the numerous post here. it is obvious many who join Cali with only hook-up in mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Boredathome Posted July 20, 2016 Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 I work in CBD and live near city. All the gyms around me are Cali TF FF. Would definitely join SAFRA gyms if they are near my place, seriously I feel they are equally on par with those commercial gyms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nerrad Posted July 20, 2016 Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 16 minutes ago, Guest Boredathome said: I work in CBD and live near city. All the gyms around me are Cali TF FF. Would definitely join SAFRA gyms if they are near my place, seriously I feel they are equally on par with those commercial gyms. They certainly are! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonelyglobe Posted July 20, 2016 Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 umm....looks like safra off-peak is going to be peak and peak became super-peak Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2016 Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 i thought safra gym is for those people who have served their NS? How come can have AMDKs there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Wyclef Posted July 20, 2016 Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 20 minutes ago, Guest guest said: i thought safra gym is for those people who have served their NS? How come can have AMDKs there? LOLOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Fitness First Posted July 20, 2016 Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 I think every branches have closed down Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest EasierLim Posted July 20, 2016 Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 9 minutes ago, Guest EasyLim said: That is the reason why I only use my money at Tenmen Club LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest curious Posted July 20, 2016 Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 is the PT in the video gay? http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/singapore/california-fitness/2971624.html?cid=fbcna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fab Posted July 20, 2016 Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 Ask his bf. 鍾意就好，理佢男定女 never argue with the guests. let them bark all they want. 结缘不结怨 解怨不解缘 After I have said what I wanna say, I don't care what you say. 看穿不说穿 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guesty Posted July 20, 2016 Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 He definitely is! Ben xiao. He has a voracious appetite for manly good looking, hunky, sporty guys. Quite an aggressive and strategised seducer too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonelyglobe Posted July 20, 2016 Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 On 19/7/2016 at 7:54 PM, Guest Gali said: Sad to say i think for instalment payments, the bank wld already hv paid the full sum to Cali upfront, so essentially you are paying instalment every month to the bank and not Cali. If you stop paying now, the bank will be the one that takes action against you. I am not sure if there is any successful case of asking the bank to stop instalment in such instance, but i wld think chances will be very very low. Sigh what can the bank do if we really don't pay? They won't be able to make police report since it is not a criminal case, they can keep sending reminder letter, follow by legal letter and get a debt collection man to your place which is what happen to my previous owner. Coming to 5 years since I bought the flat from him and all these while, I keep receiving reminder letter and legal letter, also got one time a man come and ask about him, very professional approach so definitely not loan shark. Obviously my previous owner have no intention to pay the bank and if the bank want to sue him, why would they wait for so many years and not taken any action yet except keep sending the useless letters? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Neh Neh Posted July 20, 2016 Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 13 minutes ago, lonelyglobe said: what can the bank do if we really don't pay? They won't be able to make police report since it is not a criminal case, they can keep sending reminder letter, follow by legal letter and get a debt collection man to your place which is what happen to my previous owner. Coming to 5 years since I bought the flat from him and all these while, I keep receiving reminder letter and legal letter, also got one time a man come and ask about him, very professional approach so definitely not loan shark. Obviously my previous owner have no intention to pay the bank and if the bank want to sue him, why would they wait for so many years and not taken any action yet except keep sending the useless letters? Any default payment of any loan will affect your personal credit limit. Your name will be in the banks' blacklist. You wont be able to get any loan in future and they will not grant you any credit thus your credit card may be cancelled. Worst still you may be forced to declare bankruptcy and with bankruptcy you will not be able to travel out of the country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted July 20, 2016 Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 Lucky I go to VA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cube3 Posted July 20, 2016 Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 5 hours ago, Guest Boredathome said: I work in CBD and live near city. All the gyms around me are Cali TF FF. Would definitely join SAFRA gyms if they are near my place, seriously I feel they are equally on par with those commercial gyms. Same prob here. - Is there any Sports Council gym hereabouts? Hong Lim or Kreta Ayer CC? Would Delta be the nearest? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pecan Posted July 21, 2016 Report Share Posted July 21, 2016 Any news when it will be opened again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lucien96 Posted July 21, 2016 Report Share Posted July 21, 2016 With Cali being shutdiwn, I think there are lot of PT that needs work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 21, 2016 Report Share Posted July 21, 2016 6 hours ago, Cube3 said: Same prob here. - Is there any Sports Council gym hereabouts? Hong Lim or Kreta Ayer CC? Would Delta be the nearest? https://www.myactivesg.com/sports/fitness-and-wellness/features/active-sg-gym-facilities-around-singapore Cube3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fmen Posted July 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2016 2 days ago? are u blind or deaf ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G_M Posted July 21, 2016 Report Share Posted July 21, 2016 14 hours ago, Guest EasyLim said: That is the reason why I only use my money at Tenmen Club 13 hours ago, Guest What??? said: Oh no!!! I signed up two days ago for 5 years TROLL ALERT! The above 2 posts has the same IP address! Cube3 1 http://www.facebook.com/gachimuchi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camus Posted July 21, 2016 Report Share Posted July 21, 2016 suggestion to GM to just make all the forums here for members only. i notice a lot of trolls and bitchy comments from anonymous 'guests' doing nothing but try and stir shit bluerunner and superflawless 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G_M Posted July 21, 2016 Report Share Posted July 21, 2016 5 minutes ago, camus said: suggestion to GM to just make all the forums here for members only. i notice a lot of trolls and bitchy comments from anonymous 'guests' doing nothing but try and stir shit I think the mods had already stated the reason/s why we prefers to maintain the status quo. I hate to say it but the forum would be boring as hell without those "bitchy anonymous guests". Anyway, I will be here to keep them in check and throws them into the Flaming Room. Now get back to the topic and not discuss further on the above matter. LookinAround and nogun 2 http://www.facebook.com/gachimuchi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abang Posted July 21, 2016 Report Share Posted July 21, 2016 GM and other forum users, I used to detest guest(s) starting nonsensical thread/posts. Some of their remarks are baseless complaints. Some like to rub and flame members. Instead of decrying again and again, I made a better choice - to ignore their posting and to ignore their inflammatory remarks. Why should I/we be bothered about such PARIAHs.. **pariah means outcast, reject, untouchable, someone who don't conform to the norms (in this case, someone with improper behaviour gearing towards the goodwill and brotherhood of gay people) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted July 21, 2016 Report Share Posted July 21, 2016 40 minutes ago, abang said: **pariah means outcast, reject, untouchable, someone who don't conform to the norms (in this case, someone with improper behaviour gearing towards the goodwill and brotherhood of gay people) That coming from you.....? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Fann Posted July 21, 2016 Report Share Posted July 21, 2016 1 hour ago, Guest Guest said: That coming from you.....? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fmen Posted July 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2016 California Fitness liquidators looking to sell off gyms, asking members to be patient SINGAPORE - Recovery firm Ferrier Hodgson, the provisional liquidators for California Fitness, released a statement on Thursday (July 21) asking members of the now-closed gym chain to be "patient" while it addressed their concerns. California Fitness members are seeking refunds for thousands of dollars worth of gym packages following the abrupt closure of its Novena and Bugis branches here on Wednesday (July 20). The club's Republic Plaza outlet closed last Saturday (July 16) until further notice. Mr Tim Reid, a partner at Ferrier Hodgson, said the firm had met with the landlords of the gym's premises at the three locations and is hoping to sell California Fitness' gyms there. He added that a purchaser acceptable to the landlords would first need to be identified, and an agreement would have to be reached between Ferrier Hodgson, the gyms' landlords and prospective purchasers. "We may also need the approval of the Court," he said. Mr Reid reiterated that "our role is to achieve the best outcome for creditors of the company". "As such, our efforts are in line with the concerns of members," he said, adding that updates would soon be available online for California Fitness members. http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/california-fitness-liquidators-looking-to-sell-off-gyms-asking-members-to-be-patient The appointed provisional liquidators for California Fitness are seeking buyers for the chain's three gyms, which are now closed. In a statement yesterday, Ferrier Hodgson said their representatives had met the landlords in the hope of securing agreements to market the gyms for sale. Business experts, such as SIM University's School of Business senior lecturer Walter Theseira, however, cautioned that buyers might not be interested in the troubled business . "The main asset of California Fitness is its client list but it is also a liability, because of the services owed to them. No company would want to take over the client list along with the liabilities," he said. Slightly more optimistic was Dr Craig Brown, assistant professor of finance at NUS Business School: "It could be an attractive deal for fitness companies that want to expand their business, unless there is great liability that comes with it. Ultimately it comes down to the price. Its selling price has to account for its liabilities." When asked if it would be interested in buying the premises, Fitness First Singapore's managing director Andrew Phillips said: "Our expansion strategy is based on developing and strengthening the network for our members, making it more convenient for them to exercise at any time of the day. "We will review their locations using the same criteria we use to evaluate all other potential venues." City Developments, the landlord for the Republic Plaza outlet, could not be reached for comment, while Velocity's landlord UOL and Bugis Junction's landlord Keppel Reit declined to comment. California Fitness closed all three of its outlets unexpectedly in the past week, leaving members high and dry, after having paid upfront thousands in membership fees. It has also closed all its 12 outlets in Hong Kong. Despite the moves to find a buyer, some members like Ms Louise Teo, 34, would rather have their money back. "I guess it depends on what the deal with the new owners would be like. If I have to pay a lot to continue, I would stay away for now," said the retail executive, who has been with the gym for three years and stands to lose about $2,000. A hearing is scheduled on Aug 12 and the provisional liquidators will report their findings to the High Court and the creditors upon completing their assessment. Meanwhile, some members are trying to get their bank to stop payment to the company, though this is mainly an option for members who pay monthly fees to the gym, and not those who paid for memberships upfront. http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/liquidators-look-to-sell-chains-3-gyms Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fmen Posted July 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2016 (edited) Closure of California Fitness in Singapore: What went wrong? SINGAPORE: When California Fitness first opened in Singapore in 1998, former members like Mr Melvin Ng were attracted to its convenient locations, and added frills like saunas and shower rooms. “It was a new concept then, and there was some status that came with it,” he said. “They also had a lot of classes, so it’s not just lifting weights or using equipment. That’s why I went for it.” But the lustre dimmed as the years went by. On Wednesday (Jul 20), it was announced that all California Fitness gyms in Singapore would be closed with immediate effect, until further notice. The liquidators of JV Fitness, which owns and operates the outlets at Bugis, Raffles Place and Novena, said the company does not have adequate liquid resources to continue its operations. Last week, the chain closed all its 12 outlets in Hong Kong. Mr Ng said as the gym recruited more members, it got more crowded and started losing its “luxurious feel". He signed a three-year membership package in 2004, paying about S$1,500 in fees upfront. When his membership expired, he did not go back and now works out at 24-hour fitness chain Anytime Fitness. Other former members Channel NewsAsia spoke to agreed that businesses with niche offerings like Anytime Fitness have been giving mega-gyms like California Fitness a run for their money. Like Mr Ng, former California Fitness member Daniel Chak also left for Anytime Fitness. “Anytime Fitness is more of a no-frills type of gym, with no extra facilities,” he said. “But what attracted me was their opening hours and the convenient locations of their outlets in the heartland.” KEEPING UP WITH THE TRENDS Large chains like California Fitness could also have been affected by the rise of niche boutique gyms offering specialised training in the latest fitness trends, like strength and conditioning program CrossFit. Ms Ailyne Halim tried out mega-gym chains like Fitness First and True Fitness, but made the switch two years ago to CrossFit, and now works out at CrossFit gym CrossFit Mobilus. “When you go to a bigger gym, you’re more or less on your own unless you pay for a personal trainer. When I went there I realised I didn’t know what to do, and I wasn’t sure how to use the equipment. At some point, I just got really bored.” Another CrossFit convert, Ms Zoe Teo, is considering giving up her membership at Fitness First after four years, citing similar reasons. “The thing about CrossFit is that it’s always something new and you never know what you’re going to get,” she said. “When I go to a BodyCombat class at Fitness First, I know exactly what to expect and I know how hard I’m going to work out. But with CrossFit, you could be doing heavy weights one day, and cardio another. It’s more interesting and I learn more things.” Nowadays, people are also more exposed to the latest fitness trends, according to personal trainer Caster Beh. “Fitness no longer means signing up with a mega gym. People who know what they want can look out for specialised trainers and gyms, and I think these mega gyms are losing out on that.” Strength and conditioning coach Muhammad Azrie also brought up the rise of fitness apps like KFit and GuavaPass, which allow members to pay a nominal fee each month to access fitness classes with multiple gyms. “It’s cheap and users can try out what they want without hurting their pockets.” But others say there could be deeper reasons behind California Fitness’ fate. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, RATHER THAN MARKETING There could have been underlying problems with California Fitness’ business model, with one expert highlighting the issue of financial management, rather than marketing. “The business model of California Fitness and other fitness chains relies largely on upfront payment of fees, or package deals,” said Dr Leng Ho Keat, Assistant Professor of Physical Education and Sports Science at the National Institute of Education. He added that while this business model allows them to have a large infusion of cash at the start, most of the cash is unearned income, or money paid for services that have not yet been rendered. One example, he said, would be the selling of lifetime memberships. “If you’re selling a lifetime membership to a 20-year-old, he can exercise there for free for the next 60 years of his life,” he said. “So you need to be very prudent and calculate how much it costs to offer such packages.” When businesses fail to recognise this, they may use up the money thinking it is profit and this could result in cash flow issues in the future, he added. “So it’s not about not getting enough customers, but not managing their cash flow properly.” The company's financial strategy was an issue that Channel NewsAsia wanted to discuss with California Fitness, but it did not respond to requests for comment for this article. Meanwhile, an ex-employee at California Fitness said that news of the chain’s financial woes did not surprise her. “I know the pioneering batch of members were paying extremely low fees for their memberships, and even the current newer batch of members are paying a lower than market rate for their memberships,” said the former staff member, who requested not to be identified. “How do you pay rent and pay for your gym equipment?” CAMARADERIE AND COMMUNITY When it comes to working out, what some users really want is to feel that they are part of a community, according to people Channel NewsAsia spoke to. CrossFit fans like Ms Halim and Ms Teo highlighted the strong sense of camaraderie at their CrossFit gym as one of the reasons why they prefer working out there, as compared to the larger gyms. “Every time we go to a class there are 15 to 18 people there at the most,” said Ms Halim. “It’s normally the same few faces you see each time, so you build friendships, people cheer you on, and there’s that sense of camaraderie.” It is in response to this that fitness businesses with niche offerings are focusing their energies on giving clients exactly that. “We’re a lot more intimate in our relationship with our customers and clients, and we know almost everyone who goes through our doors by name or at least by face,” said Mr Clement Tan, founder of indoor cycling studio Anthem. “Our front desk staff are trained in a different way, where their task is a lot less operational, and a lot more focused on building relationships,” he added. “I’m sure the bigger gyms do this at some level, but it’s probably easier for us to do it because they’re a much bigger machine.” While the 24-hour model of Anytime Fitness gives the chain a niche advantage, customer service is still of paramount importance. “We’ve noticed over the years that people tend to frequent gyms they’re more comfortable in, and they want to see people who work out with them,” said Mr Muhammad Amirudin Jamal, manager of the Anytime Fitness branch at Kallang Wave Mall. “The truth is, accessibility can be copied. In the US, there are many gym franchises operating with the 24-hour model. So we want to make sure that we build a community not just between the staff and members, but between the members themselves.” But as smaller businesses focus on building their unique brand, other mega-gyms like Fitness First are not resting on their laurels. “In recent years, we’ve seen that our clients are less driven by vanity-driven workouts, and more focused on exercises that help them take on the rigours of daily life,” said Mr Percy Reynolds, Head of Fitness at Fitness First Singapore. “Members are interested in taking their fitness beyond the four walls of their health club provider, and Fitness First continues to adapt to these changing needs by offering solutions like the CustomFit app, a digital training system designed to keep users fit and motivated anytime, anywhere.” - CNA/lc http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/closure-of-california/2971292.html Edited July 22, 2016 by fmen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonelyglobe Posted July 22, 2016 Report Share Posted July 22, 2016 It is about cash flow management, not only gym, but spa, travel agency and other business entity also collect upfront payment, then some of them may gamble away the money, invest wrongly, accumulate huge debts and eventually closed down. When cali open, it was like the only mega gym around and joining them was like a "wow" thing but over the years as more competitors came in, they just loose out on their positioning. Basically the local fitness industry can be divided into 3 tier, the first tier was those luxury 5 star hotel which offer gym membership with use of pool and facilities, quite exclusive because of the high fees they charge. The third tier goes to safra, active gym and some of the smaller boutique gym which offer limited services, equipment and classes. That leave cali to compete in the second tier with all other commercialised mega gym and there are always new one popping out every year, not only did cali not having a new outlet but their existing outlets are facing serious wear and tear problems. First tier hotel gym is very stable with strong backup, third tier gym minimise their operational cost and since the price they charged is much lower, there will always be supporters. The second tier is the most dangerous, their operational cost is high, competition among them is fierce and so far those that have close down seems to come from this tier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nina Khong Posted July 22, 2016 Report Share Posted July 22, 2016 Disingenuity and arrogance must have done them in to a certain degree. Trash employing trash as it gets nearer to the end will only get them to become trashier and trashier, resulting in their ultimate demise. Good riddance! *clink Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted July 22, 2016 Report Share Posted July 22, 2016 Can someone please post the uncensored details about Wai Hun? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Yahoo Posted July 22, 2016 Report Share Posted July 22, 2016 HomeTeamNS offers free gym access to members affected by California Fitness closure POSTED: 22 July 2016 at 14:22 UPDATED: 22 July 2016 at 14:30 ··· A A SINGAPORE: HomeTeamNS will offer 800 of its members affected by the recent closure of California Fitness, six months of gym access for free, the association said in a media release on Friday (Jul 22). Upon providing supporting documents on their California Fitness membership and packages which includes the California Fitness membership card as well as receipts, affected members can apply for the free access to work out at its Fitness Workz gyms in the HomeTeamNS Balestier and HomeTeamNS Bukit Batok clubhouses. HomeTeamNS is a non-profit association for the Singapore Police Force and the Singapore Civil Defence Force. The initiative is meant to ensure its members "will not have disrupted training, and encourage them to continue adopting an active lifestyle", the association said. It also plans to provide part-time employment to 10 personal trainers affected by the California Fitness closure for the next six months. Said chief executive of HomeTeamNS, Agnes Eu: "While it is understandable that the focus would be on consumers, we should not forget that there will be staff affected by this incident. The temporary employment assistance will give a bit of time for personal trainers to secure new jobs at other gym outlets." All California Fitness gyms in Singapore were shuttered suddenly on Jul 20. The liquidator has urged members to be patient as it looks for a buyer for the gyms. - CNA/am ··· A A Mediacorp News Group ©2016 Mediacorp Pte Ltd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted July 22, 2016 Report Share Posted July 22, 2016 Wait long , long for new management to take over . If so , new management will require thousand dollars for deposit of existing California members and new members , otherwise , existing members will not rejoin after the expired date and it will be closed again ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Haoren Posted July 23, 2016 Report Share Posted July 23, 2016 11 hours ago, Guest Yahoo said: HomeTeamNS offers free gym access to members affected by California Fitness closure POSTED: 22 July 2016 at 14:22 UPDATED: 22 July 2016 at 14:30 ··· A A SINGAPORE: HomeTeamNS will offer 800 of its members affected by the recent closure of California Fitness, six months of gym access for free, the association said in a media release on Friday (Jul 22). Upon providing supporting documents on their California Fitness membership and packages which includes the California Fitness membership card as well as receipts, affected members can apply for the free access to work out at its Fitness Workz gyms in the HomeTeamNS Balestier and HomeTeamNS Bukit Batok clubhouses. HomeTeamNS is a non-profit association for the Singapore Police Force and the Singapore Civil Defence Force. The initiative is meant to ensure its members "will not have disrupted training, and encourage them to continue adopting an active lifestyle", the association said. It also plans to provide part-time employment to 10 personal trainers affected by the California Fitness closure for the next six months. Said chief executive of HomeTeamNS, Agnes Eu: "While it is understandable that the focus would be on consumers, we should not forget that there will be staff affected by this incident. The temporary employment assistance will give a bit of time for personal trainers to secure new jobs at other gym outlets." All California Fitness gyms in Singapore were shuttered suddenly on Jul 20. The liquidator has urged members to be patient as it looks for a buyer for the gyms. - CNA/am ··· A A Mediacorp News Group ©2016 Mediacorp Pte Ltd Nobody uses their gym, too desserted is it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted July 25, 2016 Report Share Posted July 25, 2016 When California started, it was housed at the current H&M Building at Orchard, with the treadmills on the first floor facing the main street through the glass panels. I used to mess with the minds of those joggers on the treadmills by eating icecream right in front of them while they are jogging vigorously. And the more they give me their death stare, the more I will sit on the metal bar outside eating my icecream. Gosh... those days are now a mere memory now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Monies Posted July 25, 2016 Report Share Posted July 25, 2016 Please dont keep your hope high for another vendor to take over the business and all member can continue using the facilities as usual. When business failure strike, all members will suffer as a result. Whatever tangible sold off will be used to pay staff wages, CPF and creditors. Membership monies rank at the bottom. On 7/21/2016 at 0:43 AM, lonelyglobe said: what can the bank do if we really don't pay? They won't be able to make police report since it is not a criminal case, they can keep sending reminder letter, follow by legal letter and get a debt collection man to your place which is what happen to my previous owner. Coming to 5 years since I bought the flat from him and all these while, I keep receiving reminder letter and legal letter, also got one time a man come and ask about him, very professional approach so definitely not loan shark. Obviously my previous owner have no intention to pay the bank and if the bank want to sue him, why would they wait for so many years and not taken any action yet except keep sending the useless letters? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Fatty Posted July 26, 2016 Report Share Posted July 26, 2016 Where are those ex cali hunks working out now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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