- Published: 12/09/2012 at 04:27 PM
- Writer: Online Reporters
About 100 members of the health club gathered in front of the Consumers Protection Foundation (CPF) office in Silom Road in inner Bangkok demanding the company accept responsibility for failing to provide the services agreed upon.
The protestors said they had paid the company the membership fees stipulated for the use of exercise equipment. The company had reneged.
CPF official Sawanee Chumchaliew said a total of 300 members had prepaid a combined total of 21.6 million baht for use of the equipment and had not received the promised services when the health club went into bankruptcy.
The demanded compensation would be much more if the fees paid by another 200 members were included, she said.
(story continues below)
“A major problem was that the company was closed down without giving any notice to its members. Many of the members still have assets in the firm’s lockers and could not bring them out.
“In addition, the members’ payments were made through credit cards and cannot be cancelled and the fees are still being charged by the company without any services being provided,” said Ms Sawanee.
Her foundation will hold a meeting with related state offices on Sept 23 to find acceptable solutions for the affected members. One way out of the problem would be to ask the Bank of Thailand to order all banks to stop debiting their clients the California Wow fitness fees, she said.
Yoawapa Chamrassomboon, a representative of the rallying members, said that she is a life-long member of the health club. After the club branch near her residence was closed down, it was a great inconvenience to travel to another club in the centre of Bangkok, which was still open.
Ms Yaowapa said she had asked the club to cancel her membership, but there was no response, so she had to seek help from the Consumer Protection Foundation.
She said the rallying members had two demands:
1) The health club must inform all credit card service providing banks to stop collecting the fitness fee through the credit cards without any conditions, and2) The company must pay back in full the fees paid by all members who had cancelled memberships or wanted to do so, together with the interest rate stipulated by the law, without any conditions.
If the health club fails to comply with the demands, the club’s members will file both civil and criminal lawsuits against it, charging the franchise with fraud, she said.
Share your thoughts
- Discussion 1 : 13/09/2012 at 08:28 PM
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Disc 1,
His property was allegedly sold for 24 million dollars.
Disc. 12,
Part of the problem is that they keep charging customers' credit cards while not providing any service. It's fraud and they would like that money back, understandably.
Victims should contact their credit card issuer and file a dispute.
- Discussion 2 : 13/09/2012 at 10:56 AM
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Years ago many fitness gyms had members pay upfront for a 1 or 2 year membership, but they have to continually draw in new customers for cash flow. Many go bankrupt and members lose their money. Now it is recommended that you only pay monthly and never pay an initiation fee. For me, I can even freeze payments for 6 months while in Thailand, no problem. Many gyms in Thailand have monthly or punchcard fees.
- Discussion 3 : 13/09/2012 at 06:48 AM
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LOL all those asking for compensation time to take a reality check. They've gone 'Bankrupt' get it 'NO Money'. Move on and learn from your bad decision to pay them. You pays your money, you takes your chance.
from iPhone application.
- Discussion 4 : 12/09/2012 at 11:16 PM
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As P.T. Barnum once said.....there's a sucker born every minute.....these group health clubs and gyms are nothing more than a fad and social gsthering spot. When the economy's good, people have disposable income and these kind of discretionary businesses pop up, when the economy catches a cold they're the first ones to get sick and die.
- Discussion 5 : 12/09/2012 at 11:05 PM
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"She said the rallying members had two demands: 1) The health club must inform all credit card service providing banks to stop collecting the fitness fee through the credit cards without any conditions...". Surely it is up to the members to instruct their credit card company to stop the standing order.
- Discussion 6 : 12/09/2012 at 10:41 PM
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I,m so glad these guys are shut down .Once they overcharge you on a membership by testing your negotiating skills they try to lock you into a credit card payment scheme which is alomost impossible to turn off .I just surprised they lasted this long .Someone should buy all their equipment at auction and open an honest gym where members pay 5000 baht a year and thats the end of it .It would be a raging success .
- Discussion 7 : 12/09/2012 at 07:37 PM
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These folks must be 'fantastical' accountants! They know there is so much cash still lfet in teh business that California Wow can not only pay back all of it's creditors, but give out refunds to it's customers as well. Impressive.
- Discussion 8 : 12/09/2012 at 06:34 PM
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The "Office of Consumer Protection Bureau" is the place to register a complaint against California Wow, They have serious teeth and can enforce legally enforced ruling.
I doubt the Consumer Protection Foundation can do this.
- Discussion 9 : 12/09/2012 at 06:27 PM
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Did their owner and CEO short his stock, I wonder?
- Discussion 10 : 12/09/2012 at 06:23 PM
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My suggestion, better pay entrance fees of 20thb or sometimes free at the large park just behind Srinakarin road (Seacon square). A huge place to jog.. Maybe in Queen Sirikit convention center, there is a place where people is freely to use the jogging path.
btw, last two months this WOW california always call me and give me free 1 month try plus membership. But i always makes excuses.
- Discussion 11 : 12/09/2012 at 05:24 PM
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a lot of complains before, CPF should alert in advance before this story happened.
- Discussion 12 : 12/09/2012 at 05:21 PM
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Never really felt the Wow at California, too much noise and posture , too little sweat and pain...(:
- Discussion 13 : 12/09/2012 at 04:51 PM
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Can I claim against them for all the herrasing phone calls I got?
- Discussion 14 : 12/09/2012 at 04:44 PM
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Tell the owner and CEO to sell his Ferrari - it won't fetch enough, but then he has an enormous villa which he could also put on the market.
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