Members left stranded as private gym at CC shuts

Energym 24/7 at Bukit Timah Community Club. ST PHOTO: LAURA CHIA

A gym at a community club has closed down unexpectedly, leaving its members - some of whom had recently signed up for memberships - high and dry.

Energym 24/7, a private facility at Bukit Timah Community Club, terminated its tenancy on July 21, said the community club in a notice posted outside its shuttered doors.

The note said that the gym - which had been operating there since December 2015 and had been closed since the circuit breaker started on April 7 - "is one of our tenants and we are not involved in their operations", adding that it was owed monthly rental and utility/service charges.

Gym member Scott Wong, 29, told The Straits Times: "For many months, other members and I were still waiting for the gym to reopen, and the owner was quite responsive on Facebook, telling us to look out for updates."

The former national athlete had just renewed his 18-month membership in February for $600 and used to visit the gym four times a week.

Another member, who declined to be named, said the gym's owner was initially responsive on Facebook and WhatsApp, but his replies became sporadic and its Facebook page has been taken down.

The engineer said: "We're frustrated because he's not giving us any updates. I just want some of my money back."

The owner - whom Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority records show is one Teng Kok Wah, known as Jerrick to members - declined to comment when contacted.

The Bukit Timah Community Club management committee said it is seeking the People's Association headquarters' guidance on the issue.

The Consumers Association of Singapore received five complaints in the past two months about the sudden closure of Energym. Its executive director Loy York Jiun warned that obtaining a refund when a business is insolvent can be challenging, advising consumers to choose the "pay as you use" option instead.

• Additional reporting by Kimberly Kwek

Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 02, 2020, with the headline Members left stranded as private gym at CC shuts. Subscribe