REDEVELOPMENT at OUB Centre in Raffles Place has forced the True Group to close its largest outlet - a four-floor gym and fitness centre which offers fitness and yoga classes - by mid-May.

When contacted, a True spokesman said that it was trying its best to provide viable alternatives for its members. (See story below.)

Many of its 3,000 members are fuming over this development. They said they were told about the closure only on April 7, barely six weeks before the centre shuts for good.

They found out either through A4-sized notices placed at the gym, letters or e-mails.

In these letters, members were told their memberships, usually worth thousands of dollars, would be transferred to other centres at nearby Ocean Towers and Pacific Plaza in Scotts Road, but these centres offer yoga only - not fitness classes or gym facilities.

An engineer, who wanted to be known only as Mrs Chew, 25, said she chose the centre for its fitness facilities. She said: 'In my two years as a member, I've only gone for five yoga lessons.'

Most men are there to pump iron, not for yoga, said some members.

The biggest grouse from many members was that the management did not seem to be forthcoming about information.

Housewife Lilian Tan, 51, said she felt 'stranded' because despite numerous calls, no one would tell her how she could get a refund for 28 unused personal trainer sessions, 18 of which she signed up for at the end of March.

'If the management had known OUB Centre was going to close, it should have closed sales (of packages or memberships there),' she said.

Disgruntled members were asked to fill in a form, and told they would be contacted in a week.

'I filled in that form two weeks ago. There's still been no call,' said Ms Elaine Ong, 29, who works in a digital imaging office.

Others tried to speak with the management. 'All the managers have disappeared, and I can't find anyone to ask anything', communications executive Karen Lim, 26, said.

The centre's website is not updated either.

Of the 10 members my paper spoke to, two have been offered memberships to other gyms or spa vouchers. The others are still waiting for a response.

Many gym members spoke to my paper as they did not want others to be 'taken for a ride'. Some had seen prospective members being shown around the gym after April 7.

One member signed up on April 8, because she was convinced by the sales staff that there was a replacement gym.

Another member showed my paper an e-mail from the management confirming a new location.

A my paper staff member who visited one of the outlets was also told she could still sign up to use the gym, because a new location near Lau Pa Sat had been found.

However, a source close to the management said she felt this was unlikely as many fitness instructors and personal trainers had been laid off by the gym.

As of last Thursday, the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) had received six feedback calls while one person has sought assistance from it. Case executive director Seah Seng Choon said that allowing members to sign up for packages while knowing the centre was to be closed was 'not acceptable'.

If that was true, True would be 'in breach of the Consumer Protection Fair Trading Act and consumers have the right to seek redress under the Act', he said. my paper has also learnt of at least one member seeking legal advice.

In the meantime, members are resigned to waiting for a solution.

Said Ms Lim, whose membership fees are being paid on an instalment basis: 'I'll just have to pay my bank every month for a gym that no longer exists.'

Club responds to customers

WHEN contacted, a spokesman for fitness club True told my paper that it had learnt of the landlord's redevelopment plans on Jan 31 this year.

'We immediately sought an extension of the lease which was granted, until an alternative location could be identified,' she said.

'We have had numerous discussions with our landlord since then, to pursue further extension, but our landlord reverted on April 4, with a confirmation that they were not able to grant any further extension.'

She added that 'immediately thereafter, in the best interests of our members, we acted promptly and sent out e-mails and letters to all our members who would be affected by this move'.

This included 'prominently- displayed posters' and 'additional operational staff deployed at OUB Centre to answer any membership-related queries'.

In response to my paper queries, the True spokesman said that:

• All True Single Club members will have their memberships converted to All Clubs memberships - they can then use both Pacific Plaza and Ocean Towers centres.
• True members can use three Planet Fitness outlets (Chevron House, Suntec City and Great World City) from May 15 to Dec 31 this year.
• Memberships are extended for an additional six months.
• Members with fitness personal training packages can get a full refund for unused sessions, convert the unused sessions to yoga personal training sessions or spa treatments with the True Group.

Its spokesman reiterated that the group's expansion plans were still in progress, and that the closure was 'purely coincidental'.

For more my paper stories click here.