How free deals at the gym can drain your pocket

Not so long ago, I got such a call. Introducing himself as a staff member of California Fitness at Siam Paragon, the caller said I was the lucky winner of a gift voucher worth Bt7,000. He asked me to pick up the voucher the next day.

I agreed. However, the next day, after considering the distance between my place and the fitness

centre, I decided not to go. Then the man called me again, lamenting that I had broken a promise.

I firmly refused to go  because I was not interested in the centre's offer and wanted to give up my right to the free voucher. Then the man almost barked at me.

I later learnt from a friend that the fitness-centre man was angry because I did not give him a chance to offer his "special deals".

My friend, a gym-goer who had once visited California Fitness with a free voucher, said she could not concentrate on her exercise there.

Most of the time, a sales assistant had followed her around, pressing her to buy a membership with "special deals", as the promotion was to end the next day.

My friend warned me not to accept any free vouchers or invitations from fitness centres, as the most difficult thing to do once you accidentally enter such a place is not to turn down the "special offers", but simply to get out of there.

Sales assistants do not let you leave without purchasing at least one promotion, she said. Fortunately, my friend was strong enough to get out without buying anything.

As fitness and yoga centres have been mushrooming all over Bangkok nowadays, they have tried to beat each other with hard-sell tactics.

Another friend accepted an invitation from Fitness First for a free trial of its yoga course.

She found the place crowded and the yoga course did not interest her. She turned down all "special offers" for membership.

Then the sales representatives threatened her, saying they would not return her ID card, and that they would take her picture for an unknown reason.

A war of words ensued, with my friend ending up the winner. She got her ID card back without having to buy any "special offers".

These are just small examples of bad experiences with fitness centres, which many might have already experienced directly.

The Foundation for Consumers recently disclosed that last year, it received 50 complaints against

fitness centres. And during the first four months of this year, there were eight complaints filed with the

foundation. The top three fitness centres against which complaints were filed were California Fitness, True Fitness and Fitness First.

The grouses included hard-sell tactics, poor customer service and unfair membership contracts.

As fitness and yoga are exciting activities for urban people who yearn for good health and a toned body, I am sure the number of complaints against fitness centres will continue to rise.

By now, you may have decided the reply you are going to give when you receive a call offering special deals from fitness and yoga centres.

In the business world, where profit comes first, we, as customers, should know how to develop immunity to protect ourselves from being a victim.