China: A man in Hangzhou, China, was deceived by a local gym and ended up paying over 870,000 yuan (approximately $121,000 USD) for a 300-year gym membership and private classes.
According to Chinese media, the victim, known only as “Jin,” had been a regular member of Ranyan Fitness for three years. One day, a sales representative contacted him with an “unbelievable” offer: a special scheme for loyal members allowing them to purchase long-term memberships at discounted rates and resell them to new members at higher prices, earning a commission.
Jin was told he could buy a card for 8,888 yuan and resell it for 16,666 yuan, with only a 10% commission deducted. He was also assured that if the card didn’t sell within two months, he would get a full refund.
After purchasing a one-year membership, the sales rep returned with more “promotional” cards and urged Jin to invest further. Jin spent an additional 130,000 yuan (about $18,000 USD). Later, the gym manager praised Jin’s “business insight” and presented another enticing investment plan.
However, the entire scheme turned out to be a scam. No memberships were sold, and no refunds were given.
Between May 10 and July 9, Jin bought around 1,200 private classes and 300 annual memberships, spending a total of 871,273.27 yuan. The contracts clearly stated that the memberships were non-transferable.
When the refund deadline came in mid-July, the sales clerk, store manager, and owner had all disappeared, and their phones were off. Jin received none of his money back and was stuck with a 300-year membership and 1,200 unused private classes.
Realizing he had been defrauded, Jin contacted the Hangzhou police and has now filed a lawsuit seeking to recover some of his money. However, lawyers warn this will be a challenging process, given the disappearance of the suspects and the signed agreement that the memberships were non-transferable.
