Ex-TFX member says he was ‘scammed’ after allegedly promised $50 monthly rate became $80
The abrupt closure of True Fitness and True Yoga has prompted one former member to share his own experience as a cautionary tale for consumers signing long-term gym contracts.
Stomper C said he was not surprised when he learnt that the fitness chains had ceased operations.
He joined TFX, which was part of the same fitness group as True Fitness and True Yoga, in 2023 and initially signed up for a one-year membership costing more than $100 a month.
According to C, he was subsequently persuaded by a general manager to upgrade to a two-year membership after being told that he could continue as a member for $50 a month at the end of the contractual period in 2025.
He paid $1,841 for the initial two-year package covering Oct 2023 to Sept 2025, according to a receipt seen by Stomp.
C said he was particularly wary of committing to a long-term gym membership as he had previously been affected by the closure of California Fitness in 2016.
“I already told the manager I had a bad experience with California Fitness,” he said, adding that he was reassured that the fitness group had multiple gyms across Singapore.
C claims the membership agreement displayed to him on an iPad stated that he would pay $50 a month after the two-year period.
However, when his two-year term was nearing its end in September 2025, he was informed that his membership would be converted to a month-to-month plan costing $80.
That was when he checked the agreement he had been sent in 2023 and discovered that it stated $80 a month from the 25th month onwards.
“I trusted him and didn’t read the contract when I signed,” C wrote in an email to TFX at the time.
He told Stomp: “The contract I signed on the iPad stated $50 per month after two years. I was sent another contract stating $80 per month after two years.
“First time I encountered getting a totally different contract from what I signed, but it was too late.”
Gym stood by written agreement
Emails seen by Stomp show that C raised the discrepancy with TFX in September 2025 and asked whether the $50 rate he said he had been verbally promised could be honoured.
TFX pointed him to the terms of his membership agreement, which stated that his monthly membership dues would be $80 from the 25th month onwards.
In another email, a True Fitness representative told C that the company was unable to accede to “verbal promises” and would honour what was stated in the membership agreement.
C subsequently said he was “scammed” and opted to terminate his membership instead of continuing at the $80 monthly rate.
He acknowledged that he did not ultimately lose money over the dispute.
“I didn’t really lose anything,” he told Stomp. “Just need to expose their tricks.”
He felt his experience should serve as a reminder to consumers to carefully check the terms of a membership before signing.
True Fitness and True Yoga cease operations
C’s account comes after outlets under True Singapore Group, including True Fitness, True Yoga, TFX and Yoga Edition, ceased operations amid the liquidation of their operating companies.
True Singapore Group had recorded net liabilities exceeding HK$400 million (S$64 million), while provisional liquidators were appointed as part of the winding-up process.
The closures left customers with unused memberships, packages and services.
As of Sept 11, the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) had received 28 complaints involving more than $63,000 in reported losses.
CASE president Melvin Yong reminded consumers to be cautious about making large upfront payments and to consider shorter-term payment arrangements.
The Straits Times also spoke to long-time members who had paid between $8,000 and $9,000 for lifetime memberships about a decade ago and were uncertain whether they would recover the unused value of their memberships.
For C, the news brought back memories not only of his TFX experience but also of California Fitness.
After California Fitness abruptly shut its Singapore outlets in 2016, some of its former members moved to True Fitness.
When True Group’s Malaysia and Thailand operations closed in 2017, its Singapore management reassured members that business here was secure.
Nine years later, True Fitness’ Singapore operations have also ceased.
C questioned the sustainability of selling lengthy or lifetime memberships when customers pay substantial sums upfront while gyms continue to face ongoing operating costs.
He said his own experience had taught him one lesson: consumers should carefully check the written terms of a long-term membership rather than rely on verbal assurances.
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