A man in eastern China was left fuming after spending more than 870,000 yuan (S$155,000) on gym memberships and lessons with a validity of three centuries, only to see the gym’s management vanish without a trace.
The man, identified only as Jin, had been a regular at Ranyan Gym in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, for three years, according to the South China Morning Post.
Between 10 May and 9 July, Jin signed 26 separate contracts for memberships and personal training packages, adding up to around 1,200 lessons.
The paperwork stated they would be valid for an eye-watering 300 years.
Source: BK Creationz on Canva, for illustrative purposes only
“I actually do not count on using it for 300 years,” Jin told local media. “In my eyes, it was a kind of commitment to health.”
Jin said the trouble began when a sales executive pitched him a “promotion” for existing customers.
For 8,888 yuan (S$1,500), he could buy a one-year membership and then sell it to a new customer for 16,666 yuan (S$2,900). The gym would keep 10% of the profit and return the rest to him.
Initially doubtful, Jin claimed he was reassured the deal was risk-free — if the cards didn’t sell within two months, the gym promised a full refund.
Source: andresr on Canva. Pic for illustrative purposes only
Tempted, he bought two cards for over 17,000 yuan (S$3,000). Soon, he was persuaded to splurge on more memberships and hundreds of private coaching sessions.
On one occasion, Jin dropped more than 300,000 yuan (S$53,500) in a single day.
On 15 July — the day Jin expected to receive part of his principal back — no money arrived.
After reaching out to a sales executive, they claimed the finance department was “still reviewing” the transaction.
Source: Znews
By the end of the month, however, Jin discovered that all management and sales staff had disappeared.
When Zhejiang TV visited the gym, it was still open — but only receptionists and administrative staff remained.
To make matters worse, Jin later found that none of his contracts mentioned the promised returns. The contracts also stated that memberships were non-transferable.
“I admit that I have been brainwashed by them,” he said. “I believed I was only one small step away from getting back all my money.”
He has since filed a police report and is awaiting the result of the investigation, Znews reported.
The bizarre tale has gone viral on mainland Chinese social media, where reactions have been a mix of sympathy and amusement.
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Featured image adapted from Znews and Total Shape from Canva. Pic on the right for illustrative purposes only.