A man took to social media to document how he had to pay a S$60 ‘tailgate fee’ after a woman entered the Anytime Fitness Bugis gym after him without tapping her keyfob.
The gym claimed members had the “sole responsibility” to ensure the door was closed behind them to justify the fee.
The man was then given seven days to pay the fee or be barred from Anytime Fitness outlets.
Although the man disputed the chain of events, he said he eventually paid the fee.
However, the gym later clarified that the staff member had interpreted the incident incorrectly. It has since apologised and made a full refund to him.
According to Mr Sim, a person from the gym contacted him saying that he’ll be charged a S$60 ‘tailgate fee’.
Source: TikTok
He described receiving the text as a shock.
The person from the gym explained that on 28 Aug, Mr Sim was seen entering the gym but not closing the door behind him.
An unidentified woman then entered the gym without tapping her keyfob.
Due to this, Mr Sim was asked to pay a “tailgating fee” of S$60 unless he can verify that the woman is an Anytime Fitness member.
If payment isn’t received, Mr Sim was told that he would be banned from Anytime Fitness Bugis and all of their sister outlets.
Even though the person stated it may not have been intentional, he was still asked to pay the fee.
Mr Sim found the policy unfair as he had not noticed the person behind him and did not think it was on him to verify the person’s identity rather than the gym.
However, the person from the gym said, “It would have been ideal if you had urged her to exit and tap the keyfob before coming in.”
“We always explain this policy to our members during sign up as part of the terms and conditions,” they further claimed.
Source: TikTok
“I didn’t even notice there was a person behind me,” Mr Sim captioned.
When Mr Sim disputed the sequence of events and asked for the CCTV footage, he was told, “We have everything”.
They also claimed it was the member’s “sole responsibility” to ensure that she tapped her keyfob:
We understand you feel [it’s] unfair but it’s also your responsibility to make sure there is no one tailgating you.
Wanting to clarify the footage and appeal the fee, Mr Sim decided to go down to the gym.
Source: TikTok
Mr Sim managed to obtain the CCTV footage and conjectured that the woman who entered the gym appeared to be a regular member.
This was based on her appearing to be familiar with the gym.
The video also appears to show that he was unaware of her behind him.
Regardless, he was asked to pay the S$60.
Mr Sim eventually decided to do so as he would be travelling and would not be able to meet the 4 Sep deadline.
“I was extremely upset,” he said, considering he did not intentionally allow the woman to enter the gym without tapping on her keyfob.
Source: TikTok
Mr Sim also claimed he wouldn’t renew his membership at the gym after it expires.
After Mr Sim posted about the incident on social media, the video garnered over 600,000 views on TikTok.
Several people concurred with the OP.
One noted it shouldn’t be the members’ responsibility when enforcing security at the gym.
Source: TikTok
Others said even cars don’t receive tailgating fees or fines.
In response to media queries by MS News, an Anytime Fitness spokesperson said Anytime Fitness Bugis has contacted Mr Sim to resolve the matter.
“The club acknowledged that this was a lapse in their security systems protocol and will make adjustments to ensure that no such incidents occur in the future,” she said.
Additionally, Anytime Fitness Bugis also released a statement regarding the incident on Instagram last night (30 Aug).
“Our tailgating policies exist to protect members and ensure a safe environment for all gym users,” the statement read. “However, it is clear after review that the interpretation of the incident was erroneous, and the subsequent action taken by the staff of AF Bugis was a mistake.”
Source: Instagram
“Members in good standing should not be penalised for a lapse in our security systems,” the statement added.
The management also further promised to take the necessary measures to ensure “proper reparations are made” for the “wrongful actions” taken against Mr Sim, a “member in good standing”.
Mr Sim also told MS News that he has received an apology and refund from the gym.
Also read: Woman Accuses Man Of Ogling Her At S’pore Gym, He Was Actually Watching Mr Bean
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Google Maps and TikTok.
The coroner said this was the first case of its kind he had encountered in…
The brand-new jet suffered a series of technical issues since its first-ever flight on 19…
The Paradise Tree Snake may have misjudged its landing and ended up on the car.
The 69-year-old was reportedly upset over his neighbour's refusal to apologise.
False claims include that GCB transactions occur without government checks on beneficial owners' identities.
The suspect casually watched as the woman became consumed by flames.