TikTok viewers are calling out Anytime Fitness after a branch allegedly tried to charge a member for inadvertently allowing a non-member to sneak in.
In a video with over 1.4 million views as of Saturday, TikTok user Alaness (@user4422076196203) shows a WhatsApp message he received from his gym, Anytime Fitness in Bugis, Singapore. According to the text message, a person walked through the entrance behind Alaness without tapping their fob. As a result, the gym tried to charge them S$60, which is around $45 USD.
“I didn’t even notice there was a person behind me,” the user writes in the text overlaying the video.
@user4422076196203 @Mothership @MustShareNews @The Blue Cats by Goody Feed @Wake Up Singapore ♬ original sound – alaness
The text conversation goes back and forth for a long time, with the gym including screenshots from security cameras and claiming they could not identify who the person was.
“Its your sole…responsibility to ensure she tap,” the gym wrote. “Yes, you didn’t open fully but you didn’t ask her to tap in.”
The video closes by saying that Alaness will not renew his membership with the gym.
In a follow-up, Alaness questions whether he actually broke the rules that they claim he did.
@user4422076196203 Follwong up on the tailgating fine i received from AF Bugis yesterday. I found my terms and conditions that I signed and discovered very disturbing trends. I wish to clarify i am not shaming the company but as a consumer i felt unjustly penalised for one and two the penalty can be changed on a whim wo informing us is definitely ridiculous. I even oleaded for leniency and said i rmb it was 30 but the staff insisted the price had always been 60 @Mothership @MustShareNews @The Blue Cats by Goody Feed @Wake Up Singapore ♬ original sound – alaness
One of the listed rules says that someone else cannot use a customer’s key fob; if they do, they will be charged S$60. This appears to be the rule the gym used to charge Alaness—but he argues it does not fully apply to him.
“I didn’t allow that girl to use my key FOB, so how does this policy reach out to me?” he asks.
He also noted that there was a Google review from someone who claimed to be in a similar situation after two members walked into the gym using the same fob.
Commenters were quick to call out Anytime Fitness.
“Customer’s responsibility to ensure ppl tap? They think customers are hired security officers is it?” asked a user.
“They should install a turnstile and not put the burden of checking on the customers,” added another. “Ridiculous!”
“So every time I check if the door is closed, I’ll be charging 70 dollars to AF. This is for checking. Closing the door will be $100,” joked a third.
Anytime Fitness later said that it would reverse the charge.
“The management of 24-hour gym chain Anytime Fitness has apologized to one of its members who was charged a S$60 (US$44) tailgating fee at its Bugis outlet, saying it was a ‘lapse in protocol’ and that ‘proper reparations’ will be made,” reads an article in Channel News Asia.
“…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. Members in good standing should not be penalized for a lapse in our security systems,” the location wrote in an Instagram Story. “The management will take all necessary steps to ensure proper reparations are made for the wrongful actions taken against the member in good standing and take all necessary measures to ensure no such incidents occur in the future.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Anytime Fitness Bugis via website contact form and Alaness via TikTok comment.
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Source: https://www.dailydot.com/news/anytime-fitness-charges-customer-45-dollars-over-non-member/
