California Fitness

The first California Fitness club was established in 1996 in the business district of Hong Kong near Lan Kwai Fong. There are 16 clubs in Hong Kong, Singapore and China. California Fitness was acquired in 1999 by 24 Hour Fitness Worldwide, which sold it to the Ansa Group in 2012.

California Fitness is the trading name of JV Fitness; it is the second largest gym operator in Hong Kong with nine locations.

Beginning in 2005, California Fitness partnered with two fitness superstars, Jackie Chan and Yao Ming, to create signature clubs in the region. There were two California Fitness-Yao Ming Sport clubs in Mainland China which were re-branded as normal California Fitness in 2010. Also were four California Fitness-Jackie Chan Sport clubs in Asia (two in Hong Kong and two in Singapore) re-branded as normal California Fitness in 2012. California has chosen Richie Jen as new spokesman since 2012. California Fitness is infamous for having the most number of complaints lodged against them to the Consumers' Association of Singapore (CASE).

The company's business model is based on an entry fee and contracts of variable duration that are tacitly renewed unless one month's notice in writing is given. In addition to cardio and resistance equipment, free weights, group exercise studios, all California Fitness clubs have free internet access (wifi or in-club kiosks). Most of its clubs have steam and sauna rooms and there is an outdoor swimming pool at Megabox Club Kowloon Bay, one of its Hong Kong clubs.

The company took legal action against 522 of its members between 30 March and 15 September 1999 for non-payment of subscriptions. Many of these were in fact members who did not want to renew and had allowed their membership to lapse, or who had not given the required 1-month's notice stipulated in the contract. The judge at the Small Claims Court criticised the company for allowing the credit to roll on for at least one month before taking action. The company argued that its policy was to avoid unilateral termination by them as it would cause members to pay a rejoining fee.

California Fitness clubs in Singapore were hit by a significant number of consumer complaints filed against them with the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) between 2011 and 2014. Gripes against California Fitness and a rival True Fitness made up more than three-quarters of 86 complaints involving fitness clubs filed last year with the former receiving 35 complaints against it in 2013. As of April 2014 nine complaints were filed against California Fitness with CASE.

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