People gathered outside a shuttered Physical Fitness gym in Wan Chai on Tuesday after a message circulating online claimed the branch would reopen today under a different name.

But the doors remained locked.

A woman, surnamed Fung, whose membership would remain valid until 2026 was one of them.

“We got a message saying the branch would reopen, but we didn't know whether it was genuine or not, and we were sceptical, that’s why we decided to come and have a look,” she said.

“But from what we’ve seen, it seems to be closed as no one was going in and out of the branch.”

Another member, Keith, paid HK$7,400 for a 54-month membership.

He still has two years of membership left, but is not considering a switch to other fitness centres.

“If I can, I will stay. Because I don’t want to spend more money on other [companies] or other clubs right now.”

Another customer, named Regina, told RTHK that she and around 4,000 other members, who lost money due to the closure of Physical Fitness, have joined a group on social media.

She wasn’t sure if the chain would reopen.

“I think [we] need to wait for one or two weeks. Maybe Physical [Fitness] is finding some new bosses to pay up a large capital for them to pay the loan,” Regina added.

She said she would consider filing a report to the Consumer Council if she managed to find the receipt to prove she paid HK$11,000 for membership during the pandemic.

The consumer watchdog said it had received more than 1,700 complaints due to the closure of Physical Fitness, involving nearly HK$60 million in claims.