Is A California Wow Going Out Of Business?

[dave9988]

why so cheap? there must be a catch.

[bkkjames]

why so cheap? there must be a catch.

the catch is business is slow and they want to increase cash-flow. seems pretty obvious.

[BigSnake]

Nope, the way they have been over charging people they should call it a day, my guess they are just trying to sucker in a few hundred new members then jack the price back.

[bkkjames]

Nope, the way they have been over charging people they should call it a day, my guess they are just trying to sucker in a few hundred new members then jack the price back.

Big Snake, I politely disagree. Why do you say they are overcharging? It's seems they were / are charging a price the market will bear according to supply and demand. Hardly a monopoly on fitness centers in Bangkok from what I can tell.

I am no fan of this company either but it's up to them to charge what they want for their services.

Perhaps they are doing what airlines do - having a sale???

[Travel2003]

why so cheap? there must be a catch.

Read in one of the papers the other day that this place was one of the three Gyms with most complaints, delivered to the authorities.

Maybe it is a campaign to get a better rep.

[Ijustwannateach]

They've been dropping the price and reducing services (and providing bad services- pushing training sessions and then pretending trainers are too busy to train people, etc.) for some time now. A lot of the trainers oversell briefly, collect their bonuses, and then quit. I figure that they're squeezing out as much profit as possible (at the owner's behest- he's doing pretty well right now, I heard)- and then they'll sell themselves to someone or go out of business and all the contracts will be bust. I figure you're lucky if you get 2-3 more years out of them, if that.

[mike_l]

Also, it's not really a life-time membership as it's got a 100B per year renewal fee, and if you forget to pay in time your membership expires. I'm pretty sure they don't call to remind people when the time comes! Although you can prepay 10 years or so in advance, you can't do so until they give you your card (at least 2 weeks after signing up) so it's easy to forget.

[MeetJohnDoe]

CA Wow is just another version of the ole Ponzi and/or pyramid schemes...translated into the fitness center genre. Find some product/service that you can oversell, quickly sell allot of it at whatever price the market will bear, collect as much money as you can in advance, recruit ever increasing people into the scheme, take all the money you can out of the business and put it into your Swiss bank account, and then step aside as the business implodes.

The Post had an article a few days ago about how the gig was almost up on this enterprise.

[Mattchu9999]

I signed up there back in December.

Ice, or whatever the hel_l the dudes name that signed me up started out at 2999 a month. After a week of ignoring his offers I settled at 1000 bhat a month.

The place is closer to a nightclub than a gym and the free weight room has 2000 sq. m. of equipment crammed into a space half it's size.

The use the same high pressure tactics that used car dealers use....lol.

[Pdaz]

Is it going out of business ? .... I fooookin hope so

Slimy fooookers..

[Gary A]

Several Thai women have reported them to the police. Theses women purchased the lifetime membership and paid with credit cards. Their cards have been charged several times for their memberships. You can read about it on Pattaya Daily News.

[kurnell]

I just checked online and see nothing about 8,000 baht lifetime membership. Than again I have had 5 beers.

[stumonster]

Several Thai women have reported them to the police. Theses women purchased the lifetime membership and paid with credit cards. Their cards have been charged several times for their memberships.

another reason women should not be allowed credit cards

[flightcrew1]

I joined almost 9 years ago when they first opened. At that time it was pretty exclusive and the only real fitness center in town. I paid 70,000 for life time so I now feel I got my value worth, but to be quite honest I've joined a much saner gym about 2 years ago and only use California for the hot yoga studio, which also went from Bikram to there own plagarized brand of Bikram.

I see them everyday hassling people to sign up for many different extras. I also read the article in the newspaper the other day and know they have been in the red now big time for a couple of years.

I keep thinking it won't be long before they close the doors because of some sale to new owners and then all our memberships will be null and void. But then again I thought the same last year, and they are still open.

[dave9988]

CA Wow is just another version of the ole Ponzi and/or pyramid schemes...translated into the fitness center genre. Find some product/service that you can oversell, quickly sell allot of it at whatever price the market will bear, collect as much money as you can in advance, recruit ever increasing people into the scheme, take all the money you can out of the business and put it into your Swiss bank account, and then step aside as the business implodes.

The Post had an article a few days ago about how the gig was almost up on this enterprise.

can you please link to that article or can someone else confirm?

[dave9988]

I have never had a problem at California Wow. I don't know why anybody would want or need to use one of their trainers. And of course, you should expect to have stuff tacked onto the bill once you go down that route of signing up for extra services. Ive never given them a credit card. I pay cash only, so no problems here.

The Asoke branch is huge. In the mornings, it is dead. There is a huge free weight area and I also got a lifetime yoga membership too. I saw the other guy signing up for 15,000 for 2 years so perhaps they are only giving this deal to existing members.

[grantbkk]

If the deal seems to good to be true, it is. When I lived in the USA this type of offer was the one promoted just before the door closed forever in thousands of gyms across the nation. Buyer beware. Sounds like a pretty good deal if it is legitimate.

[bonobo]

I paid 7.000 baht last March, and I paid my one-year extension fee of 100 baht last month. I use the place 3 times per week, so I think I am getting my money's worth.

Services have gone down, but it does have the free weights I need. I hate the fact that there is little or no weight-room etiquette practiced, but the nice eye-candy walking around gives a little motivation to get that extra set in.

The showers are hot, too, hotter than my condo's.

[flightcrew1]

Services have gone down, but it does have the free weights I need. I hate the fact that there is little or no weight-room etiquette practiced, but the nice eye-candy walking around gives a little motivation to get that extra set in.

The showers are hot, too, hotter than my condo's.

I certainly agree about the services and as for weight room etiquette...well there is none. Showers are hotter than my condo as well which is a good thing and the eye candy is nice....though maybe the eye candy I'm looking it is different than what your eyeing up! LOL!

[Simmo]

Rumor has it they are just about done.

Office staff have been forced to take a 4 day working week - in effect a 20% pay cut.

[pattaya_girl]

If you go up the Buddah Hill, Pattaya, there is this place just before you drive up the steep part, free weights for all - I like to drive slowly around that area so i can have a peep. (there are no showers though, its outdoors) but its free.

Edited February 26, 2009 by pattaya_girl

[bonobo]

Services have gone down, but it does have the free weights I need. I hate the fact that there is little or no weight-room etiquette practiced, but the nice eye-candy walking around gives a little motivation to get that extra set in.

The showers are hot, too, hotter than my condo's.

I certainly agree about the services and as for weight room etiquette...well there is none. Showers are hotter than my condo as well which is a good thing and the eye candy is nice....though maybe the eye candy I'm looking it is different than what your eyeing up! LOL!

Well, at Pin Klao, the free weights are located by the escalator going up to the women's locker room, so the strategic location is sure nice!

Also, on Wednesdays, I try to go there in the morning, then go to work after. And there is a nice collection of what, after much discussion with my Thai friends, we have decided must be the area mia nois trying to keep fit.

[sriracha john]

from 2009-02-22

IS FITNESS INDUSTRY RUNNING OUT OF PUFF?

Gyms are facing tighter regulations, but already financial performances are sagging

California WOW, Thailand's market leader in the gym sector, lost 45.7 Million Baht in the third quarter of 2008.

In 2007, the company lost 94 Million Baht.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/1209...ing-out-of-puff

[sriracha john]

CA Wow is just another version of the ole Ponzi and/or pyramid schemes...translated into the fitness center genre. Find some product/service that you can oversell, quickly sell allot of it at whatever price the market will bear, collect as much money as you can in advance, recruit ever increasing people into the scheme, take all the money you can out of the business and put it into your Swiss bank account, and then step aside as the business implodes.

The Post had an article a few days ago about how the gig was almost up on this enterprise.

The Ponzi scam is collapsing...

[barky]

I have been working next to california fitness on Silom Road for a number of years, and I pass by the enterance every work day at least twice. During these past 6 years the the california staff hawking thier business on the footpath have never tried to "sell" me until just 2 days ago when I was approached by a sales staff member and offered FREE membership, plus, plus etc.

I figure if I wasn't good enough to approach and be made an offer in the good times, I'm not gonna help you in the bad.

[seank]

I’m surprised as I visited the Gym at Ekkami last week and it’s was jammers. The yoga studio was full, the bike studio was full and nearly all the machines were in use. That’s one of the main reasons I didn’t join, it was too crowed. The sales pitch was intense but I just said no.

Maybe the other gyms don’t have the same numbers of members but this one certainly looked like it was making money.

They quoted 5000bt for 4months.

On a side note: Anybody know how much Fitness First normal charges?

[mdechgan]

dam_n I paid 15,990 for my wife's membership. Her friend paid 30k last year so I thought it was a good deal.

[petedk]

I went to California at Esplanade on Monday. Out of 12 or so treadmills 6 had signs on saying out of order and 2 others that I tried didn't work.

I've noticed that at most places now the toilets and showers are run down and small breakages etc. are not fixed.

The management are not spending money so I guess it won't be long before they close down.

[mdechgan]

California WOW closed down last year in Korea. So Thailand is the only one left. What happens if it goes? What happens to all those lifetime memberships? I think CAWO is traded on the SET.

[thaihome]

dam_n I paid 15,990 for my wife's membership. Her friend paid 30k last year so I thought it was a good deal.

Wife paid 22k for a lifetime (black card) about 6 months ago, paid all at once so they would not deduct monthly form the credit card. They threw in one for me as well so I gues it was about 11k each?

TH