Subscriber anger over ClassPass enacting rate hikes in Singapore and Hong Kong

February 25, 2019

ClassPass subscribers in Hong Kong and Singapore have expressed their anger at the fitness sharing platform for raising its prices without apparent warning.

In response, the New York, USA-based aggregator has defended the price adjustment, advising that prices had been increased at the end of an “introductory launch pricing” period.

In Hong Kong, a ClassPass spokesperson said members should have received an email telling them that their monthly plan will cost HK$618 starting from 8th February. The same plan had previously cost HK$399.

The spokesperson told the Hong Kong Free Press advised “at the time when prices were raised, ClassPass had been operating in Asia for about six months and our limited time introductory pricing had come to an end.”

The spokesperson added that members were given at least two to three months’ notice of the switch and, in general, ClassPass provides at least one month’s notice before any price change.

While numerous members took to social media to express their dissatisfaction, ClassPass suggested that those “who opted out of email communication may not have received the email message.”

The company added that there should still be notifications in their mobile app.

According to Channel NewsAsia, some ClassPass customers in Singapore also saw their subscription prices nearly double last month.

A company spokesperson also attributed the Singaporean price hike to the end of introductory launch pricing for Asia.

ClassPass acquired GuavaPass - one of its major Asian competitors - at the start of the year, but the company told Channel NewsAsia that the price adjustment was unrelated.

The latest incident coincided with a Hong Kong public consultation on a statutory cooling-off period for beauty and fitness services consumer contracts, which will last until mid-April.

27th January 2019 - ClassPass acquires rival Asian sharing platform GuavaPass

13th February 2019 - Inaugural Singapore Fit Summit heralds evolution of Asian fitness business network

3rd August 2018 - ClassPass looks for Asian expansion with Singapore launch

1st June 2018 - ClassPass announces plans for aggressive global expansion

1st November 2016 - ClassPass records incremental growth on one year Australian anniversary

16th August 2016 - South China Morning Post reports on ‘the dark side’ of Hong Kong’s fitness industry

14th October 2015 - Malaysian fitness platform KFit merges with Australian competitors Classhopper and SweatPass

19th August 2015 - Online fitness passes aid Hong Kong exercisers

28th December 2015 - 11 Hong Kong fitness centre staff arrested after using undue influence to sell memberships

17th December 2015 - Hong Kong fitness coach jailed over HK$1.4 million credit card fraud

14th July 2014 - Singapore fitness clubs hit by complaints

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