Chinese Man's $120,000 Bet on 300-Year Gym Membership Ends In Scam, Owner Flees

In eastern China, a man spent over 870,000 yuan (about Rs 1 crore) on memberships and coaching sessions valid for 300 years. He filed a lawsuit against a gym owner after realising that the gym owner had fled.

Victim Is Offered Promotional Deal

The man, identified as Jin, had been a regular at Ranyan Gym in Hangzhou’s Binjiang District for three years, South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported. In May, he was offered a promotional deal by a sales executive: buy a one-year membership for 8,888 yuan (about Rs 1 lakh) and resell it to new customers for nearly double the price. Jin was promised a 90 per cent share of the markup and a full refund if the cards weren’t sold within two months.

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How Many Contracts Did The Victim Sign?

According to Moneycontrol, "Between May 10 and July 9, he signed 26 contracts, purchasing 1,200 lessons and memberships with a combined validity of 300 years, spending a total of 871,273 yuan (about Rs 1 crore)."

Victim's Statement

“I admit I was brainwashed,” Jin told local media. “I believed I was just one step away from getting all my money back.” He described the investment as a commitment to health, not a literal 300-year plan.

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Gym's Management & Sales Team Out Of Reach

On July 15, Jin received no payment. Staff claimed the finance department was reviewing the transaction. By the end of July, the gym’s management and sales team were unreachable. Jin later discovered that none of the contracts mentioned any promised returns, and all included clauses preventing membership transfers.

Zhejiang TV reported that the gym is open, but only receptionists and administrative staff are present.