Eight fitness trainers formerly employed by Hong Kong’s Physical Health Centre have filed police reports over its alleged unfair trade practices, while a watchdog has said the amount involved in complaints against the fitness chain has reached HK$19 million (US$2.4 million).

Yau Tsim Mong district councillor Chan Siu-tong said Physical’s practice of “hard-selling” to customers could be in violation of the law if it had done so in a last-ditch effort to boost sales before its abrupt closure last week.

“They apparently just wanted to collect the money before shutting down the chain. This is definitely an element of suspected fraudulent activity,” he said.

He made the remarks to reporters outside Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station as he and Leung Chun-kit, a community officer with the Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong, accompanied the former gym employees to make their reports.

Chan added that the fitness chain could have given false and misleading information to customers, which would be in breach of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance.