Club Closes Without Warning, Customers Encouraged to File for Membership Refunds

Customers unable to use up their memberships to Chung's Martial Arts before the business closed may be able to recover some of their membership fees, Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler said on Thursday.

Chung’s Martial Arts was operated by Duke Chung at 744 Cloverly St. and 15440 New Hampshire Ave., both in Silver Spring. The clubs closed in December 2012 and January 2013, respectively, and customers had no advance notice, according a press statement from the attorney general's office.

Refund claims may be filed with the attorney general’s Consumer Protection Division, which "may be able to assist consumers in recovering some of their membership fees and can provide information about how to stop the club from continuing to collect payments set up as automatic debits or transfers from bank accounts," the press statement reported.

"This is the exact reason why Maryland law requires health clubs to obtain security," Attorney General Gansler said. "It gives consumers a safety net to ensure they won’t be paying for services they don’t receive when a facility closes its doors without warning."

Consumers who believe they are entitled to a refund should send a copy of their membership agreement and proof of payment to: Chung’s Martial Arts Claims, c/o Consumer Protection Division, 200 St. Paul Place, 25th floor, Baltimore, MD 21202.

For information on the facility’s closing or instructions for filing a complaint and discontinuing debit payments, call 410-576-6350, or send an email with your name, address and telephone number to healthclub@oag.state.md.us.