TOKYOAug. 10 (News On Japan) – The Consumer Affairs Agency has issued a corrective action against gym operator RIZAP for engaging in surreptitious marketing by presenting influencer comments as customer testimonials.
According to the agency, RIZAP’s low-cost gym, “ChocoZAP,” posted comments from several influencers on its website between January and March of this year. These comments, which were solicited for promotional purposes, were presented as if they were real experiences shared by regular customers.
Furthermore, the website claimed that services such as “self-hair removal” and “self-nail care” were available 24 hours a day without any restrictions. In reality, however, these services were only accessible during restricted hours.
The Consumer Affairs Department found that these actions violated the Unjustified Premiums and Misrepresentations Act and issued a corrective action requiring measures to be taken to prevent recurrence.
The RIZAP Group has stated: โWe will work to restore confidence.โ
Source: TBS
