-Energy cabin- falsely promotes -cure all diseases- and -franchise bureau- is even more deceptive!

Inside the “Energy Chambers”: Just Lie Down and Get Healed? Franchisers Deceiving and Being Deceived

In previous episodes of our investigative series, we’ve exposed the scam surrounding health mattresses that claim to cure numerous ailments. In this episode, our team delves into yet another questionable scheme: the so-called “Energy Chambers” that purport to heal the body and generate income for their operators.

The Claim: Lie Down and Heal Chronic Illnesses

Various energy chambers featured in online videos boast remarkable capabilities, all while showcasing a sleek, high-tech design. The usage is deceptively simple: just lie down, switch on the power, and purportedly start your journey to better health and healing.

These chambers make a wide range of health claims, including detoxification, cyst elimination, and even lowering blood pressure and improving microcirculation. Our investigative team visited a health management center in Zhengzhou, Henan, where we encountered the “ZFK-5D Biological Chip Energy Chamber.” The staff passionately described the unit’s operations, likening it to a miracle cure for long-term health issues.

Similarly, at a center in Xi’an, employees confidently stated that the chamber could effectively treat hypertension and arthritis.

After experiencing the chamber firsthand, I only felt slight warmth from the mat, with no other discernible effects. Staff across both locations insisted that the healing process is imperceptible to the human body. To alleviate my skepticism, they presented a small transparent box containing a metal piece. Once placed in the chamber, the metal vibrated vigorously, and they claimed this mimicked the vibrations of human cells and blood, which purportedly explained the device’s miraculous health benefits.

Aside from the “ZFK-5D Biological Chip Energy Chamber,” another model, the “GBC Genetic Life Energy Chip Chamber,” also frequently appears on social media platforms. I visited several establishments named “Green Life Technology Health Management,” where staff similarly extolled the remarkable effects of the GBC chamber on various ailments.

Despite the persistent promotion of these energy chambers as therapeutic devices, employees were unable to provide any medical certification for the products. An in-depth review revealed that the ZFK-5D adheres to the GB4706.1-2005 standard—essentially, a guideline for household electrical appliances.

Investigating the Manufacturing Behind the Energy Chambers

Through diligent research, I traced the manufacturer of the ZFK-5D to a facility in Qingyuan, Guangdong. The device’s body bore the label stating it was jointly produced by “Nobel Laureate Scientists’ United Laboratory,” correlating precisely with the company’s public marketing claims. However, company representatives clarified that the chamber was entirely self-developed, attributing the Nobel-related labels to their own marketing strategies. They confirmed that the device’s actual function was to induce sweating, effectively rendering it just another sauna.

Franchising Fees and a Dream of Profits

The Qingyuan manufacturer disclosed that the energy chamber retails for about 6,000 yuan. I learned that the health centers are franchise stores linked to Yusheng (Hainan) Health Industry Co., Ltd. After paying a franchise fee of 29,991 yuan, operators receive the ZFK-5D unit, marking up the retail price to nearly five times its original cost. Yusheng’s website indicates that there are over 5,000 affiliated centers nationwide, generating over 100 million yuan solely from franchise fees.

Although individual sessions in the chambers cost only a few dozen yuan, recouping the initial investment as a franchisee could take years.

Staff candidly admitted that the high-tech chamber serves mainly as a customer lure; recruiting new franchisees is where the real profit lies. For every new recruit paying 29,991 yuan, the referring franchisee earns approximately 5,500 yuan, with further layers of income as additional recruits are onboarded.

At “Green Life Technology Health Management,” the term “lying down to earn” was frequently mentioned. The owner stated that this franchise stemmed from a company called Heilongjiang Grain Investment Group. To operate a store with an energy chamber, one must pay a fee of 99,800 yuan, which includes a set of products. Alternatively, for a fee of 22,000 yuan, one can open a store without an energy chamber. Upgrading to sign recruits paying 99,800 yuan can yield a commission of up to 43,000 yuan, while those bringing in recruits paying 22,000 yuan earn around 10,800 yuan.

This model employs exaggerated marketing and various products to entice potential franchisees, creating a cycle where individuals unwittingly fall into a “deceived while deceiving” trap.

During an internal training session held by the grain investment company, one of the leaders encouraged franchisees to invest more, even going as far as suggesting they take out loans. The promise was clear: the more money invested, the higher the franchise level, and the greater the future returns when the company goes public.

Products sold by the company include ordinary food items like cookies and natto candies, but sales representatives claimed these could cure diseases, price-gouging their offerings in the process.

When I visited a factory producing a supposed cholesterol-lowering cookie, staff confirmed they produced the item for the grain investment company, emphasizing that it had no medicinal properties and cost just over 50 yuan to produce. In stores, however, it was priced at an astonishing 598 yuan.

The natto gel candies were similarly set at 598 yuan, significantly marking up their production cost. Conversations with multiple manufacturers revealed that the grain investment company was reselling these common products to franchisees at inflated prices—10 to 20 times the factory cost—then marketing them under the pretense of medicinal benefits.

In this profit-driven system, many franchisees lamented that they had yet to recoup their initial investments, let alone make a profit.