Discovery Vitality 3 months free trial ****

On the 24th June 2021 i called Discovery to find out about their 3 months free trial on Vitality. I was informed by their Agent that the promotion is for 3 months free trial and the premium of R355 would only be collected in September 2021 through my employer should i decide to join and also informed that i could choose to subscribe for the trial period and cancel after 3 months if i wanted to. I joined Vitality same day and i was issued a membership no: *** and i was reassured my 3 months started from 1st June 2021 to 31 August 2021. I was shocked to receive my payslip for July from my employer to see a deduction of R710 for Vitality and i immediately called Vitality billing to lodge a complaint. I lodged a complaint with Lefa who told me on their system my 3 months premium hasn't been waivered and he was going to log a call internally to Admin to waiver it and another call for my refund which i should get within 2-3 working days and i was given a reference no: ***, this was on the 22nd July 2021. Yesterday, 28th July 2021 i called for a follow up where i was put through various agents, namely: Thando, Kim, Sheryl and eventually Tamara informed me there was an error internally where my premium was not waivered for 3 months and also there was no request made for my refund but she could see the request to waiver my premiums on the system. She advised that the money deducted has not yet been cleared on their side meaning i should contact my employer and their broker for my refund instead of Discovery. I did contact their broker who advised me there is no way i could get a refund from my employer or the broker as the money has already been paid to Discovery and probably not cleared on their side yet. I called Discovery again today and got through to Carjo, who informed me she could see the request made and escalated by Lefa for waivering my premium and it is still not actioned and this request was made on the 22nd July. I asked cant i send them my payslip as proof of money deducted and get my refund irrespective of it being cleared or not because eventually they will get if from transfer made by my employer. She told me there's nothing actioned with my first query so as it stands they wouldn't even say there was a mistake with my premium or not and subsequently she cannot log a call for my refund.

I am deeply disappointed as i trusted Discovery to prioritize their clients concerns. I also feel very much ****med for being lured into joining Vitality with the impression of the 3 months free trial and more over, the fact that i am the one who always has to call using my airtime for an error they made and them not having decency to take an initiative to call me and update me on my query. I also ask myself, if this was an error, why was it even an error of double premium? I am very much inconvenience and all i am asking for is my money!