R30 000 paid in VITALITY premiums over 18 years without knowing it

I have been a Discovery member since 2001 It was only when I withdrew my daughter’s cover that I received a Vitality Certificate of membership, which says “Monthly Contribution:359.00” not Rands, just 359.00. I contacted Discovery, I was put through to Vitality to enquire what exactly Vitality is? and if that “359.00 amount” is what I pay for Vitality every month? It transpires that I have been a Vitality member since I joined Discovery AND their records show that I have never once used Vitality! ***? How can an organisation the size of Discovery posting huge gains, not have a simple system in place which flags people like myself who have had an automatic deduction but who have never used Vitality (the contribution is NOT split from the payment on the Tax Certificate) The monthly debit order says "Medical Aid contribution" If the medical aid contribution was separate to the Vitality payment one could immediately see that there are 2 DIFFERENT products and question what the vitality amount is for. I have unknowingly had monthly contributions deducted for Vitality, totalling almost R30 000 and never used it / benefited from it? A customer consultant should have called to say “you are paying for something but not using it, do you understand the product, have all the necessary information, cards, links etc, are you aware of this, do you need help, do you wish to terminate the system? When I asked the Vitality consultant about this, the response was that they don't have the resources to make personal calls... how much were the gains/profits this year? Vitality responded to Wendy Knowler by saying that they send out mails incentivising people to improve their health, that Vitality constantly try to get unengaged members more active, that over 90% of Vitality members engaged in some form or other with the Vitality programme ... so the question is what about the other 10%? Are they all like me paying for a product without knowing it? I just found out another family member has exactly the same problem with Vitality! They effectively suggest that their impersonal, generic, advertising (junk mail) should absolve them of any responsibility… in those mails, they NEVER once address a monthly premium. Vitality states that they have “sent correspondence inviting me to activate the benefits they have available.” So that means they must be aware that I have not done whatever it takes to activate whatever benefits they say are available… yet they continue to deduct without once phoning and saying ”are you aware that you are paying R359 a month for something you are NOT using, have not yet activated??? Vitality say that they regularly profile the value that members can achieve by engaging with the programme, yet they don’t mention paying for it! They gave an example of how a member maintained healthy activity levels and purchased food and exercise gear to align with this aim, got Vitality cash back. Smart shopper, Clicks card, OK, Dischem, U Count, Checkers and many more are all free with savings/financial benefits attached. I wonder how many other innocent people are obliviously unaware that their Discovery Medical premium deduction has a significant Vitality portion. I question whether the Consumer Protection Act does not prescribe that Vitality should have confirmed an understanding, some terms & conditions, an agreement with a member, a signed contract to allow for the deduction? There is no way in hell, that I would have allowed it had I known! The entire experience is shocking, leaving me feeling completely abused and they smugly hide behind junk e-mails Not impressed