Planet fitness (PF***) new contract Cancellation and refund

Last year, I asked the sales person to assist me in opening a new contract on vitality with Planet Fitness Menlyn. The salesperson told me that there was a block on the system on my name and that I need to submit proof from Virgin Active that I am not an active member with them. In the interim I must sign the contract and can email the proof to him to remove the block - which i did. It later came to my attention that the contract was not a vitality contract, but a normal gym contract which charges me triple the vitality monthly fee. I tried to get hold of the salesperson a few times over the next month but could never seem to catch him at the gym. A colleague of the salesperson then told me that the salesperson that assisted me had left and that he had pushed for me to sign the contract ( which I found out was a 24 month contract) because he would gain financially via commission. He then proceeded to show me the Vitality Contract that I was meant to sign. This was not given to me by the original salesperson. When I tried to cancel the contract I was told that I had to pay 40% of the remainder of the new 24 month contract. I refused and sent a number of emails to the head office complaining about how this contract came about but was referred back to a salesperson who recommended I sign a vitality contract.

I then went in to sign a vitality contract which I cancelled within the cooling period due to my retrenchment. This request was sent by email to the head office - as requested by the Menlyn branch - but was ignored until I physically had to go to the gym again 2 weeks later after numerous attempts to contact them telephonically.

The Menlyn receptionists asked me to have a seat as she attempted to assist me with a follow up call to the cancellation department at the head office. After some time, they finally answered.

The cancellation department was not aware that I had cancelled my contract despite sending the email on 4 January and now calling them 2 weeks later.

Thd recipient from cancellations requested that I resend the email - which I did, and then she also found the original one sent too. She informed me that she would cancel my contract and refund the 799 paid as this was cancelled in the cooling off period.

This week Wednesday, I received an email confirming that my contract has been cancelled. I then checked my account to find that the money was not refunded. I contacted Planet Fitness head office again telephonically to follow up on my refund to which they responded that they would lodge a query with retention. 2 days after calling them, no one has acknowledged my call or contacted me to follow up on my query.

I question the integrity of this brand and the way they conduct business as a result of poor customer service. Their business ethics are questionable. My dealings with some members of their sales team and their head office has been nothing short of dissappointing.

As a person who has been in the marketing industry for over 13 years and a brother who is heading uo the CRM board of South Africa, I feel that they can do so much more to increase their customer service and communication regarding their cancellation procedures.

My experience with this gym from the start to finish was not positive and I will not recommend them to anybody - not even my worst enemy.