Service Failure, Bad customer Service

I joined Planet Fitness on 21 October 2020. I had issues with my membership and done numerous follow ups with the consultant Joseph who was the service consultant I initially signed up. I had an issue with my Sanlam Reality and I was busy sorting that out. I went to the gym a week later to go gym only to be told that my membership was cancelled. I managed to sort out my Sanlam Reality in October and done a follow up with Joseph on the 23 October regarding my contract. At that point I was advised that my membership is still not active that was on 2 November. On the 5th of November I requested an update from Joseph who advised me that my contract was still not updated.

On the 6th November I was asked to send my Sanlam Reality details which I did. On the 10 November still no response from the consultant and I done another follow up. Joseph then advised me that his manager will check the next day, needless to say no feedback was received. Only on the 24th November he responded to say that their Head Office still can't find my details under Sanlam Reality. I found that strange because a debit order was deducted by Sanlam Reality that month. The same day I requested that everything be put hold until I could get proper feedback and no debit order was to be deducted. This was on an already cancelled membership which Planet Fitness cancelled.

This was a month after I initially requested to join. He further advised that my membership can't be put hold which I found weird because this was a cancelled membership which I requested to be put on hold. I was unable to go in and see them because I fell ill and being in the midst of COVID one should surely understand that. But they did not.

On the 29th November I sent in the requested information which was my active Sanlam Reality. Joseph advised that he will be sending my information to the manager to assist. The same day I requested for the black tag to be cancelled and was told that they can't because it has already been sent. Again I find unacceptable because the membership was not active so how can they not cancel it. I never heard from him again. I was never informed that the membership was active and to me it was still cancelled. On the same day I requested for it to be cancelled it – meaning my membership.

On the 14 December I called the customer line to do a follow up, only to be told that the membership was active. I was shocked because I requested for it to be put on hold and to be informed on any updates. My last communication received from Joseph was on the 1st December and I was still advised that my membership is being sorted out. So I ask the question if my membership was activated by Planet Fitness on the 30 November how did Joseph not see on the 1 December when I done another follow up. Lack of interest in the customer which is me.

I called on the 14 December and spoke to Rowan and I was informed that the membership is active and I asked how this could be because I was never notified. I requested for the membership to be cancelled and was advised that they will cancel it but with a cancellation fee. Had I been informed that the membership was active I would have cancelled the membership within the 5 day cooling off period. I again requested for the membership to be cancelled and then only I was told that my membership was in arrears of a month. I asked how this was possible that I am in arrears of a month when I was never informed that it active in the first place. I disputed the fact that I have to pay a cancellation fee when I was not even informed that the membership was active. I was advised that I missed the cooling off period of 5 days. How could I have missed something when I was not informed on the progress? I was advised by Rowan that my request would be sent to the escalation department for resolute.

On the 18 December I received no feedback and done yet another follow up with the customer service department and spoke to Mpho who advised me that they are still awaiting feedback. I confirmed that no debit order was to be deducted because the membership was cancelled.

On the 29 December I sent through another email requesting feedback and needless to say no feedback was received. To me this membership was cancelled and the only thing in dispute was the cancellation fee.

On the 11 January 2021 three months later I requested feedback and again none was received.

On the 25 February 2021 a debit order was deducted from my account. How could this be when I requested for the membership to be terminated and advised that it was on the 14 December? I called Planet Fitness on the 26 February and spoke to Rudi and explained my problem and sent all the communication between myself and Joseph as well as the emails which I sent and did not receive a response to. He advised that he would sit with his team and provide feedback. On the 5 March I received feedback a one line response from Rudi stating that I did not make the cooling off period of 5 days.

I responded to Rudi same day asking to stipulate the dates which I had for the cooling off period and asked if they had read all my communication.

I received no response from Rudi but received a call from Lungi Mbatha telling me that this has landed on his desk again. As if I was an inconvenience and being unreasonable with my request. I took him through all the communication and explained again what had transpired and the fact that this membership was activated without my knowledge is not acceptable. And also asked how a debit order could be deducted without my knowledge. Lungi advised that he will sit with the management team and give me feedback. Again needless to say I received none.

On the 11 March a week later I sent another follow up email to Lungi and no feedback was received.

On the 19 March I sent another follow up email to Lungi requesting feedback I also asked for an email address of the CEO to further escalate my dispute. I received a response from Lungi same day and he said to me that quote “You have been duly advised and have refuted what you were informed on there is nothing we can do for you. The feedback that was given was not only from me but from management level as well. Unfortunately not at liberty to provide you with CEO details.”

I did not “refute” I am disputing the fact that I was not informed that my membership was active, the lack of feedback and the fact that a debit order was deducted without my knowledge. On the 29 November I requested for the membership to be cancelled after I requested that the black tag be cancelled. Yet the membership was activated on the 30 November without informing me. How can something be activated after requesting cancellation.

There was clearly a service failure from Planet Fitness in the manner that my dispute was dealt with. I find it extremely unprofessional on how this dispute of mine was and still is being dealt with. I am exhausted from all this back and forth. I need someone higher up the chain of command to please look at this and provide me contact me.

Regards

Anthea