Disappointed and Disgusted BY TREATMENT AT VIRGIN ACTIVE

I am very disappointed by the service I have received from Virgin Active South Africa.

I made an enquiry on the 23th December 2018 to join a gym at Lifestyle Crossing. I left my contact number and the consultant said he would get a lady by the name of Gudani to contact me. Gudani contacted me with an hour on the 23th of December and I advised her that I was on my way to church and I couldn't speak. She than contacted me again on WhatsApp on the 24th December 2019 (at 09h10), and I advised her that I was getting ready for work - could I call her when I get to work. Which didn't materialise because I had quite a busy day as an Account Director at work.

Gidani than contacted me beginning of the year, 02nd of Jan 2019 and asked if she could come to my offices to chat about the membership. She was very persistent - which I understand as a Sales person.

She came into my office with a male colleague to explain the special running and how the membership worked. I filled in forms with them and I was asked to pay R180 which no one explained what it was for. I was asked to send an ewallet to Gudani's phone, which I did because in my mind I thought it was part of signing up. I than asked for a receipt because the type of payment was not normal. To date I haven't received a receipt of this payment.

She advised me about Northgate and a National membership - she said to me I can take the National membership and change it in Feb if I didn't need it - to just a one gym membership. I was okay with this. She also advised me to get Vitality as it becomes cheaper to pay for membership. I did that straight after she left - registered for Vitality. I also signed my brother up for the membership - but he was not around to sign, so the guys said they would sign for him. I must just let him know that when a consultant calls - he must lie and say he signed. I was against this but the guys assured me that it was normal.

That same week I visited the gym (because Gudani had assured me that all will be sorted) I visited Northgate Gym and had problems going in with my daughter and brother. When I called Gudani, she says my account was in arrears from my last membership (my daughters account owed R190 (not to sure of this number). I was a little confused because I have never received an email or even a call from Virgin active about this amount that was missing - this was news to me. I addressed this with her. She than said she would sort it out. She reverted back to me after asking her - saying all I need to pay now is 90rands (which made it even more confusing). Okay, I said to her I would find time and go into the gym and make the payment. Because of the nature of my role at work, things got very busy and I couldn't make it to the gym - she asked me a couple of time and I kept telling her that I was busy currently. She kept persisting until I got very upset - because she would call during meetings. She than informed me that my membership was pending because of this amount. I was truly annoyed but the way I was ambushed by her calls - even after I had explained to her that I would go and pay. The day she told me that my membership was pending - I asked if I can cancel the membership - I expressed to her that I was not happy with the way she was just ambushing me. A customer does not get treated like this. After that day I asked her several times that i'd like to cancel while it was pending. I want nothing to do with Virgin Active.

She got someone from Virgin Active to call me - not sure of her name to try speak to me. This person told me that I would not need to pay this 90 rand anymore and she would like to for me to stay as a member. By this time I had had enough and I wanted nothing to do with Virgin Active - she asked me if I could come into the Northgate Gym to chat to her but I specifically told her that I was having a very busy season at work and I would truly try.

I wouldn't make it to the gym, I left work at 21h00 that day. After this call no one called me, no one said anything. I called Virgin Active Customer Care - and addressed my case and concern - the guy I spoke too said he would request for the sales manager at Rooderpoort to call me, he also said the club would be able to help me cancel because if I cancel with him they would charge me. No one called! I called again - very angry and I explained my case again to the consultant - the person on the other line at Virgin Active literally laughed at me. How RUDE. I am appalled by this!!

I than tried to contact the club at Rooderpoort myself because no one was making contact with me. I spoke to a lady called Busi - explained my case to her and she asked me to mail her. She would escalate my case to management. I emailed her and till today have got no response from her. I have tried and exhausted all my options in trying to get a hold of Virgin Active as a customer but no luck. No one gets back to and no one seems to want to listen. Yet when an amount is missing in my account I get 5 calls a day about this. I am very disappointed by this and I want nothing to do with this brand. I have rights as a consumer. VIRGIN ACTIVE NEEDS TO START CARING ABOUT THIER CUSTOMERS.

I have to-date left several messages for Gudani - whose either blue ticked me on WhatsApp or ignored my calls. Is this how you treat people???