Do not trust the one month Free

Virgin Active DO NOT TRUST ONE MONTH FREE Dear readers

I am utterly upset with the whole system of Virgin Active and their lack of customer service and communication.

On 18 june 2021 I was offered a deal that if I sign up for the month I would get an entire month free of charge (by an employee at Steenberg Virgin Active).

I then told them I am currently still at my old gym, and I have to give a months notice. I was told I would get two months free if I signed up on that day. Based on the great deal, I agreed and signed a contract.

12 days after I signed up (YES READ THAT AGAIN , 12 DAYS !!!) on the 1st of July the month’s full amount was subtracted from my account. I then immediately got in contact with the person who I had signed up with and he advised me that I was not the only one that this happened to and that he will get in contact with accounts department. I then left the issue thinking it was going to be resolved.

On the 1st of August the full payment went off AGAIN (no two months free). I contacted the same person I signed up with again and he told me the same thing as before i.e. that he will fix it and get back to me.

I then decided to take matters into my own hands by contacting the accounts department myself. After hours of waiting to get through to accounts a woman advised me that the problem was not by the accounts department and that the Virgin active club where I signed up was to be held responsible. She then asked me to send her a detailed explanation, explaining my troubles I was going through, which I did and sent in an email on the 2nd of August, once again thinking everything will be sorted.

I got back in contact with the primary club I signed up at and told them that I had contacted the accounts department and that they could not resolve the issue, it had to be the respective club.

No one contacted me back , I tried getting in touch the whole month but no one got back to me.

Then on the 25th of August I contacted the club AGAIN to ask if the issue has been resolved and was told for the millionth time they will get back to me.

On the 1st of September the full amount was debited off my account again. I had sent more than enough emails to “getintouch” and no called me back, I was on hold for more than 10 min at a time , bouncing from operator to operator just to get through to someone who hung up the phone after explaining what my problem was.

I then thought enough was enough and then sent another email saying that if no one comes back to me I will cancel my contract with Immediate effect as the gym was in breach of contract and had absolutely terrible customer services.

After not hearing from the accounts department for a month, I got an email saying the club will be in contact with me. Yet - still no communication whatsoever. I am very dissatisfied with my experience with Virgin Active. We are in the middle of a pandemic - I would not have signed up if I knew it would mean that I had to pay two gym contracts at once but I was persuaded by false promises and no delivery thereon. If gyms are struggling to get new members, maybe their focus should be on their customer services as I would definitely NOT recommend signing up for this “deal” and will keep fighting until I get a refund.