Membership cancellation turns into automatic renewal

I am extremely disappointed with the way Virgin Active South Africa has handled my membership cancellation. I called in August 2024 to cancel my membership and was advised that I had only four months remaining. The agent offered me a 50% discount until the end of my term instead of paying the R2000+ cancellation fee. At no point was I informed that this was a retention offer or that I would need to cancel again in January when my membership ended.

In January 2025, Virgin Active renewed my membership without my consent and has been debiting my account ever since. When I reached out for clarification, I was told that accepting the 50% discount automatically renewed my contract, and now, if I want to cancel, I must pay back the four months of the discount PLUS a pro-rata fee for March 2025. This was never communicated to me, and it feels like a deceptive way to keep members locked in.

To make matters worse, I have been calling repeatedly for weeks, yet no one can provide a clear answer or resolution. Instead, I am constantly told to check back with no real feedback. This entire experience has been frustrating, misleading, and completely unacceptable.

I would strongly advise anyone considering a membership with Virgin Active to be extremely cautious about their cancellation policies and any so-called "offers" they provide. This is not how a reputable company should treat its customers.