Sad end to membership at Virgin Active

To whom it may concern

Good Day

I am Graham Daniel Visagie with ID nr ***.

I have been a loyal member to Virgin Active establishment from 2023-12-01 and have been paying my R780.00 (which includes my wife,Inaiz Visagie with ID number ***) discounted premium by Debit order punctually.

In December 2024 i opted to cancel my membership as i had too many complaints, visits not captured, rewards miscalculated, new strategy to pressure members into coming up to four (4) days a week in order to earn rewards etc.

However, i was persuaded to continue until 2025-03-31 on a three (3) month 50% promo,which means i will pay R360 for myself and R360 for my wife (R720 in total), which i agreed to,knowing it will only be till March 2025.

On Monday 2025-03-31 i called Virgin Active customer service centre ,just to remind Virgin Active that i am still cancelling as originally indicated in 2024 December, i was told by the retention department that i was supposed to have called twenty (20) days before cancelling today and that i can continue until 8th of May 2025. I obviously objected because the promotional 50% offer was till 31 March 2025 ,so i cannot see that the onus is on me to inform Virgin Active to cancel my membership when i already indicated in December 2024 that i wish to cancel and that the promotional offer presented to me had already an end date.

On Tuesday 2025-04-01 to my surprise a debit order of Virgin Active went off my account for R1560.00 (unauthorized and unexplained). Shocked i phoned Virgin Active on *** again ,and after being sent from pillar to post i ended up in the Accounts department @ around 12h50 and was in contact with an african lady ''Nokulunga" who explained to me the same conditions to cancel as per the conversation on Monday 2025-03-31,to which i requested to speak to a manager.

Whilst i was on the phone and waiting to be transferred, i heard how ''Nokulunga'' discussed my case with colleagues next to her, badmouthing me that i try my luck and ''this Graham is taking a chance ,and he won't come right with this refund he is looking for'' amongst other defaming remarks she said about me. Finally i was transferred to a "Leslie'' who claimed to be the Team leader of the ''Nokulunga'' lady. I advised Leslie to inform ''Nokulunga'' to mute her phone or microphone before she badmouths clients and defamatory comments about clients, which Leslie agreed to and will listen to the recording of the phone call conversation between us and will reprimand ''Nokulunga''.

I am motivated to dispute the R1560.00 debit order and to instruct my bank Capitec to reverse the payment: - as i have NEVER agreed to continue membership after 2025-03-31 - the 50% ,3 month promotion had a begin date and an end date proposed by Virgin Active ,Retention Department. - I have never paid a premium of R1560.00 for membership at Virgin Active - I indicated already in December 2024 that i wish to cancel,because of unhappiness and affordability (so why would i agree to R1560.00 ) - i feel humiliated by the remarks made by the african lady at their Accounts Department ,''Nokulunga'' and will never consider any future membership to Virgin Active, this incident infringed my rights to human Dignity as recorded in the RSA Constitution Act 108/1996, i am considering open up a case of defamation to character and will maybe request a copy of the conversation on Tuesday 2025-04-01 between 12h50 and 12h55 if advised.

-- GD VISAGIE *** *** ***