Terms and conditions apply . . .
Virgin Active e-mailed me a "Tell us what you think" survey today. I declined to response because it did not cover my particular issue with the gym group. The survey request did however prompt me to make more of a bit of a song and dance about my issue on a public forum.
On notification that my membership fee was to increase on lst January versus my depleting pension income I took the sad decision - after a life-time of activity - to end my gym membership at the end of December. (Unfortunately my medical aid does not afford me the facility of just running my membership card through the system for maximum "rebates" and other al**** loyalty benefits. )
The call centre kindly offered - and I accepted - a considerable drop in my fees for January and February 2019 to give me time to re-think my decision.
I phoned the Call Centre at the beginning of the month in an endeavour to negotiate a deal that would allow me to continue being a gym member; doing 2 km. pool work x 3 times a week and outside of the gym's rush hour.
The cancellation manager said he could not agree to a membership fee below the going rate of my gym and I would also be required to sign a contract in line with the group's terms and conditions. (T&C)
At 75 years old I was required to sign a contract and not just continue - as I did before - on a monthly basis?
It does not take a rocket scientist to work out that if my (good) health afforded me just six months of extra activity the group would be able to bank R***.00 X 6 versus the cancellation of membership R0.00 X 6. OK it would be unfair to forget the 2 minutes shower saving on my 3 visits per week.
The response was " No sorry we unfortunately cannot divert from the Group's T & C."
So their T & C trumps common sense and will cost them a member and make me less fitter but as the saying going, you can't fight the system and as the Good Book says "there is a time for everything" and I have being better for my years of activity and I view the T & C as the catalyst to now accept this.
Irrespective as per their "Tell us what you think" survey objective I would still rate their gyms as top-notch and would indeed recommend them as the health club of the nation.