Unfair Business Practice by Virgin Active Bryanston

I took membership with virgin active Bryanston in July 2025 and the sales man explained to me that the package that I chose is R950.00 per month. However as I belong to the Discovery Medical Aid, I would qualify for 50% discount, which will amount to R497. 00 per month instead of R950: Provided we allow him to assist us in activating vitality of which we agreed. He then explained to me that R290 needs to be paid upfront as a joining/admin fee, and I then paid the said amount. Surprisingly, in August 2025, they debited an amount of R995 from my account instead of R497 that we agreed upon.

On 30 July 2025, i was admitted in hospital and a surgery was performed on 31 August 2025 to my left femur due to tumor. As a result, I am unable to work out and I then went to the virgin active to request my membership to be frozen. The lady at the reception told me that if my membership gets frozen I will be expected to pay R297 per month until such time it gets unfrozen. The very same lady and the manager told me that my vitality was never activated as promised by the sales man, hence R995 was debited from my account. I then reminded the manager as he was also present when I gave the sales man permission to assist me in activating my vitality. He remembered and promised to address that internally with the sales man.

I feel that, it is very unfair of the virgin active to expect me to pay R297 per month for something that I am currently not benefitting from. Bearing in mind that I did not choose to have a tumor and be operated. I find them very unsympathetic and hostile and they never gave me a valid reason why should I pay R297 per month despite not using their facilities. In addition to the above, I am of the view that the sales man was only concerned about making a sale and as a result he misrepresented the terms of the membership and unduly influenced me to join the gym. To me this amounts to an unfair business practice and a reap off. I strongly believe that Virgin Active Bryanston should be investigated and exposed.