Virgin Active unhappy customer

I joined Virgin Active in KZN at the durban central branch in 2020. The branch had to close for some reason and the club sent emails that members will be compensated by having memberships upgraded to premium (All club access) at a club membership rate. The package I took is called premier select where I have access to only four clubs. The email said I was to call and downgrade to a club membership so I can be compensated. I went to the club admin at durban central and asked about the action that was requested of me. The admin attendance told me to relax, everything will be done automatically for all members who joined at the durban central club.

My membership wasn't upgraded. I have been querying this from year 2020. I have been calling and got told my query is escalated without getting any feedback. When I called for a follow up, they always asked me to explain my issue to the customer service center and I always spent time arguing the same points with different people. All of the consultants I got hold of, different consultants, called there managers and I explained to them as well a number of times. They told me the issue was to be escalated they will provide feedback. No feed back was given until I had to call again and go through the same circle. For almost two full years now I've been asking to be leveraged for the inconvenience. When I query at the different clubs, the understand and believe I should be upgraded but tells me there is nothing they can do, I must call the customer service only to go through the same circle. The following reasons have been given to me and I have given the explained counter arguments: 1. You were supposed to downgrade as it was requested. I explained that I went to the club for assistance regarding the action that was required and got told to relax since I joined at the club that was due for closure. I asked what else was I expected to do because at the time I believed going to the club which was affected was the best route for assistance in whatever was required. I put to them that I cannot be disadvantaged because the level of training of the stuff is not the same. I emphasized the point that it's clear that the level of stuff training is truly not the same because I have been getting different responses from different customer service consultants and some responses just don't make sense. I added that in this context I feel it's also unfair to ask for action from members just because you may inconvenience them because of what affects the club. What if I never saw that email that requested me to downgrade so I can be leveraged. If I qualified to be leveraged, I belive I also had to do nothing to be compensated for the inconvenience. Everyone else I know did nothing for the compensation and I belive the same was to apply for all club members.

2. I was told I went to the Amanzimtoti branch more than I was attending the Durban Central Branch which I joined and which got closed. I just couldn't understand this reason, I joined the Durban Central club because it was my preferred club, when it got closed I am expected to accept the inconvenience without any compensation because I used the other club in my package more. This didn't make sense and I told them they cannot just remove my preferred club which I joined and I get to pay the same fee without any compensation. That is an ill treatment.

I argued these points consistently and with other more reasons they tried which were lame than the above two. I spent hours with my own paid for cellphone minutes. It was only at the beginning of March when I spoke to a customer service consultant by the name of Nosipho who also consulted with her manager. They resolved that my reasons were valid and since I have been frustrated with no positive feedbacks it is unfair to me. They acknowledged that I have been a virgin active member on different contracts for more than 7 years and should not be treated like this. They told me my account will be upgraded as requested and they will send the email to IT for action. They told me I should wait no more than 72 hours to be upgraded and they apologized for the inconvenience and frustration caused. I asked for the correspondence to be put in email which was done and i was finally relieved. Time went and still my account was not upgraded, I sent emails and called asking for the action that was promised to be completed. I was told the issue is being escalated and they don't understand the delay. It was yesterday when I called and asked to be assisted because my emails were no longer answered. I was told IT is refusing to upgrade my account and there is nothing they can do. I got upset and asked to cancel my contract, my call got dropped. I really do not know what to do now. I am being stopped from attending other clubs, every time I have to explain myself and I am paying more than the fee I am supposed to be paying under the compensation arrangement. I am really not happy, If i new how and had legal services I would sue Virgin Active for this disappointing service. Please if I can be assisted in any way, it would really be appreciated.

Kind Regards Samukelo Magcaba ***