Cancellation of Virgin active gym membership

ScaryLady · 16 December 2009 at 4:09PM

Croasy - I'd suggest going through your gym rather than the central office. It seemed to me when I complained that gym managers have the discretion to come to arrangements with members themselves (in my case the manager terminated my membership), as opposed to having to get permission from a central office.
Good luck!

spendaholicinseattle · 30 December 2009 at 6:28PM

Great to read this thread - I am SO annoyed though and could do with some help! My story:

I am disgusted at the conduct of the team at my gym. I spoke to the staff behind the counter about terminating my diamond membership (which is due to end this month) IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE I WOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY ANY MORE THAN THE 12 MONTHS. I was clearly advised twice by "Girl X" at reception that I coulod leave my cancellation until January without incurring any further payments.
I therefore came into the club on the 29th December to cancel my membership. I was surprised to be informed that I would now have to pay for an extra month's membership!
The duty manager dealt with the complaint at the time and was very apologetic over the mistake, saying (and I quote "she gets very busy - she must have got confused"). I was then contacted by the membership team leader the following day (today) to say that I would still have to pay the unwanted extra month because I did not have documentary evidence of the dates the conversations took place!!

The Club Manager also threatened me over the phone that if I did not agree to pay the fee, my membership would automatically continue and I would then be liable for another 12 months membership for which I would be pursued through the courts! I hardly need to point out how unethical and bullying this approach is. Of course it was "out of her hands" and all the fault of her General Manager.

I have sent them a very strongly worded email detailing all this. Of course they will now not be able to get back to me until the 4th, by which time they will have my payment and it will be up to me to get it back!

I know it is not the same amount as some people on here, but I would really appreciate your help!

Spenda

spendaholicinseattle · 30 December 2009 at 11:13PM

Quick update - emailed Watchdog about this. Spoke to OFT too who said basically my word v theirs and I might have to wave goodbye to the £50. I can see that it is in the Ts and Cs, but feel duped

dhughes23a · 13 January 2010 at 11:03AM

I implore you all to write to BBC’s Watchdog and it could feature in an upcoming programme, particularly at the moment in the ‘fitness season’.

Go to bbc.co.uk/watchdog/gotastory/

Click on Subject “Sport, Leisure and Entertainment”, then sub category “Health clubs and leisure centres”.

This is what I wrote:

Virgin Active gyms partake in a very unfair practice in the membership contracts. One of their membership packages the “Diamond Membership” requires that you sign a 12 month rolling contract. Therefore if you do not cancel the membership by "the seventeenth day of the twelfth month”, then you are automatically entered into another 12 month contact. Virgin Active do not send a reminder at the end of each 12 month period. The cancellation fee is the remainder of your 12 month contact. Therefore I am in a situation where I have been a member of Virgin Active Health Club for nearly 7 years and will need to pay in excess of £700 to cancel my contract. Do watchdog feel this is fair or acceptable? I am not alone on this issue, a quick Google search brings up many forums, e.g. [I gave them a load or links]

Croasy · 13 January 2010 at 1:20PM

After letting Virgin know about the VAT rate cancellation idea in this thread, ive had a letter back from head office saying this ...

"The diamond membership commits us both to a price of £43.95 for the life of your membership. This is based on gross figure and will not change for the lifetime of your membership. Any VAT changes introduced by the government will not affect this membership price and therefore your comment relating to us increasing your membership fees is not a true statement. The 50% buy out of your contract is available for the next 10 days after this you will be required to complete the 8 months left on your membership"

What can i say, i'm sure this is wrong as membership should be considered net of vat, after all thats the cost of membership

Please help me fast .... times running out !

polo2209 · 15 January 2010 at 3:29PM

my best advice to you - and im in the exact same position - is to ignore the Gym themselves, ignore the London office and go STRAIGHT to the Milton Keynes Office

I have spoken to them today and they actually seem to care a bit more about their customers

m10clm · 26 January 2010 at 9:34PM

Has anyone actually made any progress with this? I am in the same boat and am oficially tied into the diamond membership for another 8 months. I am furious with this situation and whilst I take on board that I signed the contract of my own free will I am disgusted that the only point the "sales" rep made was to make me sue I was happy to commit to 12months. I even asked what would hapen after this and was told it would go onto a rolling contract which to my knowledge would be month and month as would happen elsewhere ie my phone contract.

Customer service are useless simply say no. I would be interested to hear if anyone has had their membership cancelled and if so how they managed this.

cuckoldlondon · 11 February 2010 at 2:23AM

[FONT=&quot]I used the VAT decrease and this being a breach oi contract by Virgin and got the following reply today. I have managed to cancel six months early. Virgin have cancelled mine early so dont let them off the hook!
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Hi Rob[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]After speaking with the General Manager and as a gesture of goodwill have agreed to cancel the membership as of 28.02.2010[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Many Thanks[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Member Services [/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]West London[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]36 Bromyard Avenue [/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Acton [/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]W3 7AU[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]

Croasy · 12 February 2010 at 2:35PM

I used the VAT decrease point and they started banging on about clause 5 which says they won't increase membership unless there is a VAT increase ! .... seems they only want to change the membership unless its in there favour !

My fight continues ......

LaurenB_2 · 15 February 2010 at 4:46PM

Please can someone help me...
My story..
Im 18years old and me and my partner joined virgin gym in uxbridge on the 31st of jan on seperate 12 month memberships (which where the only memberships offered to us). Unfortunately by the 9th of feb i lost my job. In this time i had only visited the gym twice. Seeing as i lost my job i rang up the gym to cancel my membership, and was told very rudely by the girl on reception i could not cancel my gym membership without valid reason as stated in my terms and conditions. I read in my terms and conditions that membership could only be cancelled if you have an injury, i think this is very unfair as i have LOST MY JOB and cannot pay my membership. I then rang virgin customer services and was told again i could not cancel my membership unless i went in to the branch and then if they decide i can i will still have to pay a fee...! Does no one understand that i have lost my job and cannot afford the membership let alone a cancellation fee..! please can someone help me pleaaaassseee...! xx

Cancellation of Virgin active gym membership

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