Pruhealth gym loophole Article Discussion

nplima

IronWolf wrote: »

[...]

Im thinking about going on it because I use the gym all the time and will no doubt be platinum after a year, and the savings in other places could really benefit me.
[...]

As the rest of us can testify, the savings promised today when you join pru-health are not necessarily the same as the benefits you will use the next year regardless of the platinum/gold/whatever status you obtain.
Judging by Pru's practices in the last couple of years, it's in my opinion likely that the discounts you find so attractive today will disappear the next year or be replaced by something of smaller value and harder to obtain or impossible to use.

CurlyGirl22

Not sure this is the right place - but I've just been told by my work (which pay for my health insurance) that Pruhealth members can now get an extra 25% of their LA fitness membership for 12 months. I currently get 25% off, but LA fitness are offering Pruhealth members an extra 25% - it means your direct debits will go to LA Fitness rather than Pruhealth for the membership, and you'll be paying a month in advance so will get with a double deduction when you move over.

You need to talk to LA Fitness to make sure they cancel your Pruhealth payments and to go through the T&C, supposedly there's no 12month contract either.

This is from my Vitality Zone

Quote:
LA Fitness special offer 25% + 25% off.
LA Fitness are currently offering an extra 25% discount on Premier or Club Peak membership. This discount is on top of the 25% Vitality discount you already get with our gym partners - which means you can get a total of 50% off the usual price for 12 months.

Premier membership lets you use almost every LA Fitness club nationwide* - giving you the flexibility to work out anywhere whatever your lifestyle. Club Peak lets you choose one specific gym to work out at.

There’s no 12 month gym contract, no activation fee plus when you join you get an LA Fitness ‘Experience’ pack worth £100.

Your pack will include information on getting the most out of your gym membership, nutritional advice and all this free:

5 free guest passes worth £50
Free personal training voucher worth £35
Kit bag worth £20
LA Fitness sweat towel
LA Fitness water bottle

Important note about your gym membership payments.
You pay your current gym membership fees directly to us in arrears at the end of every month. On the LA Fitness special offer, your membership will switch to LA Fitness directly, meaning your gym payments will no longer be to PruHealth.

As LA Fitness take gym payments at the beginning of each month, there will be a one-off double payment when you sign up for the special offer. This is because you will pay off the month you have just used to PruHealth, and then pay in advance to LA Fitness for the month you’re about to use. This only happens once, but it’s important that you’re aware of this.

You may have to pay your first direct payment to LA Fitness by debit/credit card to ensure a continuous membership, as the new direct debit with LA Fitness may not be set up before the first payment is due.

If there is more than one adult on your cover that wants to take up this offer, they will need to apply separately and have their own direct debit set up.

What’s next?
1. Locate your preferred LA Fitness club using the ‘Gym prices’ tab above.

2. Make sure you’ve read our gym terms and conditions and the important note about your gym payments.

3. Sign up for the LA Fitness special offer.

wadge

I've just got my renewal through. I'm not liking what I'm reading. Talk about moving the goalposts.

dvs

wadge wrote: »

I've just got my renewal through. I'm not liking what I'm reading. Talk about moving the goalposts.

My renewal is coming soon. I was hoping that Pru Health would have revaluated their plans by now as I assume they have lost a large number of clients following the introduction on the new terms earlier this year.

burnoutbabe

what are the renewal quotes like? i'm currently on plat and paying £4 a month. currently have 1400 points with 1 month and a bit to go to renewal, done a fitness test today.

I know that the gym won't be worth doing in the new year, but i want to keep the cineworld pass, so happy to pay £4 or so a month for that. but if the renewal quote is say £12 even on platinum, i'd be better to get my own cineworld pass. just wondering whether to bust a gut to get to platinum or not.

Musicman

Well just received notice of what my gym membership will cost. £112 for both my wife & I plus an additional £25 for my children. This is more than I was paying for family membership two years ago and that is with the 25% discount.

Will have to see what I can get family membership for now.

Still waiting for the Pruhealth costs, but suspect that I will be leaving them as they will be uncompetative.

burnoutbabe

Well i don't have to worry about being platinum, one fitness assessment got me 700 points. I went from being VERY VERY unhealthy to just POOR health

got the gym letter, that will be £56 so will be cancelling that - how much notice do you have to give?

still keen to see how much the health insurance is as i want to keep my cineword card, having paid £45 only a few months ago for it.

Happychappy

Hi

I am in my second year with Pru Health after 13 years with Norwich Union, unfortunately I am part way through a claim and boy what a mess the Pru Health alleged customer service centre is, they are based in South Africa, and English is very clearly not their first language, at best the people on the phone are purely script readers, they do not have a clue, and this claim has been far more stressful then the reason for the claim.

This is without doubt the most inefficient service centre I have encountered, and having had dealings with Tiscali, Talk Talk and Orange, I have a medal in the school of long phone calls, frustration and disbelief.

You really do need to check the small print and then recheck and recheck, also they change the conditions mid way through the year and change benefits after you start, be very wary.

I have cover for myself and my wife both over 50 and costing £174 per month for the worst service imaginable, and when asking for a supervisor to be told, "she will only agree with me" wish I had never moved, but knowing the Pru will increase to way over £200 per month from next renewal, I shall just put the money aside each month and hopefully do a cash deal for any future treatment

slewis1972

I'd be interested to know if anyone who has PruHealth via Prus life insurance scheme and what they are now paying for gym with say Nuffield?

bargainseeker100

my gym membership has gone up with Oct renewal (with platinum status) from £25 to £69 at City Nuffield Health (from Nov '10) and pru health insurance £3.50 to £9.50 (from Oct '10). Normal Nuffield City gym membership is £92 pm. Sticking around with it just now but from 2011/12, pruhealth insurance only gets max 35% discount, instead of 100% NCD, which will make gym + health insurance uncompetitive. So will prob ditch pru health and see if the gym can give me a 'loyalty discount' !