Cancellation of Virgin active gym membership

rkc86

Sorry to bump this.

Hello

My first post. Basically I signed on for a 12 month contract and the sales guy said I can cancel my contract anytime without fees if I relocate due to my job if I have proof, which I will do later this year. I was originally going for the flexi but he said I do not have to pay the joining fee. I cannot find this cancellation policy on the internet so was the guy telling the truth or not? I read on this forum about diamond memberships but I do not know what that is (maybe it's outdated). Do you think I should cancel now? (only passed my DD details today) Or just get a confirmation in writing or email? I'm scared as I do not want to enter a 12 month contract if I am moving from the West Midlands to London later this year.

Regards.

Oh and by the way, I've already paid £49.95 so I guess that will cover the first month? Do you think I should cancel DD and just use 1 month?

lee1804

Hello,

I signed up with the intention of only been with VA for 2 months (summer placement). I paid the first month via card.

Its come to the end of my summer placement and i haven't paid for the second month as my Direct Debit Details was wrong.

They did misinform me about the membership and i approx have to pay 2.5 months worth.

What would happen if i decided not to pay the left over dues?

Kind Regards

Lee

giraffic

Dear Virgin Active UK ‪#‎virginactive‬ ‪#‎virginactiveuk‬ I'm glad you trust your lying, tardy and unprofessional instructors more than a paying customer. You are the most unfriendly money grabbing gym I have ever had the displeasure of being a member of.

Allowing other members (in this case 2) to verbally attack and intimidate another member without dealing with the situation shows how motivated you are by money. You don’t give a damn about customers just their hard cash.

It’s a good job I have Matthew Bucknall’s home address and I will writing to him directly to formally complain before I leave. This has cost you 4 members so far but you don’t care so why should I!!!

I hope you continue to enjoy the Laura G show as she runs the gym which has been made evident by your managements response.

orliesther

I'd love Matthew Bucknall's home address if you have it (and my apologies for hijacking this thread but I think everyone should be warned about Virgin Active).

My then 10 year old daughter broke her arm in one of Virgin's supposedly supervised creches. Not only were they not supervising her, the 'first aid' worker then took her arm and bent it backwards to prove to her it wasn't broken.

When I arrived from the cafe area where I was working 3 minutes away, summoned by one of her friends rather than staff, I found my daughter in indescribable pain. Virgin didn't call an ambulance for us and as I didn't have my car with me I had to take her to our doctor on the bus with tears pouring down her face.

At the hospital they confirmed the break had been displaced and we spent the next 6 weeks attending weekly as it was such a severe fracture. Three years on, it still gives her trouble. Virgin's response to all of this was to lie, evade the issue and offer 4 months' free membership in compensation.

Matthew Bucknall promised to 'investigate' but merely stuck to the party line of evading and doing absolutely nothing.

I told Virgin where they could stick their offer - and their membership. Six months ago, they tried to debit £10 from my bank account as a fee for a 'missed membership payment.' I haven't been a member since this fiasco. I would never enter a Virgin Active club again - they are dangerous, poorly staffed and the management is appalling. But that's Virgin for you.

ce76226

To whom it may concern,

I would like some help in resolving a matter.

In November 2013 I took out two Full Flexi memberships at your Wolverhampton branch. I was happy to pay the extra for the Full Flexi as it was important that I could cancel at any point and I was told that there was no obligation on my part. I was never given a copy of the agreement and was told that the only reason I had to sign it was to do with the health questions.

I changed jobs in April and now have very little free time and therefore no longer require the membership. Being very busy I felt that cancelling my direct debit would suffice as I was under the impression that I had no obligation to do otherwise. I last went to the gym on April 17th 2014 and had made my last payment on the 24th of March and presumed this would cover me until the 24th April. Now I have letters from you being threatened with Legal action if I don't pay up?

I'm really surprised that a company the size and stature of Virgin Active would be acting in this way. Ultimately I have not used a service I haven't paid for. I was ill informed of the process and was never given my documentation. No extra cost has been incurred by yourselves due to me not giving the written notice, so it just seems to me to be a low handed way to make an extra £120 and really cheapens your company.

Please could you let me know how we can resolve this matter?

I have posted this on the Gym Membership section of MoneySavingExpert forum as I will your response.

Kind Regards


Lets see what we get back!!

OlliesDad

So to be clear.. you in no way actually informed Virgin that you were cancelling the contract? If not, I'm not sure how they were suppose to know that you were cancelling.

In future, whenever you are withdrawing from a contract - check with the other party what the terms are.

superflygal

orliesther wrote: »

I'd love Matthew Bucknall's home address if you have it (and my apologies for hijacking this thread but I think everyone should be warned about Virgin Active).

My then 10 year old daughter broke her arm in one of Virgin's supposedly supervised creches. Not only were they not supervising her, the 'first aid' worker then took her arm and bent it backwards to prove to her it wasn't broken.

When I arrived from the cafe area where I was working 3 minutes away, summoned by one of her friends rather than staff, I found my daughter in indescribable pain. Virgin didn't call an ambulance for us and as I didn't have my car with me I had to take her to our doctor on the bus with tears pouring down her face.

At the hospital they confirmed the break had been displaced and we spent the next 6 weeks attending weekly as it was such a severe fracture. Three years on, it still gives her trouble. Virgin's response to all of this was to lie, evade the issue and offer 4 months' free membership in compensation.

Matthew Bucknall promised to 'investigate' but merely stuck to the party line of evading and doing absolutely nothing.

I told Virgin where they could stick their offer - and their membership. Six months ago, they tried to debit £10 from my bank account as a fee for a 'missed membership payment.' I haven't been a member since this fiasco. I would never enter a Virgin Active club again - they are dangerous, poorly staffed and the management is appalling. But that's Virgin for you.

Contact Irwin Mitchell Solicitors. They are one of the big names in Injury law, and both me and my brother used them in the past. They were very professional. You need to sue them for damages and set your little girl up with appropriate healthcare.

Keep any documents you have, and names of staff who attended to her. I would also write to Richard Branson, rather than this Mathew Bucknall (whoever he is). Go straight to the top. I always have, and so far, I have never not resolved a
problem or complaint. Send the letter recorded delivery to Branson, and keep a copy and proof of posting.

PM me if you want help with letter.

SFG x

superflygal

Just saw it was 3 years ago, contact Irwin Mitchell Immediately!!!! You might just be within the timescales.

SFG x

ce76226

OlliesDad wrote: »

So to be clear.. you in no way actually informed Virgin that you were cancelling the contract? If not, I'm not sure how they were suppose to know that you were cancelling.

In future, whenever you are withdrawing from a contract - check with the other party what the terms are.

Why did they need to know, I was on a fully flexible contract I have not been to the gym in that monthly period and haven't used any of their services and surely by cancelling my direct debit and not paying this should suffice. What is their justification for £120?

bod1467

What you think should suffice, and what actually DOES suffice can be two entirely different things.

Cancelling a DD does not cancel a subscription/contract! Period! (Unless the T&Cs agreed for the contract allow this as an acceptable means of cancelling, and very few do).