Virgin Active South Africa
Reviews and Complaints

Virgin active is a good gym. However the blatant nakedness of many members in the change rooms is indecent and unacceptable. An acceptable dress code in the change rooms must be instituted. Members need to cover themselves with at least a sarong or a large enough towel, in order not to expose their blatant nakedness to other members. Some members sit naked whilst using their cell phones for long periods of time, or whilst doing their hair, or some stand naked in front of the mirror whilst applying lotions on their bodies, This behaviour is indecent and must be stopped immediately.

I hereby would like to report and to log a complain regarding an incident that I encountered on the 11th of October 2018 at about 17h30 at Virgin Active in Three Rivers.

I was using the gym and needed to make use of the leg press machine and unfortunately found the machine left with weights fully packed on both sides.
I looked around to get assistance from training instructors but there was no one around.
I had to pack away the weights myself that were left by another member in order to be able to use the machine since the gym was under-staffed and I got injured whilst packing away the last 4 weights from about 12 weights I had packed already.
One weight slipped from my hands and hit my toes. I thought it's a minor thing but started to feel sever pain after few seconds. I then sat down to remove my training shoes and requested on member to press the panic button.

I was attended by Mildred Ntobaki and Tebogo who placed ice to my injured foot. I was helped to the changing rooms and as we were going downstairs there was another panic alert and it was one of the staff members. We got to the changing rooms with Mildred and she rushed to attend to the staff member whom they took to the hospital forgetting about me. Another Virgin Active staff member brought a first aid kit but I was helped by a friend/club member to put bandage to the injured foot and helped me to get up.

I was told to report to the reception before leaving so that Teboho can write down an incident report. Before he could take down my statement for an incident report, I then also enquired for his assistance to contact the relevant contact person about what had happened. He then told me the manager will call me the next day and then hesitated to write down the incident report as he had proposed to. I asked him if he's no longer writing down my incident report and he said yes it's not necessary to write it down if since I want to log a claim. I insisted with him that he writes it but he affirmed that it can't be written. I had to take myself to a medical center under that condition and they didn't even bother to find a doctor for me to check if it's not risky for me to drive myself whilst in their premises, but instead all attended to their staff member who also fell sick same time I had an injury.

Since I was in agony, I left the gym and tried to drive myself to the doctor. I got there and got checked and was told my big toe seems to had fractured. I went back to the gym driven by my brother and we got there 10minutes before 21h00. I requested that Teboho writes down the incident report as the gyms policy and because I won't have any proof that I got injured at Virgin Active's premises. They still refused and just printed me a letter apologizing of the standard of their equipment. I refused to accept it and Mildred told me (with an attitude) that it's the only thing provided when a person gets injured and she said why did I leave the club in the and come back when they have to knock off. I told her I was in pain and no one was attending to me and she also left me to attend to her co-worker and Teboho also misled me with wrong information and I left in order to get medical attention since I was in pain.

After refusing to write down the incident report she eventually gave in when I wouldn't let it go and she said (again with attitude) Teboho should let me write it myself. I insisted that she won't treat me that way and requested that they write it and she did eventually but.

I left after writing the incident report and a bad and inconsiderate treatment from the staff. They never said anything about what had happened to me in their premises.

I was taken an X-ray and it confirmed that my big toe fractured and I was booked off from work as well as school.

This has cost me a lot. I encountered time loss from my work and my studies. I would like this matter to be attended to fairly. I cannot even make use of the gym training machines since I'm unable to put on a closed shoe.

I request that someone take accountability for my losses and expenses and compensate me. Had there be staff members available around the gym I wouldn't have got injured from doing someone's work.

Your prompt respond and resolution is highly anticipated.

Your sincerely
Ms Kaibe

Good day,

I cancelled my gym membership as I no longer could afford it and I did not have time to use it. Virgin Active Cape Town phoned me today 23/10/2018 me and tried to convince me to continue with my membership. After I explained the above to the man his tone turned rude and he just drop the call. His telephone etiquette at the end of the call was horrible. My husband and one of my colleagues experience exactly the same. I had really wonderful service from Virgin Active up to this point and thought I would just like to inform you of the matter.

Kind regards,
Christina

I am currently overseas and can't phone the customer services at Virgin Active South Africa.

I need to get in contact with collections department and need to get hold of them via email.

I need the email address of the collection department or if the collection department can reach me on higgs.[protected]@gmail.con

Please advise or get in contact with me via email.

I am currently in Vietnam and can't talk over the phone

I'm Harriet Box, ID no [protected], and I've been paying a regular gym fee of R781 on a national membership contract.

Complaint 1: On 2 October a fee of R828 was deducted. I don't recall being notified that there will be an increase in gym fees. Can you perhaps provide feedback on the matter?

Complaint 2: I signed myself and my daughter, Haley-Anne Box up (start of 2018) - to join the Virgin Active gym in Tyger Valley, Bellville for the express purpose of joining their Zumba classes. A few months ago the classes were suspended without any notice or explanation to club members, despite numerous complaints from clients to staff at the Bellville branch. Classes are now discontinued permanently with no alternative Zumba class in place. The needs of the customer are not met, yet we have to keep paying for classes we literally didn't sign up for.
I would like Virgin Active Tyger Valley to offer a quality Zumba class again or give my daughter, who doesn't have a national contract) access to the Virgin Active branches in Cape Gate and Century which are currently offering Zumba classes.

Your guys are promising us bags to joing gym after that they keep postponing which means they are running a scam in thus case I dnt want to be a member any more and if there is anyone who has to pay the cancellation fee it's him southgate branch by the name of Thabang to make matters worse I even have him referrals who also want to cancel if this is not being sorted out I will have to move to social media and my lawyer let ppl know that virgin active us running a scam

I am unhappy with the service provided by Virgin Active Amanzimtoti regarding the Cold water in our pool.Management has failed to resolve this matter even though it was presented to them on numerus occasion.This matter has been going on for weeks on end and nothing has been done .Going to the Gym has become a burben because i feel as if i am not getting my moneys worth .

Hello there

So i would like to complain about the Watt Bikes, i know for a fact that im not the only Person who has complained about this issue either.

I have a National membership and I Train and Bryanston, Waterfall, Sunning Hill and Dainfern. I train 6 days a week a 4 days are on the Watt Bike. I also pay a coach to give me a program on the Bike and i do it on the Watt Bikes. However every single bike that i train on i get different readings, which tell me the bikes aren't being serviced (IE calibrated every 3 months). so the readings that go back to my coach are being Sku'd cause they not correct. (im either getting to my numbers very easily or i cant even get to them) THIS is UNACCEPTABLE

This is a huge issue for me cause I pay a monthly gym membership and the equipment isn't even being serviced correctly, this is unacceptable. So with the readings not being accurate I'm now either over training or undertraining. Why is this not happening on a regular basis ? I'm aware that there is a large cost to calibrate each bike but at the end of the day people pay for a service and want the equipment to work properly.

Re calibrating a bike is pretty much taking it apart and servicing it properly, inside and cleaning it out and checking the belt and resizing.

I would like someone to contact me urgently to resolve this. (cause currently im paying a gym membership and a coach and not getting the full benefit of either)

I have been a virgin active Lenasia member for approximately 2 months now, overall I have been satisfied with the facility, until the evening of Tuesday the 16th October 2018, when I received a terrible customer service from the lady by the name of Fifi, she was rude and not interested not forgetting the facial expression I mean who pulls her face while talking to the customer. Even after I addressed my issues with her she did not have a decency to apologies "BAD ATTITUDE". I got to the gym with my 10 years old son who does not have a gym membership yet I was advised to open a membership when I asked her to proceed with the membership she asked for a birth certificate which I don't normally carry around. I had to leave my son sitting at the reception couch as I needed to attend a class, I trust and believe that this matter was suppose to be handled in another manner rather than leaving my son sitting at the reception alone. No professionalism at all, I mean Virgin Active is a big brand to have incompetent people like Fifi at reception.

I joined the gym in order to swim to strengthen my back and neck but after joining I tried the pool and it was extremely cold and the water level very low. The cold water made my muscles cramp up and I wasn't able to swim at all. So I decided to try a personal trainer to help me and was recommended one by a staff member. I was told he is very good and gets straight into things, so I paid for 3 sessions. How disappointed I was when I was met by a very unprofessional guy who wasted the whole first 'session'. The second session I was at the gym a few minutes early and I approached him 3 minutes before the start of our session and he was very rude telling me that he still had 3 minutes and that I can wait, turning back to his phone and ignoring me further. I then asked him if I must rather leave because he really didn't seem very interested at all in doing the session upon which he said no but at that point i didn't feel very welcome or motivated to do the session. We started the second session but unfortunately he didn't understand that I have a very bad wrist and back and the exercises he gave me buggered my back and wrist up even more, to the point that i was unable to walk or use my hand. I cannot handle any pressure on my wrist and he gave me weights and floor exercises that had me putting my whole weight on my wrist. Although he was nice during the session, he was quite uninformed about how to help correctly and quite frankly very unprofessional with the things he was telling me. I cancelled all sessions with him and lost the extra money I paid him rather than not being able to walk properly again. I was messaged by another staff member, asking me why I cancelled and I told them and they just didn't bother answering. The level of professionalism at this gym is quite questionable and it makes using the gym a very unpleasant experience to say the least.

Good Day, please see below email that was sent to Manager on 12th of September and still I have not received any feedback . No one was able to help me with when and who donated the shoes to charity or which charity it is donated to . Everyone was just looking at each other and no answers were given to me .

My name is Elizabeth Southey I'm a loyal customer at Virgin Active Paarl. First of all i want to congratulate you guys for having such great facilities and always keeping everything nice, neat, tidy and forming a healthy environment for your customers to train at. I have recommended lots of people to you're gym and have always only had good things to say about virgin active Paarl until recently... I work in Stellenbosch but live in paarl and only have a few minutes a day that i can relax and work out all my daily frustrations at the gym, but the last few days i was very ill and could not make it to the gym... On Monday I wanted to start excersizing again, but when i came to the gym is saw the locker where i put my workout shoe's was open! I work for a very basic salary and have hardly enough money to provide food every week, and to see the locker where i safely stored two of my brand new gym shoe's I was at tears! I asked for the Virgin Active personnel for assistance and no one was willing to help, there was 5 staff members standing around doing nothing and not one af them was willing to help me find the shoe's... They told me the virgin active personel cut the lock self and took the contents to the lost and found but now they can't find it anywhere. I spend over R3000.00 on those shoe's that I especially bought because I joined your gym and now its gone, and I'm not even mentioning the shampoos ect. that is also gone... This is unacceptable, I spend a lot (that I actually cant afford) to support you, I make sure you don't have any problems with me as a customer and my payments, and i have recommended you to lots of people and convinced people to join your gym, and this is how i get rewarded... This is unacceptable and unprofessional for me and I'm really looking forward to hear how you are going to composite me for my loss and discomfort.

Please can someone competent enough kindly contact me as I am highly frustrated with calls from your head office on a daily basis. I have to repeat myself all the time to different agents. Promises were made and unlikely kept up to. I just want to cancel me and my husband's contract like right now as I cannot deal with the professionalism.
I was debited twice this week on Mon and wed and got a call now about an outstanding payment. It seems that there is no communication with the team itself . I am highly disgusted. Please contact me asap.

We signed up on the 19 August 2018 at Virgen Active Belairs.on the day we signed up we were promised bags for my hubby and myself.They informed us that they didnt have stock at this point but they will arrive in 2 weeks time since then week in and week out the consultant keeps on telling us next week...next week...yesterday we spoke to the manager regarding the bags as this was going on since August.he informed us that the consultant was not really allowed to give us bags...YOU CANT PROMISE A CUSTOMER SOMETHING AND NOT COME THROUGH WITH IT.All they wanted was the sales of us signings up amd dont care about after sales SERVICE.PATHETIC

My account was just debited with R680 without any communication. My husband took me off keycare and I was not aware of the premium going up, this was not communicated with me in any way or form. How is virgin active just allowed to debit a person's account with whatever they like. I am stopping this now. from the word go I have had endless problems with virgin active.
Michelle Harypursat
[protected]

Someone call me from Aliceline try to confuse me teling me liars that if im upgrating my card im going to get free personal trainer and i must go and collect my new card at Menly main when i went there then i explain the whole story about my new card n i must get free personal trainer they said no ways so i tel them they must down grade my card back to hazel dean they agree with and they said i must sign the form and i also tel them i want to active my vitality, on the 29 September i went to hazel dean and i tel one of the lady check my status about my card they said to me mainyln main upgraded my card and i must wait for 3 months to down grade and she said im going to do that December because my first debit order of R1250 staterd now September but the lady when she is busy checking my profile i notice that last month they also took my R1250 this is unfair treetment to me i cant tolarate this please assisist me . My name Zampie Sarah Masimula id no [protected] cantact no [protected] email [protected]@yahoo.com

I signed up on 27 September 2018, and was advised that there wegre no bags available.

On 28 September 2018 upon attending at the gym (Pavilion) for my first session, I had made some enquiries and was told that bags had come in however I did not qualify for a bag as I had signed up the day before.

Personally I believe this is an unfair policy being applied.

I should not be prejudiced from receiving a bag based on when I signed up.

I am absolutely disappointed with the gym and I've only been a member for a day.

On the 12th of July 2017, my daughter sent her student card via email to one of the agents to request a status change from a normal full access membership at Wembley Square to a full access student membership.

they replied saying they need a date on student card .she then submitted her student statement with registration and and student card number from UCT .

The one agent replied saying she will get back to her and forward it to some club manager to see if its acceptable.

Since then they haven't changed the status, he didn't get back to confirm status change and if documents were sufficient and as her parent of a student they have been billing me the amount of R933 monthly instead of R701 for a full access student membership .

Emails as proof on your request cause you only have upload functionality for photos and videos!

Staff members involved : Paul.[protected]@virginactive.co.za and Jady.[protected]@virginactive.co.za

Does this mean I get credited for R933 - R701 =R232 July 2017 - to date ?
cause we have supplied what they asked for and still no status change or any follow up emails or communication /correspondence ?

I cancelled my virgin active contract end of August and rejoined the 4th of September with the normal red facilities . When u asked them to do the contract with vitality they said that an error was coming up stating I have an active virgin vitality and they don't know why they cannot link it they don't know what's wrong maybe because it is still in the grace period it will just link up I must try link it another day

So a week goes by and I want to move my contract to the normal virgin active (bigger facilities and again the error pops up when we try add my vitality, again I have an existing virgin premium. Sales person says I must come back the next day all I need to do is call vitality and make sure my virgin vitality premium is still active then I can come back and not pay the 799 . Next day I did exactly that And go back to virgin and yet again more errors no one can help. We contact vitality and they advise me that virgin needs to downgrade me move the vitality to my red contract then move me to the bigger facilities .
Virgin active said no I need to cancel my current active vitality reward and then reactivate a new reward paying the 799 then only I can move to the bigger facilities .

I have returned to the virgin 4 times and I'm still stuck with the same problem . They have now logged an admin call to cancel my virgin vitality just to open a new one and make me pay and activation fee (when I already have an activ vitality premium )
Why can I not keep my active virgin vitality premium and move it ?

Please can someone help make this process end . This is redeculious Because I tried having the vitality added when I was still in the grace period and virgin red didn't know what to do .

For the past three months, throughout winter, we have had an impossible situation at the pool, with the water extremely low, too low to do our class in safety, and at very cold temperatures. Despite many complaint cards filled in by myself and numerous other aqua ladies, we have seen no improvement except warmer water for a day or so now and then. I understand about our water restrictions here, BUT the large rainwater tanks were not timeously connected up, so missed a huge downpour. Since then I believe they were connected, and hopefully collected the second downpour. The water level has not gone up, so I am not sure that this water has been put into the pool. It is very difficult to obtain reliable info in this regard.

Today, 25th September, I went to the gym to speak to the Manager, Michelle. I had spoken to her by phone about two weeks ago. Apparently she only comes on duty at 12.00 noon, so not available. A huge problem is the aqua instructor for a Tuesday. I joined this aqua class in the year 2000, and have had some very good, some very bad instructors, but this lady is clearly unable to run a class. We generally had 20 to 30 people in the class over the years, but the Tuesday class now has 4 people participating, with two others walking up and down another lane to get some exercise which they do not get in the class. A manager, Ruan, who says the pool is his area of responsibility, says this instructor is "excellent", despite all the complaints up til now. I pointed out that there were just four people left in the class, nobody wants to waste their time attending this class, but his response was that she is excellent. I can't decide whether it was a problem of monumental ignorance on his part, or just a deliberate brush off. I can't deal with this kind of attitude.

Please, please help us. The lady in question is really pleasant, but she has no idea how to give us some energetic exercises, especially in such cold water, and she can't address the whole class at once, only one or two at a time. After 18 years of loving my aqua class, I am desperate, and so are many others. We are not getting what we are paying for.

Please enquire whether the collected water has been put into the pool. If so, the temperature of the water will at least be passable. Please try to get the management to listen to us about the instructor, and to see that nobody wants to be in the Tuesday class under these circumstances.

Waiting in hope. Thank you.

Dear Virgin Active team,

It is unfortunate that the current renovations to the bathrooms at century city have left many of your members unhappy - particularly those that train in the morning. While allowing members to use other gym branches may be somewhat of a relief, for those living in and around century city it is not necessarily practical.

Why I am writing this note is less about the current renovations but to ask you as an HQ team to visit your Century City branch as if you were a patron, so that you could experience the challenges with the equipment, more specifically the cardio & machine weights (Circuit area upstairs). This morning I had to change treadmills 3 times as on all 3 there are plates/pieces of the covers that are either loose, broken or both. Eventually on the 4th I accepted that I would have to make a trade off and settle for a working machine that has a fuzzy screen. Some of your cardio bikes /spinning bikes have rusty pedals, thus the tradeoff you make here is to enjoy the ride, but wear old shoes… Lastly some machines (Circuit area) have faulty cables as well making it unnecessarily cumbersome to use. This is not the first, second nor third time I have had this challenge (And judging by the discussion in the office coffee corners, there are others like me who are experiencing this, some of whom have already opted to cancel their membership with VA and move to other options).

There are many good things about the gym as well, most notably the friendly and professional staff. I just feel that it is important for you to be aware of this and consider visiting the branch to butts for yourself. I am sure you will agree that in the current financial climate, investing in monthly gym fees are not cheap & some may consider it as a luxury/non-essential expense - as a member you pay this fee with an expectation that the facility delivers the service and tools equivalent to the brand promise.

I trust you will look into the above.

Thanks
David Kadalie