Ok maybe I’m finding this funnier than you will, but I just got a mail from Virgin Active saying the following (verbatim):
Hey there
Premier Upgrade Fee
We’re writing to let you know that your monthly upgrade fee will be increased by R .00 per month, effective 1 January 2009, resulting in your new monthly instalments now being R .00 per month. We know that because of the holidays and festive spending January always seems to feel like the longest financial month in the year, and that’s why Virgin Active has decided to delay this increase until February 2009. What this means is that in February, we’ll generate a debit order for R .00 (since we only debited your account for R .00 in January).
The good news is that from March this year, your debits will then continue at the monthly rate of R .00 per month, for the remainder of 2009.
Ha ha.
Ha ha ha. That takes the cake!
Incredibly gracious of them to hold back this potentially crippling increase until February. I can see lots of gym memberships being cancelled anyway though, as some people simply won’t be able to find all that extra money each month, given these tough economic times.
I received the same mailer but with the correct amounts filled in. Apart from the apparent technological incompetence you’re seeing, they’re actually being very cheeky and somewhat criminal.
This is probably what it should look like:
“We’re writing to let you know that your monthly upgrade fee will be increased by R10.00 per month, effective 1 January 2009, resulting in your new monthly instalments now being R95.00 per month. We know that because of the holidays and festive spending January always seems to feel like the longest financial month in the year, and that’s why Virgin Active has decided to delay this increase until February 2009. What this means is that in February, we’ll generate a debit order for R105.00 (since we only debited your account for R85.00 in January).
The good news is that from March this year, your debits will then continue at the monthly rate of R95.00 per month, for the remainder of 2009.”
That’s not good news!!! Basically they screwed up and forgot to charge an increase in Jan, so they’re covering it up under the thin veil of doing us a favour and taking the money in February anyway. That’s very poor form coming from the ‘maverick’ Virgin group.
Silly blonde me, I thought that some bright spark in their marketing department, motivated for VA to accommodate a business plan overhaul by waiving some paying members fees (yes, in hindsight I do see how this theory could be fundamentally flawed). I thought that said bright spark had come up with a BRILLIANT campaign capitalising on the economic climate and one that would cause a ripple of conversation and applause. I thought it was very clever and was waiting for the correlating TV and print ads to affirm this message.
1 of two things – Too bad its not true and/or these highlights are having disastrous effects.
Hi there. I saw these posts and Ihave a way that you can pay a cheaper premium and get much more value for your money!
If you take a life insurance policy with Discovery Life and attach Vitality you can join Virgin Active for only R850 once off.
The good thing about this is that the combined cost of a minimial policy with Discovery Life with Vitality is R305! That means you actually land up paying less then your current gym contract, have lifetime gym membership and “FREE” life insurance.
Virgin also allow Discovery members to have their current Virgin contract to be converted at no extra cost.
No jokes… Go look at http://www.gymforless.co.za