August 2025 by Stuart Baker
Great time at the head office, would come back
August 2025 by V.A
Please avoid Virgin Active gym especially if you have a disability. Virgin Active does not take accountability for their failings in hopes members of the public forget they have statutory rights.
It is a disgraceful company and if anyone has a similar complaint my suggestion would be to please notify Trading Standards in first instance and then follow the Civil Procedure Rules to sue them.
Firstly, Equality Act 2010 - Virgin Active apply less favourable treatment towards disabled people- they do not comply with the law as they claim via their marketing. If you are disabled expect to see barriers put in place from the moment you join. Do not expect to see any resolution to complaints because they do not adhere to the 72-hour time remit and I have just recorded a phone call where they hang up the phone instead of transparently responding to barriers that they created. Please also see a screenshot of how long they will place you on hold (attached below).
Misrepresentation, they will deliberately breach your contract (tort) by making an offer verbally and on their website, in order for you to sign a totally different agreement that allows them to dubiously continue charging fees without consent and then not refunding the incorrect payment.
Thirdly Subject Access Requests are sidelined- they try to cover up their misconduct by refusing to expedite subject access requests.
Lastly Virgin Active Head Office seems to be a prime example of where the financial misconduct and less favourable treatment starts, and is mirrored by their gyms manager given that they also openly demonstrate the worst customer services.
I will share an update shortly
June 2025 by daniela darcangelo
I?m extremely disappointed with how Virgin Active has handled my membership and the complete lack of care shown throughout a difficult period in my life.
I?ve been a member since February 2023. In early 2024, during an overwhelming time, I stopped attending the gym without cancelling my membership. At the time, I was paying £67.48 per month with an annual commitment. In March 2024, Virgin Active emailed me about changes to my membership. I didn?t see these emails and, because I didn?t reply, they automatically began increasing my monthly fee ? eventually reaching £148 ? without any follow-up call or confirmation. That?s more than double my original fee.
When I returned to the gym in January 2025 and noticed the overcharge, I immediately raised the issue. I spoke with Lanya, the Membership Manager at the Chiswick branch, who told me they would request a refund of the difference (from August 2024 onwards) if I recommitted to an annual plan ? at the new rate of £72.50/month. I followed up weekly for months but got no answer. Instead, I was told to ?be patient? and made to feel as if following up was unreasonable.
Meanwhile, they continued charging me £148/month ? even after I had clearly stated my intention to switch to the lower rate. Later, Dan, the General Manager, told me that because the emails had been ?opened,? the charges were valid ? regardless of whether I had actually read or understood them.
Eventually, I received an email from Jonny, the Head of Customer Relations, offering a £226 ?goodwill gesture.? They refused to refund the full amount I was overcharged and considered the case closed. Frankly, calling this a goodwill gesture was offensive. That amount was not a kind gesture ? it was a partial reimbursement for money I was clearly overcharged while waiting for them to process my request. And worse ? despite this being promised in March, I still haven?t received the £226, despite repeated chasing.
The lack of communication, ownership, and basic customer care is embarrassing. I?ve been a loyal member, but this experience has left me feeling completely undervalued. Virgin Active seems more focused on quietly increasing fees than actually supporting or respecting their members.
I would not recommend Virgin Active to anyone expecting fairness, transparency, or decent customer service.
October 2024 by Annie Watts
I am writing to express my deep dissatisfaction with the outdoor pool closure at Virgin Active Collingtree Park. As a member who uses this facility six days a week, I was shocked and frustrated to receive an email on the 1st of October informing me of the closure. What makes this situation even worse is that my membership fees recently increased by 20%, yet a core service I rely on is being taken away for an extended period.
Adding to my frustration, my initial email about this issue has not been adequately addressed. I received nothing but automated responses and was informed my ticket would be closed due to a new system being implemented. After responding that the issue was unresolved, I got another automated reply. Most recently, I was told the ticket would be closed because the issue was either resolved or escalated to management?neither of which is true. This has left me disillusioned with how Virgin Active is handling its members? concerns, as it feels like we're being dismissed.
To make matters worse, the amount of members in the outdoor pool this morning (9 people) clearly highlighted the potential health and safety risks. Once this closure forces everyone into the indoor pool, I can only imagine how much worse it will get. The indoor pool's capacity simply cannot handle the influx, especially when you have over 20 adults trying to swim alongside aqua classes, creating a chaotic and unsafe environment for everyone.
If this closure is indeed necessary, I expect a reduction in my membership fees for the four months that this key facility will be unavailable. Given that Virgin Active won?t be bearing the costs of maintaining or staffing the outdoor pool during this time, it's only fair.
I urge Virgin Active to take this matter seriously. I joined the gym for the outdoor pool, which is vital to my physical and mental well-being. The indoor pool environment is too hot for the long training sessions I require, and losing access to the outdoor space will severely affect my health and fitness routine.
This decision feels driven by financial motives with no consideration for member well-being. With rising fees and reduced services, members like myself are left feeling like we?re paying more for less. I sincerely hope Virgin Active reconsiders the pool closure. There?s still time to reverse this decision and restore trust with your members.
October 2024 by Selina McGhie
I would like to make a complaint and take this further have been over charged virgin active aldersgate at ST Paul's membership. I have asked many times to cancel the membership and I keep getting over charged every month . The staff at reception said there's nothing I can do very shocking the customer service is appalling /terrible unprofessional and not helpful.Absolutely no care in the world .I would like this sorted immediately been going on far too long.
October 2024 by Loekie Ellerbeck
I just had a conversation with Thembi of Retention Dept.
Wow she impressed me greatly.
I can commend her assistance; so professional and she knows how to deal with a client.
What a star.
THANK YOU THEMBI ?
April 2024 by Jane Dawes
I have been a member of Virgin Active for some years. My local club is great and the staff are friendly and helpful.
However recent changes from above have really destroyed the gym experience. Firstly the complete removal of HIIT, dance, boxing and most of all, bodypump to make way for reformer Pilates. I am not against reformer, although it?s almost impossible to book, but to remove 4 classes for one limits members? options significantly.
I do S&C and lift club now which I don?t enjoy anywhere near as much. They are just a bit more bland with uniform formats fed down from head office, in which the instructor has no say. I feel like I?m on a VA production line.
The final straw was the removal of commercial music which has tarnished the whole gym atmosphere, spreading through the club like a nasty epidemic, and pretty much decimating spin classes. Instructors are leaving and can?t be replaced and classes are subsequently cancelled. It feels like VA has hit a self destruct button! In addition whenever members raise any of these issues they just get scripted answers and it feels like VA really don?t care about their gym experience. I have spoken to customer service but nothing changes. In fact I was just told I could leave. Now I?m tied in for a year I don?t even have that option! VA when will you listen to your customers??
April 2024 by Natasha O
Virgin Active Head Office continues to make decisions which negatively impact paying members without any consultation. The latest being the move to royalty free music, while increasing fees, resulting in a decline in the quality of classes on offer. Great instructors have left to go to competitors with members voting with their feet and leaving too. Management have no respect for the people who are paying their salaries - there is a nearly 2000 signed petition on the matter of music and there has been no response to members. This is not what one would expect from a so called premium gym.
April 2024 by MemZo
Orlando was helpful ??
February 2024 by Rose Mathurin
Legal director Hannah Worthing said she would investigate my complaint 14/10/2023 and I never got a reply and I?m still awaiting some answers from my stolen trainers and the paragraph that was redacted in my virgin notes that requested as I felt bullied and victimised by the staff at Notting Hill virgin, said staff I believe left, when investigation should of started but I heard Nothing fromLegal director hannah Worthington after being a virgin active woman of Color for 14 years probably there longest standing member at Notting Hill as black woman of colour
November 2023 by Ophelia Bellio
I signed up for a membership at Virgin Active hoping to improve my fitness. When I was encouraged to try a personal training session, I agreed as long as we could meet biweekly to fit my budget. I was initially told this would not be a problem.However, I later learned biweekly training is only offered as a 6 month commitment, while weekly sessions require a 3 month commitment. This did not work for me financially. Over many emails, I tried to find a reasonable solution with Virgin Active, but they would not bend on their set packages.I felt pressured to spend over £250 per month when I had joined to use the gym facilities. While I wanted help getting started, I cannot afford expensive personal training. The aggressive sales tactics left me disappointed.My goal was simply to get healthy affordably. But I felt their priority was maximizing profit over meeting my needs as a member. I am frustrated by this experience of feeling pushed into services I expressly said I could not budget for.I wish my health and financial concerns had been respected rather than dismissed.In the end, I will have to cancel my membership over their refusal to compromise on training costs.Avoid this organisation.
November 2023 by Ad
Thanks you William vas ,great stuff ,good customer service well done thank you ,virgin active need people like you in head office.thank you
October 2023 by Daniel Wright
No answers the phone! Spent 25 mins on hold for one one to answer. I'm a member of worple road and i froze my membership till the club is open again and still having monrry taken out of my account. This is the 3rd time after two refunds.
August 2023 by Scott Spinks
The lack of customer service is shocking. Promise to call you back and never do. Being referred to as "mate" just shows the lack of training given to their agents on the phones.Policy changes are not communicated through all channels and not all customers receive them. The unwillingness to help really comes across.I will be cancelling our family subscription.
August 2023 by David Hayworth
VIRGIN Northampton The Grid 6pm to 7pm WHY do you have to have the music so loud!!!!..15 to 20 people doing the grid class. Gym full .. I wear headphones whilst i work out. I have to turn the volume to maximum and i can still hear the music from the grid class. I dont expect you to have no music but i would expect the gym to respect the other people in the gym working out. If you want the music that loud why dont you use the private rooms. RESPECT YOUR OTHER MEMBERS PLEASE.
