Written on: 15/06/2013 by truth4u
disgusting. after cancelling your full flexible membership you have to pay a freeze fee or a rejoin fee. What absolute bull, how can it be flexible if u have to keep paying rejoin fees or freeze fee's. lovely gym, lovely staff but I don't pay companies money who in my opinion are lying. full flexi - well I am more flexible I will be joining my local council gym cya virgin...think of taking my money out of your bank accounts too. (read more)
Written on: 06/06/2013
I have been a member at Thundersley for quite a few years now and have always found it in general to be very clean. The swimming pools are of a very high standard and the sauna/steam rooms and spa are top quality, although i do miss the lump of Kryptonite in the middle of the steam room that lit the room to some extent and looked really cool. The Gym has just had all new equipement. Really excellent here and well worth a punt to join. (read more)
Written on: 28/05/2013 by dafyddprifdinas (1 review written)
Since changing from Esporta the facility is going downhill fast for example: Hot tub is closed 1 day a month for cleaning. Why not clean at night as we are paying for the facility that is not available i day a month Pool, hot tub and shower temps have been reduced Cleanliness is not up to standard Brokem or missing tiles in showers and hot tub not replaced. Surelt replacing them whne hot tub is cleaned is easy Staff seem to run the facility for thier benefit rsther than that of the members. (read more)
Written on: 26/05/2013
I used to go to VirginActive Crouch End. This place is a disgrace with the filthiest locker room I have ever seen. I have complained a few times to the manager but he does so not care. It’s a shame that they are allowed to be in business. Look somewhere else if you want to join a gym. (read more)
Written on: 21/05/2013
Pathetic personal trainers! Avoid the gym altogether. The personal training manager is awful at explaining things. The trainers hardly care and just look bored! (read more)
Written on: 14/05/2013 by LYNNESANG
My son and his friend had their lockers broken into whilst swimming - they used the padlocks sold by virgin. Items stolen included mobile phones wallets driving licence Virgins reply- TOUGH- They deny any responsibility as you are advised not to put valuable in your lockers but use extra safe lockers behind reception - does every member now have to stash their car keys somewhere else ??? dreadful customer service, refuse any compensation. Surely in this day & age Virgin should have safe... (read more)
Written on: 12/05/2013
Good if you like tennis. Gym is good but now opening hours restricted - for example they close at 9pm on Sunday. Sometimes I play badminton but this is in the middle of a corridor for tennis and there is no etiquette toward badminton players from staff or other members. Bar could be good but the adult area is not even next to it! Showers deliver too much water so are often cold. Not much needed to make a mediocre experience a good one. (read more)
Written on: 03/05/2013
Cancelled membership last month. Always problem with Sauna and Steam rooms. Pathetic customer services. Picking towels from the reception area... Dreadful . (read more)
Written on: 23/04/2013 by CamillaSophia
Please do yourself a favour and avoid Virgin Active at all price! Absolutely dreadful service, they only contact you if you miss a payment. Otherwise nobody cares about anything. I joined mid-October, paid the remaining days in October and signed up for a 12 month membership beginning on 1st November however with a free of charge November as they had a special offer. Well guess what?! The money was withdrawn on 1st November. After endless calls nothing happened until I cancel the direct... (read more)
Written on: 21/04/2013 by Myturn
Absolutely rubbish, all the trainers are very short and stumpy. Some ok. Some hardly know what they are talking about and are clueless. Couple of them are perverts and just walk around looking at women working out until you tell them Off. Really bad gym with silly people running the place without a GM. Lots of kids everywhere too shouting and screaming. (read more)
Written on: 20/04/2013 by Mary13 (1 review written)
I will not be renewing my membership at Repton park Woodford Green ! The gym is over-rated and the membership too expensive ! The swimming pool is good but not always clean. I joined last October and it was good at first but I feel the women's changing rooms could be cleaner ! Love Angelique, John and Gareth but due to club prices, will transfer up to Chigwell ! The other annoying thing is that you have to drive over 20 or so road humps to get to the club not good on the car ! (read more)
Written on: 14/04/2013 by afonso481 (1 review written)
When I registered for membership, it was all good - customer service great, friendly and super supportive. First day had my trainer to give me advise and support. I was told that every month I would have a talk with them but that didn't go so well. After 3 months I had to ask why I wasn't seen about my results etc, for advise they told me the trainer I was with had moved positions so they didn't do anything. I had to be the one to do something, in this gym some machines were faulty and not... (read more)
Written on: 08/04/2013
Virgin Active Cwmbran (perviously Esporta) Had fairly high expectations of this gym, based on the size of it and the price of membership. My first shock came when I decided to train here with a friend and was charged £10 for a single use pass! They don't mention this on their website, great way to put off potential new members upon arrival. My current gym charges £5 for a single use pass, still fairly high but reasonable to try it out. I think leisure centre gyms charge even less than... (read more)
Written on: 27/03/2013
Get myself and my excited toddler ready to go swimming. 23/03/13. However yet again the family pool is cold. Such a disappointment. I'm a very annoyed member as this isn't the first time this has happened. The family pool has been cold for months! I pay ALOT of money a month for my family membership and the main reason is for the kids and we can't use the pool as there is an on going issue with the poor temperature. I have wrote numerous of notes to the new general manager who is now Jason... (read more)
Written on: 24/03/2013
I have read alot of negative reviews, why? Just because most people are acting in a very anti social or rude way on the gym floor or that people are being treated with disrespect when they are being dealt with. I have used the FOH for enquiries and yes it is very busy but the staff do their best to see everyone as quickly as possible, i always see the GM knocking around talking to members and staff a like, they are always cleaning and you see them all doing a good job. My club is very... (read more)
Written on: 23/03/2013
This club is full of kids ,running ,screaming in the corridors and in the adults only areas. The Managers do not not take on the issues. Members have to register at midnight to get on to some classes. It is a shame because the facilities are good. Just not well run.They never bring cutlery with the food the young waiters are not trained. They have all the facilities, but very poorly managed. (read more)
Written on: 23/03/2013
They were very welcoming when I enquired about the gym. A very friendly man showed me around and offered 3 free personal training sessions. However as soon as I signed up the personal training sessions didn't materialise and the whole demeanor or staff changed. They won't answer the phone to exisitng members but if you select the option for new membership enquiries, the phone is answered straight away. not acceptbale (read more)
Written on: 18/03/2013
The customer service at the gym is terrible - my father passed away and I tried to put my membership on hold. the gym would not do this for me - as it didn't fall within the right "days to put my membership on hold." I do apologise that the death occurred at an inconvenient time for them but come on. who has rules like that (read more)
Written on: 18/03/2013
I was a member with Virgin Active in Hammersmith, London for over 3 years and was so fortunate to only sign the monthly rolling and not the 12 month contract. I have now cancelled my contract and will never use a Virgin Active Club again. The Club deteriorated noticeably since I joined, a.o. the lady's only sauna was abolished, the water amount coming out of the showers was about halved, the new lockers after the refurbishment of the club which cost something like £ 700,000 are too small... (read more)
Written on: 13/03/2013 by julianruso (1 review written)
I have contacted everyone at this brand to bring my complaints on the table: lack of cleanliness, mildew in the showers, lack of customer service skills, constant membership fee UNJUSTIFIED increases, poor management, staff gossiping about their poor salary and working conditions, cleaners shaving their heads during working hours in the changing rooms, dirty lookers that remain dirty over the weeks, complimentary facilities not replenished, unacceptable staff behavior in 'classic' clubs... (read more)
Written on: 12/03/2013
The VA Sheffield has become increasingly overcrowded and everything from car parking to classes suffer as a result. Particulary I dislike the way that much of the pool is given over to childrens classes, 2 lanes out of 5. With a 3rd lane for family swimming, despite there been a small childrens pool, leaving 2 lanes for everybody else including kids messing about waiting for their lessons. The gym floor is frequently overcrowded and occupied by groups of youths who when not grunting and... (read more)
Written on: 06/03/2013 by oliver247 (1 review written)
The Wolverhampton gym has gone downhill fast, since being taken over by Virgin. It used to be an Esporta, and the staff were great. Now it is staffed by poseurs who would rather be DJs than gym staff. They play music over the speaker system all day and high-five all the young girls. If you turn the music down, they turn it back up twice as loud as soon as your back is turned. If you try to reason with them they try to tell you they are creating a "vibe". The cleaning staff are non-existent,... (read more)
Written on: 10/03/2013
After being a member at the gym before Virgin Active Wolverhampton took over, I would agree. I've handed in my notice, although they've already taken my money for this month. Since virgin took over I found the place to noisey, filthy, with staff who have no customer service training at all. Don't join.
Written on: 06/03/2013 by Narixa
I'm a very disappointed member of a Virgin Active gym. I was pressured into signing a deal for 12 months for the price of 10, but after 10 months they continued to take direct debits from me. I queried this & got no apology- just the standard excuse of 'an administrative error'. I wonder how many other people have been fleeced in this way and maybe not realised ? I am now having difficulty getting a refund of money which is rightfully mine. I also think standards have fallen at the gym I... (read more)
Written on: 25/02/2013 by srapson69 (28 reviews written)
All in all the gym is by far the best in the Gloucester area (I have been a member of most). The gym itself is very good and has what you would expect in regards to equipment and facilitys-plus the classes it runs. One issue is that the cafe in the gym is VERY slow it can take 20 minutes to get a coffee and even longer to get served hot food. This has been improving slightly in the lst month or so. The fitness instructors are very good and know what they do well-the only issue with them is... (read more)
Written on: 23/02/2013
I joined the Virgin Active Bristol club last May. I liked the idea that the fees were posted, so no haggling. I was disappointed though. We like to swim, and the adult swim times were not only few and far between, but frequently ignored especially at holiday time. It's difficult to swim lengths when kids are mucking around in the fast lane. The bar is filled with noisy obnoxious chavs and badly behaved kids. We went to a curry evening tonight. The food was fine, but it was full to the... (read more)
Written on: 23/02/2013
Standards have fallen over 12 months - club closed without warning because or repeated heating problems, showers dirty. They admit that when the club switched from Esporta to Virgin they did not alert customers who would benefit by moving to Virgin contracts, thus saving money. They were very happy to continue to benefit from unnecessarily higher membership fees. When I complained, emails went unanswered. No one wanted to know or explain WHY they chose this approach - but they did want to... (read more)
Written on: 24/02/2013
The same thing has happened at all the former Esporta clubs. Virgin have moved them relentlessly down-market so they now attract the kind of people that don't like all the posh types you get at Fitness First.
Written on: 18/02/2013 by Nichendeeson
Avoid joining this gym at all costs. They cheat, lie etc to get you to sign 12 month contract. I challenged what they did, but senior management are behind it too. No interest whatsoever in fully investigating an issue; it is all about protecting their staff! (read more)
Written on: 16/02/2013
I am sorry we all had such high hopes of the Virgin Brand - they have failed on so many levels - they have left junior staff with no manager for 3 mths to try and cope with decreasing budget & very unhappy customers. The pevious manager had little or no support & couldn't manage, the gym had no manager for months, now has a temp - the classes had no co-ordinator for months & current one is back on the sick and the food and berverage has no manager - Chaos! Classes have more than halved... (read more)
Written on: 14/02/2013 by Anon100asdfg
Most of the facilities are good, although the showers always seem to be broken. There are no towel hire facilities. The changing room can be dirty a lot. The baby / childrens pool is on the same water system as the adult pool and is very cold if you are taking your children. My son gets very cold and we invested in a wetsuit which he wears swimming. The food is absolutely terrible and they quite often get the orders wrong. The children's eating area gets ignored quite a lot and is... (read more)
Written on: 13/02/2013
My experience of personal training with Virgin Active has been atrocious. I signed up for the minimum of 3 months pt (4 sessions per month). After the personal trainer kept cancelling on me I over-ran the 3 months and was told that my pt had expired. When I complained about this they authorised an extension so I could get the sessions I had already paid for and made out they were doing me a favour as I "would get these sessions at no extra charge"! Thanks for nothing Virgin!! (read more)
Written on: 11/01/2013 by twillis92 (1 review written)
This company has attempted to charge for an extra membership period which I did not request. After the member of staff who mis-sold us the membership was dismissed for mis-selling the membership they denied all knowledge and proceeded to contact a debt-collection agency to reclaim a charge which should not have been applied. (read more)
Written on: 25/03/2013
This is what is happening to me. I am damn right stressed out about it :(
Written on: 30/12/2012
Virgin are catering for the masses and boy how standards have dropped since this club was Esporta. Esporta had its faults but Virgin have cut back everywhere. The club now have members that shave then throw their razors on the shower floor,spit at the wall in the studios, leave soiled underpants left hanging in the changing rooms. Muscle men posing in front of the mirrors with their protein shakes with matchstick legs, Bimbo's with ponytails made up walking the treadmills. Screaming kids... (read more)
Written on: 01/02/2013
Couldn't agree more with the above view! Oh how standards have fallen! I never felt intimidated when I entered Esporta gym but I do now.... The young girls posing in the mirrors doing the splits and taking pictures of themselves to post on social network sights!!! Oh how times have changed! The gym is somewhere to workout.... Take your posing and pouting elsewhere please! And before anyone says.... Jealous.... No I certainly am not! I'm a well educated woman with a decent job who wants to go to the gym to maintain my fitness and great figure - I don't need to take a picture of myself in a mirror to prove that!
Written on: 25/12/2012 by Klataylor (2 reviews written)
I have been a member of VA since March 2012. Initially I only needed a two month membership as I was about to head to Australia for two months. This wasn't a problem and I was offered a temporary membership. No contracts. When I returned, I joined Repton Park on a 12 month contract. (Repton Park is closer). I haven't had any problems. There is always equipment available and staff to help you. The gym also has recently been repainted. My only complaint are the showers. The cleaners are... (read more)
Written on: 23/12/2012 by luchino76 (1 review written)
this is the complaint letter I wrote to the virgin active manager. This is what has happened in three months of membership in one of your top clubs: - to join the club and use the first time your facilities I had to come three times because the membership consultants were not working by those times. They should had contacted me but it never happened. However I joined the club but I felt as it was being done as a favor- I am actually paying for that. -One month later I booked a body pump... (read more)
Written on: 06/01/2013
I go to Virgin Active in Melbourne and I have to say, I actually disagree with you on a few things.
People book classes all the time and don't turn up. I have had this happen to me literally dozens of times, try to book a class and can't because it's full then take a chance of waiting to see if a spot becomes available and low and behold - 2, 3 or 4 people don't turn up! It's actually a great system to let people who are willing to wait to see if there are any spare spots by the time the class is due to start rather then see them go to waste. This has always been a rule at Virgin. I've also been a member of other gyms where they lock the door once the class. I think it's fair enough because it can be really distracting when people walk in late and make noise etc when you're trying to concentrate. Given most classes are 45mins, it shouldn't be too hard to get to a class on time.
As for the talking on the phone, it is a rule in the gym. I know it's annoying, I actually got scolded by someone once for talking on my phone once - but you know what, it's fair enough. People pay good money just like you to come into the gym and work out and when people talk on their phones or loudly to one another it can be really distracting. I'm sure you didn't mean to be annoying another patron, but it's highly unlikely that someone would bother to stop their work out, come up and say something to you if you weren't annoying them! They have the right to do that just like if someone is talking loudly or whatever near you to go up and ask them to tone it down.
Anyway, I just thought I would just give give you a different point of view from another customer before someone from the gym answers.
:)
BTW - mocking you and/or the other stuff is totally not on and they should apologise profusely. Especially horrible given that a lot of the Melbourne staff at least are gay.
Written on: 28/11/2012
Very expensive per month Contract No offer to pay has you go,No Parking,wait your turn in the free weights area and No towels . Please DON`T use Ilford Virgin active or any Virgin active clubs use your money on the new 24 hour gyms springing up in 2013 or use outside park gyms if you join virgin the only pounds you will lose are in your pocket. (read more)
Written on: 14/11/2012
Since Virgin have taken over Smugglers Way, Wandsworth, the club has become a joke! The customer service is appalling and the staff can barely string two words together let alone do their jobs! Let's hope another compnay takes over the club soon and gets rid of these muppets! (read more)
Written on: 30/05/2013
If you are still a member, you should try the southside virgin in Wandsworth.
You get 2 hours free parking (if you park in the correct car park) and more importantly fantastic staff and a brilliant clean gym!!!!
I personally have nothing but good things to say about virgin, however I have only been to the southside one.
Written on: 07/11/2012
stealing money, awful service, dirty changing facilities, lack of communication and very bad customer service. I was a happy member of the Esporta club and as such I was able to take my son age 3 for free. In Jan 2012 the nightmare starts when Virgin Active takes over. No notice given to customers of that until you walk in and see the new logo. Esporta used to text me or email me for every thing, if there were problems with the pool, the Spa, new classes, news letter etc.... their... (read more)
Written on: 17/10/2012
They refused to give me a refund of £603 that I was pressured into handing over and when I told someone about it, I got called a "Liar" and was basically told it was all my fault! All they're interested in is getting as much money as they possibly can and they don't care about anything else but that!!!!!! (read more)
Written on: 13/10/2012 by Avet
Amazing club with very dedicated experienced personal trainer Caroline Argyle who has just relocated from South Africa ! Wow what a brilliant informative workout ! Her nutritional advice as well as smart exercise tips will keep me coming back :) she works you hard and you know it will pay dividends ! (read more)
Written on: 04/10/2012
virgin have just taken over my local esporta and i have found out that if i am 18-25 i can join for £40a month!! i have been a member with them from the beginning and am paying £64 after speaking to them i can get it down to £55 but no way can i pay the same as a 18 -25 year old!! this makes me angry and is unfair and smacks of age discrimination!! ive since cancelled and gone elsewhere.!!!!! (read more)
Written on: 03/10/2012
Had called over half a year about regarding cancellation, it was supposedly proceeded, only to find out the next month that I was charged, upon calling up about it I was told it was due to the time of the month I called and I had just missed the threshold, fair enough I say, thinking that it was the end of it. Now I'm not someone who goes through every item of my bank statement, and rarely do I check it the first day of a month, 5 months later, happened to have checked my statement, and... (read more)
Written on: 16/10/2012
Wow! How do you go 5 months without realising you're being charged over £50 for something you're not using!
Virgin/esporta are clearly in the wrong here and something has gone awry with their cancellation process. You should seek to deal with them in a reasonable manner. An anonymous rant on a forum is pretty much useless!
Written on: 21/09/2012
I must say, I decided to join Virgin Active a couple of years ago because I did believe that brand had always stood out, and even when I found prices extremely high I went for it and took a monthly subscription. I had been happy with the clubs up until recently, although I had an incident in The Strand with a member of the staff who lacked customer service skills around one year ago. However, Virgin Active increased their fees recently promising at least the same level of quality and I... (read more)
Written on: 03/09/2012 by stevo9999 (1 review written)
Virgin active Glamorgan is without doubt the most poorly run fitness establishment ever. Run firstly by a manager of a wetherspoons pub lol, it is now run by a virgin brainwashed micro manager. Lazy, generally overweight management are hardly inspiring, and the facility is filthy, tatty, and a disgrace. However in Virgins lirrle world, they feel that a huge hike in Personal Training, swimming and creche is required for this tired facility. Bar is filthy with sticky tables, pool side is... (read more)
Written on: 10/09/2012
This review errs on the side of personal insult!
Written on: 11/12/2012
You're wrong, the VirginActive at Sunderland has to be worst run - no management for 3 mths & when she was there she didn't listen - classed have dropped by more than 50% and even those are cancelled at the drop of a hat - purhasp Mr Branson needs to look into the people pretending to run his company - all the negagtivity must be damaging his brand!
Written on: 03/09/2012 by Msherbert
Just avoid this gym, from the rude staff to the over sold gym memberships! It starts as soon as you arrive with never enough car parking spaces with the gym located next to dump (says it all) (read more)
Written on: 01/09/2012 by upset007
no one listens anymore. bad customer service. use to enjoy being a member but club standards are very bad. most of original staff left only a few good guys on board now. no point in complaining always the same answer thanks we sure will see to that and nothing gets done water off a ducks back. where has my old good club gone at weston super mare (read more)
Written on: 10/09/2012
I'm sorry to hear that things have gone downhill at WSM. I used that Club when I lived there for a year. It's a shame that Virgin have let the standards slip - but it's the only gym in town other than the sweatbox place, but I have an inkling that Virgin are counting on that - it would be nice to see another gym open up in the town!
Written on: 31/08/2012 by MarissaAnneMink (1 review written)
To join Virgin Active you are expected to pay a joining fee which was extremely expensive and pointless. The fee does not not offer you anything, not even an introduction programme. Luckily for me I only sign up for one month membership and cancel the membership as soon as I join. The experience was terrible: 1.) Staff was not trained, they do not know how to communicate with customers, or among themselves for that matter. 2.) They expects you to pay an extra to use their lockers. In my... (read more)
Written on: 01/08/2012
I find Virgin Active clubs are excellent, good variety of classes, equipment of good standard. They take on-board the latest fitness crazes. I think there are a couple of clubs which should do with refurb of showers and loo's but in the main they are well maintained. These are the Midlands clubs like Lichfield, Stafford and Wolverhampton. I think memberships for NHS, Police should be better discounted as Esporta did but that is the Virgin Active policies I guess. Please be constructive in... (read more)
Written on: 20/07/2012 by lupale (1 review written)
DEAR SIR/MADAM I AM MR TITUS LUPALE FROM NAMIBIA iam a member of virgin active,the day the salesman(Mr Ashwain) came to me to write me to be part of the gym he just said sign here and the and from the he just asked me my account number despite me telling him that i will always pay by cash.okay i started gyming and everythig was fine until oneday when i got a letter from work where i was informed that i was being transfered to a farm. i went to my gym to explain,that i was transfered to a... (read more)
Written on: 07/08/2012
Ask them to cancel the membership and close down your account. They should be able to do this as you are moving somewhere that doesnt have a Virgin Active nearby.
Written on: 20/07/2012
Not friendly horribly gym especially the mayfair club was talking to me as if i was an idiot when i wanted to freeze my account which someone lied to me that can be done when i signed up and paid in bulk ..... im definitely changing gym when i come back from my holiday...Not going to be treated like sh*t for a service I paid for (read more)
Written on: 15/07/2012
I recently joined northwood Virgin Active and was told that they were improving the place the steam room and sauna would be improved and the gym would be refitted. So far the Steam room seems quite tiny and only holds about 6 maybe 7 ppl at most and needs to be improved, the sauna in the mens is tiny max you can get is three ppl. So far I am very disappointed with this and I have to say I used to be a member when it was Esporta and it used to be a lot better, the club seems to be going... (read more)
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Tillylee's Comment
Written on: 02/04/2013
Hope this isn't the Mill Hill one!