Virgin Active UK Reviews 5.988

Signing up to this gym online is quick and straightforward. Cancelling, however, is a completely different story and feels deliberately obstructive.

The cancellation process is not transparent or accessible. The terms and conditions are not clearly available on the website and were only discoverable by pretending to sign up again, where they appear as a checkbox. The email address for cancellations is also hidden within these hard-to-find terms.

Although cancellation is supposedly possible by phone, in practice this does not work. I have attempted to call multiple times and remained in the queue until the call is automatically disconnected at around 46 minutes without ever being answered. Online cancellation is not available, and the app only allows you to freeze your membership, not cancel it.

Other options require attending the club in person or contacting customer service during limited weekday working hours, which are impractical for many people. This is despite the fact that joining can be done fully online at any time.

Before signing up, read the terms extremely carefully, take screenshots, and set your own reminder well before the end of the initial commitment period. Be aware that cancelling may require significant time, persistence, and escalation. If you do run into issues, Citizens Advice can help you understand your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

I would not recommend this gym based on the cancellation experience alone.

Money-grabbing and deliberately misleading cancellation process

⚠️ WARNING: Virgin Active will take as much money from you as possible when you try to cancel — with little to no warning.

I went through what should be a completely normal process. I got injured, froze my membership, didn’t recover, and then cancelled. I called them, cancelled within weeks of the next billing period, and was told the cancellation was “done”.

What I was not told — at any point — was that:

1. I would still be charged for the following month
2. AND hit with an additional cancellation fee
3. EVEN THOUGH my membership was frozen and I wasn’t using the gym

Incredibly, cancelling actually cost me more money than staying another month. This was never clearly explained, flagged, or transparently communicated.

This feels like a deliberately engineered system designed to squeeze maximum money out of members, particularly when they’re injured or vulnerable and just want to leave.

Hidden charges, poor communication, and a complete lack of consumer care.

I strongly recommend avoiding Virgin Active there are far better gyms that don’t rely on traps and fine print to make money.

Utterly dreadful.

2 hours on hold.

Couldn't reach anyone.

I unfortunately was transferred to a really nasty Manager JG, this review was blocked for a year… and I wanted my voice to be heard:
JG IS THE MOST AWFUL AND UNPROFESSIONAL SENIOR MANAGER AT THE HEAD OFFICE. VERY ARROGANT, HOSTILE AND AGGRESSIVE (MR J GLA&&). I HAVE BEEN BLOCKED BY THIS MANAGER AND DENIED MY RIGHTS TO A FULL INVESTIGATION. NO COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE DETAILS WAS NOT GIVEN!

PLEASE CAN SOMEONE SHARE!

I never thought I would ever leave a review in my lifetime but my experience with the managers was so shocking I had to share. I have guest passes that I was unable to use because the system was down for 7-10days, I spoke with several managers who reassured me that once their systems are up the would reinstate them because the date has expired on 7 of them. So the system started working again and now I went and asked how long it would take, all 4 managers at Bromley gave me the run around. I then emailed the head office over a 3-4 mths I heard nothing no email or an acknowledgment. I then decided to ask a staff please can your Senior Manager call me. 2wks pass and finally I spoke with JG who’s supposed to be the senior manager. Firstly he came on the phone with an aggressive attitude and says your guest passes are expired and there’s nothing he can do about it. I then told him his managers all reassured me that I would be able to get them. His response was “ well I am the manager and you will not get the passes and that’s how is is” I then ask for his manager and he told me no and hang up the phone. 2mins later I got an email stated “CONGRATULATIONS YOUR MEMBERSHIP HAS BEEN CANCELLED AS YOU REQUESTED “. Let me make this clear, I DID NOT REQUEST ANY CANCELLATIONS OR CLOSING OF MY MEMBERSHIP AT NO POINT. Since then I called customer service more than 25times trying to speak with a manager and JG told his staff to not transfer me because the staff thought he put my call on hold but in fact I could hear the conversation, then the staff came back on the phone and told me he can’t transfer me and he hand up the phone and this repeated over and over..this manager should is not capable of dealing with complaints because of his ego, hostile approach, aggressive behaviour. He closed my membership and did not give me compliant procedures details and very cocky with his rudeness. He needs 3yrs of training so that his approach should be more effective where he can listen and not speak over you customers. SHAMEFUL, ARROGANT,UNPROFESSIONAL and he get all his staffs to do the same. Just outrageous, shocking. I am suffering from depression, anxiety and the gym is my therapy. If anyone has any email addresses or phones number to manager please share.

I have had a very disappointing experience with Virgin Active Mill Hill regarding membership fees.

My membership started in September 2024 at £84.15 per month. After ten months, I was suddenly charged £99 for the 11th month. I was later told by email that this was a mistake and that I would receive a refund — which never happened. The following month, I was charged £99 again.

Without any prior notice or explanation, my monthly fee was then increased to £114, which is an increase of more than 30%. I never agreed to this increase and received no justification for it.

What makes this even more frustrating is the unequal treatment. My husband, who uses the same gym at similar times, saw his fee increase from £90 to £100. There appears to be no clear or fair basis for how these increases are applied.

Overall, the lack of transparency, inconsistent pricing, and poor customer service have been extremely disappointing.

Nice gym (Repton Park); lots of equipment and choice but still room for improvement on the gym floor with regards to culture of cleanliness

Money grabbing thieves. After being a paid member for a 12month contract. They ramp up the price monthly till it reaches £200 or you commit. They send you just the one email (which happened to go to junk), as they bombard a lot of junk emails. No one on the front desk warns you about your contract and no one tells you when you sign up.

Not to mention that at the end of the contract the spa was freezing and problems daily. For a health club that sends emails about mental health and awareness they really don't care about stinging genuine customers for money.

What began as a minor billing/admin issue dragged on for over 10 weeks due to poor internal processes and a lack of clear ownership. During this entire period:
• My account was blocked
• I couldn’t book classes or use the app
• I repeatedly had to ask staff to let me into the gym
• I spent hours chasing updates via reception, phone, email, chat, and in person

To make matters worse, Virgin Active stopped taking my membership payment by direct debit. Instead of contacting me to resolve this, late payment charges were added with no communication or explanation. This added further confusion and stress while I was actively trying to get clarity on what was happening.

Throughout the 10 weeks, I was passed back and forth between the gym and head office. While a manager did try to explore whether the charge could be removed as a gesture of goodwill, there were long periods with no updates, no decisions, and no clear communication. During this time, my account remained blocked and I was unable to access services I was paying for.

The core issue isn’t the outcome (that the charge ultimately still stood) — it’s the process. A simple billing query took over two months to resolve, during which my access was restricted and I was left in limbo with no clear answers.

The issue is now resolved, but the length of time my account was blocked and the lack of communication throughout is completely unreasonable for what should have been a straightforward admin matter.

Virgin Active has good facilities, but the customer service and billing processes are deeply flawed. If anything goes wrong, be prepared to chase persistently.

I want to express my disappointment with the availability of classes at Chiswick Park Gym. The class options are extremely limited, and they are fully booked within 15 minutes of opening for reservations in the app one week before the class. Furthermore, having the last cycle class scheduled at 5:45 p.m. is simply not feasible for many members who work to afford a membership at this expensive gym. We need more options that accommodate our schedules. The recent increase in fees was presented as a means to improve the gym, yet as a member, I have not seen any meaningful changes that justify this hike in cost. Currently, I am on the waiting list for five classes next week, all with positions in the 10th or higher, which leaves me with little hope of attending any of those classes. Considering the price we are paying, it is reasonable to expect more class options and varied timings, especially beyond 5:45 p.m. I urge you to address these concerns and provide more availability for your members.
If you cannot work on that I would like to have the chance to cancel my membership as I am paying for a service that I cannot use it.

Visit to Aldersgate in London - feedback from VA is technically incorrect as the DD was signed in Dec 25 and funds were collected from my bank account in Jan 26. It was more of a ego issue from the
incompetent member of staff who needs to be sacked.

I strongly recommend avoiding Virgin Active.
I have tried to cancel my rolling monthly membership since 14 December 2025 using their official website chat. I repeated the cancellation process on 23 December and again on 2 January after phone support failed (30+ minute wait, then the call disconnected when I reached the front of the queue). Each time I was told cancellation was confirmed and that I would receive an email copy of the chat and someone would contact me. None of that happened.
Virgin Active later said they would respond within 72 hours, but it has now been more than a week and still no written confirmation, no response, and no ownership.
The final joke: a staff member at the gym told me my account would “go to arrears” because I cancelled my Direct Debit — despite the fact I have been trying to cancel properly for weeks and Virgin Active has failed to process it.
This is not how a reputable company operates. If you join, be prepared for a battle just to cancel.

Despite getting an email from Elliot wood in 21 November confirming there was not payment outstanding I am still receiving threatening emails and texts demanding payment. Surprise surprise I can’t get hold of the club or the mysterious Elliott to resolve this.
I am at the end of my tether with the constant stress and worry of theses threats and noone is able to help.

Not very clean, overcrowded, limited equipment and overpriced for a “premium” gym.

The Spa seems to have constant issues where something is not working. My sole purpose of using the CW Branch once a week, and yet my custom seems to be expendable. I continue to pay for a service that I’m not able to make use off. The remedy is always a non relevant apology. No other service you pay for would continually fob you off without remedy, but now I’m just ignored when feedback/complaint gets raised.

Absolutely hopeless customer service experience. I can only say that they need to go back to school. I explained my issue multiple times and they came back with the same response which was to go to my local gym. I explained I couldn’t get there but they suggested it again. To top it off you can’t call them and the chat is non existent. They need to step this up or lose custom.

I am writing to express my disappointment regarding the recent £29 price increase that was applied to my membership.

I was notified of this increase but, despite responding to the email, I have received no reply or explanation. The complete lack of communication is unacceptable and does not reflect a company that values its members.

As a loyal member, I would have expected transparency, justification for the increase, and at the very least a response to my enquiry. Instead, this situation suggests poor marketing strategy and a disregard for customer loyalty.

I wrote and broke down my concerns and yet I get nothings back.

Dear Virgin Active Team,
I am writing to formally escalate a complaint following my email of 16/12/2025, to which I have received no response. Unfortunately, this lack of engagement has become a consistent issue and is deeply disappointing given my 15+ years of membership.
I have now been notified of a £29 increase to my monthly membership fee. This represents a substantial rise—almost a third of my current payment—yet there has been no clear explanation of what additional value I would receive in return.
In reality, my access to facilities and services has reduced rather than improved. In particular:
• Classes are consistently fully booked, making them effectively inaccessible.

• When classes take place on the gym floor, equipment cannot be used, further limiting access.

• Key equipment (such as balancing balls) has been removed.

• Promised offerings, including calisthenics classes, have not materialised.

• New additions such as equipment upgrades and the restaurant provide no benefit to me, and the restaurant pricing represents poor value compared to readily available alternatives nearby.

Taken together, these issues mean I do not feel I am receiving value for money at my current rate, let alone at an increased cost.
Unless this price increase can be reviewed or clearly justified with tangible improvements that address the issues above, I will have no option but to cancel my membership. After many years of loyalty, this outcome would be extremely disappointing and entirely avoidable.
I would appreciate a prompt response addressing:
1. The justification for this fee increase, and

2. Whether any adjustment or resolution can be offered in light of the reduced access and ongoing service issues.

I feel compelled to raise a further concern regarding the recent blanket membership price increase and the lack of engagement from your team.
Rather than applying a uniform increase to all members, it would seem far more reasonable—and commercially sensible—to limit or tier access to certain services such as premium classes or restaurant facilities. Many long-standing members, myself included, do not use or have any interest in these additions, which are being presented as “upgrades” despite being entirely irrelevant to our usage of the club.
A blanket price increase risks losing a significant number of loyal members who are being asked to subsidise facilities they neither want nor benefit from. This approach feels short-sighted and unintelligent, particularly given the number of club closures in recent years. From a business perspective, it is difficult to understand how this strategy supports long-term retention.
This is now the third Virgin Active club I have had to join due to closures, yet it appears that little has been learned from those experiences. Communication remains poor, responses are absent, and member concerns are routinely ignored. At the very least, members deserve the courtesy of a reply.
Additionally, the justification that recent increases are simply “natural” because prices had not risen for years is demonstrably inaccurate. Membership fees have increased multiple times over the years, and I retain email correspondence that clearly evidences this. To suggest otherwise is both misleading and deeply frustrating.
I am extremely disappointed by how this has been handled. Long-standing members should not be treated with disregard or met with what feels like arrogance when raising legitimate concerns about value, access, and transparency.
I would welcome a meaningful response that acknowledges these issues and explains whether any smarter, more flexible approach is being considered before further alienating loyal members

Kind regards

Sean

Yet I get nothing back which is so unprofessional and rude.

Great Gym. Loads of space and equipment to use.
Also has a great sauna - and steam room in the men’s changing area.
I always enjoy going!

If you are thinking of a gym membership for the new year do not consider this company and particularly the solihull one! Manager doesn't respond to emails, head office customer service appalling and do not respond to complaints.
They will sign you up and then take away the classes you signed up for. There are better gyms out there to join. Don't waste your money!!
Update
As you can also see below, they contacted me for further information in February and I've still received no response from Solihull or their customer services 2 months later. Yet they ask me to contact them if they can support further. How about responding to complaints made in December and January first!!?

I cancelled my gym membership in person in October on a cancel-any-time contract and was told it would be processed immediately. It wasn’t.
Since then, I’ve received repeated texts claiming I owe money (£47, then suddenly £127.32) with no explanation or breakdown, despite not using the gym at all.
I raised a formal complaint on Friday and received an automated email saying I’d hear back within 1–3 days. I’ve had no acknowledgment, no explanation of the complaints process, and no response.
When I called today, I was told the complaint would now be “assigned” and I should wait 7–10 working days, completely contradicting the original timescale. The advisor ) was unhelpful and showed no understanding of the issue. I was also asked to provide proof that I cancelled in person — which is impossible when staff failed to process it correctly.
On top of this, the gym itself is overcrowded, classes are rammed, and the facilities are dirty and dated, which was a big part of why I chose to cancel in the first place.
Long hold times, unavailable live chat, unhelpful automated systems, incorrect charges, and no accountability. This has caused unnecessary stress and wasted a significant amount of my time.
I would strongly caution others before signing up.

Get ready for your membership to increase 35% without being properly informed about it. And good luck trying to fight it back.
8 days waiting for a reply, calls not answered after 45 minutes on queue, dismissive customer service both on HQ and local gym.
Unless you are extremely persistent they will not get anything half-sorted for you, and if they can, they will make it worse.
I am sure they will be super fast sending me a credit controller company if I dare to cancel my DD before getting any solution.
Still waiting for solution, I was just told might take another 3-4 days. Outrageous.