Virgin Active UK Reviews 

Terrible service. Called for 45 mins to be told that one customer was ahead of me in line, when it was 9 to begin with, and at the last customer was told there was no agents and the phone was automatically switched off. Worst service I’ve ever used. They are also super overpriced with their gym membership and you can get the same for half anywhere

Awful gym, stay clear don’t join. Too many bad points to waste any more time stating. Club manager Chavez.Johnson is useless with feedback changes. Way better gyms closer and more customer focused

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 have been a member since February 2023. In early 2024, during a particularly overwhelming period in my life, I stopped attending the gym without cancelling the membership. At the time I was paying per month 67,48£ with an annual commitment. In March 2024 Virgin Active emailed me about changes to my membership. I did not see these emails and because I didn’t reply to the email, without a follow-up call, or further confirmation, they just automatically started to change my monthly fee gradually increasing to £148, nearly double what I had previously been paying.
By January 2025, when I returned to the gym and discovered the increase, 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 the months I started to pay 148£ (August 2024) if I recommitted to an annual plan. The monthly fee with the annual plan would have been 72£. After few weeks I never received an answer. I followed up weekly for months, only to be told to “be patient,” and was even made to feel as though asking for updates.
Despite all this, they continued to charge me £148 per month, even though I had clearly stated my intention to switch to the £72.50 rate. I was later told by Dan, the General manager of the Chiswick branch, that because the original emails had been “opened,” they considered the charges valid, regardless of whether I had actually read or understood them.
I received at the end an email from Jonny, the Head of Customer relations, saying that they offered a £226 “goodwill gesture,” and they refused to refund the rest and insisted the matter was closed.
This message for me was very offensive, because the 226£ was not a goodwill gesture, it was a rightful reimbursement for the months during which I was overcharged while waiting for them to process my request, a delay for which I was not responsible, not a discretionary gesture. And it was deeply frustrating to be forced to follow up repeatedly on a matter that should have been promptly and professionally resolved.

Their lack of communication, responsibility, and basic customer care is embarrassing.
I’ve been a loyal member for years, but this experience has left me feeling completely undervalued. Virgin Active seems more focused on quietly applying higher fees than actually supporting or respecting its members.
Worse still, despite this being offered in March, I have yet to receive this payment, even after repeated chasing
I would not recommend Virgin Active to anyone who expects fairness, transparency, or proper customer service.

I've joined the Salford Quays virgin gym and after attending once and realising how overpriced, small and busy the gym was. Better gyms in the salford area.

Awful rude dirty gym. I’ve been coming to the Virgin Islington gym on and off for over 15 years. It’s gone to the dogs completely now. Equipment is old. Sauna Stinks. Women’s showers smell of urine. People leave their things in the lockers now overnight so it’s always a hassle finding an empty locker. The place is horrible. Reception staff are hopeless as is the manager. And WORST of all you have to literally have a battle to have the luxury of getting 2 thin rags of a towel on the occasion when you need to wash your hair or use the Sauna. ‘Company policy’ now is 1 towel no matter how rarely one attends and uses said towel. So a woman is expected to sit on this towel in the grimy sweaty sauna then dry her hair and body with same thin greying towel ?! It’s honestly laughable and they are taking all their members for a ride. Join your local gym. It’s more modern and certainly more clean. The only reason I’ve put up with it this far is for the pool - but no more. I also know they treated their old loyal staff really bad as I’ve seen them elsewhere.

About a year ago, Virgin Active changed the music played in all the classes to royalty free music only and this has been awful. The instructors are great but the lack of recognisable songs that brings you joy and energy really lets the classes down, specially cycling, dance and body pump. Also, because the music library is not great, we’ve been listening to the same songs in classes for over year, which has just become very boring and uninspiring. Please bring back licensed music so the instructors can make use of their normal playlists!

Gym is good though canary what’s very old. Staff are nice and welcoming. I have left the club though due to the customer service line - or lack of it. There is no number for any club. Lacks any sort of premium experience. Also £40 for a one day guest pass. This is a joke. Disappointed.

I have emailed several times, called and also spoken to my gym club (Chiswick Business Park) despite I ve been reassured they will fix it, my issue has not been solved. I am still waiting for my free month after referring a friend and also I want to cancel my membership.

Be aware of these people and avoid if you can! They do not care about you as a customer- they care about locking you into a contract and hiding behind terms and conditions rather than remedying their own dreadful service. It is impossible to get anywhere with them. The GMs have no power and are terrified of head office and the Customer Relations people ghost you if they don’t like what you tell them. You cannot even find anyone who will be accountable. I have written to the CEO and my letter has not even been acknowledged. Quite astonishing. Ive been a member for over 15 years and had to cancel my monthly payment before I could get their attention, then they threaten you with debt collection agencies rather than fixing the problem. Avoid them at all costs. Disgusting people.

Hi, I ve recently got into my gym to tell them that I wanna quit. Reception said that they can not do nothing about it and I should contact virgin customer line so I did. I tried call’em but with no response. I got even contact number to one of the managers. Tried to call, wrote an email and nothing but ignorance. I found it easy to join but if you looking to quit it you will find it hard. There is no even option on your online account for gym quitting.

DISGUSTING! They still prioritise profit over members health. Their refusal to provide sanitiser for members to clean sweat off the machines is utterly ridiculous.
Scratch the surface of this supposedly Premium Club and you expose the Ryan Air cheapness of management.

I was enjoying using Virgin Active but there was a problem with my membership card so it was not showing I had entered the club so I started getting emails saying I hadn’t attended classes when I had. I emailed Customer Services asking them to resolve the issue and was effectively accused of lying and they refused to check if I had attended (e.g. I suggested they ask the instructor if I had). I am very disappointed that they were not willing to deal with what could be such a simple solution but instead kept reiterating their policy that if I miss a certain number of classes, I cannot book anymore for a month. I have not used them again since then.

I have had horrible customer service from this gym. I tried to solve an issue in Feb in club where they claim is the "easiest to resolve" and they never got back in touch with me. I have have 3 phone calls where they have said the are going to get someone more senior to call me but then have never heard back. I have sent countless emails to the email address they claim they can't see. After so long of being messed around I was told that if i cancel i will not be charged again, they then still charged me for half the next month. Don't bother joining.

Tried cancelling my membership several times over the last 3 months to be met with automated web chats, automated telephone directory service and when you do finally get through to customer service they tell you to email them. I tried getting in contact via webchat, email and telephone several times and they still have not cancelled membership. I have cancelled my direct debit and they are now saying they will charge me late fees! Company service is appalling. Not worth the time. Facilities are ok but ended up throwing away my swim suit when it was left one time at the club instead of putting in lost property. Would not recommend this company atall.

This review is about Virgin Active Bromley. Air conditioning is switched off and gym is unbearably hot. Spoke to front desk and they told me this is because the manager will not turn the air conditioning on. Unacceptable.

This is absolutely one of the worst places I've ever dealt with! The customer service here is horrendous, and they clearly have no idea how to handle complaints. I lodged a complaint on March 12th, and I'm still waiting for a resolution! It's beyond frustrating. This place doesn't even deserve a single star. If you're looking for a place that values its customers, look elsewhere! Highly recommend avoiding this one

The club reopened recently following a brand spanking new refurbishment and a 20% increase in membership fees. Some muppet thought it was a good idea to remove the phones at reception, so now if you want to get in touch with Virgin Active Riverside, you have to go over there and speak in person, if you can't then that's too bad. Oh, no but of course you can use their live chat.. which will tell you that someone will reply to your e-mail very shortly... then the e-mail arrives to say that you should get a reply within 1 to 3 week days! SERIOUSLY VIRGIN, that is such bad customer service. For £270/month, do you think you could make an effort and install a phone at reception to answer the phone?

Great gym, appalling admin. Customer service over half an hour wait on phone, bills often wrong and then nightmare to sort.

Nice individual staff (in the gyms) but the company itself is terrible … I tried extending my membership after cancelling it, which you can do as long as it’s within 30days of cancellation, emailed head office to make them aware but never heard back .. took it up with management at. Crouch-End as that is where I joined but by this time it was outside the 30 days and they insist I pay £40 to rejoin … jokes, esp as they are breaking their own terms and conditions - but I know it’s not worth the argument.. just beware - they’ll rip you off

Why is Nottingham virgin active, lads changing rooms, toilets, and the lockers in a disgusting vile condition.

The facilities are becoming more trampy day by day by the students disrespectful minority lads who live like this at home.