Vitality backtracks on Apple deal

30 May 2016 - 09:14 By Wendy Knowler

If you're among the Discovery Vitality Active members who signed up for an Apple Watch thinking it would be fully sponsored, thanks to your gym activity - only to have the new points criteria leave you paying in every month, there's a glimmer of hope.Responding to the In Your Corner column a fortnight ago, and the subsequent response from a number of Vitality members, Discovery Vitality has suggested it is willing to make exceptions, on a "case-by-case basis", of course.A quick recap: because Vitality Active is a rewards or incentives programme the company has the legal right to alter its terms and conditions as it sees fit.But the company chose to link the programme to an Apple Watch contract that has financial implications: if members meet all weekly fitness goals, Discovery pays the monthly instalment for their Apple Watch. If they don't meet their goals, they are charged a R300 penalty.So when Vitality altered its points allocation system from April1 many members who had taken the Apple Watch deal, believing they would earn enough exercise points to pay for it, not only did not qualify but were penalised.Not fair, they cried, understandably. What's more, consumer attorney Janusz Luterek said the move was illegal in terms of the Consumer Protection Act.Discovery Vitality has since said this: "Members can apply for the formal exceptions process by e-mailing vitalityreview@ discovery.co.za with valid reasons why they can no longer participate in Vitality Active Rewards with Apple Watch."Reasons could include a change to the member's health or fitness, or "due to the rules changes impacting their exercise regime in a manner that they are unable to accept".A review committee will consider either cancelling or pausing their Apple Watch benefit - no penalties will be charged but, in the case of cancellation, what's still owing on the watch will have to be paid.But it's this option that will no doubt appeal to most of the disgruntled Apple Watch contract holders: "Re-adjust [your] goals in line with [your] capabilities". Good move.Discovery Vitality members responding to the May16 column raised several other issues related to the new points system.MOVING POINTS TARGETSSean Hess, of Port Elizabeth, said Vitality's constant increasing of members' points targets weekly was both unfair and demotivating. Responding, Vitality said the rewards goals were designed to challenge members, being "a moderate stretch but achievable". "Data show that, as goals increase, people exercise more and their goal completion rates go up."But if a member's goal increased to a level they could not achieve, it would drop again within three weeks."If members have a medical reason why they can't exercise in the same way as the general population, they can be allocated a lower maximum goal if they submit a medical note."UNFAIRNESS AND INCONSISTENCY IN THE AWARDING OF POINTSMichael Farer said: "When I ran the 50km Forever Loskop Marathon - a chip-timed race - I received 100 points for an event for which I would in the past have received 3 000. Many super-fit members feel they are being prejudiced."Responding, Vitality said its primary focus with Vitality Active Rewards was to get the majority of its members to be more active."Vitality understands that this might be perceived as favouring 'couch potatoes' but believes that it is fully justified to award points for the 'initial nudge'."Regarding endurance events, the company said: "Vitality has taken the feedback on board and until the additional timing companies come on board, Vitality is implementing a manual process for participants of endurance events to earn the 3000 points."The company said it was working to enhance the programme to cater more specifically for high-performance athletes in the coming months.TECHNOLOGY UNDER FIRELeigh Hughes got a massive reaction on Facebook when she posted a photo of the two heart rate monitoring devices she trained with simultaneously - an Apple Watch and a TomTom. The former put her heart rate at 119 and the latter at 155."Based on the TomTom heart rate, I would earn 300 points but on Apple Watch I earn just 100."Responding, Vitality said it partnered with several of the world's leading device manufacturers which had proved effective in measuring fitness activity "to reasonable levels"."However none can claim 100% accuracy. If a member has serious concerns about the accuracy of his specific device, he should contact the manufacturer to have the device repaired or replaced."CONTACT WENDY:E-mail: consumer@knowler.co.zaTwitter: @wendyknowler..

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