Advice - LA Fitness cancellation charge

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  • I wonder if anybody can help me.

    I have just phoned La to try and cancel my membership after leaving my job, I know under the terms of my contract that i have no right to cancel since i quite voluntarily but the staff could not have been more unhelpfull!

    Since making the call i have been looking at my contracts (Mine and my wifes) and notice two things about it which may help in cancelation.

    Firstly the terms and total amount payable differ (It says 12 months but gives price for 2 years).

    Secondly both contracts lack a signature from an LA fitness member of staff.

    Now i thought Consumer Credit Act 1974 stated both parties had to sign the agreement for it to be binding?

    Anyone shed any light on this and think i should send up a letter cancelling under these conditions?

    Matt
  • A good source of advice is the Consumer Direct service. (website is "www. consumerdirect.gov.uk")

    I called the hotline 08454 04 05 06 and explained the issue of membership transfer fees, which are not mentioned in the LA Fitness membership terms & conditions.

    Some highlights of my experience were:
    - LA Fitness central phone line stated to me that the fee to transfer the membership was £25
    - When I asked about transfer at the club where I signed up, the sales manager at that club (one of the "Platinum" clubs in Central London) told me that the fee for transfer was in fact £50 and not £25
    (to which I said: this is not mentioned in my contract, and the head office just told me the fee is £25... so the other £25 must be going straight to your pocket!)
    - When I pointed out that the same person only mentioned to me that membership is transferable, but not that there is a fee associated with the transfer, she replied: but you never asked us about the fee! (!!!)

    When I relayed these issues to the advisor at Consumer Direct, his opinion was that there is a strong basis for disputing the fee for transfer as this is not quantified in any way in the contact and puts the consumer at the mercy of the organisation. The service also records details of the complaints and of the gym chain and the specific branch which caused the grievance.

    It is my strong belief that if all people who have commented on this blog reported their complaint to the watchdog, LA will be put back in its place and will have to stop its anti-consumer behaviour.

    Fight back guys! Don't let them get away
  • Hi guys,

    Just a tip - you can choose to use it or not. I moved to the Czech Republic with work about 2 months ago (just a little outside the '40 miles' that justifies cancellation). I wrote to the head office twice (belt and braces) stating that I was moving away so I wished to cancel and surprise, surprise within 4 weeks I was being chased for payment by their debt collection agency. To put it simply, they ignore all letters and the only way to get through to them is call their head office on 0844 770 7700.

    I did this and spoke with a guy who was actually understanding and as long as you state that you aren't going to continue paying because you have moved to another country (whether you have or not) then they will cancel it provided you have paid the last month. At the end of the day it's stated in your contract that this is grounds for cancellation, but most of you, like me, were probably never shown a contract and therefore never signed one. This alone is grounds for cancellation, so another tip would be to request a copy of the contract that was signed by you and counter-signed by an LA fitness employee (guarantee you will get what you want by doing this).

    My experience with LA Fitness was at best appalling and I am glad to see the back of them now, it's actually made me a happier person!

    Good luck
  • gmc1
    gmc1 Posts: 9 Forumite
    Certainly ignore everything megthejem writes. If she really wanted to be effective in falsely supporting the bad practices of L.A. Fitness, as she has done, she would not have said she was part of the company L.A. Fitness. However, that she did tell us that whilst digging that company further into a pit of stupidness does not surprise me - those people, especially in Belfast, are so stupid it is unbelievable. What do I mean by stupid? First, foremost, last, and it seems always, but, naturally, I hope not, exceedingly, exceedingly harmful where they have to hurt themselves as much as they hurt you - classicly, and knowingly (can you believe it, it is beyond the standardly believable) defining in the real earth the cartoon farce character who says "this is going to hurt me more than it hurts you". But they never seem to hurt themselves or get caught as they have no sense of responsibility nor value whatsoever. This is true. They need help very badly.
  • Bilco
    Bilco Posts: 6 Forumite
    ...that's about as much chance LA Fitness have of getting another penny out of me...if you are getting pressured by LA Fitness or any of their employees; abusive 'phone calls by any of their minions such as ARC, their Credit Management Company, or their solicitor, Trevor Munn, take a moment to look up blagger.com with reference to LA Fitness and to the posting by 'chrisf' on the 18th Dec '09 and take heart...!

    One final point of note:-

    '
    There is a consumer help service who is taking-on this company on behalf of customers who are being hassled by them and ARC - their debt collectors. They are Adviceline (Legalhelp) Ltd and are on 09061223328.
    Once the fixed period of the contract has ended and you have given any notice required to terminate (preferably in writing) then you should have no further liability and if they pester you then you can claim damages from them.'

    Regards...

    Bilco



  • colprimus
    colprimus Posts: 56 Forumite
    edited 6 February 2010 at 9:35PM
    I used to work there in the sales team and I wouldn't touch LA Fitness with a barge pole...we used to tell bare faced lies to get people to join up and to be perfectly frank didn't give a monkeys what happened after that...really is a case of buyer beware.
  • I think I'm about to get seriously screwed over by LA Fitness and am really upset about it because I have been blatantly lied to. I signed up for a 3 day free pass in Jan and was called by a sales rep to invite me for a chat. I told her that the likelihoo was that I was going to Australia in May so wouldn't be able to sign up but she assured me they had loads of different plans.

    So I went along and she explained that I could sign up for a 12 month membership, but seen as I would be moving abroad all I had to do was show them a one-way plane ticket when I was leaving and I would be able to cancel with no fees. She also said that I could freeze the membership for free and if I was living more than 15 miles from an LA fitness when I came back I could also cancel for free.

    I have followed all of her instructions and have rung in March to cancel for May and told them that I am moving to Australia in May for an unknown amount of time. I have been told by member services that I was mis-informed and will have to pay a £200 cancellation charge!

    I am so upset by this as I only signed up because of what the employee said and even wrote down the instructions she told me carefully so that I didn't get anything wrong. I really can't afford to pay the £200 and have only been there 3 months.

    I really need some advice as I cant have debt collectors coming after me and I am leaving next month. Help!
  • Optimist
    Optimist Posts: 4,556
    First Anniversary
    Forumite
    sebass89 wrote: »
    I need your help on the 3 august 2010 i sing a 12 month contra at la fitness
    the next day i when there to cancel because i saw a best offer form virgin active (i nerve told that was the reason i was to cancel).
    i spend 3 hours in the gym try cancel my contra but them don't want do.
    i call the Consumer Direct line i ...be told that yes the contract is legal can NERVE cancel after you sing.
    i for by law i can get 7 days try or something liken that.

    so what can do to stop the contact?? i nerve use or when in the gym

    No you don't get 7 days to think about it as you signed on the traders premises.

    Given you seem to want to go to a gym and decided on Virgin Active after signing with LA Fitness. I suggest you use what your going to have to pay for and in 12 moths go to Virgin Active if you still so desire
    "The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts."

    Bertrand Russell. British author, mathematician, & philosopher (1872 - 1970)
  • gmc1
    gmc1 Posts: 9 Forumite
    edited 7 August 2010 at 12:08AM
    The point about that customers told they couldn't have had any "cooling off" period to change their minds about the contract because it was signed instore, is this:
    it has been so often written by now by people LA Fitness has walked over that they've been told in the gyms that they CAN change their minds and leave without paying anything if they wish.

    On site afer site, lots of messages, I've read that, in numerous branches, people have been told that they do not need to worry - if they don't like it they can leave and won't be bound to the contract because it allows them to change their minds without losing money.

    And recently I read a post from a man who used to work in sales for LA Fitness who plainly, openly admitted < yes, we'd say anything just to get a sale, lies, anything >. He made it clear that getting new members was the only thing that mattered, and it didn't matter how. He said he'd lie to people to get them to join. And then "customers" are tied to a one year contract it is claimed, when in law they're not at all. They're not actually tied to any contract because the terms of the contract have been given to them already by LA Fitness and they say that the customer can agree with the company to leave with no loss, just if they wish.

    Then, however, LA Fitness turn around, breach contract law, commit extortion and blackmail in criminal law, and ask for one years membership or a large, new cancellation fee which is not much less.

    On this site I read an employee of LA Fitness who decided to (independently, unofficially) stick up for the company say that < they can do that, it's fair and legal because it says in all the contracts >. So I copied word for word what it said in my contract, and while it indicated that LA Fitness would agree to cancel the contract, there was actually no mention of a fee. I've read LA Fitness claiming that they had the right to demand a fee even if it wasn't in the contract terms. But that's not legal. There is a piece of law which, to nervous people who don't know any law, might suggest that they can do that - but the law doesn't say anything like any company can do that, but I've heard it claimed by LA Fitness that that law means they can do it. It's yet another downright lie. It really is a complete lie - there is no law which does or could ever take the words in my contract which I copied earlier, and make it out to actually in truth be that people would owe LA Fitness money to cancel.

    (I think since that time they have changed the wording of newer contracts, but as I remember, there were still illegal points in those contracts.)

    These are utterly professional extortioners and blackmailers. It seems to me that's what they spend most of their time planning and doing. Blackmail in law is taking away something that a person can expect as of right by "menaces" (exact legal term) - menaces includes asking for money where money can never honestly be due, also where there is the threat to FALSELY SUE against you for that money. They are downright criminals. I have experienced myself - it's utterly unbelievable what they're like.

    Believe me, they're thugs.
  • sebass89
    sebass89 Posts: 9 Forumite
    edited 21 October 2010 at 10:36PM
    Club Joined: LA Fitness Southgate (London)

    I need your help
    4th August 2010: i sing a 12 month contra at la fitness, the next day i when there to cancel because I was pressured into signing up for a 12 month membership in which all details where entered on a computer table and electronically signed, without being given any paperwork detailing the contract information or terms and conditions. Once sign-up was complete I was given a printed copy of the agreement but NOT the terms and conditions.


    4th August:Visited the gym to discuss canceling the contract. I was then given the terms and conditions and was informed countless times with the on site staff that it was not possible to cancel. Eventually, I was told I could speak to the manager in which I waited 3 hours for who never turned up. Still on site, I was told to call Head Office to discuss my claim. They passed me from person to person and eventually informed me that I should speak to the Member Services Department to cancel. When I arrived home I notice that an amount of £39 had been debited from my account to LA Fitness.

    6th August: Contacted Neil Hodgon from the Member Services department to look at my case. Received a response the same day informing me that cancellation was not possible.

    7th August: The setup direct debit was cancelled.

    I believe certain things need to be clarified. Firstly, upon signing the contract on site, I was not shown the terms and conditions at any time as all the information was provided directly to the employee behind the desk . Only once my electronic signature was given and thus sign-up was completed was I given a printed copy of the agreement and NOT the terms and conditions. Secondly, I do feel that I was pressured into signing something in which I did not have the chance to seriously think about and come to a decision that would suit me best.
    I can honestly say that the conditions proposed by the contract are not only unethical and unfair to the average consumer, in my opinion, but more importantly unfair to me.
    Only when I returned on site on the 4th of August did I receive a hard copy of the terms and conditions. These did not mention a cancellation policy at all. I am someone who receives Housing benefits (I can provide proof) and struggle to find regular work (currently working part time) and believe it would not be possible for me to keep up with payments.

    21th October: now "Arc Credit Management" was me to pay the full money, I ready contact it : Citizens advice & consumer direct no result
    don't know what do now???.
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