Warning Bannatynes Gym -Unfair Contract Terms

isplumm

mawhitmore wrote: »

Hi,

My Dad is currently having problems cancelling my Mum's membership. She was diagnosed with cancer in October and didn't really have the energy to train so my Dad tried to cancel the membership in December. She passed away last week and Banatynes are still insisting that the 3 month policy be adhered to.

I've told my Dad just to threaten to cancel his membership as well but the problem is he wants to continue going and it's only 5 minutes away from his house.

Can anyone offer any advice as this is the last thing he should have to be dealing with at the moment.

Regards,

Mark

Hi,

Sorry to hear of your loss ....

Well it should be paid out of your mother's estate .... so technically the estate owes the money .....

but my attitude is to shame them into dropping the demand - call the local papers ... make a fuss ....

Mark

mawhitmore

Thanks. I've actually clarified the issue with my Dad and it turns out he hadn't told them my Mum had passed away, only that she was no longer able to attend the gym due to her cancer. I contacted Banatynes head office and they were very helpful and all things being well he should be able to resolve it with the gym manager.

While I'm happy to have resolved the issue, I still think that continuing to charge the membership fee if a member becomes physically unable to attend is a bit off.

Regards,

Mark

Bean1986

I have recently applied to Bannatyne's gym for a medical cancellation of the contract I have with them for one of their gyms due to an injury stopping me from using most of the equipment. In their contacts, it states that if you have any injury preventing you from using the equipment, then you must get a doctors letter stating you cannot use it for 2 months and you will be chanrged a "reasonable" administration fee.

With only 4 months left on the contract, I sent an email with a covering letter from my doctor stating I could not use the equipment.

The subsequent letter that I received went along the lines of "if you wish to cancel you rmembership, we will require 1 months membership fee (£50) plus an additional £75 administration fee!

On what planet or time period is this seen as a "reasonable" fee for processing a bit of paper?! I understand the one month, but not £75!

I would certaintly not sign up with them again and would definately not recommend their gyms to any of my colleagues or friends!

gotholesinmypockets

I joined Bannatynes and signed up for 1 years contract. I got 6 months into my contract when my husband had an affair and my marriage subsequently ended. I had to move back in with my folks until I got my own place. There is no Bannatynes gym anywhere near where they live, within 50 miles, so I wrote to them telling them that I needed to end my contract with them and explained my circumstances and that I could no longer financially afford it too.

I got a reply, stating despite my 'unfortunate circumstances' I still had to finish my 12 months and then also pay for my 3 months notice. I immediatley cancelled my direct debit that day. They continued to send me letters and phone me, demanding the £450 I still owed them, threatened with court etc. I did not reply once, ignore letters and calls and stood my ground. After about 6 months they eventually stopped and I heard no more fom them.

I have since moved and there is a Bannatynes gym at the bottom of my road, despite the convenience, I travel across the city to another gym, never would I join a Bannatynes gym again! Ruthless, heartless, money grabbing scum.

wary

If I ran a gym, I'd like to think I'd show a bit of concern, compassion & flexibility if members need to cancel early. But from the gym's perspective, it is often difficult for them to know when a sob story is genuine or indeed where to draw the line.

From what has been described here, it does sound like Bannatynes are keen to extract their pound of flesh. Maybe this is typical of these big chains?

I train at a local family-run gym, where everyone seems very nice and the atmosphere is very friendly; certainly a lot less impersonal than these big chains. My membership is on a rolling month basis - 6 months initially after which only 1 month notice is required. 3 months notice seems rather excessive, especially if it is on top of your 12-month membership when you're effectively already giving them 6 months notice.

willboy2412

I want to rejoin my old club, its been over a year since I have been to Bannatynes so could I give a wrong name or incorrect date of birth in order to get out of paying the charges on my old account?

Micky2013

hello I joined the gym chain just in January this year and I was looking forward to using there ficilites. My first months direct debit was due in and I relised it hadn't come out when I called to find out why the same day a letter came by post to alert me to the fact my membership had been suspended due to unpaid fees I spoke to them about this to find out that they had the wrong account number which they blamed me for even tho it was the recruitment person who wrote it as I said it now with it right in front if me reading it off a card I didn't get it wrong i know this. Now with the letter came with 3 other people's letters also there names addresses and other security detailed I was outraged at this serious breach of data protection I contacted the other people on the letters to find out my details had been sent to them also. So I went off at the company after that I wanted to cancel my contract I was disgusted by this act and there attitude to it I was basically told I was stuck with them regardless end off I can't understand why any buiesness in this day and age would adapt this stinking attitude now when I'm told by the recruitment personnel whom is reading from the terms of my contract with them that its a minimum of 9 months and 1 month cancelation to find out that's utter crap and its 12 months with 3 months notice it makes me angry to know I was bold faced lied to by staff anyone thinking of becoming a member should avoid this seriously unprofetinal compan...

CheshirePhil

The contracts are unfair. Bannatyne's signed up to change their practices following the OFT judgement of March 8th 2013 (Judgement also applied to Fitness First and David Lloyd). However, you will not get them to volunteer this information: You have to quote the OFT ruling and that they accepted it and then still be pushy. They will do everything they can to give you the impression that you must pay.

As a new member I cannot post the OFT link, but Google it: it is on the government website and is titled: Press releases 2013 - Three gyms improve contract terms following OFT action

Once you are free of them, make sure everyone knows how they operate. They have no interest in whether you are physically unable to attend the gym or if you've lost your house and job and simply cannot meet the fees any more, they just want to squeeze out of you as much as possible, even if, as with me, you have been a loyal member for over six years, having signed a one-year contract in early 2007.

pmduk

This is the link for the above post

paddyrg

This and granny farming. Delightful man.