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Urgent Help - Virgin Active Gym and ARC Debt collection!!
mrsmoo23
Posts: 3 Newbie
Hi Everyone!
Im re-posting heres as i think i posted in the wrong forum before.I know there are so many posts about gym memberships and cancelling but cant find one exactly the same as mine.
I took out a month-by-month membership with virgin. There was no min 12-month contract I paid slightly more per month by DD because of this. If I wanted to cancel then I had to so before the 17th of the month.
Time came when I wanted to cancel. Rang home club and they said no problem just send in a letter to confirm it. This was at the start of the month (plenty of time before the 17th). Sent in the letter by post, didn’t do this by recorded delivery because I didn’t feel the need to because I rang in. A few days later cancelled the DD.
Anyway, several months later, I got a letter from ARC saying I owed 130quids worth of membership fees. I rang virgin who said they didn’t receive the letter saying I cancelled (surprise surprise….they probably say this to many people) and I therefore owed 3 months membership (The time that had passed.)
In all this time, I never received a letter from virgin, nothing, just ARC ringing saying I owed this money shortly followed by a letter from ARC. When I spoke to my home club about it and asked why they had never sent me any letters, the first answer I got was they didn’t have my address on there system! How ridiculous! They had my address to send to ARC!
I wrote to both arc and virgin (this time rec delivery and keeping copies of the letters). To arc I requested a copy of the contract with virgin, after reading that is a good way to stall time on these boards. I got that this morning along with a letter saying I have ten days to pay.
To virgin I wrote complaining, why I had never received correspondence from them if they felt I owed anything. Why they had passed it straight onto arc and refused to deal with me, about the terrible customer service and that I want the issue resolving. I also said I wanted a copy of the phone call with the girl who said they didn’t have my address, as this was so ridiculous. I complained that is not my fault and in that time they let 3 months pass and therefore increasing the “debt” they believe I owe. Why not contact me after one month?
Well, what I want to know now is what my next move should be. I feel so upset and angry about this situation, I can’t afford to pay that and as far as im concerned, I have followed procedure and don’t feel I should be bullied into paying this. At the same time, I don’t want it to escalate and end up with a CCJ etc. I have never been in the situation before.
I am know waiting to hear from virgin…is there anything I can send to arc to say this to stop them harassing me? Any help really really would be appreciated,
Sorry its long winded, wanted to try and get most of the points in here,
Thanks so much
Im re-posting heres as i think i posted in the wrong forum before.I know there are so many posts about gym memberships and cancelling but cant find one exactly the same as mine.
I took out a month-by-month membership with virgin. There was no min 12-month contract I paid slightly more per month by DD because of this. If I wanted to cancel then I had to so before the 17th of the month.
Time came when I wanted to cancel. Rang home club and they said no problem just send in a letter to confirm it. This was at the start of the month (plenty of time before the 17th). Sent in the letter by post, didn’t do this by recorded delivery because I didn’t feel the need to because I rang in. A few days later cancelled the DD.
Anyway, several months later, I got a letter from ARC saying I owed 130quids worth of membership fees. I rang virgin who said they didn’t receive the letter saying I cancelled (surprise surprise….they probably say this to many people) and I therefore owed 3 months membership (The time that had passed.)
In all this time, I never received a letter from virgin, nothing, just ARC ringing saying I owed this money shortly followed by a letter from ARC. When I spoke to my home club about it and asked why they had never sent me any letters, the first answer I got was they didn’t have my address on there system! How ridiculous! They had my address to send to ARC!
I wrote to both arc and virgin (this time rec delivery and keeping copies of the letters). To arc I requested a copy of the contract with virgin, after reading that is a good way to stall time on these boards. I got that this morning along with a letter saying I have ten days to pay.
To virgin I wrote complaining, why I had never received correspondence from them if they felt I owed anything. Why they had passed it straight onto arc and refused to deal with me, about the terrible customer service and that I want the issue resolving. I also said I wanted a copy of the phone call with the girl who said they didn’t have my address, as this was so ridiculous. I complained that is not my fault and in that time they let 3 months pass and therefore increasing the “debt” they believe I owe. Why not contact me after one month?
Well, what I want to know now is what my next move should be. I feel so upset and angry about this situation, I can’t afford to pay that and as far as im concerned, I have followed procedure and don’t feel I should be bullied into paying this. At the same time, I don’t want it to escalate and end up with a CCJ etc. I have never been in the situation before.
I am know waiting to hear from virgin…is there anything I can send to arc to say this to stop them harassing me? Any help really really would be appreciated,
Sorry its long winded, wanted to try and get most of the points in here,
Thanks so much
0
Comments
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Hi there, I am in exactly the same situation after paying a premium for a membership that I could cancel at any time, which I did by writing to them. I have received a letter from Trevor Munn threatening County Court Action. I have responded by requesting a copy of my CCA (Credit Agreement) to ARC and await their response. ARC are now calling my home and mobile several times a week but I will only communicate in writing. There are many of these threads on the Consumer Action Group website. Interested to hear advice on my next course of action. Thanks0
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Hey good luck with it hope your gettin on okay.
Well im about to send a letter back to ARC saying that im in dispute so not to contact me although not sure if it will get very far. Did you write to Virgin aswell?I did the same time as i did to arc. Arc sent me a copy of the credit agreement which i asked for to stall time (although i knew exactly what it said) and Virgin are yet to reply!
Anyone else got any ideas? I thought this was the whole idea od paying the extra per month so this wouldnt happen grrrr!0 -
i see a gap in the market for a 'pay as you go' gym-
LA Fitness etc, are you listening?Long time away from MSE, been dealing real life stuff..
Sometimes seen lurking on the compers forum :-)0
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