Help - Want to quit Total Fitness!

Rachel_1990

Hi,
I took out a gym membership with Total Fitness last September with the intention of going every day... of course that didn't happen - at the time I worked shifts so had time to go in the morning, after work etc, but now I work Mon-Fri 9-5 and by the time I finish work I simply don't have to motivation to go, so in effect I'm throwing £35 a month down the drain. My colleague told me that she was in a similar situation and just phoned her bank to cancel her direct debit, then rung the gym and told them she wasn't coming/paying any more because she wasn't enjoying it. They complained and told her that they were going to send her letters requesting payment but they never did and she hasn't ehard anything since. Do you advise that I do the same?
Thanks!
Rachel. :rotfl:

Chimpofdoom

Rachel_1990 wrote: »

Hi,
I took out a gym membership with Total Fitness last September with the intention of going every day... of course that didn't happen - at the time I worked shifts so had time to go in the morning, after work etc, but now I work Mon-Fri 9-5 and by the time I finish work I simply don't have to motivation to go, so in effect I'm throwing £35 a month down the drain. My colleague told me that she was in a similar situation and just phoned her bank to cancel her direct debit, then rung the gym and told them she wasn't coming/paying any more because she wasn't enjoying it. They complained and told her that they were going to send her letters requesting payment but they never did and she hasn't ehard anything since. Do you advise that I do the same?
Thanks!
Rachel. :rotfl:

Firstly working 9-5 isn't an excuse for not going to the gym, I work the same hours yet I go to the gym at 6am-8am and then head to work. Quite a good wake up call to be fair!

But in regards to cancelling your account. Did you agree to a contract (like 12 months)? Or is the membership based on a rolling monthly contract?

If you are on a 12 month contract then your stuck for 12 months!
It's a contract, and the contract didn't give you get outs for if it was just inconvenient for you, otherwise it would be worthless because everyone would just use any old excuse.

Not paying may end up a lot more expensive than continuing to pay.

Rachel_1990

Hmm, it's just I know someone who did it and it worked in their favour ie. they didn't have to pay any more. Is it possible for them to charge fees for not sticking to the contract?
Re. going the gym before nine, I don't have a car and the gym is miles away from my office therefore it wouldn't be possible (plus I'm not a morning person at all!)
Thanks though!

Chimpofdoom

Rachel_1990 wrote: »

Hmm, it's just I know someone who did it and it worked in their favour ie. they didn't have to pay any more. Is it possible for them to charge fees for not sticking to the contract?
Re. going the gym before nine, I don't have a car and the gym is miles away from my office therefore it wouldn't be possible (plus I'm not a morning person at all!)
Thanks though!

You signed the contract and you are bound by it's terms and conditions!

You cannot and should never assume what anyone says is gospel, especially if you have to sign something.

As for getting up early, that's just an excuse. If your gym wasn't open then I would believe you.

Optimist

I assume you haven't been in touch with the gym in the first instance so I would suggest that is your first port of call.

As to just stoppng your direct debit, it depends how much hassle you want. Total Fitness have been known to use debt collectors and your agreement will probably state that you need to give a certain amount of notice, three months isn't unusual.

They will probably say you have breeched your contract if you just stop paying but they depend on the threat of and by debt collectors to scare people into paying.

However they can only claim for their losses in a breach of contact case and they would need to prove those losses so its pretty unlikely they would go to court.

So up to you, if you do stop paying and start getting calls from debt collectors come back

Aspiring_Writer

Rachel, you must know whether you signed a 12 month contract, if you did, and you cancel now, then you have about 6 months maybe less left. 6 months payments is what they will chase you for if they chase at all. If its a rolling, then just cancel, in fact, just cancel anyway, for God sake, life changes doesn't it? its only a gym membership, we aren't talking life and death here are we?

CAVEAT EMPTOR though, for future reference...

pinkshoes

Rachel_1990 wrote: »

Hmm, it's just I know someone who did it and it worked in their favour ie. they didn't have to pay any more. Is it possible for them to charge fees for not sticking to the contract?
Re. going the gym before nine, I don't have a car and the gym is miles away from my office therefore it wouldn't be possible (plus I'm not a morning person at all!)
Thanks though!

IF you don't know what you signed, then ASK them for a copy of your contract.

If you signed up for a 12 month contract, then you have to keep paying. BUT... send them a recorded delivery letter telling them that when your contract expires on <date> you will not be renewing it, thus your last payment will be on <date>.

If you just stop paying, they'll probably pass it on to a debt collector, and it could end up with you owing a lot more than you initially did, and it could potentially ruin your credit rating.

Never run away from debts.

ps - if the gym is miles from your office and you don't have a car, how did you originally go to the gym? I am NEVER motivated to do exercise, but I always feel so much more energetic once I've done it!