sticky situation with fitness first-please help!!!

denaneh

hello there,

i would be really grateful if people could offer me some advice on what to do! a few years ago when i was a student i joined fitness first as part of a three month plan. they were really expensive and service was AWFUL. anyway, that's not the point!

im not sure why i did this, but i stopped the direct debit from my bank instead of telling them. i also somehow did this a month earlier than the contract was due to run out. due to time and uni constraints i wasn't able to sort this out nor was i able to use the gym. about a year (or two?) later, i rang them up to sort out the situation. although they hadn't sent any scary men around to my house to get their money, they told me that because the account hadn't been closed properly, a monthly amount had been accruing in my FF account and at that count was over £300.

basically, i just want to pay the £31 pounds that i was supposed to have paid as part of the plan...i didn't use the gym during the final month, nor at any time after that.

is there anyway i can clear my account? am i legally required to pay off the full amount?

i know i don't HAVE to do anything, but aswell as the fact that it's not good for my credit rating, it is playing on my conscious a bit too.


any useful suggestions welcome!!!

thankyou

debz1989

Hiya,

I'm not really sure what you mean by you don't have to do anything, but it rarely (if ever) will just go away if you don't.

I don't think there is much chance of you getting out of paying the amount, as after all you did sign up to what I'd imagine would be a rolling three month contract until cancelled, and never cancelled it. I'm not sure they'll be very interested in whether or not you used the gym in the time since you last paid, although it'll do you no harm to try to reason with them and possibly reduce the price a little.

Over and above that, I think the best you can do is see if they will let you sort out a reasonable repayment plan that you can manage over the next little while.

Sorry it's not better news, and if someone knows more I'm sure they'll be along soon.

RadoJo

I agree with Debz that you actually do have to do something, otherwise these charges will keep accruing and they will be within their rights to add charges if they have to instruct a debt collection agency, which will all be passed on to you. As you state that you are the one who breached the contract you had with them, I would think that contacting them and asking if you can reach any agreement for a lower amount to be repaid would be a good idea.

unholyangel

denaneh wrote: »

hello there,

i would be really grateful if people could offer me some advice on what to do! a few years ago when i was a student i joined fitness first as part of a three month plan. they were really expensive and service was AWFUL. anyway, that's not the point!

im not sure why i did this, but i stopped the direct debit from my bank instead of telling them. i also somehow did this a month earlier than the contract was due to run out. due to time and uni constraints i wasn't able to sort this out nor was i able to use the gym. about a year (or two?) later, i rang them up to sort out the situation. although they hadn't sent any scary men around to my house to get their money, they told me that because the account hadn't been closed properly, a monthly amount had been accruing in my FF account and at that count was over £300.

basically, i just want to pay the £31 pounds that i was supposed to have paid as part of the plan...i didn't use the gym during the final month, nor at any time after that.

is there anyway i can clear my account? am i legally required to pay off the full amount?

i know i don't HAVE to do anything, but aswell as the fact that it's not good for my credit rating, it is playing on my conscious a bit too.


any useful suggestions welcome!!!

thankyou

Ask them to provide a copy of the signed agreement. Once you have those, check out the cancellation section. Although by your own admission, you didnt even give them 1 days notice, never mind the standard 30 that is usually applied to contracts so i wouldnt hold out too much hope of getting the debt written off/reduced.......but it doesnt hurt to ask!

pinkshoes

Was it just a fixed period contract? Do you have proof of this? I'd send them the 1 months payment and tell them that the contract ended <date>, here's the last payment owed, and you now consider the account closed.

Did you stay in the same area? if you moved, use your change of address as proof you wouldn't have been there to use the gym.

denaneh

hi

thanks to all those who made suggestions. the general consensus seems to be: don't duck your head in the sand and do something about it...which seems about right.

@pink shoes: it was a fixed three month contract but i dont have a copy of it. i would do as you are saying, but i have spoken to them once already and they said that because the account wasn't closed properly, a monthly amount has been 'rolling over' which has to be paid off. i did stay in the same area for another to years, but stayed in my home city quite alot too.

i guess the best thing to is to ring them soon and sort it out

thanks guys!!

unholyangel

Hmmmm i would still ask them for a copy of the terms and conditions.

If it was a standard contract, they should have informed you of any changes to the contract (such as it moving from a fixed term contract to a rolling contract) with 30 days notice - and thus giving you the opportunity to decline.

Of course, it all depends on the T&C's

Usually, continuing to use their services would signal acceptance - even if you didnt receive their proposed alterations - but they should be able to check from their records that you havent used the gym.

Keep your fingers crossed the T&C's will show in your favour