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Cancelling Bannatyne's Membership - Help needed!

I joined Bannatynes on a six month contract on 30.01.09 and havent signed any other contract with them since this date.
Today i went to cancel my membership as my new job allows free useof the gym. I was told i would have to give them one months notice in writing as i have a contract with them!
I explained to her that i had signed a six month contract a year and a half ago and that i had been on a monthly rolling contract with them since so why did i have to give them a months notice in writing when surely that contract has expired?
They said this isnt the case and that i was still tied into my contract i signed when i joined even though it was for six months and i still have to give a months notice and couldnt cancel there and then.
In addition to this on the screen with all my details it said "length of membership" and next to it in months had 999months! With an expiry date of 2092!
I asked her why this said 999 months as i obviously didnt agree to this and surely if this had been entered as 6 months which i agreed to my agreement with them would have expired. I asked her about this and was told it was standard procedure to put this in and was told that she couldnt print it off when i asked her for a copy to take away with me.

Can anyone give me some advice as to what my next step is as i really dont see why i should have to pay another months membership when im not there and also have to give a months notice for a contract that finished a year ago. Its even more suspicious when they enter their own expiry date on my details on the computer so my contract technically would never expire i assume?
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Comments

  • The contract you signed likely said it was a 6 month fixed contract with a 1 month rolling term with the cancellation terms outlined in your post.

    This is fairly standard practice - dig out your contract and read the section on cancellation.

    If you signed a rolling contract (which it appears that you did) then no, it would not expire until you gave notice to cancel. The fact that it said 2092 is of little to no significance.

    Hope that's useful.
    Thinking critically since 1996....
  • pinkshoes
    pinkshoes Posts: 20,230 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    You should be grateful it's only 1 month, as many gyms try and make you give 6 months notice if you miss the tight cut off deadline!

    1 month notice is entirely normal procedure, and a standard T&C.
    Should've = Should HAVE (not 'of')
    Would've = Would HAVE (not 'of')

    No, I am not perfect, but yes I do judge people on their use of basic English language. If you didn't know the above, then learn it! (If English is your second language, then you are forgiven!)
  • Becles
    Becles Posts: 13,171 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Make sure you ask them to remove your contact details from their database. If you don't, you get plagued with begging letters, calls and texts asking you to go back.
    Here I go again on my own....
  • According to OFT's news article http://www.oft.gov.uk/news-and-updates/press/2009/05-09 you'll need to be aware of any Gyms misleading sales tactic and check carefully before signing contracts. It was interesting read Bannantyne as one of the companies required to improve their terms and conditions in relation to Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulation.
  • According to OFT's news article http://www.oft.gov.uk/news-and-updates/press/2009/05-09 you'll need to be aware of any Gyms misleading sales tactic and check carefully before signing contracts. It was interesting read Bannantyne as one of the companies required to improve their terms and conditions in relation to Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulation.
    Good article. Again, a reminder - often gym contracts are an up front payment of a year or some longer period.But you don't pay up front, you actually take out a credit agreement. So if you quit before time, the lender will set Debt Collectors on you and trash your credit rating.

    So read your gym contract carefully before you sign and don't agree to credit.
    Hi, we’ve had to remove your signature. If you’re not sure why please read the forum rules or email the forum team if you’re still unsure - MSE ForumTeam
  • brettcta
    brettcta Posts: 4,693 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    for the love of [insert chosen deity here], when you send in your cancellation letter, give your reason, and then at the end, sign off with 'and for that reason, i'm out'
    helpful tips
    it's spelt d-e-f-i-n-i-t-e-l-y
    there - 'in or at that place'
    their - 'owned by them'
    they're - 'they are'
    it's bought not brought (i just bought my chicken a suit from that new shop for £6.34)
  • Albagubrath1314

    You can request a copy of your records held by Bannatyne under the data protection act. You should also consider the possibility that the contract you had signed may not be enforceable due to unfair terms and conditions. Further information about this subject could be found from the OfT website and Consumer Direct which is part of the OfT if my memory serves me right.
  • Hintza
    Hintza Posts: 19,420 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    I note the OP hasn't been back.

    I'm hardly surprised at that. Should count thmselves lucky they haven't signed up fo 10 years as they obiously couldn't be bothered to read the T&C's in the first place.

    Pay up and thank your lucky stars it's only a month (which is pretty much standard)
  • Hintza wrote: »
    I note the OP hasn't been back.

    I'm hardly surprised at that. Should count thmselves lucky they haven't signed up fo 10 years as they obiously couldn't be bothered to read the T&C's in the first place.

    Pay up and thank your lucky stars it's only a month (which is pretty much standard)

    I would think most people signed up to gyms in good faith not realising they'll need lawyers to interpret misleading or unfair terms in the contracts.

    There is a question mark to whether these contracts are legally binding due to unfair terms and conditions.
  • Hintza
    Hintza Posts: 19,420 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    There is a question mark to whether these contracts are legally binding due to unfair terms and conditions.

    1 month's notce is hardly unfair T&C's.
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