Cancelling gym membership - 12 month contract is actually 13 months

louschmoo

Hi. I joined a gym in July last year and then moved house a few months later. I emailed the gym manager in March giving notice to cancel as of 21st July 2010 - exactly one year on from joining. I received no reply to this email. I cancelled the direct debit after the 12th and final payment had been taken. I have just received a letter saying my account is in arrears, and when I called them they said that I have to give one month's notice from the end of the 12 month period. So my 12 month contract is actually a minimum of 13 payments. Given that this was marketed as a 12 month contract, and I received no reply to my email clearly stating I wanted to cancel as of the final day of my 12-month term, do I have a leg to stand on if I refuse to pay them any more?

somethingcorporate

Do you have any proof that they received the email?

If so I'd suggest that you have both legs to stand on. Even not, I'd stand your ground especially as it appears you have given plenty of notice of your desire to cancel.

louschmoo

I don't have proof that they received (as in a read receipt) but the email I sent was the last in a trail of emails going back and forth - so I just replied to an email the manager had sent me. There is no reason to believe it would not have been received. I'm waiting for him to call me back tomorrow morning and we'll see what he has to say. Fingers crossed he'll back down if I stand my ground!

somethingcorporate

I would forward the email on to them. Even though it is not "proof" it will have a date stamp on and just stand your ground. Be nice but firm and I am sure you will get the result that you desire.

Good luck!

louschmoo

Thanks, I have already done that . I dug out the contract as well and it says you can give notice at any point in the agreement, but you can't terminate membership before the end of the commitment period. There's no mention anywhere of having to give one month's notice form the end of the commitment period. So I am pretty confident that I am in the right and they're in the wrong!