Dropped in it...

loopyloulou_3

I have a corporate gym membership through work, which my work get an invoice from the gym head office, they pay and then take from my wages.

The gym never sent an invoice to my work, after being hassled by my work about it. My contact here even went down to the gym and was told by the then manager "she'll probably get away with a years free membership and dont worry about it". My contact here has just gone down to the gym and raised it - this has been since May 2006, and the new manager said he is going to back date the payments. OUCH. He said it would be different if I hadnt used the gym much (I cant see why!)

My firm chased it repeatedly and nothing was done about invoicing them.

So it looks like I will have to find £406 before xmas. What can I do, it was their incompetance that led to this error as I did all but beg them to take my money!!

Now the Manager that said "dont worry about it" has left, I dont know what to do.

Any advice?

Lou xx

Broken_hearted

If you knew you had to pay it not a lot, maybe you could set up payments rather than one huge chunk.

loopyloulou_3

well you are right, i did know that i had to pay it, but on behalf of my firm (who essentially would not have chased it at all). I and my contact here have chased and chased them for the invoice to no avail.

Im so frustrated by it all - that stupid gym manager who told me not to worry about it. I dont see what else I could have done to inform them that I wasnt paying. They are so useless and incompetent.

I know I should have saved the money, which i foolishly didn't. they will take it monthly I would imagine but I cant even afford that (as I will have to pay £116 for 4 months, which I cant afford to do)

Welshlassie

I'd go up the Gym and shout and scream and stamp your feet.
I had a similar problem with a gym where we were told lots of things to get us to join and then 6 months after we joined and alot of what we were promised didn't materialise we cancelled our membership, this led to us being chased for a further 6 months worth of payment. I wrote a very snotty letter explaining the situation, what we had been told, what had not been delivered and low and behold they waived the remaining fee.

Could you do something similar, write to them explaining the situation what you had been told and see what they say. Its better to do it in writing so they can't say in 6 months that they don't know anything about it.

climbgirl

It doesn't really matter if they've been ridiculously incompetant (which they have) - the fact is that you've been using the gym and you knew you'd have to pay for it, or should have been paying for it, even if you were chasing them. And despite what he's told you (unless you have it in writing), you do have a contract with the gym and you do legally owe them this money.

However, because they've mucked you around so much I think you should call them and demand a repayment plan over some months.

I'm sorry, but that's the best you can do really. You do legally owe this money and you know that - it's just a pity you've spent it really...

loopyloulou_3

i wish i had it all in writing from day one now. i stupidly believed the manager but as my contact here is dealing with it it is hard for me to interfere. If need be i will be down there as fast as my legs can carry me and will be ranting and raving about it. it is only becuase they have changed to Virgin and changed management that they are dealing with it (and this is only as i raised it for the millionth time) that they even know about it.

I am waiting to hear from my contact here if they have made any decisions about what to do about it. i am praying they will drop it, and wishing i hadnt raised it now
boooo hooooo not what i need just before xmas :-(

loopyloulou_3

I never signed a contract, in fact neither has my firm, as it would be paid by cheque by my firm by invoice.

I just feel hard done by by it all, as if I hadnt brought it to their attention again and kept my mouth shut I probably could have got away with it indefinately. They are just useless and unhelpful about the entire thing and think I should just fork out the £406 today and be done with.

melaniec_2

i would contact head office and ask for a significant discount, this is bad customer service

loopyloulou_3

its shockingly bad customer service!!!

they are so blase about the whole thing, and are blaming me entirely!

It wouldnt suprise me if they suggest I pay interest on what I owe them too!!

melaniec_2

its worth a phone call

lynzpower

hang on if you dont have a contract- how can that contract be enforced?