Direct Debits- cancelling?

Cornholio_2

Hi,

I had a DD set up for our local council for a sports package thing for me and the missus. Neither of us were using it so in Feb I sent a REAL letter to them stating that I intended to cancel and would be cancelling the DD at the end of March. I did this prior to the next payment which would have come out on the 9th April via my online banking when at home(I live in the sticks).
Last month I got a letter from the council saying I was in arrears for that month(April), which I just assumed was a glitch. On Friday I got another letter and this time it said I was in arrears for Aril/May/June and now owed three months because I had "not given the required 28 days notice!"
I'm livid with this but have phoned the main sports centre and asked to speak to the manager who has issued these, and kept it all very polite. I've sent them an email on Friday night explaining everything but I need to know where I stand with this?
I didn't send the letter recorded, and I work 80 miles from home and spend most weekdays living in a van near my work to conserve money/fuel and time wasted travelling so please don't think I'm making this up, I don't have PC access there hence the snail mail!!!
The thing is, the letters they have sent are not recorded so they can't hold it to me to have done this if they don't?
Since then I've trawled their website and even found the pdf file on the membership form, which is still priced at the rate when we took it out, not even updated, and on it in the DD Guarantee/T&C's etc there is NOTHING relating to 28 days notification regardless, and it wasn't like a tied in private membership when we took it out say for a year/18 months or anything. It even says on the part we were supposed to keep "You can cancel a direct debit at any time by writing to your bank or building society. Please also send a copy of your letter to us" Nothing about 28 days!
Even taking another slant on it, I don't have a local branch of my bank for 40 miles, nearest PO 15 miles. So why do I even have to "write" to my bank and ask their permission to cancel a DD, when they offer that facility with their online banking!? What if I had written to the bank and said "please can you cancel my DD with effect from X date"? That letter could be sent to the council too but it doesn't state anything about my closing the actual sports account!!!? I may be changing banks for all they'd know!
Are they just chancing their luck? What if I had been working abroad for a year and was not receiving their snail mail would this just accrue!??!
I'm hoping they'll just scrub it but what if they don't? I can't prove I sent a letter but if they don't accept my version then they are calling me a liar.
Any advice appreciated!!!!!?

arcon5

Unless you have proof you cancelled it then I don't think you have a leg to stand on tbh. The fact their letters aren't sent recorded doesn't change anything.

You should always ensure you have proof of delivery or written confirmation when cancelling things as simply cancelling a DD doesn't mean you no longer liable for payment for the service.

If you was working abroad and didn't cancel... yes it would just accrue.

28 days notice isn't uncommon. There should be a cancellation policy somewhere, even without such you would be liable for payment to-date still.