Can I cancel my gym membership

redrabbit29

I am a member of a leisure centre, that are owned by the Leisure Connections group. I pay £34.00 a month for unlimited swimming/gym. I also pay for squash every week. I've been a member for over 6 months now, although I can cancel at anytime with one months notice.

Basically, there has been lots of problems since I started at the gym including:

* broken vending machines
* broken sauna (been broken for 4 months now)
* broken gym equipment

I have the date recorded of all these incidents.

The most frustrating incident was regarding a locker. I put my stuff in my locker, and went off to the gym to do my stuff. When I came back I tried to put my key in the locker and turn it, however it started to bend the key. So I stopped and went downstairs to recenption to report it.

Basically, I was handed from one person to another, and was eventually told "Just try opening it and see what happens". So I tried this, and luckily I did get into the locker. Anyway, the next time I visited the gym, the exact same locker had hammer marks and broken bits all over it, clearly it has been broken into. This implies that some other poor person had used this locker after me.

I wrote a letter to the centre telling them about this. I askedf or a response. After 4 weeks, I didn't receive anything. I then find out that their company policy is to "Promise to respond to all letters within 7 working days". So I send another letter, enclosing the old one, and askign them to meet their company policy and respond. They didn't.

Last night I went to the swimming pool with my friend, however when we got there, there was a notice saying: "DUe to unforeseen circumstances the swimming pool will be shut tonight". No sorry, no explanation, nothing. Wasted journey, and more hassle.

I want to cancel now, but want to stop the direct debit NOW, not in a month's time. However, the contract does say "give one month's notice". But I just don't want to. They have blatantly ignored all my efforts to complain.

Footnotes:

- I pay £34 a month gym membership
- been lots of problems
- ignored 2 complaint letters
- broke their company charter
- I have a contract saying one month's notice is needed
- I don't want to give it, want to cancel now.

Sorry for the long story - it is needed though!

Thanks everyone.

Darksun

You could try cancelling your direct debit, and writing them a letter (send it recorded delivery) saying that you are holding them in breach of contract because of the inadaquate facilities. They may dispute this, claiming any unpaid dues through debt collectors. If it went to court, you'd have to prove that the contract had been breached (not too hard from what you've told me).

You could also try claiming compensation for the inadaquate service received after payment for the previous months, in this case you may have to file a claim through the small claims court.