Cancelling David Lloyd membership

spike1103

My son was living in Bristol and signed up in November 2011 for a year’s membership at the local David Lloyd gym. He was told that he could have the first three months free membership as part of a deal they were offering. It seemed too good to be true, and inevitably was.

Unfortunately, and with little notice, his work relocated him to Devon, as they were closing the site he was working on. As I live in Devon he accepted this transfer, gave notice at his flat and the plan was that he move back in with me until he found somewhere to live. This was in December 2011, just over a month ago and barely a month into his membership at the gym.

He visited the David Lloyd gym in Exeter just before he moved back and was told he could transfer his membership to that gym, but they weren’t offering the same deal, so he wouldn’t get his three months’ free membership. And the monthly fee wasn’t the £80 he was to pay in Bristol but £100.

My son understood from David Lloyd staff that he was tied into the contract anyway, so signed to transfer. However, since Christmas he’s now been put on short-time working and is really struggling to make ends meet, let alone fork out £100 a month for a gym. Added to his woes, he’s broken his collarbone, which means he can only do light work when he’s actually working, but certainly can’t use the gym for a while.

My son was never told if there was such a thing as a “cooling off” period with David Lloyd, and certainly wasn’t told that there was a three month notice period, which we’ve just found on the DL website under the T&Cs. This situation on top of the incapacity and the short-hours working is making things very difficult, particularly as I lost my own job a few months ago.

Any ideas on whether there’s any way out of this contract, particularly as he’d signed up to one package, only to move, and find the transferred contract wasn’t what he was originally sold.

Honestly, it’s not a matter of changing his mind over the contract or even finding he’s not using the gym (until he hurt himself, he was going 2-3 times a week), but a genuine change in circumstances that’s created this situation.

lateandlive

I would think, and I stand to be corrected, that the terms of the contract are what will affect you here.

Your sons circumstance changes are unfortunate, but in all honesty he signed a contract with the gym for a specific amount of time. He could try to appeal to David Lloyds better nature, but you might not get the response you'd hope for!

Equally, unless there was specific clause in the contract, they were under no obligation to move it to the other gym if it was tied specifically to the branch he joined at and that was explained to him. I find it weird that they don't offer their membership across all of their sites, however?

You might find there's scope to put the contract on hold as your son is unable to use the facilities, but what you have to remember is that DL are offering everything that they said they would when your son signed on the dotted line. Changes to his circumstances aren't their fault.

That said, are you working on the line that you think his contract was mis-sold?

arcon5

This will be of interest to you:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3729681