Charges £800 to leave kids karate club?

[Deleted User]

Good Evening All

Looking for some opinion and advice please folks.

We joined a karate club in May for our 7 year old daughter, she wanted to have a go.

After undertaking a trial, we asked about prices, and nothing followed, we were took into an office and given over an hour of jargon about the club, this was repeated and this time we were asked for £6000 for a lifetime membership, we aren't completely stupid and so declined this, we however paid a few hundred pounds to join and then paid a monthly fee of £100 for these classes.

She got on okay and started to go, she didn't really learn much as it was very fast paced and taught using a copy me style and not really any method, or theory.

Anyway few months in the price increased by £20 as there was a new scheme and new uniform to go with it. We paid and she was happy.

Few weeks back, price increased again this time by £50 and there was again a new scheme, again required a new uniform and was now costing £170 per month.

We didn't fancy paying this amount, as we didn't feel it was value for money, in fact she still can't do much in terms of karate.

We declined this upgrade, and were then subject to several meetings to outline the benefit and what I would say was pressure to buy.

At the point of the third meeting, we left and found another club. I felt very unhappy because of our treatment and paid for no further classes. We are in a 3 month contact so they say and now we have fees to pay - as per the above.

I explain how we felt in writing and told them to go away.

Now they call us night and day, leave messages and wont go away.

I feel that it's a scam, equally I agreed to this contract but I dont feel the pressure and treatment was something that anyone should be subjected to, you know the sort of treatment when you are looking around the car sales room? That's it!

Anyway, what should I do. I don't want to pay but equally I'm fed up of the hassle.

Marktheshark

what did / have you sign with regards to contracts.

[Deleted User]

We signed to say that we would give 3 months notice, I expect.

We would never have left, but the constant selling of further products, i.e. sent into the office whilst training.

We do not have a copy of the said contract, but I'm quite sure that it was signed by me stupidly and again after 1.5 hours of discussions.

Marktheshark

First thing then is to send them a demand to provide a full signed copy of the contract they believe supports their claim.

hollydays

Have you tried googling them to see if others have had similar problems?
It sounds exploitative , £6000 !!

I think you need legal advice.

elsien

Ask for a copy of the contract you signed before going any further. You need to double check a) what you agreed to and b) what it says about price increases - you might be able to look at unfair terms, depending on what the contract actually says.
Definitely worthy if a "prove it" letter, and tell them you will only communicate by letter from here on in and you will consider endless phone alms as harrassment.

[Deleted User]

Thanks all I will do that. The calls we get are from the on site staff and not collections, they are personal and ask lots of questions and try to disprove how we feel.

I have looked online and cannot find anything about them, I'm really surprised because there is now less selling in my local bank and car dealership and it's hard sales tactics that are being used, the sort the energy sales people used to use at the door. I still cant believe it to be honest and I'm even more upset that I took to it at first!

naedanger

assj wrote: »

Good Evening All

Looking for some opinion and advice please folks.

We joined a karate club in May for our 7 year old daughter, she wanted to have a go.

After undertaking a trial, we asked about prices, and nothing followed, we were took into an office and given over an hour of jargon about the club, this was repeated and this time we were asked for £6000 for a lifetime membership, we aren't completely stupid and so declined this, we however paid a few hundred pounds to join and then paid a monthly fee of £100 for these classes.

She got on okay and started to go, she didn't really learn much as it was very fast paced and taught using a copy me style and not really any method, or theory.

Anyway few months in the price increased by £20 as there was a new scheme and new uniform to go with it. We paid and she was happy.

Few weeks back, price increased again this time by £50 and there was again a new scheme, again required a new uniform and was now costing £170 per month.

We didn't fancy paying this amount, as we didn't feel it was value for money, in fact she still can't do much in terms of karate.

We declined this upgrade, and were then subject to several meetings to outline the benefit and what I would say was pressure to buy.

At the point of the third meeting, we left and found another club. I felt very unhappy because of our treatment and paid for no further classes. We are in a 3 month contact so they say and now we have fees to pay - as per the above.

I explain how we felt in writing and told them to go away.

Now they call us night and day, leave messages and wont go away.

I feel that it's a scam, equally I agreed to this contract but I dont feel the pressure and treatment was something that anyone should be subjected to, you know the sort of treatment when you are looking around the car sales room? That's it!

Anyway, what should I do. I don't want to pay but equally I'm fed up of the hassle.

As another poster has said the contract may be unfair under the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999.

The OFT issued guidance on what they thought were unfair terms. (However this is only their view, a court may not agree with it.)

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/284426/oft311.pdf

There are a few arguments in there that you could potentially use, depending on the precise terms and conditions you agreed e.g. if the supplier could cancel the contract without notice, then requiring you to give 3 months notice may be regarded as unfair.

However your best argument, for saying the contract was unfair, is given on pages 57 and 58. The essence of the argument is a term may be unfair if it has the effect of "... allowing a seller of goods or supplier of services to increase their price without ... giving the consumer the corresponding right to cancel the contract if the final price is too high in relation to the price agreed when the contract was concluded".

They also say:
"A clause allowing the supplier to increase the price – varying the most important of all of the consumer's contractual obligations – has clear potential for unfairness.
12.2 Any purely discretionary right to set or vary a price after the consumer has become bound to pay is obviously objectionable. That applies particularly to terms allowing the supplier to charge a price on delivery of goods that is not what was quoted to the consumer when the order was placed. It also applies to rights to increase payments under continuing contracts where consumers are 'captive' – that is, they have no penalty-free right to cancel. "[My emphasis.]

In fact they go further and say that "The OFT does not consider that use of 'valid reasons' normally justifies price increases, essentially on grounds stated in paragraph 12.3 that is, lack of verifiability." So even if the club say the increase is to reflect an increase in costs the OFT's view was that would not justify a price increase being made unless you were permitted to cancel penalty-free.

hollydays

If you want to you pm me all info about them I can do some searching for you if you want. Are they a limited company?

[Deleted User]

Thanks all really appreciate this advice, I'll make the request and keep you posted.

[Deleted User]

Don't suppose anyone can point me in the direction of the prove it letter template, searched and found lots of broken links :-/