Gym Membership Issues

ramsdej

Hello everyone,

I seemed to have gotten myself into a bit of a pickle with my local gym and I hope you fantastic people can help.
So basically my Direct Debit comes out on the first of every month, and on the 1st of October 2 Direct debits came out. I called the gym and asked what the additional £20 was for and they said it is for equipment fees (so they can buy new equipment etc) and that it is in the Terms and Conditions. I have since checked this and that is correct but obviously I did not know this.

Anyway, as it was the 1st of the month, I had a chunk of money leave my bank and I did not notice that the Direct debit for the 'Fees' had been returned. We fast forward a month (the 2nd of November) and I get my first email from Harlands (who deal with the gyms DD) stating that I owe them £120, for the 2 missed DD and fees they have slammed on top. Now obviously as 1 DD failed, this automatically cancels it, so that is why I missed Novembers too.

I called up Harlands and they state they sent an email beginning of Oct, to state I missed the DD and also another half way through the month to say they were going to take the DD again. I did not get these emails (even checked SPAM).

Harlands wont budge on the fees and I personally think its a coincidence that the first email I get fell on the 2nd, which just gives them an excuse to add more fees for missing another month.

I get marketing emails all the time from the Gym, so how hard is it for them to send one 2 weeks before to state that they will be taking an additional payment? I personally think that this is extremely poor customer service and this would not have happened if I knew this 'Fee' was going to come out in Oct.

Is there anyway I can get out of these fees? Im more than happy to pay what I owe, just not 1 third of my gym membership for the year for one missed DD!

Thanks for reading.

Manxman_in_exile

"...obviously I did not know this..."


You say it's in the T&Cs so why did you not know?

[Deleted User]

ramsdej wrote: »

Harlands wont budge on the fees and I personally think its a coincidence that the first email I get fell on the 2nd, which just gives them an excuse to add more fees for missing another month.

Yes, it will just be a coincidence.

Sibz

Have you now read the Ts & Cs? Have you given permission for your details to be shared by the gym to other companies, was the DD mandate in this other companies name? The tightening of the Data Protection might help you if they haven't complied with the new laws - but that's probably a long shot. - maybe worth asking the gym to provide proof of your consent to this if they're not mentioned in the paperwork and you haven't signed a waiver or ticked a box.

Regardless - the DD company act on behalf of the gym so I wouldn't accept that it's out of the gyms hands at all. Were the amount of these fees laid out?

50Twuncle

ramsdej wrote: »

Hello everyone,

I seemed to have gotten myself into a bit of a pickle with my local gym and I hope you fantastic people can help.
So basically my Direct Debit comes out on the first of every month, and on the 1st of October 2 Direct debits came out. I called the gym and asked what the additional £20 was for and they said it is for equipment fees (so they can buy new equipment etc) and that it is in the Terms and Conditions. I have since checked this and that is correct but obviously I did not know this.

Anyway, as it was the 1st of the month, I had a chunk of money leave my bank and I did not notice that the Direct debit for the 'Fees' had been returned. We fast forward a month (the 2nd of November) and I get my first email from Harlands (who deal with the gyms DD) stating that I owe them £120, for the 2 missed DD and fees they have slammed on top. Now obviously as 1 DD failed, this automatically cancels it, so that is why I missed Novembers too.

I called up Harlands and they state they sent an email beginning of Oct, to state I missed the DD and also another half way through the month to say they were going to take the DD again. I did not get these emails (even checked SPAM).

Harlands wont budge on the fees and I personally think its a coincidence that the first email I get fell on the 2nd, which just gives them an excuse to add more fees for missing another month.

I get marketing emails all the time from the Gym, so how hard is it for them to send one 2 weeks before to state that they will be taking an additional payment? I personally think that this is extremely poor customer service and this would not have happened if I knew this 'Fee' was going to come out in Oct.

Is there anyway I can get out of these fees? Im more than happy to pay what I owe, just not 1 third of my gym membership for the year for one missed DD!

Thanks for reading.

I would not be too happy - if a gym took "extra money" to buy "new equipment" - surely a gym should have the equipment necessary already - what is to stop them from taking an extra £20 or more every month for "new equipment" ?
I would be cancelling my membership and going to a proper gym !