I thought that I cancelled membership, but they still took money

simon1138

Hello,
I had joined the gym group on 27th October 2023, my last attendance was 2nd November 2023, I only realised today that they have been taking money every month, £20.99. I have tried to contact them and the billing agency said they do not refund and I have to contact the gym group through their online process. I have done this and waiting for the response. Is it not unreasonable to get a refund for something I did not use? I have found their site a little distant and difficult to use. I was not able to get the app working either. Nationwide have said that without any proof of my cancelling they can not help. You have to cancel using the online function, which I believe I did at the time. I have found that contacting the gym group is tricky as it is all done through email. I cancelled when  had a membership before, usually you get the full month that you paid for, they cancelled the rest of my attendance so I did not get the full month. There was no name of the person and so I could not complain about it. It is a faceless organisation that seems to want to limit interaction as much as possible. Is there anything I can do? 

DullGreyGuy

Dig out the proof that you cancelled it. 

The fees give you the right to access and use the equipment, it doesn't obligate you to use it nor does you choosing not to use entitle you to a refund. Membership fees are calculated on the basis that a proportion of the membership will never or rarely use the facilities. If every member used it in full every day the fees would have to be much higher because they would have a limit to the number of members they can support. 

Brie

Check the T&Cs as well.  Some gyms catch people out by saying you've got a 1 year unbreakable contract.  So even if you cancelled your membership you are still obliged to pay for the full year.  Others will have something like 3 or 6 months notice being required.  

Grumpy_chap

simon1138 said:

Hello,
I had joined the gym group on 27th October 2023, my last attendance was 2nd November 2023, I only realised today that they have been taking money every month, £20.99. I have tried to contact them and the billing agency said they do not refund and I have to contact the gym group through their online process. I have done this and waiting for the response. Is it not unreasonable to get a refund for something I did not use? I have found their site a little distant and difficult to use. I was not able to get the app working either. Nationwide have said that without any proof of my cancelling they can not help. You have to cancel using the online function, which I believe I did at the time. I have found that contacting the gym group is tricky as it is all done through email. I cancelled when  had a membership before, usually you get the full month that you paid for, they cancelled the rest of my attendance so I did not get the full month. There was no name of the person and so I could not complain about it. It is a faceless organisation that seems to want to limit interaction as much as possible. Is there anything I can do? 

What were the rules relating to the rate that you had for gym membership?
You joined the gyn and used a couple of times over the first week.
Typical gym membership has a favourable rate if signing up for a minimum 12-month term (the gyms know that some people will join and only ever visit a handful of times).
If you signed up to a 12-momth membership, then that is the minimum term you will need to pay for.
If that is the case, you have five months of membership remaining, so make the best of it.