Gym membership

Hatty63

I’ve been a member of a well known gym for over 20 years and for the last two years I have paid the annual membership as a lump sum, previously I paid monthly Direct Debit which was always more than a lump sum payment. However, I asked how much it would be to pay DD this year and was told the option to pay DD no longer exists as my membership package is an old one and not offered anymore. I am still under my original contract terms so surely the option to pay DD should still be available?

user1977

Hatty63 said:

I am still under my original contract terms so surely the option to pay DD should still be available?

Does the contract specify you can pay by DD? Do they have to let you renew it at all? I would expect it's up to both parties to agree whether to renew at the end of the year and on what terms.

Hatty63

apparently when I opted to pay by lump sum this put me onto an annual package so DD no longer available. It wasn’t made explicit at the time.

Aylesbury_Duck

You need to read the contract and check that they're complying with it.  When you say you are "still under [my] original contract terms", what exactly do you mean?  Are you still in a long-term contract that says you have the option to pay by DD, or is the contract coming to an end?  If the contract renews annually, then I would assume they can choose whether to retain you as a customer and if so, under what terms.

I assume you want to remain a member on the "old package"?  If so, I wouldn't kick up too much of a fuss and I'd just pay the annual premium.  Is the DD package less favourable?

Grumpy_chap

Hatty63 said:

I’ve been a member of a well known gym for over 20 years and for the last two years I have paid the annual membership as a lump sum, previously I paid monthly Direct Debit which was always more than a lump sum payment. However, I asked how much it would be to pay DD this year and was told the option to pay DD no longer exists as my membership package is an old one and not offered anymore. I am still under my original contract terms so surely the option to pay DD should still be available?

It seems to me that you originally had a contract paid by DD at a certain rate = Contract A.  Renewed for however long.

That contract ended and you took a new contract paid annually at a different (lower) rate = Contract B.  Renewed for however long.

You are now interested in a different contract to be paid by DD at a third rate.  The gym is not obligated to offer a different or special contract.  What contracts are available on the website and at what rates?  If you are looking for a change from Contract B, it is only the widely available options that you can expect to be available to you.  These may be more expensive than the current Contract B.

Were you hoping to lock in the Contract B rate but also pay by DD?