HELP! Debt Collectors

NavyBlue_3

Can any one offer me some advice? I quit my gym last summer as I was unhappy with the service I was receiving. They wanted 3 months notice, I said no because it was their fault I was leaving and in the end gave them 2 months notice. I heard nothing since until the other day when i received a letter from debt collectors asking for the third months fee. As a matter of principle I do not wish to pay, but don't want to be blacklisted :eek: - can this happen, and what are my options?

Clive_Woody

NavyBlue wrote: »

Can any one offer me some advice? I quit my gym last summer as I was unhappy with the service I was receiving. They wanted 3 months notice, I said no because it was their fault I was leaving and in the end gave them 2 months notice. I heard nothing since until the other day when i received a letter from debt collectors asking for the third months fee. As a matter of principle I do not wish to pay, but don't want to be blacklisted :eek: - can this happen, and what are my options?

Sorry to say it, but most likely they can enforce this as you signed a contract agreeing to give three months notice before leaving. Did you put any complaints in writing before leaving? Did they respond to these complaints and offer to do anything about them?

Tozer

By the way, if it is LA Fitness, you have my sympathy. I recently quit the gym as, despite writing, telephoning and speaking to the manager, the facilities were continuously broken. Their customer services totally ignored me and couldn't even reply.

In the end I terminated by reason of their breach. They continued to take the direct debit and I sued for breach of contract claiming back the money from when I said they had to put things right.

Suggest you tell them to get stuffed and that if they continue to claim, then you will counterclaim for their breach and reclaim the 2 months.

Is there much in writing from the time?

NavyBlue_3

Guys, thanks for your responses. Yes, I sent the gym a letter of complaint explaining why I was leaving. I had a discussion with them stating that because of the poor service and the gym experience had now been tainted I no longer wished to stay with them and that they shouldn't expect me to pay for a further three months. They refused to budge on this, but never heard anything again from them until the debt collectors.

I like the idea of a counter claim - did you actually get to court with LA Fitness or did they settle out of?

Tozer

Nope. LA Fitness caved immediately. Don't forget you will be dealing (initially) with debt collectors who, lets face it, are sometimes not the sharpest tools in the box.

One little tactic which I have done is actually to fax a copy of a County Court Claim form to the service provider and say that it will be lodged at Court unless a rapid settlement is achieved.