My Gym membership has gone wrong....in my favour

lennox1185 · 27 February 2010 at 12:13AM

Evening all. After some advice please.

I had a 6 month gym membership back in early 2009. I paid the first installment there and then, with the following 5 months to be taken direct debit.

December last year, after a break, I went back to my gym. They scanned my card and still had all of my details, but rightly so my membership was inactive.

I decided to rejoin and paid the first installment there and then. I didnt have to fill in any forms because they already had my details.

I was told the next 5 payments would be direct debit as before, from the same account. I wasnt asked to fill in a new payment form either.

So, Jan and Feb have passed and no payment has been taken from me. I still use the gym and they swipe my card every time but everything seems fine! Each time I go I expect it to flash up about payments, but nothing!!!

I'm not complaining, free gym!!! But what happens if they realise and try and get the old payments from me? This technically isn't my fault...

4743hudsonj · 27 February 2010 at 12:25AM

lennox1185 wrote: »

Evening all. After some advice please.

I had a 6 month gym membership back in early 2009. I paid the first installment there and then, with the following 5 months to be taken direct debit.

December last year, after a break, I went back to my gym. They scanned my card and still had all of my details, but rightly so my membership was inactive.

I decided to rejoin and paid the first installment there and then. I didnt have to fill in any forms because they already had my details.

I was told the next 5 payments would be direct debit as before, from the same account. I wasnt asked to fill in a new payment form either.

So, Jan and Feb have passed and no payment has been taken from me. I still use the gym and they swipe my card every time but everything seems fine! Each time I go I expect it to flash up about payments, but nothing!!!

I'm not complaining, free gym!!! But what happens if they realise and try and get the old payments from me? This technically isn't my fault...

how did you provide the first instalment when you re-joined? was it automatic, did you go to the counter? was this when you were told about the 5 month direct debits.

TBH it sounds like if they find out, they have every right to claim (they can do this for a considerable amount of time after too)

Even though its not your fault they havnt taken payment, it is your responsibility to pay when requested (via direct debit)

blue_monkey_2 · 27 February 2010 at 12:30AM

Technically it is not your fault.... but they will know you are using their facilities and have proof as your card has been swiped so don't be shocked if they send you an invoice and want it all in one go. They probably are taking the money but from someone else and when that someone else complains they will trace the payments. Might be tomorrow, might be in 3 years time.

Not sure where the thread is but someone on here posted 'Virgin Media has 'screwed me over' because they had signed up and Virgin Media had taken payments of £80 a month from the wrong account and then VM had billed them for almost 2k for the 2 years they had been using it.

You know you should be paying so you either need to tell them that you are not paying and to get the DD sorted or stick the money in a savings account instead - just in case they want it all in a lump sum.

I've signed up for a service plan with my garage, found the money was not coming out and so called them to tell them. Was not worth the hassle of being billed in a lump sum IMO.

lennox1185 · 27 February 2010 at 12:43AM

4743hudsonj wrote: »

how did you provide the first instalment when you re-joined? was it automatic, did you go to the counter? was this when you were told about the 5 month direct debits.

TBH it sounds like if they find out, they have every right to claim (they can do this for a considerable amount of time after too)

Even though its not your fault they havnt taken payment, it is your responsibility to pay when requested (via direct debit)

The first time I joined I paid at the counter with my card, then filled in a DD form for the following 5 months.

I did the same this time(first payment at counter) but was told I didn't need to fill in a DD form.

custardy · 27 February 2010 at 11:57AM

is the DD still on your account?

lennox1185 · 27 February 2010 at 6:02PM

No the DD is not on my account, although I never cancelled it, I assume it stopped after my first 6 month membership??

custardy · 27 February 2010 at 6:15PM

i would expect the DD to still show on your account
i have never known them to disappear as i often go through and delete old ones

angel.cake_2 · 27 February 2010 at 6:25PM

Maybe it was a standing order originally, not a DD? In which case, it would delete off your account at the end of the term.

Obviously an admin error that you are not being charged now, they may find it (if they have decent staff) or they may not. Up to you how long you risk it for. I would keep the money to one side every month in preparation for an invoice arriving. Who knows, you may leave the gym in the future and never get asked for it.

My Gym membership has gone wrong....in my favour

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