How to cancel gym contracts - please feedback your experiences

Good Evening people.

My story is I asked to cancel my gym membership 4-5 months ago due to work, to which they replied sorry we cant cancel your membership you are under contract.
Fair enough I carried on with my gym membership..
This ended on the 30/04/13! I rang yesterday to cancel to be told sorry you will have to pay 3 months cancellation fee?
surely if my contract expired i dont have to comply with this demand?
thanks for any info!
regards Paul

I have joined the David Lloyds gym last Thursday 31/01/2013, in that opportunity I was assisted by a lady named Jenny, who advised me at the moment of signing my contract, about the services I will be entitle to use. When I explained her about my desire of join my family as well, I was told that my son will not be able to use the gym but the swimming pool facilities. And by been not older than 12 years old, he will not be able to use the swimming pool unless he is with an adult.

I asked Jenny if this can be applied to the gym as well, so she went downstairs to confirm this question with somebody from the staff. When Jenny returned she confirmed that the gym was out of question due to the age of my son, that he could only go to the gym on the classes that exist on Monday and Thursdays, but confirmed that he will not have any problems on the swimming pool as long as he is with an adult. Jenny also provided me details about swimming lessons (on a piece of paper that I have in my possession) where I wrote down all this information.

We went with my son to the swimming pool by 18:30 till 19:30 last Friday 01/02/2013 without any restriction from any member of the gym’s staff and we had a wonderful time at the swimming pool.

Last Saturday 02/02/2013, we went to the swimming pool again, by 16:00 the life guard approached my son and asked him about his age. When my son answer the question the life guard ask him to leave the swimming pool as he is not allow to be in the swimming pool without the life guard “on duty” (finishing at 16:00). I’ve told the life guard that the arrangement explained to me by Jenny was that he could be in the swimming pool without a life guard as long as an adult was with him.

The life guard said to me that it wasn’t right and I’ve ask if I could speak with the Manager. Mr Steve came to talk to me and confirmed the life guard explanation. After I left the swimming pool I spoke with Jenny again, and she told me that Mr Steve corrected her on her understanding of what should be the minimum age to be allow to use the swimming pool being a child with my son’s age. She apologized and agreed to cancel my son’s membership due this misunderstanding. She promised me to contact Mrs Sarah next Monday morning to proceed with this cancelation. As I’ve enrolled to this gym to be able to be with my son in the swimming pool (family membership) and found out that it was not going to be possible (for example: I can only go after 6pm during the week) , I’ve expressed my desire to cancel all the memberships (my son’s, my wife’s and my self’s). She totally understood and she promised to deal with this on Monday morning.

On Monday morning I went to the gym to meet Jenny, first thing in the morning, and they’ve told me that Jenny would come to the gym at 13:00 and that I could contact Mr Dan Carrier by 9:00. I waited until 9:20 and I had to leave to my work.

I’ve called them again around 13:45 as I didn’t receive any phone call from the gym and I talked to Mr Dan Carrier. He introduced himself as the Sales Manager and explained me that Jenny reports to him. I told him the whole story and he said to me that he couldn’t do anything until talking to Jenny whom might be returning to the gym on Wednesday. I asked him if I could contact his Manager Mr Dann Wallace and after waiting for an answer he told me that Mr Wallace was busy and that I should put everything in written.

As I felt being treated unfairly I called David Lloyds’ Headquarters. A nice lady told me that she would contact the gym and found out what’s going on.

By 16:00 I’ve received a call from Sarah, who listened my story and explained me that NOW my story is slightly different from Jenny’s. Apparently Jenny said that I told her that I would be responsible if any issue might happen with my son in the pool (which is not true).

Clearly, you can see that the membership was missold so I wish to cancel my membership, my son’s and my wife’s, whom not even used the gym yet.

We are dealing now with a company named ARCEUROPE. They are been contacting me to pay an outstanding balance on something that I am disputing as missold.

What should I do now?

Hi,
I have been a member at Nuffield health for 3 and a half years now and was only tied into a contract for 12 months. I have not been using the gym for about 6 months now and received a letter from them saying that they were putting the price up so I decided to cancel my membership. As I have been with them so long I stupidly thought I could just cancel but didn't read the small print regarding the notice period (didn't have this at my last gym). Anyway I figured that cancelling the direct debit would end it and that would be it (inow realise I was being thick). I got a call saying that I would have to pay or the would send a debt recovery agent round and that I should have given 30 days notice.
OK so I guess I would have to pay but when they sent me a letter changing the price they only gave me 3 weeks.
My argument is that other than the very small print in the contract I had no reason to think I had to give notice. If you guys think I have to pay then I will but only to save the hassle but I just don't think it is fair that I have to give notice but they don't.