Debt dispute

anksta

anksta

anksta

Soldato
Joined
19 Jan 2005
Posts
2,722
Hi all, I joined an LA Fitness gym last year around August or so and used it for a bit but it didn't go very well so I tried to cancel it around November/December in the gym and was told it was all fine etc.

Of course it wasn't and I quickly noticed that I was still being charged 45 quid a month. I then called them and said why are you still charging me I cancelled this and they said oh yeah sorry that's our mistake it's cancelled now.

Fast forward to May then and I noticed I am still being charged so I just cancelled the Direct Debit.

Now I am getting calls from debt collection agencies saying I still owe them 45 quid for one month's fee.

Here's the interesting bit, the gym I joined was LA Fitness but over the winter at some point it changed to become DW Fitness and now it's them and their debt collection agencies chasing me demanding money.

I know it's not a lot of money but the fact I cancelled it twice, it isn't even the gym I joined and that the charge I apparently owe goes from 60 quid to 45 on the phone once you push back shows it's a nonsensical charge.

Do I have any options here? They don't have any proof that I owe this money but given I cancelled in a branch and then over the phone of course utterly deprives me of showing that I cancelled twice, months ago and if we were being totally fair, they owe me money for continuing to charge me for at least 3 months past when I cancelled.

Cheers for reading.
 
I had a similar problem with absolutely fitness, told them I was off, cancelled the DD, then got a call from the debt collection agency saying I owed the month I was late plus a 60 quid fee.

I told them I had cancelled with the gym and that they should speak to each other, with me on hold they phoned the gym and dropped the debt, so I'd ask them to contact the gym if I were you.
 
anksta said:
if we were being totally fair, they owe me money for continuing to charge me for at least 3 months past when I cancelled.
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The direct debit guarantee should allow you to reclaim those 3 months payments

VincentHanna said:
Unless you got confirmation in writing about your cancellation, you probably haven't got much of a leg to stand on.
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Conversely have they got any proof that he authorised them to continue taking payments? This is exactly why I always cancel the direct debit when cancelling a service!

Is there a single gym company who aren't thieving lying scumbags? :(
 
You really need to get things in writing when you ask for a company to cancel something these days because if they don't end up doing something it can end up coming back to bite you. Tell them your side of it and initially raise a dispute, when they come back and say the debt still stands, if you want to then just make a token offer & ask for anything to be taken off your file.

I had something similar recently with a phone contract. In short, I cancelled it then over 2 years later got a letter through saying I owed about £400 in total which I disputed and just made a £10 token fee, telling them I wanted the default off my account. I trusted the company to actually cancel the contract when I asked, which they didn't. The company in question is the one that doesn't rhyme with anything.
 
Haggisman said:
Is there a single gym company who aren't thieving lying scumbags? :(
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David Lloyd were excellent when I cancelled (due to changing jobs and having a cheaper one on-site where I now work). There was an extra payment made by mistake, they spotted the error and contacted me to tell me they'd screwed up and had already refunded me. Can't expect more than that really... I don't mind companies making mistakes, it's how they handle it that I judge them on :)
 
Did you sign up to a 12 month contract, or was it monthly rolling?

I suspect it's the former otherwise they'd have no right to chase you for the money.
 
Semple said:
Did you sign up to a 12 month contract, or was it monthly rolling?

I suspect it's the former otherwise they'd have no right to chase you for the money.
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Of course they would a 1 month contract is still a contract just one you can get out of with 30 days notice some gyms do allow you to just cancel the DD some still need actual notice that you want to quit.
 
Have you checked your credit file recently?

Assuming there is no black marks on your file, for the sake of £45.00, I'd be tempted to pay it then follow up on dispute. Get it all in writing etc.

Though as said previously, if you haven't got your cancellation (or their acknowledgement) in writing, I don't see that going too well.
 
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