Hi guys

 

Just wanted some help, i recently cancelled my membership with fitness first after being with them for 5 years and just got fed up with the way they were running their gyms so i handed in my notice around mid may and cancelled my direct debits, they have been sending me letters saying that i owe them money for gym membership for june as its 30 days notice, i ignored the letters and now theyre threatining me with a debt collection agency......called them up today and they've added a £25 late fee to the money which they think i owe and i was getting sever attitude from the person over the phone and she said i was giving her attitude....im the bloody customer, i have a right to be annoyed if i suddenly have been charged a late fee.....she goes its all in the terms and condition and then said she was terminating the call and hang up on me :headvswal ......would they actually go ahead with a debt collection agency or are they chatting it

 

any help would be grateful

Just say you will take them to the small claims court, that will get them off of you

yup, i am currently chasing an ex tennant for £80 rent arreas through the courts, eventually it will get into the hands of a debt collection agency (cause he is a cocky prick who thinks he is untouchable) then the cost's will spiral

 

a debt collection agency wouldnt touch it unless they know that you are in the wrong, so if they get involved i would imagine that you have breached the terms and conditions

 

oh and ive also moved this to the correct forum, but dont worry, it was free of charge lol

yup, i am currently chasing an ex tennant for £80 rent arreas through the courts, eventually it will get into the hands of a debt collection agency (cause he is a cocky prick who thinks he is untouchable) then the cost's will spiral

 

a debt collection agency wouldnt touch it unless they know that you are in the wrong, so if they get involved i would imagine that you have breached the terms and conditions

 

oh and ive also moved this to the correct forum, but dont worry, it was free of charge lol

 

:rofl:

also, you have the right to be annoyed, but not the right to take it out on the person on the other end of the phone, be very carefull how you speak to people on the phone as it may be recorded, and if it goes to court they may use the call to discredit your attitude

I wasint rude, i actually asked her, are you having a bad day because it feels like your taking it out on me and i think that set her off even more lol

 

Regardless, though, i gave my notice in mid may so technically they should only charge me till mid june which should be half the month but theyre charging me the whole amount and now cheekily a late fee aswell......just read a whole bunch of reports on them in various sites and even watchdog have investigated them for such behaviour

 

I may just pay up and get it over and done with

 

sorry for posting it in the wrong section, was kinda annoyed and probably didnt realise were i posted it LOL

 

Fas

sounds like you should pay

you gave it mid may, you are responsible to pay may (which you will have), the notice willhave prob have to have been given at the start of a month and you are liable for that month (hence the 30 days notice), its like renting property, you give notice after you have paid a full month and then a months notice

 

sounds like you have to pay, i would pay it, if you start getting debt agencys involved it will be very costly

Yeh i was thinking the same..........bloody fitness first.....hope there accountants get diorhea and the owner gets gential herpes lol

 

Fas

they can pass the debt to a collection agency who will attempt to collect the money, but are legally powerless until a court has agreed you actually owe the money, so don't worry about that. It's illegal to record a telephone conversation without the knowledge of the other party, so it's unlikely to be used (although your attitude has no bearing on the legalities of the case). I'd say just reply to the letters and play the game - they probably won't take it any further - you can't get a CCJ until it's gone to court. They're required to issue a final demand before issuing a court action so you may as well wait until that happens before you pay up!

 

Check your contract for the interest terms, and make sure they're not too severe first though!

I recently left Virgin active gym, that was in may as well 12th if I remember correctly. I had to Pay May and June before I cancelled my direct debit.

 

It's in the terms and conditions so unfortunately there's no way around it without a medical note form your doctor that should have been provided at the time of cancellation.

 

May as well pay the £50 or what ever they are charging you.

Have you got written evidence of the notice given?

 

If not pay the £50 and go onto every fitness orientated forum and slag them off, that will cost them more than any court case ever will?

Hi guys

 

Just wanted some help, i recently cancelled my membership with fitness first after being with them for 5 years and just got fed up with the way they were running their gyms so i handed in my notice around mid may and cancelled my direct debits, they have been sending me letters saying that i owe them money for gym membership for june as its 30 days notice, i ignored the letters and now theyre threatining me with a debt collection agency......called them up today and they've added a £25 late fee to the money which they think i owe and i was getting sever attitude from the person over the phone and she said i was giving her attitude....im the bloody customer, i have a right to be annoyed if i suddenly have been charged a late fee.....she goes its all in the terms and condition and then said she was terminating the call and hang up on me :headvswal ......would they actually go ahead with a debt collection agency or are they chatting it

 

any help would be grateful

Sonds exactly the same as when I left Fitness First last year, I kept getting letters demanding payment. I had the signed cancellation agreement that I sent copies of to Fitness First finance dept and to the debt collector they sent after me. Once they all realised that I was in the clear, they stopped harrasing me, If you went into the gym and cancelled your membership they should have given you a signed cancellation agreement, If you have this then dont worry, your shit proof.

Iv calmed down now and decided its not worth the hassle, just gonna pay the shits and just slag them off on every website i can find

 

Fitness First are fuvkers and will rip you off (there you go) lol

give us a link and we will all register and reinforce your slating ;)

dont pay debts you dispute....ever....FF could be doing this to 100 people a month...call trading standards...they will usually have a template letter you can use..fill it in post it to FF & send copy to trading standards sit back and wait...as to charging extra for late payment which isnt even due from you...classic money maker for them and any collectors especially if you're mad enough to pay it...remember there are 1000's of cases against the banks with their army of legal experts for charges etc which have failed to be defended...do you think a little ol gym would fare any better in enforcing a £25 charge...the people i helped in the past dont even pay bailiffs fees and they are officers of the court with ordered fee schedules

I just cancelled mine, don't pay. When you cancelled you should have filled in a form called 'your departure application form' which gives you your months membership for the 30 days as you would have handed in your card. On the form gives a final billing date and a date the last direct debit will be taken , all signed by someone from fitness first.

this is why i dont join Gym's

Only intrested in your money.

 

Get into tennis mate, its peanuts and far more fun

I dont think this is the first time FF have done this. A lot of people have been stung by them. IIRC the notice period is 30days from the end of the month in which you give notice. If I'm right, it means you owe them. However, the £25 late penalty may be another matter, a bit like the bank overdraft charges....it does sound a bit excessive when membership is ony about £35! Might be worth contacting standards agency about that part.

 

Also, I doubt slagging off FF will really help. Whoever is advising them is doing a pretty good job...free membership with bupa, loads of gyms, etc, etc, etc....I think they have the biggest customer base in the UK? Might be wrong though...

 

p.s. I'm actually with them as well. Absolute pants gyms but you're never far from one and I got mates rates at £20pm! Can't complain really....until I decide to leave anyways!

Its a bit late now, i got up this morning and just thought fvck it and paid it, was a total of £68.......weighed the odds up and just couldint be asked to risk and feel the hassle of dealing with it, living in london i tend to find its hard to keep with everything and i can do without the hassle......still wanna screw them over though lol

 

thanks for all the help guys, much appreciated

 

Fas

still wanna screw them over though lol

 

whats the plan then?

put some dead fish under the lockers !

Well i dont have my card anymore as i had to return it but if i do manage to get into the gym then im thinking either shove a fish in the gym area where they will neva find it as Paul mentioned or stick a sign post up outside on the gym entrance stating something that should cheese them off but i dont know what yet.......suggestions would be great

 

Fas

The stupidity of these organisations amazes me, you have spent thousands with them and they should be falling over themselves to get you back or keep in good favour with you, now they have made an enemy for life!

Well i wouldint call myself an enemy lol......just disgruntled lol

 

Fas

Easiest thing to do mate is to set up a webpage detailing why FF are a crap gym and what you think of them. You can do this for free and from the comfort of your own armchair. in fact someone might already hhave done this for you i which case just put a posting on their site giving your experiences. Then if you want go to the nearest shopping centre and put a flyer under every windscreen wiper you can find dire cting them to fitnessfirstripsyouoff.com or whatever.

 

 

Alternatively, get hold of a wodge of Mcdonalds money off vouchers and hand them out to people leaving the gym!!