Hi

Im new to this forum.

I am looking for help with a CRS issue

they are hassling me since I cancelled my gym membership.

I have an injury which means I cannot use the gym

I sent a doctors note along with a written letter for cancelling only to get no response.

I've tried to ring the gym and harlands but just gave up after being messed around.

Need to talk to an expert.

Please Help!

Hi Shameless and welcome to CAG

I've started a new thread for you to use from now on.

Please give us more info :-

1. What gym did you join.

2. When did you sign up for the gym.

3. What was the initial minimum m/ship period.

4. Was the Dr's note and cancellation letter sent to Harlands, CRS or the gym.

5. Do you have any proof of postage or receipt.

Read other cases here and you'll see that Harlands/CRS cause a huge number of problems for gym members.

Hi Slick

Thanks for that. I joined Xercise4less and I signed up back in July 2014. The initial membership period was one year.

I contacted the gym as to cancel my membership as I have an injury I am awaiting operation for, and i was advised over the phone to send the doctors letter which I scanned and sent from a internet cafe. This was in November 2014.

I then phoned back and after being messed around by various people on reception I was told that it wasn't enough and I had to put my cancellation in writing and sign it which I did and sent it by post. (Not recorded, I have copies of both) I then followed it up with an email asking for confirmation of receipt however I received no response.

The problem I had was that there was only one person dealing with cancellations so I ended up ringing several times leaving messages with different people at front desk for the right person to contact me and let me know it had been actioned. I was never contacted. So I cancelled my DD before it was due. I rang again and finally got hold of the contact and they advised me it would cost me 50pounds to cancel but by this point another month had gone by so I refused to pay it as I had been trying to get hold of them to no avail.

I started receiving collection texts in Jan and when I phoned gym they told me to ignore it as it was a mistake. I phoned Harlands swell to make sure and they said the gym itself cannot send these messages out.

I admit do owe them for 1 month but they have fobbed me off on the phones and kept my account running into other months. Now CRS sent me a letter to a forwarding address to which I am not registered for 272pounds and keep ringing me. I am out of work at the moment and have my operation coming up and feel stressed.

I did speak to CRS once in which they said they will investigate and get back to me. However when they did and he asked to confirm my details, I suspect from my tone (which was pretty harsh) he put the phone down on me and the line was lost so I have refused to answer them ever since.

I know they are the same company as Harlands as the numbers are similar. Wanted to find out what options I had as I think these extra charges are unfair.

they most certainly are

and theres no law that says you must pay them.

they are simply outto fleece you

stay off the phone

no DCA has any legal powers

they ARE NOT BAILIFFS

dx

Hi Shameless and thanks for the info.

Don't speak to Harlands/CRS by phone and keep everything in writing only. Give them your current address so you know what they are up to at all times.

When you sent the scanned Dr's note to the gym, was this by email and do you have a copy you can print off. If so, print and keep it in case it's needed later.

I suggest you write to Harlands saying :-

Please note my current address as shown above.

I called the gym to cancel on medical grounds and, in November 2014, supplied them with the Dr's note as requested by them. My letter of xxdate refers to this and confirmed the cancellation.

I have tried to contact the gym and Harlands on several occasions since then because they did not confirm the membership as cancelled.

I have since received demands for large amounts of money from Harlands/CRS which I do not owe and will not pay.

If you believe I owe a further month's fee for the cancellation notice, confirm this within 14 days and I will pay it.

If you believe I owe a £50 cancellation fee, please provide me with a copy of the agreement that I signed which shows this is payable.

I will not pay any admin fees added by Harlands/CRS.

See how they respond.

Hi Slick

Sorry for the delay I don't have regular access to a personal computer at the moment. I have sent that letter you suggested above to Harlands a few days ago and I will wait for their response.

I went to see Citizens Advice Bureau who said they will write a letter for me and send it to them as long as I provide them with details of the contract.

I have to say I was never given a copy of the contract in person however there is a terms and conditions contract online which I have saved.

In the meantime CRS have written a lovely letter back to me, this is not in response to the letter I have sent drafted by you it came before in response to me ignoring their calls. Letter as follows:

Following our initial letter we are disappointed that your account with xercise4less is still in arrears and our fee has not been paid. We would like to reach an amicable solution with you however if you fail to respond to this letter we will have no option but to commence further action to recover the monies owed. The options available to us are:

LEGAL ACTION

We believe you are in breach of a legally binding contract with xercise4less because you have not paid your membership and our fees. We may pursue a claim under this contract through the courts. If we do so the following process would apply:

1 We will write a formal letter explaining what we are demanding and give you a final opportunity to pay/reply

@ If this failed to settle the matter we would issue proceedings against yo in County Court

3 You could then either

a Make payment, ending the legal process

b dispute some or all of the amount was owed

4 If you dispute the amount was owed the Court process would continue, at the end of which the court would make a decision on our claim.

5 A strict court imposed timescale will apply in relation to the Court process.

Were we successful in our claim, or if you ignore the claim, a County Court Judgement (CCJ) may be registered against you requiring you to make payment.

You may also be liable for our costs of pursuing legal action and interest on the amount owed.

If you then fail to pay the amount covered by the CCJ we would take the next steps required to enforce the judgement. To do tis we would have to make an application to Court.

2 OUTSOURCE EXTERNAL AGENTS

Your account would be passed to another Collection Agency who will take further action to recover the monies owed

YOU CAN AVOID THIS HAPPENING IF WITHIN THE NEXT 10 DAYS YOU CONTACT US ON 01444 449165 TO ARRANGE PAYMENT WITH US.

Your Sincerely

Rob Avery

For Credit Resolution Services

Should I just wait for their response to my letter or write them again in relation to this new letter above?

Many Thanks

Hi Shameless,

Ignore CRS's latest letter and wait for a proper response from Harlands to the letter in post #5 above.

If they have not replied after 14 days, send them a reminder demanding their urgent reply and enclose a copy of the 1st letter. Tell them to ensure that CRS communications are stopped until Harlands respond.

Use RM Signed For delivery, or get a free Certificate of Posting to help when Harlands deny receipt !!

Hi Slick

Ok I will ignore this latest letter for now until I hear back from Harlands. I sent my last letter off by recorded delivery and obtained a receipt.

If I don't hear I will take the next steps as you have described above.

Just to ask when you say enclose a copy of the first letter do you mean the one I have just sent off?

Yes, a chasing letter should include a copy of the unanswered letter. You can say :-

I refer to my letter dated xxth March and enclose a copy for reference.

As it is now 14 days since I wrote, please now respond urgently.

You should also ensure that Harlands/CRS stop all demands until I receive your considered response. You are also barred from referring this matter to any outside collection agency because of the OFT Debt Collection Guidelines.

Hi Slick

Thanks for that...

I just received a text today this time from xercise 4less head office saying that my account is in default and is about to be handed over to a third party doorstep debt collections agency. They have let their number to contact them.

Should I contact them and see if I can negotiate with them or should I still wait for Harlands response?

Thanks

ignore

just remember that any DCa or doorsteppers ARE NOT BAILIFFS

but they never turn up anyway

never ever

talk to a DCA or a doorstepper

and never ever pay either of them.

gold rule!

dx

Hi Slick

I just wanted to say a massive thanks a lot for your help. After sending that initial letter you drafted for me to Harlands, CRS have now written back confirming that no further action will be taken on their side and have therefore cancelled all charges on their side. I did not expect that at all, what a result. You saved me a lot of time and hassle.

Many thanks and much appreciated

P.s Thanks dx100uk too

Hi Shameless and thanks for the update.

Harlands/CRS have been quite quick to back down on this although I'm not certain why ??

It may be their demand for £50 Cancellation Fee which I doubt they should have tried to charge. But it could be anything.

Delighted for your result and, if you can manage any site donation, it'll help us keep helping others.

Thread title amended to reflect your **WIN**