Hi,

I have a similar issue myself regarding Bannatynes Gym and ARC Europe.

I signed up for a 12 month contract to the gym in October 2015, after paying for 9 months I was relocated through work 310 miles away and my new nearest gym would be over an hours drive each way.

I emailed Bannatynes to give notice that I would be cancelling my 12 month contract because I had been relocated and my financial situation had changed meaning that I could no longer access/afford to go to the gym.

I received an email back in September 2016 of last year offering a 20% discount but that I still had to pay them £160. I emailed back to say that due to my change in circumstances I would not be paying.

Fast forward to October this year, and I have moved house so wouldn't have received anything that was put in writing but I didn't hear from the gym again and have just started to receive calls from ARC Europe saying that I owe them money!

How do I go about solving this? And do I actually owe them anything!?

Please help!!!!!!

you don't

you ignore them

a DCA is NOT A BAILIFF

and has

stuff all legal powers

block their number

never ever talk on the phone about your debts

esp to powerless DCA's

dx

Thanks so much for your reply!

I'm really worried that they may be able to put a black mark or issue a CCJ against me - am I correct in that I don't owe them anything?

If they contact again do I just completely ignore?

gym debt are not credit so don't show...

gyms don't do CCJ's.

dx

Hi HB and welcome to CAG

1. What date did you first tell Bannatynes by email you were leaving to relocate.

2. What date did you last pay the gym a DD.

Don't contact ARC or the gym at all for now.

Hi,

Thanks for your help.

I first notified them in May of 2016 that I would be terminating my contract. I paid in total 8 of the 12 months and my last direct debit would have been in the May also.

I won't make any contact with either in the mean time, thank you!

Hi HB,

Can you be more specific about the dates.

Or instead confirm if the last DD was paid AFTER you sent the email about the need to cancel.

Hi Slick,

So I still have my email from when I cancelled on the 18/05/16. Scrolling back through my bank the direct debit used to come out on the 1st of each Month.

I paid my last one on the 01/05/16 but didn't pay from the 01/06/16

I think there issue is that I cancelled after 9 months of the 12 month contract even though I set out the reasons why due to relocation out of my control and a different Bannatynes gym not being remotely close.

Thank you!!!!

Hi HB,

You had every right to cancel because of the relocation.

However, you should have allowed one gym fee to be paid by DD before cancelling the mandate.

Write ARC a letter saying no more than :-

I refer to my m/ship at xxxxx gym.

I informed the gym by email that I needed to cancel due to relocation and have proof of this.

I now realise I should have allowed one final fee to taken by DD before I cancelled the mandate.

I now offer to pay you one month's fee to settle the matter. If you reply in writing confirming you accept my offer to close the matter, I will pay you promptly using the bank payment details you will give me.

If you fail to accept my offer within 14 days, or demand any higher amount for gym fees or admin fees, I will pay you nothing.

Get a free Certificate of Posting at the PO when you send this.

Keep us updated.

Perfect, thank you so much!!

I'll send this off today and keep you update with the response!

In the mean time is there anything I can do to stop them

Continuously ringing my house phone? I haven't spoken to them on the phone but I'm receiving 4 calls a day from there number

Thank you.

For now, keep a Log of all forms of contact in case a formal complaint is needed.

Log the phone number and time of each call; same for any text msgs; and any email contact.