Hi there,

First post!

I’m a student an as it is summer and i’ve not been getting my student loan recently and only work part time i’ve struggled a little with money recently. My DD for xercise for less failed. Like many others on here i’ve been charged that famous £25 ‘admin fee’ in an email.

The email reads:

Harlands administer the collection of all payments due under your agreement with Xercise 4 Less. Your bank have advised us that your August instalment has been returned unpaid "refer to payer" as there were insufficient funds in the account to pay the amount due.

We will therefore debit your account on 23 AUG 18 for the total amount of £36.99 made up as follows:

Instalment Amount £11.99

Administration Fee £25.00

Total Due £36.99

You’ll see that it says they will debit my account on 23rd Aug. I dont get paid until 24th so i’m assuming they will then add a further £25 ‘admin fee’.

After reading various related threads on here i came to the conclusion that i don’t wish to pay the £50 ‘admin fees’ that i will inevitably be charged and so cancelled my direct debit. Afterall, this is the first payment delay there’s been in the entire 15 months ive been attending the gym.

I’m thinking about emailing they gym and, alike to other posters on here, offering them their August membership fee that I owe and then hopefully continue with my membership. I’m aware by cancelling my DD i’ve probably tarnished my relationship with the gym but I just think the fees are extortionate.

Thanks in advance

moved to the gyms forum

you've got the right idea!

Hi L1 and welcome to CAG

Well done for cancelling the DD mandate. If you left it active they'd have used it again and again, possibly costing you bank charges each and every time.

Don't bother emailing the gym for now - they will not be interested at all.

Write a letter (not email) to Harlands telling them you are cancelling the gym m/ship immediately due to them trying to use the DD mandate to collect unlawful admin fees.

Or, if you prefer, offer to pay them the missed payment if they agree to waive their unlawful admin fees (which they won't so it's really a waste of your time) and let you remain a member like you have been for the last year and more.

Keep us posted please.

Hi there, thanks for the reply. Sending the letter off today. Will update.