Ashbourne management

[Tau]

Not to sure how to play this one.

Wife belonged to a gym. Took out a three year membership at a reduced rate for the three years. Stayed a member for about two thirds of the time, but was declared bankrupt in July this year.

Ashbourne management were one of her creditors, about £133 owing. They were informed prior to the wife being BR of what was going on(in writing).

Sent all of the relevant details to them along with the case number etc around mid July.

Recieved a letter from then just before Christmas demanding payment or the outstanding £217 !!!!! adding penalty charges by the look of it. They have also placed a default notice on her credit file dated 6th August 2007 a month after the wifes bankruptcy order.

They go on to state that they will continue to pester her for the outstanding money for the next six years or until the default dies.

 

I spoke to them and they say that because they have not registered the debt with the OR that they are entitled to continue to press for payment and have done nothing illegal.

I also checked with the OR to make sure that the various paperwork had been sent to them and they assured me it had, but they would send it again.

 

I need to get this default removed from the wifes file, more out of principal than anything else, as it should not have been filed anyway as it was done after the BR order.

I am prepared to go to court over this as its ticked me right off and so did the fecker on the phone.

 

Reading on thier website, it appears that they do not take people to court over any debts, but prefer to use the default method instead.

Im not sure that the wife signed a cca at the time of starting with them or not. I would have thought that she would have needed to if they were offering a monthly subs service. We never recieved a default notice either.

Now Im not to sure what to do, as due to the BR order the account now is in the hands of the OR and I dont want to go stepping on thier toes, so any suggestions would be more than welcome.

 

 

Many thanks.

[Tau]

They also appear to have broken data protection as well, by discussing my wifes account with me.

[spamheed]

Firstly, dont speak to these people on the telephone - They tell lies.

 

I would suggest contacting the OR and forwarding them the correspondence from Arsebournes and let them explain to the halfwits how the laws surrounding Bankruptcy work.

[Tau]

Already spoken to the OR. They have written again to Ashbournes, but they cant deal with the default, as its nowt to do with them.

 

I enjoy talking to them, as I dont owe them nothing there is nothing they can do:D

[diskmandave]

Tau, write to the credit reference agencies direct disputing the defaults and providing proof of BR. Write pursuant to their complaints procedure and threatening legal action etc etc...

 

CRA's are then duty bound to take up your complaint with the creditor and provide you with a further route of complaint should OC refuse to budge...

 

Best wishes, Dave.

[Tau]

Im back at work on Wednesday, so I will start the ball rolling then.

[djdave]

How did you get on with Ashbourne? I'm taking them to court so we may be able to help each other out.

[Tau]

To be perfectly honest, I have done bugger all, what with Christmas and the New year and being made redundant, it has been the last thing on my mind.

 

Have you a link to your thread dave.

[djdave]

I see you've already found it

 

As well as the courts and the Information Commissioner, I've now got the OFT on their case. I wouldn't want to be in their shoes right now.

 

As I say, let me know if I can be of any help.

[Geordie_Mac]

Totally new to this whole forum thing; found link on google, but was wondering if you could help me.

 

I foolishly signed myself and my daughter up to a gym using Ashbourne Management Services. It is a 36 month contract, and we're lookin for any possible way of getting out of it as the gym itself is dire!

 

The only possible flaw we can currently see on the contract is that it is for both me and my daughter, yet only i had to sign it. They also incorrectly stated her date of birth; she was 15 at the time and yet the contract states she was 16. Could this help us in any way?

 

Before I noticed this flaw in the contract i spoke to both the manager/owner of the gym and Ashbourne Management Services; both to no avail.

 

Also, if i stop the payments altogether, what do you think the likelihood is of them taking me to court etc over this?

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated; I've been paying them since October 06!

 

Many thanks!!

[o8aimee8o]

Im also having problems with them. I signed up for a years membership in january and then unexpectedly moved in march, i was told that i could cancel if i paid £25 and sent them a bank statement as proof of my new address being over 10-15 miles away from the gym. I did just this and yet they are still trying to take money out of my bank account. I havent used the gym since march, sent the proof of address and the fee on 5th April and saw on 23rd april that they still had the direct debit set up. There is no way i was paying another £25 for something i'm not using and in my eyes have cancelled. So i deleted the direct debit. I haven't had any word from them at all but once again, when checking my bank account two weeks later they'd set another direct debit up for £30.50 .. so they've obviously added charges. Once again deleted it, and just checked now.. they've set it up for £60. I'm going to get in contact with them, about this as i have not had any letters or anything from them at all. My assumption is that its got lost in the post, or they've lost it somewhere but they do have my phone number and my email address as well as my postal address so why not contact me on that?

[dragon27]

Re: Ashbourne Management

 

Hi everyone. Just browsing and came across site. I am about to cancel a gym membership (administered by Ashbourne) some 20 months in. Since signing up , I was made redundant and have never used the gym other than the induction. Any ideas as to where to go from here?

[tarantino]

Hi, I'm in a similar situation where I signed up with good intention. A couple of months down the line I have had to relocate (approx 50 miles away from the gym), and am not sure whether I can cancel. When I was signed up at the gym I was told by the girl that I could cancel if I get injured or if I leave the area. But there is nothing on the crappy contract that backs that up. Am I going to have to pay for the next 3 years for a service I can't even obtain?

 

Cheers

[babybear39]

This one needs reporting to BBC and Trading Standards

[cecilia287]

I signed up for gym membership with a Health Club, which uses Ashbourne Membership Management for their monthly payment collections.

I have only been a member for a week when I realised that it was a mistake of my life !!!!

I signed a Standard Order Agreement and was told by a member of their staff that the contract would arrive in post and it would be a 6 month contract with 1 month notice for cancellation.

I paid a payment of £25 for the first two weeks of joining and £15 joining fee - no receipt for that - apparently my 'swipe in' card is the receipt - as advised by the staff member.

The gym was closed at w/ends the first 2 weeks I joined without notification at the start. I was told about it the following day after I went there for a workout.

Gym facilities i.e. sauna, steam room were also closed and apparently are hardly ever available for use - as found out from other guys who used the gym too.

They are now starting to harras me for the 1st (??) payment of £25 + £5.50 on admin fee for August 08 !!

After requested I did receive a copy of the T&C's and a contract, part of which was the standard order section I signed. However, the whole form was completed by somebody else, adding details about 12!! months membership contract -

with my signature underneath. I onlu signe waht I have been advised that is a Standard Ordere Agreement and these 'updated' details appeared on the top part of the form - which I have not seen before.

I understand that a verbal contract IS a legal contract.

Are they in any position to legally demand these funds? Can anyone help.

This is just a quick brief of the facts. I have asked for T&Cs and have them scanned if of any help of you guys here. I have also had scanned all the documentation, which I have received from them so far.

Any advise on how to deal with this misleading and dishonest lot would be muchly appreciated.

[Jepho_2008]

I'm dealing with Ashbourne at the moment but am already fearing the worst.

 

I joined a gym near my work in June. I decided to pay £499 for 2 years membership, which works out at just over £20 a month - not bad for central London.

 

Anyway, the gym has just informed me that they are closing the upstairs portion of the gym and are concentrating on personal training and off peak memberships - neither of which are convenient to me.

 

I'm looking to get around £395 back from them, but I'm not holding my breath

[mrs.c]

i joined along with my daughter and 13yr old grandaughter back in Oct.07 i have ill health and explained to the gym that i was unsure if i would be able to keep the memebership up. i was told that proof of my illness was all i required to end my membership. I paid a £59 joininig fee pluss a month in advance. As my daughter did not have her bank details with her i paid and had her payments go out of my bank. In the January i became to ill to continue and told the gym i had to cancell my membership, fine they said no worry. Being in and out of hospital it was silly but i never relised they were still taking the money for all 3 out of my bank. It was May when my daughter who had moved away returned to declare bankrucpty noted i was still paying. She stopped the direct debit and waited to hear from them. After a few weeks they wrote and we rang them, explained things and they said fine send us a letter from your Doctor or Hospital and one month's payment and we will end the agreement. No need to bother with the other two memberships as they would all be covered. We disagreed on the money side because i had told them in January and they were still taking money in May. A letter from my Doctor costs £50 so i sent a copy of the hospital letter the hospital had sent to my Doctor telling them what i had and what they intended to do. Anyway to cut a long story short they said the letter was out of date and they had to have a current one from my Doctor. In the meantime i was also told that i owed 6 months back money and that only with this letter and the money would the agreement be ended. I sent the letter but not the money and have still recived no reply but i have been informed that i have been logged on the bad debt register and must now pay the full amount for all three members. Other the last 6-7 months i have had lots of letters telling me how much i owe that they were taking me to court and that the Bailiff would be sent in to remove my goods. I wrote and told them to take me to Court as a judge would uphold my claim and if he did not well i was registered disabled with no income and no property as everything was in my husbands name and did not have to long to live accourding to the hospital. They have not toke me to Court, they keep demanding money. How do we make people aware of these sort of people,fromwhat i have read on this website them consider themselves above the law.

[djdave]

Hello and welcome, Mrs C.

 

Watch this space regarding Ashbourne, they've recently settled out of court with me and are currently being investigated by the OFT.

 

The crucial point is: did you ever sign a credit agreement (as opposed to just a contract)? If not, you'd have to ask on what authority they are threatening court action.

 

Don't worry about their threats, by the way, they're all talk. They proudly boast that they prefer the default route over the courts. They're bullies, pure and simple. They rely on people coughing up the relatively small amounts (it's all relative: they wanted nearly £300 from me and I certainly don't consider that a small amount!).

 

May I suggest that anybody else who is having problems with Ashbourne contact the OFT at the address below, and also write to Ashbourne telling them that you've complained.

 

I'd also consider contacting Trading Standards.

 

I'm on a bit of a one-man crusade against these sharks, so let me know if I can be of any help!

 

That address for the OFT:

 

 

Office of Fair Trading

Consumer Credit Licensing

Room 1C/5

Fleetbank House

2-6 Salisbury Square

London

EC4Y 8JX

[Tau]

Hi Dave,

Congrats on winning with these leeches, great news mate.

[mrs.c]

Thanks for the warm welcome djdave and the address, i will be writing to them.

 

These people have made me so mad and i get the feeling from what i have now read about them, that after i'm gone they may well try to chase up my family which is just not on.

 

For all 3 memberships and costs they are now claiming over £1200.

 

I did a check and it was a membership agreement i signed.

 

I'll keep you posted on any replys i may get, but i'm not able to log on each day and my times may not be the most sociable.

[Tau]

They will default you shortly I think, check the membership agreement for info about sharing your info with other parties.

[Victor Arthur]

In March I joined A local gym for 1 year online this was a special offer

I could not print anything off as my printer deciided I needed a cartridge

I waited a couple of weeks Thinking I would get a contract through the post

I called Ashbournes customerr services to be told; the online service was a new innovation and that it was up to me to have printed off the contract.

( which to be fair I can't recall seeing but then I am 57 "JOKING" not about being 57) Good job I still have my sense of humour ! Cutting a long story short they have since told me they are trying to sort out with the online service to send me a contract As it's never been asked for before Ha ! Ha ! Three weeks later numerous calls are they stalling I think so I think hell will freeze over before I get a contract or anything !!! Anyone else having similar; or same problem?

Please if you have any advice, or anything let me know we NEED to nail these people

I still feel sorry for the sad people who have to earn a living this way ! not the bosses the plebs

Thats a thought any ex Ashbourne M workers out there (must be? )!!

 

Please I need help

Even if its just to help or warn those people in the future

 

Victor Arthur

[Victor Arthur]

Trouble is have no agreement thats what I need

Victor Arthur

[shakyfan1969]

Ashbourne management

 

I signed up for gym membership with a Health Club, which uses Ashbourne Membership Management for their monthly payment collections.

I have only been a member for a few weeks when I realised that it was a mistake of my life !!!!

 

I signed a Standard Order Agreement and was told by a member of their staff that the contract would arrive in post and it would be a month notice for cancellation.

 

I paid a payment of £15 for the first two weeks of joining fee - no receipt for that - apparently my 'swipe in' card is the receipt - as advised by the staff member.

 

I Kept going for a few weeks after that i stop going because of ill reason, I phoned up and they told me that i had siged a 3 years contract I told them no the women who siged me up side that it was a 12 mouth and i would have to give a mouth notice, i can cancel anytime if i give a mouth notice - after mouth notice i phoned back and told them if my membership cancel now as i couldn`t go because of ill reason they said i had to get a doctor notice. which i did and sent it to them, I have recieved a Letter back saying nothing about the doctor note.There sent to a load of crap about Default Registration of your dept has now taken place with a Leading Credit Referenc Agency. However it does say if i pay £350.00 within the next seven days,you may be deduct a goodwill discount of £50.00, resulting in a net payment requied of £300.00

 

Can anyone help me because i am sick of this now!

Edited June 18, 2009 by shakyfan1969

[Victor Arthur]

Thanks for getting back to me regarding Asboune Management I have been away on holiday so only just seen your repy I have asked my god daughter who is a solicitor to look into Ashbourne and will advise you if I learn away to prove they are conning us

 

Victor Arthur