Bannatyne Cancellation "not received my letter"

[rlukey]

I was wondering if any body else had the same experience with Bannatyne's.

 

I was fully aware of their 3months notification period and of the problems with my gym taking ages to process admin changes, so I sent my letter to them 4 months ahead of my cancellation date.

I cancelled the direct debit at the appropriate time (standard practise for me now after dealing with mobile phone companies...).

 

My problem is that they claim to have no record of my cancellation letter and are now demanding £174 for outstanding subscription fees, as seen with most other people on the forum, the letter threatens County Court action.

 

The cynic view would be that this is a deliberate tactic for them to get more money... though I think the truth is a more mundane clerical error at the gym (it took several months and multiple requests to update my address before it finally happened.) The reason for cancelling was a house move that took me well away from a Bannatyne gym.

 

The attitude of the head office has been awful, having spoken to Chris Hughes in the membership dept, the attitude has been one of 'don't really care about your problem, pay up or it goes to our legal dept.' Not his words but the underlying sentiment.

 

I would have joined another Bannatynes gym, but this attitude by head office to a serious customer service problem is terrible.

I really don't know what to do next as I have done everything necessary to cancel the membership in good time.

 

Anyone had this experience of 'not received your letter'?

Any advice?

[locutus]

I was wondering if any body else had the same experience with Bannatyne's.

 

I was fully aware of their 3months notification period and of the problems with my gym taking ages to process admin changes, so I sent my letter to them 4 months ahead of my cancellation date.

I canceled the direct debit at the appropriate time (standard practice for me now after dealing with mobile phone companies...).

 

My problem is that they claim to have no record of my cancellation letter and are now demanding £174 for outstanding subscription fees, as seen with most other people on the forum, the letter threatens County Court action.

 

The cynic view would be that this is a deliberate tactic for them to get more money... though I think the truth is a more mundane clerical error at the gym (it took several months and multiple requests to update my address before it finally happened.) The reason for canceling was a house move that took me well away from a Bannatyne gym.

 

The attitude of the head office has been awful, having spoken to Chris Hughes in the membership dept, the attitude has been one of 'don't really care about your problem, pay up or it goes to our legal dept.' Not his words but the underlying sentiment.

 

I would have joined another Bannatynes gym, but this attitude by head office to a serious customer service problem is terrible.

I really don't know what to do next as I have done everything necessary to cancel the membership in good time.

 

Anyone had this experience of 'not received your letter'?

Any advice?

 

You pigeon holed them by thinking maybe this was deliberate, and then thought that it was an incompetent mistake. Allow me to fill that pigeon hole full of pigeon for you (1st thoughts are generally correct after all)Read these forums and you'll find dozens of threads where people canceled in writing and the gym admin company didn't action it, then send bills threatening legal action. So, unfortunately, this is not a one off.

 

Did you also cancel a direct debit to them? Did you tell the local gym? These would also be acceptable ways of terminating your gym membership I believe.

 

Slick will be along shortly to tell you how to best handle them, but you are not alone, and don't give in to their bully boy tactics.

[slick132]

Hi Rlukey and welcome to CAG

 

Locutus is bang-on - the gyms and their admin companies have a terrible reputation for "losing" stuff to do with cancellations.

 

You have 2 choices :-

 

1. Ignore the demands, after telling the gym you have copies of relevant correspondence and will be happy to defend any case they dare to take to court.

 

2. Take a more pro-active approach and argue the matter with them. This could take ages as they tend not to hear anything they don't like !!

 

Read other threads to see what others are doing about their cases.

 

Read about the case where Ashbourne Mgt Services Ltd were taken to the High Court by the OFT and given a hiding. This gives all gym users good ammo with which to defend their cases - http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?320766-Ashbourne-Management-Services-Ltd-Contracts-longer-than-12-months

 

[Erisar2001]

I'am a member of bannatynes in chafford hundred.

With my wife we've got account for such a long time.

But please be carefully when you sign in, because to cancel membership you can do it only after 9 months to be a member , and you have to give them cancellation letter - with three months notice period. And do not forget to take receipt for the letter you have drop. My son gave them cancellation letter which they lost. There is not excuse for nothing, they are only want you money to be paid!!!

 

But before you sign in to bannatyne's gym, think really about what you gonna do, because it is not really good gym. Some of facilities are not clean, broken. If some thing was broken we had to wait for at least couple off months, to get bannatyne's to repair it.

Facilities are cleaning only superficial. The worst one , i think is the sauna. So much stinks. Toilets mold, dumps. No antibacterial lamps is well.one of the toilet's seat has been fixed after 1.5 year, drinking water around sauna and steam 2 months...

And the really bed think: They don't care- if you will have locker burgled and your stuff stolen!!! No even sorry from them!!!

Nothing. my member ship card was founded after month at the back stairs... so if they clean up like that....

At gym in chafford hundred many lockers has been burgled. All stuff gone, wallets, money, cards, bugs, trousers, trucksuits . Everything!!!

so be very carefully before yo sign in to !!!, may be look for another gym or buy staff to exercise at home...

[afcwben]

isnt sending a letter of cancellation covered by the interpretation act?