Please help! Xercise 4 Less/Harlands/CRS trying to scare a pregnant lady here!

[slick132]

Hi Elvie and welcome to CAG

 

As said above, you must stay OFF the phone as you will hear nothing at all that will help you. If Harlands/CRS call you, just tell the IN WRITING ONLY, then hang up !!

 

To answer your Q's above :-

 

1. Harlands/CRS are the same outfit but they pretend that CRS is a separate entity. The alleged debt has not been sold, nor is it ever likely to be.

 

2. Yes, we maintain that cancelling the DD was adequate notice of intent to cancel.

 

3. Makes no difference if you used the gym or not.

 

4. We always advise that you challenge, and do not pay, their admin fees as they are unenforceable penalties.

 

5. Offering to pay a months fee for the notice period is right.

 

6. As Harlands/CRS are the same, you will NOT speak to them to offer fees to settle the matter.

 

We can help you with a brief letter to send to Harlands and I'll post this up shortly.

 

[slick132]

Hi Elvie,

 

Can you please confirm the date you cancelled the DD mandate.

 

[slick132]

If you cancelled the DD in early August, it would appear that they failed to take the July DD for some reason. Can you think of any reason for this ?

 

The payment they tried to take in Aug of £39.99 would be £14.99 gym fee plus £25 admin fee for a missed fee. No matter, as that's a minor issue. Let us know about this before you send this letter as it may need altering.

 

Letter to Harlands and get a free Certificate of Posting at the PO :-

 

Dear Harlands,

 

Xercise4Less Gym in [town or city]

 

I refer to my membership at the above gym earlier this year.

 

I will only deal with this matter in writing and require that you do not phone me or send text or SMS messages. I am pregnant and, after miscarrying earlier this year, I do not need the stress of being hounded by Harlands/CRS with demands for ridiculously high payments.

 

I can see no reason why you failed to take the DD payment due at the end of July. Is there any reason for this as my bank confirms you failed to seek the DD payment.

 

I had to cancel my membership in early August, when I was made redundant (employer went bust) and I found I was pregnant again.

 

I am willing to offer you £14.99 for the months notice I should have given you when I cancelled the DD mandate. If you confirm in writing within 14 days that you'll accept my payment in full settlement of all that I owe, I will pay you.

 

I will not pay you any admin fees that you have added.

 

If you insist I pay admin fees, I will not pay you anything.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

No need to say any more at this stage.

 

[slick132]

Hi Elvie,

 

If Harlands failed to take the July DD, that's their problem really.

 

Just send the letter as it is, and let us know how they reply.

 

[slick132]

Hi Elvie,

 

Ok, hold off from sending the letter until we get this right ..............

 

You cancelled the DD on 30th August, not the 7th so I assume they tried to take a DD around 26th August. Did they take £14.99; or £14.99 + admin fee of £25.00 = £39.99. Or did your bank not pay them.

 

And what about the July payment - did you ask the bank about this, and whether Harlands attempted to take a DD at the end of July.

 

I'll be back later today and we'll get the letter sorted then .............

 

Edited October 20, 2015 by slick132
34.99 changed to 39.99 cos I can't add up !!

[slick132]

I've just corrected the figure in my last post, from £34.99 to £39.99. A simple error on my part.

 

Did the bank say WHY the July DD was not paid.

 

They tried to take £39.99 (14.99 = 25.00 admin fee) on 7th August. Do you know why this was not paid because the DD mandate was still active.

 

I assume they didn't try to take money on 26th August because the 2 DD's they tried to collect previously had failed and they considered the membership to be suspended.

 

[slick132]

Ah, right - that makes perfect sense now.

 

I've re-written the letter to reflect what happened and this can be sent off now. Take it to the PO to get your free Certificate of Posting.

 

Dear Harlands,

 

Xercise4Less Gym in [town or city]

 

I refer to my membership at the above gym earlier this year.

 

I will only deal with this matter in writing and require that you do not phone me or send text or SMS messages. I am pregnant and, after miscarrying earlier this year, I do not need the stress of being hounded by Harlands/CRS with demands for ridiculously high amounts.

 

I had to cancel my membership in August, after I was made redundant (employer went bust) and I found I was pregnant again.

 

I've now found that my bank didn't pay you the July and August DD payments and I now offer to pay you £29.98 for these 2 months. If you confirm in writing within 14 days that you'll accept my payment in full settlement of all that I owe, I will pay you.

 

I will not pay any admin fees that you have added.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

That'll do for now.

 

[slick132]

We normally recommend using written letters but, if they've confirmed receipt of your email, that is sufficient to prove they received it.

 

However, the other reason to avoid emails is Harlands/CRS will fire back emails replies far quicker than if they write to you. Hence you end up playing email ping-pong with them and this will not work in your interests.

 

You can hand-write a letter and keep a photocopy if you can't print one on your own or a friend's computer.

 

[slick132]

Hi Elvie,

 

I'd ignore Harlands for now and write instead to X4Less :-

 

Dear sir or madam,

 

Membership at [town or city] gym

 

I enclose a copy of my letter sent to Harlands/CRS on xxdate, the content being self-explanatory.

 

CRS have replied demanding sight of personal documents and said they will not process the cancellation until I provide the documents.

 

I do not need any stress at this time for obvious reasons and I am not happy that Harlands/CRS have taken 3 weeks to reply, expecting me to pay throughout this time.

 

Please tell Harlands to cancel my membership with immediate effect and make no further demands.

 

If they continue to bother me, I will make the loudest of complaints to the appropriate authorites and Xercise4Less will be included as it is you that engage the services of Harlands. Their reputation for harassing gym members is terrible.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

[slick132]

Hi Elvie,

 

I think the Watchdog exposure will make X4Less a bit more aware of how badly their reputation is being damaged by Harlands/CRS.

 

That's why i suggested a letter to X4Less after the Watchdog prog.

 

[slick132]

Hi Elvie,

 

Did the letter go to X4Less Head Office or the local gym.

 

You're entitled to a written reply and you're right to avoid any calls from Harlands/CRS or X4Less.

 

[slick132]

The letter went to X4Less Head Office which is great.

 

Just wait for them to reply properly and ignore Harlands/CRS for now.

 

[slick132]

Hi Elvie,

 

There's no reason for you to be stressed about this.

 

Simply ignore all contact from CRS until Harlands reply properly. Make a list on paper of each contact from Harlands/CRS, noting the type of contact.

 

If Harlands don't reply to you, that's THEIR problem.

 

[slick132]

Hi Elvie,

 

If you want to discuss your partner's case, start a new thread so the 2 cases don't get confused.

 

Tell X4Less by Twitter that you wrote to them on xxdate and you will await their written reply. And, if they are happy for happy for Harlands and CRS to continue to add admin fees while you await their written reply, that is a bad reflection on the way they allow their customers to be treated by their chosen admin company.

 

Edited December 2, 2015 by slick132

[slick132]

Hi Elvie,

 

Please now send a letter to X4Less Head Office again enclosing copies of the letters in posts #15 and #23.

 

Dear Xercise4Less,

 

Membership at [town/city] gym

 

I enclose copies of my letter to Harlands of xxdate and of my letter to X4Less Head Office of xxdate.

 

On your Twitter feed, you claim not to have received the letter I sent to you. However, I have proof that you received my letter and I was contacted by one of your staff members who wanted to discuss my letter.

 

I reiterate - I am pregnant and I do not need any stress at all.

 

Harlands have been slow to respond to my letters yet expect me to pay fees and admin charges while they delay replying to me.

 

Xercise4Less have failed to reply at all to the letter I sent you.

 

I now need your confirmation that my cancellation is effective from the date I made it in August.

 

Harlands failed to accept the offer I made to end the matter and that offer was withdrawn after 14 days.

 

If you fail to stop Harlands/CRS making further demands, I will make formal complaints to Trading Standards and to the CMA. I will also complain to BBC Watchdog about Xercise4Less using Harlands/CRS to harass a pregnant woman who is vulnerable.

 

I require your considered written reply within 14 days.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

Elvikay

 

Get a free Certificate of Posting at the post office when you send this and keep the Certificate.

 

[slick132]

Hi Elvie,

 

This is a good opportunity to end the matter quickly and cheaply, so you have no more hassle about the gym m/ship.

 

Call, them, pay the amount agreed and focus on more important matters !!

 

Check your next bank statement ao make sure you've paid no more than agreed, but I'm sure this will be ok.

 

[slick132]

Hi Elvie,

 

I hope you can now leave this nonsense behind and thanks for whatever Site Donation you can manage.