Harlands dispute with fit4less

[jamescm]

Hi all,

 

I've spent a lot of time reading threads in to Harlands and am pretty confident that my situation isn't really dire or anything, however I could really use your help.

 

I terminated my contract at fit4less Croydon by terminating my DD in online banking. I had read fit4less T&Cs on their website which quite clearly said something along the lines of "we do not enforce long term contacts" "to cancel anytime simply contact your bank"

 

Hardlands then sent a correspondence out but obviously I know how DD's work so I needed to make up a payment for the following month because of when I cancelled the DD, which makes sense and I was told i'd have access until a date in december. There is a clear payment over the phone on my bank statement to snapdda.co.uk.

 

Shortly afterwards another correspondence came through, this time it said you owe £0.00

 

Weird? or what?

 

Now it's January and suddenly I get this letter through with further fees added to make £79.98

 

On the 9th of this month collection passes to a dca (still these guys I presume) incurring fees and potential court action. I'm not too worried.

 

I have spoken to the gym and they said to me about cancelling with a letter but luckily I had memorised what I read in their T&Cs and the lady admitted there was a "common problem" with this. The gym have offered to contact Harlands on my behalf to resolve the issue as I am supposedly in the right for paying my fees as requested before.

 

I would like to get any opinions on what the likely outcome of this will be if possible.

 

Thanks all

 

J

[slick132]

Hi James and welcome to CAG

 

I wonder if you should have given the gym notice of intent to cancel but we'll help as best we can.

 

1. When did you sign up.

 

2. When did you cancel the DD mandate.

 

3. Did the T&C's tell you to give a month's notice before cancelling.

 

[jamescm]

Hi Slick and thanks:)

 

1. It must have been around april/may time

 

2. I cancelled in earlier November or might even have been late october, can't quite remember

 

3. I don't remember reading give a full months notice, I only remember seeing the bit saying to terminate contact your bank. The lady at the gym noted that there were issues here in the sense other people had very similar problems.

 

It's also worth noting that currently the T&Cs page of fit4less is not accessible, type in to google and find nothing on it

 

My issue is I called Harlands and paid my original fee. They then sent another thing saying I owed £0.00 which is weird and now this. The gym seemed to be on my side with it and agree I had done right to pay the original sum despite not writing to them and it should have been sorted.

 

Hope this is of some use,

 

J

[Bazooka Boo]

Stay off the phone.

 

You only need to deal with this in writing, so was it April or May? when you signed up?

And was it October or November when you cancelled your DD?

 

Check your bank statements to find out the exact details.

[jamescm]

Thanks boo,

 

I will go through my bank statements for 2015 in that case to check

 

It was a non contract basis, I simply started a DD online but did not sign any contract of 12 months or anything like that.

 

I should have a response for you tonight after I finish work,

 

This passes to DCA on the 9th of this month supposedly.

 

J

[slick132]

Hi James,

 

Unfortunately, the gym staff's opinion will not help much if Harlands decide to chase for money.

 

If Harlands have said it'll be passed to a DCA that's nothing to worry about. They simply put on their other hat, change the LetterHeaded paper and write the next demand from CRS, who are Harlands in disguise.

 

Ignore Harlands/CRS for now and stay off the phone to them and the gym.

 

You need to find out if you joined on a 12 month agreement or a No Contract agreement, and let us know.

 

[jamescm]

HI Slick

 

I have gone onto the Join page of the website and it says the 19.99 a month option which I payed throughout a big chunk of 2015 is 12 month. I am however certain that this is not the original offer, I am certain it has changed, I specifically joined because there was NO contract and paid a joining fee. I believe their price has gone up to 22.99 on the no contract basis.

 

The gym said I had done the correct procedure in paying harlands original correspondence which should have settled the matter entirely.

 

The gym when I spoke to them before didn't say that I had breached any contract either and understood that I had a lot of other members had problems with T&Cs that were not written correctly or actually there. Nothing said anything on the original website about writing to cancel, it's funny because you cannot access fit4less T&Cs at he moment.

[jamescm]

Hi all great news,

 

I had emailed harlands about this and have had this reply from their customer services,

 

Dear James,

 

We thank you for your email.

 

I can confirm the letters send out was in error.

 

Your membership is in the process of cancelling itself off your systems, however due to the cancellation of your Direct Debit, caused a default in the systems.

 

Your membership has been terminated as of today, you will receive no further letters.

 

Kind Regards,

Harriet for Harlands

 

This is the email I sent them (should have mentioned it was before this thread)

 

To whom it may concern,

 

I am writing to respond to a correspondence regarding the quote reference: 8504262 / marked the 30th December 2015

 

It appears there is some confusion regarding my membership at Fit4less Croydon as I paid the original fee to Hardlands of 19.99 as required in an original correspondence sent to me in November. This was paid over the phone and my bank statement clearly has this labelled as a payment to you. (see attached, top))

 

This payment was made due to the termination of my direct debit with my bank resulting in effect the termination of my gym membership with the appropriate fee being delegated for the remaining time which should have seen my membership null and voided in December.

 

Shortly after this transaction I received another correspondence this time telling me I owed £0.00 which seemed odd so I discarded it naturally.

 

The gym in Croydon should be contacting you on my behalf as I have already contacted them about this issue and it would appear that I am not in the wrong here and that errors like these have happened before.

 

I therefore am inclined to wait until the gym has contacted you on my behalf and resolved this issue without further delay.

 

Please note I will not be intimidated by threats as I know I have done no wrong here and have paid the original fee which was at your request.

 

If the gym does not contact you on my behalf please let me know and I will bring this issue to them again for the matter to be brought to a close.

 

 

Regards,

 

 

James Castle-Mason

[Bazooka Boo]

Keep that email safe, if possible demand that in writing off them.

[jamescm]

will do!