Caught in Harland's debt trap.

[Xeon]

Hi there, hoping for a bit of advice here please.

 

I was a member of exercise4less for about 24 months but I decided to cancel in October 2015.

I did this via their website via 'contact us' link.

 

 

in November 2015 I received an email from the gym branch manager saying my membership had "expired".

 

 

However, the monthly payments continued to be taken until I cancelled again via an online form and later cancelled the direct debit.

 

I now have Harlands emailing me saying they won't cancel my membership until I pay another 9.99 fee and the admin charges.

 

 

The balance is now about £69, which is a big increase from 9.99.

 

 

I did email them to explain I cancelled in November

and the expired membership email was proof that I was no longer a member!

 

 

I cancelled again using the form just over a month ago

but they said my membership wouldn't be cancelled

 

 

I now have letters arriving saying further charges will be added.

 

 

I just don't know how to respond now,

I don't want this to mount up.

[fkofilee]

Hi Xeon

 

Welcome back to CAG.

 

Could you confirm if you were out of any contract and if was on a rolling 30 day basis?

Do you have a copy of the email that you had sent?

 

Ignore Harlands. I think this is a prime candidate for a complaint directly to the top of X4L, You have cancelled correctly as you have done it in writing but via an electronic method.

You shouldnt be hounded by Haywards Heaths Finest DCA (Sarcasm...)

 

[email protected]

 

Jons team are quite good and usually get stuff resolved quickly.

[dx100uk]

please just remember

no DCA has ANY legal powers whatsoever

they ARE NOT BAILIFFS

 

 

you cancelled properly

you have proof by the email you sent

 

 

end of the matter you owe no one anything.

[Xeon]

Hi, thank you for taking the time to reply. it was a 12 month minimum term contract. I'm not sure if I have the first email but i got a reply stating that "Your Full Membership booking package has expired" so I assumed I was no longer a member from November 2015.

I do have the other emails sent and received though including the initial reply to my 2nd cancellation request via their online form.

[dx100uk]

not that it matters

but I expect your email and their reply were not related.

 

 

I also suspect that as you cancelled, they should have ceased the DD earlier.

 

 

you might be due money back via the DD guarantee too

 

 

dx

[renegadeimp]

Ignore Harland's for now. They are just all mouth and no action.

[fkofilee]

Hi, thank you for taking the time to reply. it was a 12 month minimum term contract. I'm not sure if I have the first email but i got a reply stating that "Your Full Membership booking package has expired" so I assumed I was no longer a member from November 2015.

I do have the other emails sent and received though including the initial reply to my 2nd cancellation request via their online form.

 

Send a complaint up the chain like i mentioned, lets see what happens.

[slick132]

Hi Xeon,

 

When you first cancelled, you were due to pay just ONE more DD for the 30 days notice period. Any DD taken beyond that should be reclaimed by you from the bank (as suggested by DX above), citing the DD Guarantee Scheme. The bank should refund without question.

 

Can you confirm the date you cancelled via the online system. And do you have proof of the date this was done.

 

Harlands will shout and scream about any refund of DD's but that's THEIR problem, not yours.

 

Do not talk to Harlands/CRS for any reason. You don't need to talk to them at all. If you need to write to them, we'll tell you.

 

Keep your complaint to X4Less as short as possible and use the email address above. Tell them :-

 

1. You cancelled properly but Harlands continued to take payments.

 

2. You are therefore reclaiming payments taken from [month 2015] to [month 2016 ??] under the DD Guarantee Scheme.

 

3. You want the gym to ensure that Harlands make no further demands for this matter.

 

Answer my Q's in para. 2 above before doing anything more.