Another HARLANDS / CRS Thread After cancelling gym membership

[C3000]

after a little google and a browse around the forum I've seen alot of prople having the same issues with Harlands after trying to cancel gym membership!

 

My situation is as follows

I joined a gym (choices health club) september 2015

for a 12 month contract and

then it went on to a rolling contract.

I was working away monday to friday and the gym was near where i worked.

 

I started a new job in sept 2017 (75 miles away from the gym I'd joined)

 

I cancelled my DD on 13th september 2017,

i rang up the gym to cancel my membership,

I was told I'd have to call in to cancel,

I explained I now live over an hour away and they emailed me a cancellation form.

 

I got an email from Harlands 15th september regarding my cancellation of my DD and that if i didnt reinstate it by 25th september (my billing date) I would be charged a £25 administration fee.

 

I didn't send off the gym cancellation letter.

These are the t&cs on my cancellation letter,

as I've already cancelled my DD I didn't want to sign this agreeing that If i cancelled my DD I would accept the 'irreversible adminstration charges'

 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF CANCELLATION

• You must abide by the cancellation notice period applicable to your membership contract

• In the unlikely event of a dispute, it is the member’s responsibility to provide proof of cancellation

• You must keep your copy of this cancellation and be able to produce it if requested to confirm your cancellation, if you are not offered a copy please request one

• Do not cancel your direct debit until all payments have been made after the submission of this form, doing so could result in irreversible administration charges

• You may not downgrade your membership within the cancellation period

• You are able to withdraw your cancellation at any point during the cancellation period, we can accept this withdrawal verbally and once it has been accepted you must resubmit a cancellation form to cancel your membership

 

 

I then received another email from HARLANDS dated 26th september referring to their letter dated 15th september I have not contacted them.

 

As i have not reinstated my DD I know owe

 

£25 adminstration fee

£39.99 for bill dated 25th september

£39.99 cancellation fee

 

£104.98 Total owed

 

If i do not contact them by 16th October I will incur a further £25 adminstration fee.

 

Just looking for some advice on what to do next? As I haven't yet sent my cancellation form off i realise that my gym still recognises me as a member.

 

I called the gym again yesterday 26th september stating that I had received another email from HARLANDS and asked if they had processed my cancellation form (I haven't sent one)

 

I haven't used the gym since July 2017

 

My home address is still the same as when I joined the gym

 

I can provide the wording of HARLANDS emails however from what i have read from other people s posts it seems like a default reply.

 

Thanks in advance guys!

[Bazooka Boo]

At most all you'll owe is ONE months fee, nothing more.

 

Jump onto the Gym's social media, and embarrass them on there, tell current and prospective customers just how they treat them should they dare leave.

 

Ignore Harlands, deal with the gym direct, and lodge a formal complaint.

[C3000]

Thanks for your reply,

 

The gyn won't accept my cancellation of my policy until i return my cancellation form,

by signing the form and returning it am I leaving myself liable to pay other fees?

 

I'm willing to pay £39.99

 

Thanks again.

[dx100uk]

Just send the slick132 letter

Offering one months fee and NO admin charges

If they refuse

Ignore them

[C3000]

Download keeps failing on Slicks how to do it right pdf download (smartphone) any ideas why?

[slick132]

Hi C3 and welcome to CAG

 

See the post here - https://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?476155-Help-with-harlands!&p=5012255&viewfull=1#post5012255

 

Adapt and use the letter to suit your own case. Get a free Cert of Posting at the PO.

 

Stay OFF the phone and don't use emails at all.

 

Keep us updated.

 

[C3000]

Hi Slick, thanks for your message,

I tweaked the letter to my gym and monthly price and sent it off to harlands on 4th Oct.

 

 

I received the following reply from Harlands on 6th Oct:

 

Further to your recent letter to our offices,

 

We thank you for sending this information, however all cancellations go through choices health club customer service no xxxxxxxxx.

 

Harlands can only accept the clubs one months notice and payment. As you are in arrears this would need to be made.

 

We hope you find this to be in order.

 

Harlands.

 

 

 

Just wondering what to do now?

My gym haven't accepted my cancellation over the phone (as mentioned in my original post I haven't called since) so technically I'm still a member.

 

Should i send off the gym cancellation form mentioned in my original post? Or should i do nothing and continue to ignore harlands monthly demands.

 

Thanks again for all the help guys.

[dx100uk]

tough you now ignore them

 

 

dx

[Bazooka Boo]

Ignore Harlands, and lodge formal complaint to the gym, hammer their customer diservice, and be mindful of reporting them to the FCA also, in fact, do that as a matter of course, but you need to have complained to the gym first, and allow them 8 weeks in which to rectify your complaint.

[slick132]

The bodies to complain to are The CMA and Trading Standards these days. The FCA is not involved with gym disputes.

 

Harlands reply is wrong ! If they handle the admin and DD collection, you can cancel via them and your offer letter was right to be addressed to Harlands.

 

Ignore further demands for now but keep us posted.

 

As BBoo says, use social media to embarrass the gym for using Harlands, who have such an awful reputation in the industry.

 

See this thread where X4Less Gym decided to tell Harlands to back off - https://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?482023-Xercise4Less-Harlands-Admin-Fee-for-cancelled-DD-**resolved**&p=5068447&viewfull=1#post5068447

 

[C3000]

Thanks for all the replies guys! Been a massive help.

 

For now I think I'm gunna hold off slating the gym on social media.

 

Might look at it in the next month if Harlands keep harrassing.

 

Will keep you updated!

 

Thabks again.

[Bazooka Boo]

Why are you endorsing their method of harassment?

 

You're in a position to complain and embarrass the gym who in turn may sack the useless outfit and stop the harassment others.

[C3000]

after over a month with no emails or calls from Harlands, I received a letter...

 

Harlands are 'disappointed' that i have not responded to their previous correspondence, after now missing my october instalment a further £25 adminstration fee has been added to my account.

 

If i do not call by 12th november 17, then the collection of my membership fees will cease to be administered by Harlands and will be passed to a debt recovery agency.

 

Is this where CRS will now start mithering me?

 

My account as it stands:

 

£79.98 outstanding subscription

£39.99 cancellation fee

£50.00 default fee

 

I will not be paying or responding.

 

Just thought I'd keep the thread updated

[slick132]

Hi C3000,

 

Absolutely right to ignore their demand for fictitious amounts.

 

Harlands will continue to pester you posing as CRS who they try to make out are a separate company. What a joke !!

 

You may also hear from the Zinc Group but only once or twice. When they realise their demands or threats aren't being taken seriously by you, they'll pass it back to Harlands/CRS.

 

[C3000]

Thanks again Slick!

 

Your help and info on the way they operate means I can ignore them without worry

[C3000]

Update:

 

Received a letter from CRS dated 17th November (pretty sure I only received it around late November early December)

 

My balance of £194.97 is to be paid in full by no later than 27th November 2017. Plus the usual boring stuff..

 

Received an email dated 11th December from CRS stating that they have been employed by choices health club as my membership remains in arrears.

 

They have added their fees of £70.90 my outstanding balance now stands and £265.

 

But they want to reach an 'amicable agreement' with me

 

I also received a text message today saying "

Please call CRS on 01444 449165 between 9am and 6pm. We sent a letter a week ago and need to discuss this with you. Thank you."

 

 

It's starting to annoy me if I'm honest, what are my current options?

 

Isit worth writing a strong worded letter to my gym, over how I was a member for over 2 years never missed a payment etc etc still contiuned to pay through large periods on inactivity and had to cancel for a very genuine reason.

 

I'm not paying anything more than £39.99 1 months membership fee, which I have offered.

 

I also blocked the number that sent me the message today, although it may be wise to unblock it so I can log any further communications.

 

Thanks in advance guys

[dx100uk]

you ignore they will give up.

[slick132]

Hi C3000,

 

You offered to pay the 1 month's fee and Harlands failed to accept that offer, so it's now withdrawn. No need to still pay it, or any other fictitious amount cooked up by Harlands/CRS.

 

Writing a strong letter to the gym may help, but not necessarily.

 

Ignoring Harlands/CRS is the best policy but, if you really want rid of these fools, you could take court action against them. Pretty cheap and simple and it would stop them for good.

 

We've already advised that you use social media to embarrass the gym about how they're happy to throw their customers to the dogs, despite you having been a good loyal paying customer for over 2 years. Facebook and Twitter should be used to alert others to how gyms continue to allow Harlands/CRS to harass gym members.

 

[C3000]

Thanks for the replies!

 

I will continue to ignore them as it seems the best option, whilst keeping the thread updated.

 

Won't be writing to the gym as they may inform Harlands I've been in touch and they don't need any further encouragement!

 

Have a good Christmas guys! ☺

[slick132]

Noted but the best action you can take is to use social media to embarrass the gym.

 

You have a good one too !

 

[C3000]

Received another text from CRS today who 'urgently need to speak with me'

 

Will this effect my credit rating? As I may want a mortgage in the coming months.

 

Thanks

[dx100uk]

never

[Bazooka Boo]

Received another text from CRS today who 'urgently need to speak with me'

 

Forward their childish text messages to 7726 (Spam on your keypad) keep a diary of events regarding their criminal offence of harassment also.

[C3000]

Had a voicemail on the 5th january from CRS automated message 'They need to speak with me about my accounts with them'

 

Followed by this email today:

 

Following our initial letter, we are disappointed that your account with Choices Health Club is still in arrears

and our fee has not been paid.

We would still like to reach an amicable resolution to this, however, if you fail to respond to this

letter, we will have no option but to commence further action to recover the monies owed. The

options available to us are:

1. LEGAL ACTION

We believe you are in breach of a legally binding contract with Choices Health Club because you have not

paid your membership and our fees. We may pursue a claim under this contract through the Courts. If we

do so the following process would apply:

1. We will write a formal letter explaining what we are demanding and give you a final

opportunity to pay/reply;

2. If this failed to settle the matter we would issue proceedings against you in the County Court;

3. You could then either:

a. make payment, ending the legal process, or

b. dispute some, or all, of the amount was owed.

4. If you dispute the amount was owed the Court process would continue, at the end of which

the Court would make a decision on our claim.

5. A strict Court imposed timescale will apply in relation to the Court process.

Were we to be successful in our claim, or if you ignore the claim, a County Court Judgment (CCJ) may be

registered against you requiring you to make payment. You may also be liable for our costs of pursuing

legal action and interest on the amount owed.

If you then fail to pay the amount covered by the CCJ we would take the next steps required to enforce the

judgment. To do this we would have to make an application to Court.

2. OUTSOURCE TO EXTERNAL AGENTS

Your account would be passed to another Collection Agency who will take further action to recover the

monies owed.

YOU CAN AVOID THIS HAPPENING IF WITHIN THE NEXT 10 DAYS YOU CONTACT US ON

01444 449165 TO ARRANGE PAYMENT WITH US.

Yours sincerely

 

 

Amount owed they total at £265.16

 

Which is ridiculous really when I tried to cancel my membership in September when my payments were up to date.

 

Absolute **** Harlands can't believe so many gym groups use them.

[slick132]

............. which is why we've suggested you use Social Media to expose the gym and Harlands for their ongoing harassment.

 

In the meantime of course, ignore this empty threat.

 

Edited January 8, 2018 by slick132