Energie Fitness/harlands - Son got DD's back but cancelled membership in wrong way??***Resolved***

[Annoyedwithson]

Have read the posts on here about how best to cancel.

Can you help me please with advice on what to do when someone doesn’t?

I’ll explain below - and yes I know he’s done all the things he shouldn’t have.

 

my son was talked into joining an Energie Fitness gym that was opening, even though he was already a member of a different gym. 

He was 17 at the time (now 18).

He was told he could cancel anytime in cooling off period by just ringing them - and did this next day.  

He has never been to the gym as (he thought) he wasn’t a member.

 

roll forward 7-8 months and he finds he has little money in his bank.

Turns out he didn’t cancel DD with the gym and it had taken membership fee out each month. 

 

He told the bank, which reclaimed the money (£174.93) on his behalf as he’d cancelled.

 He’s Now receiving emails from Harlands on behalf of the gym demanding return of the money, plus £25 admin fee within 10 days or will pass on to DRC. 

 

Am inclined to write to them to set out that he was pressured into signing up, was 17 and a member at another gym, and thus potentially mis-sold the membership, that he cancelled by phone to the gym and has never used it as he considered the membership to be cancelled. 

 

Any advice welcomed please?

[unclebulgaria67]

Don't contact Harlands or any debt company at all.

 

Your Son can simply find out who runs the Gym and their head office address. Then your Son sends a simple letter by recorded delivery stating the facts. He was 17 years old, subject to pressure by their sales person and cancelled by phone call to the Gym the next day. The Gym then collected Direct Debits without any authorisation, as authorisation was withdrawn when membership cancelled and the Bank refunded the unauthorised Direct Debits.  This is the end of this matter and no further communications will be entered into. 

 

Keep it that simple. Make sure any gym reference numbers and his address are quoted. Then just read and file any chaser letters they send. They won't issue a court claim, but in the unlikely event, it would come from courts, which you don't ignore.  Any emails, just block and ignore any phone calls.

[slick132]

Hi AWS and welcome to CAG

 

If YS was only 17 when he joined, he could simply argue that he was a minor and unable to enter into any such agreement.

 

Also, if he signed outside the actual gym, he had an automatic 14 day cooling off period.

 

In any event, follow the advice above telling Harlands to back off.

 

If Harlands/CRS continue to harass for payment, let us know.

 

[Annoyedwithson]

Many thanks for your advice - really grateful. Will do as advised and let you know the outcome. I’d not appreciated how common these problems are, until now.  Thanks again.

[Vardison]

Good afternoon everyone. 

 

I find myself in a slightly similar position with Harlands/Exercise4Less/Credit Resolution Services and now a new debt collection agency under the name of Zinc Group Ltd.

 

i signed up to my local E4L branch under a promotional offer stated at £15 a month. When visiting the gym for the first time I asked if there was any contract, to which the lady on reception responded with ‘no it’s just £15 a month and you can cancel when you want, just let us know’.

 

After being given such a relaxed response, I then cancelled the direct debit mandate via my bank (2 months after signing up), and thought that was that.

 

That was until March, when I was bombarded with red headed letters and phone calls from someone in Hayward’s Heath (which I am now aware is Credit Resolution Services). Ordering me to pay up an amount of £189.47 for ‘payments in arrears’ to Harlands Group.

 

After making numerous calls jumping back and forth from CRS, Harlands and the local gym in late March. I gave up trying to find a reasonable answer, but was told that I should have give a months notice to cancel my direct debit (which looking at other people’s submissions on here, means bugger all anyway).

 

To cut a very long and stressful story short, I am still yet to pay anyone money and refuse to do so, however I am worried that this may affect my credit score in some manner and/or lead to bailiffs round or a court order.

 

I have ignored all of these agencies since my initial wave of phone calls, but would just like some re-assurance that I won’t have to pay this debt off, as it is making me anxious. There was no contract signed for myself, nor an email with terms and conditions.

 

Any advice or questions welcome.

 

Many thanks

[dx100uk]

you need to create your own topic please

click create in the top red banner

[dx100uk]

3 hours ago, Annoyedwithson said:

Many thanks for your advice - really grateful. Will do as advised and let you know the outcome. I’d not appreciated how common these problems are, until now.  Thanks again.

don't waste money on recorded

no need just use 1st class stamp with free proof of posting from any PO counter

block and bounce their email address too.

 

 

[Annoyedwithson]

Can update you - success !

 

Thank you so much for your advice.  I sent a letter to CEO of Energie Fitness, copied to the Gym Manager and Harlands. The debt has been cancelled by Energie Fitness as a result.  

 

THANK YOU

 

 

[AndyOrch]

Thread title updated...well done.

 

Andy

[slick132]

Thanks for the update and excellent result.