Bannantyne cancellation

[Buzz264]

I joined Bannantyne 30/07/2019 for a 12 month commitment contract.

I was advised that any remaining term on my membership would be added on when the gym reopened after the lockdown.  

 

When I received the notification the gym was reopening I went into the member portal and logged in using my details, a message was displayed saying I had no active membership, I took a screen shot as I had a feeling there would be problems!

I did not cancel my membership.

 

 I logged on a couple of days later and still had the same message, I cancelled my direct debit.

I received an email around 3/8/2020 to say I needed to reinstate my direct debit,

I wrote to them and explained the above and said as they had cancelled the membership I would not reinstate the direct debit.

 

i received an email to say I had logged on to an old membership not my current one,

I had been using the portal on my current membership so this was not possible,

 

wrote back told them to be called a liar,

I had my membership portal,

had never used it and it was connected to an old membership.

On the screen shot it does not show a member number.

 

I contacted my local club who have very kindly given me all the dates I had entered the gym, and the emails sent to me from the portal when I joined waiting lists for classes.

 

They are saying I’ve got to rejoin and see out the membership, surely as they cancelled this is not correct?

any advice would be most grateful

 

thanks

[dx100uk]

the bottom line is there is nothing anyone can do to you.

gyms don't do court

gym debts don't appear on credit files.

 

any DCA they might get to write to you ARE NOT BAILIFFS

any a DCA has ZERO legal powers on any debt, no matter what it's type.

 

dx

 

[slick132]

Hi Buzz and welcome to CAG

 

First and foremost, do you want to carry on using the gym, or not.

 

Either way, we'll help you either stay a member, or leave without incurring admin fees for (they will say) cancelling early and without proper reason.

[Buzz264]

Thanks for the replies.

 

No I dont want to carry on using this gym, but want to write to them with a final letter to close the issue, if you can help that would be great. Thanks

[slick132]

Aletter to the gym will probably not be the last you hear from them but you can at least set out your position briefly, and then ignore them.

 

Send it to the local gym by post and get a free Certificate of Posing at the PO.

 

The Manager

Bannatyne Gym

Address

Postcode

 

Dear sir or madam,

 

When I tried to use the portal to access my account, I was informed I was not a member. When I tried again a couple of days later, same happened so I cancelled the DD mandate.

 

Earlier this month I was told by email to reinstate the DD mandate so and wrote back explaining I was unable to use the portal. The reply I received was rude and unacceptable and I will not be reinstating the DD. I consider the membership cancelled and will not pay you anything further.

 

Please ensure I am not harassed for further payments by Bannatyne or any debt collector.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

Tell us how they reply but don't respond to them until you've come back here. 

 

 

[Buzz264]

It is actually the head office I have been dealing with, I have already sent what you suggest and this is the response.

Private & Confidential

Dear 

Thank you for your correspondence.

 

We do apologise for the system error. However we can only reiterate previous correspondence and advise you did agree to a new 12 month membership on the 30/07/2019.

 

This was then extended to reflect the 4 month freeze and therefore the earliest we are able to cancel your membership is the end of November 2020.

 

If for any reason you need to consider an early cancellation of your membership, you can submit evidence of relocation, medical or financial changes, highlighting why you are unable to continue your membership.

If you require any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact us.

Yours sincerely

[dx100uk]

ignore them

 

dx

 

[slick132]

Did you send this today and get the reply, or did you send a similar letter recently and get their reply.

 

In any event, do what DX says and ignore further requests, demands and threats. 

 

Just keep us posted though.

[Buzz264]

This is the sequence of emails.

 

I have just received this email regarding non payment of my direct debit.

 

On 14/7/20 I logged on to the portal for a news update of my local club, Norwich, to a message saying I had no active membership. I have a screen shot of this I can provide. As my membership had been cancelled by Bannantyne I duly cancelled my direct debit.

 

I am annoyed I have received this email as it is not of my making. I rang Norwich to be told it it because I had an account previously. When the club was open I regularly used the portal with the same log in details and had an active membership, it seems Bannantyne have cancelled this in error and are trying to blame a system error.

 

After my awful experience with Karen at Norwich trying to put my membership on hold after a serious operation, evidence supplied, and her not accepting, I wrote to head office and never received a reply. I will not be reinstating my direct debit, if Bannantyne have cancelled my membership in error, so be it, your excuses are not acceptable.

 

Their reply:

 

Thank you for your recent correspondence regarding your membership with our Norwich Health Club.

 

After further review of your membership i can see that your email address was linked to an old membership which is why you got the error message to say the membership is no longer active.

 

I can see you have tried to log on to the expired membership portal multiple times between 06/08/2019 - 14/07/2020 so you would have been shown the same error message on multiple occasions. 

 

I have removed your email address from the old membership so you should no longer experience these issues, and we apologise for the confusion.

 

However we can only advise you that you have agreed to a 12 month membership. And you have a commitment date of the end of November 2020.

 

My response:

Thank you for your email.

I do not accept your statements made in the reply. 

I attended the gym on numerous occasions on my membership, using the portal to book as you have to, so obviously the membership was active. I did not see the inactive membership message, if I had I would not have been able to attend the gym.

Someone in your business has clearly made an error and you are trying not to accept responsibility. You have breached the terms of the contract not me. I suggest you speak to your legal department for clarification.

 

they then sent the response I posted earlier

 

 

[dx100uk]

you still ignore please read post 2 carefully

 

 

[slick132]

Hi Buzz,

 

Thanks for that and keep ignoring them for now.

[Buzz264]

today I have received a letter from ARC Europe regarding the outstanding amount, saying they will pass to a solicitor.

I have received a couple of message before this offering me to pay half and rejoin, or to rejoin as a new member and pay with Klarna.  I have not responded to anything and have received the message from ARC today.

 

Please advise next steps

[dx100uk]

as post 2

[Buzz264]

Ignoring is a scary thought!
is it worth sending a letter with the evidence Bannantyne cancelled the membership not me, or I suppose they won’t care. I’m afraid this will go on my credit report

 

[dx100uk]

Have you carried out any self help by reading any other gym threads since you came here...

[Buzz264]

Yes I have but will revisit some of the posts.

thank you for your help, I’m a worrier by nature!

 

[slick132]

Hi Buzz,

 

Yes, it can be scary but you need to realise, gyms and their admin companies are highly unlikely to take any action to recover gym fees and/or admin fees. That's why this will not affect your credit rating.

 

Your attempts to "explain" why the gym is wrong will change nothing - they're not interested.

 

However, by continuing to contact the gym or admin Co, you actually encourage them to continue to make demands.

 

Ignore their demands but keep us posted.

 

And, as DX says, read post #2 above a few times. We've been dealing with gyms here for many years !!

[Buzz264]

The phone calls have started! Was called today by ARC, when she said who was calling I said no thank you and hung up. Using mobile numbers rather than a landline. Following your advice!

[slick132]

Hi Buzz,

 

If the calls become harassment, you can send ARC a letter saying you owe them nothing and they must only contact you in writing and not by phone.

 

In the meantime, if you are happy to say, "No thank you !" , that's perfect. 

[Buzz264]

today I have received a letter from ARC saying thank you for £30 payment on 12/10.

I haven’t paid this and have not communicated with them.

 

Do they use this as a way to get you to call them?  

I have checked my bank account to make sure nothing has been taken and it hasn’t.

Am going to ignore the letter but wondered if this was an engagement tactic?!

[slick132]

Hi Buzz,

 

This could be a simple error on their part, or an attempt to get you to contact them.

 

Not a common tactic to my knowledge, but you're right to simply ignore this.

[Homer67]

If ARC are calling you on your mobile and not withholding their number just block it on your phone.

[Buzz264]

This letter arrived in the post today, please advise how to proceed. I know the forums say they won't action but am very worried about this

[dx100uk]

doesn't say will anything.

read it properly and carefully.

 

only the owner of a debt can get one of the many fake/tame paperwork only solicitors to issue any proceedings

and they would have to abide by the courts pre action protocol of 30  days letter first!

 

as it's owner...i can try and instruct my dog to sit, if it does is a totally different matter.

if my neighbour, who doesn't own my dog, tries it, it would ignore them.

 

the bottom line is there is nothing anyone can do to you.

gyms don't do court

gym debts don't appear on credit files.

 

any DCA they might get to write to you ARE NOT BAILIFFS

any a DCA has ZERO legal powers on any debt, no matter what it's type.

 

dx

 

 

[Buzz264]

Thank you again for the great advice.

I did read the word 'can' and know logically they can do whatever and doesn't mean to say its above board.

I can put in a counter claim for the upset!!