To feel robbed by David Lloyds

[DavidLloyds8]

I joined David Lloyds for 3 months last year as I was so down by being at home all the time. My previous company cancelled the office contract when the pandemic started. When I joined I made all the registration over the phone. I was also informed in person when I went to see the club that they were flexible with the registration if your circumstances changed.

When the 3 months finished I cancelled the DD as I changed jobs (Thank Goodness) and now has an office to go to. Also, I was working part time before so could use the club a bit more.

They contacted me a few days after I cancelled the DD and I informed them that I only registered for 3 months and I paid 3 months plus a membership. Now they want me to pay a month notice and a month in arrears because I didn't informed them on time.

I was never informed of this over the phone or in my personal visit. I wished I would have never joined but my head was not thinking straight after nearly 2 years of being stuck at home.

What does it say in the contract you signed?
They can’t tell you everything in person, you’d be there ages and you wouldn’t take it in.

Flexible to me would just mean you’re not tied in for a year at a time - not that I could cancel with zero notice.

You cant just cancel the direct debit without telling them you are cancelling your membership so yes yabu

Do you have something in writing you can check?

I bet they emailed you with terms and conditions and how to cancel your membership after the end of the 3 months

They always do this with 3 month memberships. They must catch thousands like this and get £££££

I’m a member of the club and have been for a few years, under different contracts and although they said it’s a 3 month membership, they do require you to give them a months notice, it will all be in the contract, which they should have sent you when you joined. Ask them for a copy of the email they sent you at the time you joined and see if the contract is attached. If it ain’t then you may have a valid reason for not paying.

Cancelling the DD is just that, not cancelling the contract. There was probably a clause that you have to cancel by a certain date in order for it to not roll over an extra month.

Gyms make their money from membership fees and they're purposely difficult to get out of for that reason.

Many hundreds have had issues with this company and they pursue right through to court.
Check contract and if they are correct pay up as they have no grey areas.

I’ve just googled. There T&C are bloody long, but because of the section headers it didn’t take long to see that Flexible starts with a 3 month membership and to cancel at the end of it you give notice by the first day of the third month - otherwise you’re into notice periods which are clearly and fairly set out.

I’m actually impressed by their T&C - you can give less notice if you move house and are more than 10 miles from a club, for example. Lots of quite fair exclusions.

Unfair to accuse them of robbing you.

Their flexible membership definitely says 3 month initial term with 1 months notice to cancel

If ignore them.
There only chance is to take you to small claims court which is doubtful.

You need to read the t’s & c’s of your contract and any further contracts you sign.

What does it state in the contract you signed.I think you will find you are in the wrong,so will have to pay.

@Arabelladrinkstea

If ignore them. There only chance is to take you to small claims court which is doubtful.

David Lloyd do take it further most of the time.

Thanks for the heads-up. I hate thing sort of thing and will avoid.

We signed at the same time as you for 3 months, emailed them after two months and cancelled, and that was it.

Only paid 3 months fees, was actually surprised how easy it was. We had asked when wet signed up how to do it and it was exactly as they said.

So yes, YABU

@ABitBesottedWithMyDog

Thanks for the heads-up. I hate thing sort of thing and will avoid.

Did you need the heads up? Or would you have checked the cancellation info if it was you?

I am in the market for a new gym so yes, it's helpful to be alerted to this. YMMV, but selling something as a three-monther and then claiming it was an ongoing contract requiring notice period etc smacks of sharp practices to me.

They arent exactly hiding the info as its right there on their website

I'd read that as the OP. The period or term of the contract being three months.

This sort of sharp practice is very common with gyms unfortunately. I not only got told I had to pay for a month's notice by my gym, they said 'You have to come in for an interview if you want to cancel your membership,' to which I replied 'I don't have to do anything of the sort!'

This is normal for lots of things though.

I had a free trial for a streaming service and it was clear in the T&cs that if I wanted to cancel at the end of the trial I needed to give a months notice.

I set a reminder on my phone to cancel at the right time and made sure I cancelled their contract not just the DD.

It's not their fault you didn't read the contract. Lesson here is to read the contract and make notes of any notice periods.

You are not under any obligation to pay them, I would let them take me to court as they will have to prove you was aware of and agreed to the limited T&Cs before you paid/ at point of sale.
This can NOT be in the form of an email AFTER the transaction has been made, it must be proved you agreed at the point of sale and was fully aware of this T&C. I work with Visa & Mastercard and have to take many of our cases to final rulings and I have argued many cases and lost and this exact scenario I have argued just last week for a very high profile merchant of ours.
Anything said verbally is not acceptable it's hearsay, anything just on a website is not deemed disclosure as can't prove a customer read it and no it's not up to them to read a whole website or search for T&Cs.
Proof would be either a signed contract where you have initialed and signed next to this specific clause or they would have to prove if online that that on the check out page at point of sale that you clicked a box to accept the terms & conditions, it can not provide a link to the T&Cs it must state next to the box " I agree to the the T& Cs, the limited cancellation policy of xxx and the refund policy blah blah blah" but it must state the limitations next to the tick box, it can't just say say you agree to the T& Cs.

Now this is Visa & Mastercard rules , I'm not a lawyer but I really can't seem them ruling much different as they would have to prove full disclosure. I wouldn't pay any extra.