Leisure centre set debt collectors onto me 🤔

[2me2u2u2me]

I’ve been a member of my local leisure centre since last year, it has a lot of different facilities but I only use the pool.

When I joined I had to set up a direct debit for the monthly payments, as far as I’m aware it’s a rolling month by month contract.

When the virus hit in March and everything had to shut down I got an email saying due to the closure/facilities not being available they have cancelled my direct debit until further notice. In August I noticed they had started taking my monthly payments again so I emailed them asking why as I wasn’t able to use the facilities, nor was I happy to due to things still being very up in the air. I never got a reply, so I cancelled my direct debit.

Today I have received an email and text message from a debt recovery company saying we’ve been unable to collect your payment, they are going to charge me a late payment fee of £15 for this email and if they send me another I will incur more fees, they’re also going to try and collect next month’s dd. I will be ringing them tomorrow as I feel they are being CFs and trying it on, as I understand it the leisure centres either aren’t working to full capacity or we’re not obliged to go if worried/vulnerable so they can’t demand the monthly payment from me can they?

It doesn’t sound like you have formally given notice to end your contract?

Actually I forgot to mention that when lockdown ended the first time I emailed them asking was the pool now open for use and never got a reply to that, so assumed it wasn’t, hence the surprise when the money came out.

Yes I didn’t formally end the contract as I was happy to go back, but it doesn’t look like I’ll be able to any time soon so that’s a good point, I will drop them an email tomorrow cancelling

Where are you located in the country? My pool and leisure centre has been open for months - like back in August?

I’d have a search for your contract so you know where you are at/what the terms are!

My gym started charging me again in August too - I cancelled it and nothing happened - but I definitely had no contract so they didn’t come after me for money!

Good luck calling them tomorrow - id tell them to fuck off tbh - 😂

@Heyahun I am in Manchester. They did open at the end of the last lockdown but were only letting a certain amount of people in first come first served and I wasn’t chancing it at 630 am. I’ll definitely be telling them to fuck right off, no doubt about it

You need to formally cancel. Poor communication on their part does t mean you can just stop paying.

I agree with the others, you can‘t just stop paying. You need to talk to them and cancel officially.

This is how they trade. You have to formally end things or they let it run on. Read the small print it is all in there. They are supposed to let you know when your contract is ending but they never do

Gyms etc are notorious for bringing legal action against non payers

You can't just cancel! You have to give notice same as any other contract.

If tbey are open and its you choosing not to go, then you give correct notice pay whats owed then leave.

You are the CF in this situation

If I was you I would also check out the direct debit guarantee. The beneficiary cannot change payments without giving you prior notification first.

They are supposed to let you know when your contract is ending but they never do

It's a rolling contract, it doesn't end until you cancel it.

OP, poor communication on their part but on yours too. You have to give notice to cancel your membership. Please don't tell them to fuck off, that will see you with a small claims action against you, and all the related costs.