Ending Gym Membership

comer_97

I have been a member of a leading gym for 18 months now, having signed a 12 month contract. I rang them yesterday to say I would be leaving after next month so giving them over a months notice. They said i had to give them 2 months notice.

I said that the 12 month contract had ended 6 months ago and as far as i see it we were on a month to month basis now. They said it was not a 12 month contract it was a 12 month "minimum" contract.

Now this is not what I was told when I was signing it. Do I have a leg to stand on based on the fact they misrepresented what they had sold me?

thanks

Thomas_S_Hunterson

Do you have the text of the contract so you can have a read of it?

eve

I assume that you signed something when you started? Did you get any sort of 'Terms & Conditions'?

Saint_Mel

Something silimiar happened to me before.
I just called in to see the membeship officer and explained that my job was
being transferred out of Dublin and I'd been given 1 months notice about the
move, hence I could only give them 1 months notice.

Wasnt a problem after that, they cancelled membership there and then and
I wrote to the bank to cancel the direct debit.
Shook hands and he told me that if I was returning to Dublin and wanted to
join up I could ring him and he'd do a deal on the joining fee.

faceman

the gym you are speaking of is always in consumer forums about this kind of thing. Just pay them the one months notice, cancel your DD and leave it at that. They wont pursue you beyond a few pre-legal letters as its not cost effective to do so. it wont affect your credit rating.

comer_97

I haven't checked the small print, but i assume it will say it is a 12 month minimum contract. I am just so annoyed that they misrepresented what they were selling.

I'm going to give them the months notice and then cancel my DD

chrislad

Umm, unless I'm mistaken, a 12 month minimum contract is still a 12 month contract. You've served 18 months, so a months notice should suffice.

faceman

chrislad wrote:

Umm, unless I'm mistaken, a 12 month minimum contract is still a 12 month contract. You've served 18 months, so a months notice should suffice.

technically thats not correct. its a 12 month minimum contract meaning that if you cancel in the first 12 months you are liable for 12 months of charges. it also states in the contract that the contract continues outside of that period without the need for resigning paperwork and that a 2 month cancellation notice period applies thereon. Legally ok - yep. Practical and enforceable - no.

comer_97

without even saying how poor the gym actually is. It is stuff like this that gives gyms a bad name, or should I say a worse name!