In your face Richard Branson

[Dell Boy]

If anyone's arsed.....

As of yesterday afternoon I was about to have a court date set after refusing to pay 5 months subs penalty to my local Virgin Active gym when I got a call from my solicitor saying "they've dropped the case and agreed to pay our costs and a nominal gesture towards compensation".

It started off a long while back when I was getting more and more fed up with my local gym. They kept pushing new member promotions to the point you'd have literally gangs of newbies milling about almost every single day. The tipping point came when they changed the hours I could take my kids along to the swimming pool. I'd been a member for years and dropped them a letter saying I'd give them a month's notice and then I'd cancel my standing order.

Whoa then I had the tides of hell unleashed on me and was threatened with all sorts. Very quickly they clicked into gear with a debt collection agency and solicitors letters (costs mounting all the time).

Despite this I'd done a law course at Uni and know my way around contracts so was determined to tough it out on a point of principle if nothing else.

I can't get into the specifics on here of my circumstances or what led it to be resolved but if anyone wants any informal advice about these type of contract situations then drop me a PM and I'll try my best.

Cheers

Dell

 

[steken1]

I am. Good these showers give gyms a bad name. Having a contract to go the gym seems the most ridiculous thing in the world to me.

Thankfully these types of business will be all but out of business within the next 5-10 years.

 

[hullefc]

If anyone's arsed.....

As of yesterday afternoon I was about to have a court date set after refusing to pay 5 months subs penalty to my local Virgin Active gym when I got a call from my solicitor saying "they've dropped the case and agreed to pay our costs and a nominal gesture towards compensation".

It started off a long while back when I was getting more and more fed up with my local gym. They kept pushing new member promotions to the point you'd have literally gangs of newbies milling about almost every single day. The tipping point came when they changed the hours I could take my kids along to the swimming pool. I'd been a member for years and dropped them a letter saying I'd give them a month's notice and then I'd cancel my standing order.

Whoa then I had the tides of hell unleashed on me and was threatened with all sorts. Very quickly they clicked into gear with a debt collection agency and solicitors letters (costs mounting all the time).

Despite this I'd done a law course at Uni and know my way around contracts so was determined to tough it out on a point of principle if nothing else.

I can't get into the specifics on here of my circumstances or what led it to be resolved but if anyone wants any informal advice about these type of contract situations then drop me a PM and I'll try my best.

Cheers

Dell

Well done, can't stand the slime ball.

 

[McBain]

So Richard Branson personally was suing you?

Good on you for sticking to your guns though. Especially if they changed the contract.

Don't change a contract you faceless corporations.

 

[Baines' left foot]

Nice one mate.

Love it when someone beats a big company like that.

PEOPLE POWER.

 

[Alio]

Lovely stuff. Sticking it to da man

It's funny what you can do if you stick to your guns. Adidas giving me a free pair of Predators was my favourite victory. It was easier for them to do that, rather than having me moan by letter over and over again

 

[chrismpw]

Companies, banks and governments seem to be able to change their end of the contracts with impunity. The poor punter can't, as they don't have the financial ability, or the wits. Our government do nothing to protect the public from this bully boy action and stand aside while private enterprise rips off the every day Joe. Our voters do nothing at each election.

The law stands in the middle, as a device to allow business to do what it wants unless someone makes a really expensive fuss over it. The trick is, for businesses, to see what they can get away with, without provoking a punter to use the (expensive) law.

Revolution needed. (over gym subscription??!!)

 

[NewRadical]

Well done mate.

Must have been incredibly stressful for you. In spite of that you knew you were in the right and stuck to your guns. I applaud that.

 

[potato]

i signed up to the gym just for the summer, ended up signing a contract despite being told several times it would be on a month to month basis. Next thing i know im still being charged, so i cancel the direct debit and have debt agency's ringing me daily and threatening me unless i pay up in full.

i ignore them, they stopped sending me letters and stopped phoning after 3 months.

i was prepared anyway to take them to court under false misrepresentation.