Problems with David Lloyd

[pauldavies85]

Back in February I though I would pop into a local gymto get ideas of a short term membership, 3 months.

It was a lot but I thought if I just pay for a short term then if I didn't get the use I could be safe in the knowledge I wasn't signs up to some long term contract etc. I asked if it was possible to pay by credit card on off, they said yes.

I went though the usual bit and pieces and the tool down my credit card numbers. They admin person then said I would need to provide account details so a DD could be set up, even though I wanted to just pay for the 3 month term, essentially to hope your forget to cancel. Luckily I did not have the info and could get away from the pushy sales person. I was told I could only have my membership set up and be 'put on the sytem' once they had this info.

When i got home and told my new girlfriend, she under no uncertain terms told me to not join the club (not the pleased response I was hoping for) as she had such a nightmare cancelling her dads membership when he passed away, to the point the would not except anything less that a signed letter from the late father! Just want a family dealing with a unforeseen death wanted.

I decided not to provide the club with my account details as I did not want to go ahead with opening an account anymore.

Anyway, I thought I had no access too the club and not had a membership card/number. Well, I, now out of this initial term and apparently 2 months in debt for my 'memebrship', and to my surprise the credit card payment was processed for the initial term also - poor I didn't notice I know but it's a card where a lot of transactions go through a month.

I now have been contacted by a debt collection agency - I had had several voicemails left my David lloyd though they were non specific and assumed it was the usual bombardment of promotion these companies give you.

I spoke to the club today, the lady simply said you signed a 'contract', a single side of a4 which clearly says at the top you must arrange a DD and no membership number entered at the bottom as at that time I couldnt be processed onto the system(lack of account details).
Amazingly I am now on the system, no surpise there, though she did have the grace to acknoledge I have never once been to the club.

What the hell do I do? I've essentially be charged for a services haven't got access too and now being harassed for debt incurred?

Is it me but I can not see how they could of arranged the completion of my membership application without the details they requested. My obvious downfall is the fact they had my credit details and my lack of scrutiny In checking mysatementd.

Sorry for spelling and grammar, I struggle to type on the iPad with auto corrections!

[Tyrewrecker]

Tell the cc company to reverse payments. Tell Dl to fk off

[Slagathore]

Surely, if you've signed the contract, you've agreed to pay for the minimum 3 month term, regardless of whether they actually collected the payment details?

[Deva Link]

I'm amazed they didn't just carry on charging your credit card.

It's annoying, but if you didn't even notice the first 3 mths being charged then it can't be a big deal for you.

Anyway, I thought gyms generally had got into a lot of trouble for this sort of thing and been told to clean their act up?

[Greengecko]

Deva Link said:

Anyway, I thought gyms generally had got into a lot of trouble for this sort of thing and been told to clean their act up?

Only on unfair contracts longer than a 12 month period. Other gym contracts have yet to be tested in a court where case law can be set, something I am sure they will want to avoid.

[pauldavies85]

that card is paid off automatically and is used for my bussiness, often with a few 1000 going through a month.

I have already paid the intial term via this though, but it want another 2 months, it was only because i was contacted that i 'cancelled' the membership to avoid them building more debts up!

I'm def not paying the 'debt' they want and would quit elike my intial money back

[julian64]

I'm afraid that company is something of a sharp operator in my experience.

I cancelled my membership after a few years when moving house, because there was no gym close in the new house.

I cancelled verbally, and was told that after a verbal cancellation I would have to pay three months, which I did, the girl at the time wrote my name and membership number on an official looking form.

I then got threatening letters when I cancelled the direct debit at the end of the three months. I went to see them and they said no record of the cancellation existed, and that it wouldn't be valid unless it had my signature on it. After a fair amount of annoyed conversation I paid another three months, signed all the forms given and walked off.

During the last month of the three final months I had paid for I was in the situation of meeting some friends in my old neighbourhood and because my membership still had two weeks to run I went along only to be refused at the door.

It seemed that the club only wanted one thing out of the punter, and that wasn't my approval.

[mondeoman]

julian64 said:

During the last month of the three final months I had paid for I was in the situation of meeting some friends in my old neighbourhood and because my membership still had two weeks to run I went along only to be refused at the door.

It seemed that the club only wanted one thing out of the punter, and that wasn't my approval.

I hope that was met with a tirade of abuse!

[julian64]

mondeoman said:

julian64 said:

During the last month of the three final months I had paid for I was in the situation of meeting some friends in my old neighbourhood and because my membership still had two weeks to run I went along only to be refused at the door.

It seemed that the club only wanted one thing out of the punter, and that wasn't my approval.

I hope that was met with a tirade of abuse!

Problem with David Lloyd, and again only in my personal experience was that the poor pretty girl pushed to the front reception desk was young enough to be my daughter. Manager types were always 'not here today'. If you try to get in and your card doesn't work they have the same expression on their faces that you find in Burger King. A cross between a deer caught in headlights, and a caveman trying to understand why repeated hitting of a rock doesn't produce fire.

Their best reply when I said I was a member was to try the card again. When that didn't work for the 100th time they appologised and were going to leave a message for the manager to contact me. Verbally abusing a teenage girl wouldn't have made me feel any better.

[daz3210]

Did you read what you signed?

If you made it clear at the outset that you only wanted a 3 month term, then I guess it is fair enough that you have to pay that, but no more. Verbal agreements, while hard to prove, can form part of a contract.

If the debt collection co want you to pay, they must take you to court, or rather David Lloyd must take you to court, and prove their case. If they carry on write back to them saying that any further contact outside court will be considered harassment, and invite them to take you to court because you dispute the debt.

[final_edition]

See what happens when you try to join a gym after getting s new girlfriend.

Try cycling, to get your stamina up

Time to take direct action.

http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/9390203.Man_thro...

[neilsfishing]

Tyrewrecker said:

Tell the cc company to reverse payments. Tell Dl to fk off

[BlueMR2]

julian64 said:

Problem with David Lloyd, and again only in my personal experience was that the poor pretty girl pushed to the front reception desk was young enough to be my daughter. Manager types were always 'not here today'. If you try to get in and your card doesn't work they have the same expression on their faces that you find in Burger King. A cross between a deer caught in headlights, and a caveman trying to understand why repeated hitting of a rock doesn't produce fire.

Their best reply when I said I was a member was to try the card again. When that didn't work for the 100th time they appologised and were going to leave a message for the manager to contact me. Verbally abusing a teenage girl wouldn't have made me feel any better.

At least you could get out.

They locked me in once.

[Tyrewrecker]

BlueMR2 said:

At least you could get out.

They locked me in once.

Was it exciting?

[BlueMR2]

Tyrewrecker said:

BlueMR2 said:

At least you could get out.

They locked me in once.

Was it exciting?

The cleaner let me out of the kitchen, then i got my car under the barrier and realised the gate was padlocked so had to swipe the card, run to the car and gun it in reverse to get back under.

Was not impressed all the other staff had left. If the cleaners weren't there i'd have been very pissed off when the morning staff arrived.

[Tyrewrecker]

BlueMR2 said:

The cleaner let me out of the kitchen, then i got my car under the barrier and realised the gate was padlocked so had to swipe the card, run to the car and gun it in reverse to get back under.

Was not impressed all the other staff had left. If the cleaners weren't there i'd have been very pissed off when the morning staff arrived.

Bless.

[BlueMR2]

I heard the security guard wander round the changing room when i was having a shower, however the first shower was faulty and constantly on, so i think he looked round the room, no stuff or clothes were out and didn't realise there was a 2nd shower on.

I went upstairs and all the lights in the lounge were off, which was odd, no one tidying up at the bar. Carried on walking, no one at reception.

I started getting a bit concerned everything was locked up, so i went to the door and it opened thankfully. Unfortunately that was the internal door, then i got to the outside door which didn't open and you could see the shiny bolt between them so you could tell i wasn't getting out that way.



I did have them turn all the lights off in the gym floor before as well when i was working out. You could just hear this swoosh noise as the weights went back and forth on the machine.

Then one of the workers friends said - i think i can hear something, then noticed i was still working out .

[Tyrewrecker]

BlueMR2 said:

I heard the security guard wander round the changing room when i was having a shower, however the first shower was faulty and constantly on, so i think he looked round the room, no stuff or clothes were out and didn't realise there was a 2nd shower on.

I went upstairs and all the lights in the lounge were off, which was odd, no one tidying up at the bar. Carried on walking, no one at reception.

I started getting a bit concerned everything was locked up, so i went to the door and it opened thankfully. Unfortunately that was the internal door, then i got to the outside door which didn't open and you could see the shiny bolt between them so you could tell i wasn't getting out that way.



I did have them turn all the lights off in the gym floor before as well when i was working out. You could just hear this swoosh noise as the weights went back and forth on the machine.

Then one of the workers friends said - i think i can hear something, then noticed i was still working out .

So they left early?

[BlueMR2]

Tyrewrecker said:

So they left early?

Earlier than usual.

[Tyrewrecker]

BlueMR2 said:

arlier than usual.

What is usual? Closing time? Seems very odd they didn't know someone hadn't checked out or didn't look at the multiple cameras.