Gym Direct Debit Problem
Discussion
I recently signed up for a new gym membership. The direct debits and membership are managed by Hardlands. I paid month 1 on my debit card and then entered details for my direct debit. They sent me an email confirming my direct debit details have been received and are correct
Month later I get a SMS saying my account is in arreas. I phone them to find out whats up and they say the DD was returned as the account is closed. I say its not. Eventually it transpires that he account number they have is wrong. They say I have entered it incorrectly, I am sure I didn't as I am usually very careful and double check these things. Two numbers have been miss typed, 33 instead of 66. In the confirmation email they have sent me the numbers are asterixed out. I think they are double keying the numbers into another system and they have made the mistake.
Regardless of the mistake and who made it. They slapped at £25 admin fee on my account because the direct debit failed. My issue with this is they never gave me any opportunity to fix it. As far as I knew my DD was ok as they had sent me an email confirming it was. Next thing I know they say its in arreas and already has the fine added. I think that's unfair. I phoned them the day I got the message and was willing to pay over the phone there and then but they had already added the fine.
Should I complain and pursue this further? Complain to the gym also? Part of me thinks its only 25 quid and just get on with my life. But the other side of me thinks this is just a money making scam from them.
Is there a higher power (FCA or similar) that cover this type of thing?
Month later I get a SMS saying my account is in arreas. I phone them to find out whats up and they say the DD was returned as the account is closed. I say its not. Eventually it transpires that he account number they have is wrong. They say I have entered it incorrectly, I am sure I didn't as I am usually very careful and double check these things. Two numbers have been miss typed, 33 instead of 66. In the confirmation email they have sent me the numbers are asterixed out. I think they are double keying the numbers into another system and they have made the mistake.
Regardless of the mistake and who made it. They slapped at £25 admin fee on my account because the direct debit failed. My issue with this is they never gave me any opportunity to fix it. As far as I knew my DD was ok as they had sent me an email confirming it was. Next thing I know they say its in arreas and already has the fine added. I think that's unfair. I phoned them the day I got the message and was willing to pay over the phone there and then but they had already added the fine.
Should I complain and pursue this further? Complain to the gym also? Part of me thinks its only 25 quid and just get on with my life. But the other side of me thinks this is just a money making scam from them.
Is there a higher power (FCA or similar) that cover this type of thing?
Unfortunately I was joining mostly for the 25m pool, the gym was a bonus. In my area there are only 3 places with 25m pools. One is David Lloyd and costs about £100/month, the other two both have direct debits run by Harlands. So I am buggered either way and have little choice but to stay.
Scabutz said:
I recently signed up for a new gym membership. The direct debits and membership are managed by Hardlands. I paid month 1 on my debit card and then entered details for my direct debit. They sent me an email confirming my direct debit details have been received and are correct
Month later I get a SMS saying my account is in arreas. I phone them to find out whats up and they say the DD was returned as the account is closed. I say its not. Eventually it transpires that he account number they have is wrong. They say I have entered it incorrectly, I am sure I didn't as I am usually very careful and double check these things. Two numbers have been miss typed, 33 instead of 66. In the confirmation email they have sent me the numbers are asterixed out. I think they are double keying the numbers into another system and they have made the mistake.
Regardless of the mistake and who made it. They slapped at £25 admin fee on my account because the direct debit failed. My issue with this is they never gave me any opportunity to fix it. As far as I knew my DD was ok as they had sent me an email confirming it was. Next thing I know they say its in arreas and already has the fine added. I think that's unfair. I phoned them the day I got the message and was willing to pay over the phone there and then but they had already added the fine.
Should I complain and pursue this further? Complain to the gym also? Part of me thinks its only 25 quid and just get on with my life. But the other side of me thinks this is just a money making scam from them.
Is there a higher power (FCA or similar) that cover this type of thing?
Playing devil's advocate but...........how could they get the DD details wrong? They can only get them from you.....their system would just pre-populate the details from what you've provided........and the £25 admin will be buried in their T&C's next to your signature you'd assume.......Month later I get a SMS saying my account is in arreas. I phone them to find out whats up and they say the DD was returned as the account is closed. I say its not. Eventually it transpires that he account number they have is wrong. They say I have entered it incorrectly, I am sure I didn't as I am usually very careful and double check these things. Two numbers have been miss typed, 33 instead of 66. In the confirmation email they have sent me the numbers are asterixed out. I think they are double keying the numbers into another system and they have made the mistake.
Regardless of the mistake and who made it. They slapped at £25 admin fee on my account because the direct debit failed. My issue with this is they never gave me any opportunity to fix it. As far as I knew my DD was ok as they had sent me an email confirming it was. Next thing I know they say its in arreas and already has the fine added. I think that's unfair. I phoned them the day I got the message and was willing to pay over the phone there and then but they had already added the fine.
Should I complain and pursue this further? Complain to the gym also? Part of me thinks its only 25 quid and just get on with my life. But the other side of me thinks this is just a money making scam from them.
Is there a higher power (FCA or similar) that cover this type of thing?
You would not believe the amount of my clients that get their DD wrong when they provide them for their mortgage payments.......
Sarnie said:
Playing devil's advocate but...........how could they get the DD details wrong? They can only get them from you.....their system would just pre-populate the details from what you've provided........and the £25 admin will be buried in their T&C's next to your signature you'd assume.......
You would not believe the amount of my clients that get their DD wrong when they provide them for their mortgage payments.......
Yes I agree, its possible they have systems that dont talk and have to double key things. But its equally, if not more, likely that I entered them incorrectly. Although as I said that's not the sort of mistake I usually make.You would not believe the amount of my clients that get their DD wrong when they provide them for their mortgage payments.......
My bigger beef with them is that they sent me an email confirming that the details were correct. Then said they weren't and slapped the fine on without me having any opportunity to resolve it.
Yes the fee is in the T&Cs
If you don't have much choice of gym and need it to be that one, I'd just take it on the chin and move on. It's galling to give a company £25 for what seems an unfair reason, but the stress of having to hound them into backing down probably isn't really worth it (especially as there's not going to be any other positive outcome than getting the £25 back).
Of course, I probably wouldn't take my own advice on that, but that's besides the point...
Of course, I probably wouldn't take my own advice on that, but that's besides the point...
Scabutz said:
Should I complain and pursue this further? Complain to the gym also? Part of me thinks its only 25 quid and just get on with my life. But the other side of me thinks this is just a money making scam from them.
Yes you should. I would be chasing them to remove the fine as a gesture of good will. You are a brand new customer in month 1 and I would have thought you just need to complain to the right person.
Don't let them get away with it
Complain higher up? https://www.ceoemail.com/s.php?id=ceo-77954
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