Thursday 25th January 2018
As part of the Citizens Advice Exeter and The Express and Echo weekly advice column this week we focus on problems with cancelling gym membership.
My gym will only allow me to cancel my membership in person. This is written in the contract but I’ve since moved away from the area. What can I do?
To end your gym membership you will need to follow the terms of the contract. However, it’s also possible to challenge any terms which cause unnecessary hassle or are designed to keep you tied into the contract. For this reason, you could try to challenge the term which states you need to end the contract in person.
Start by writing a letter or email explaining you want to end your membership and why you can’t do so in person. If writing a letter, it’s best to use recorded delivery so you have proof that the letter arrived.
If the gym won’t accept your written cancellation ask if they’ve got a complaints procedure in place which you can follow. If not, then send another letter giving them a final chance to end the contract.
If they still won’t agree to cancelling your contract get in touch with an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) scheme – an independent complaints body which settles disputes. The gym may belong to one already, or should provide details of an approved scheme and say whether they’d be prepared to work with it.
You can also contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 03454 04 05 06 for help on cancelling contracts which include possible unfair terms. For more information and advice go to www.citizensadvice.org.uk
Look out for our column next week when we focus on new arrangements for reimbursing employment tribunal fees.
The information contained in these articles does not constitute advice. Citizens Advice Exeter and The Express and Echo accept no liability for the information published. Citizens Advice Exeter is unable to respond to individual requests for advice through these columns. Copyright Citizens Advice. For the most up-to-date information, please visit www.citizensadvice.org.uk