Parkwood Leisure - please read before you set foot in one of their clubs!

[lorna2012]

It would honestly appear that, no matter how much you try to sort out your financial matters, there is always some vile cretin waiting out there to try and catch you when you least expect it.

 

Please excuse me if this post doesn't make a lot of sense at first. I am in tears, I think I have cried daily for the past 8 days or so, I am honestly at the end of my tether now. I seriously do not feel like I can take much more stress.

 

I took out a membership with Parkwood Leisure and clearly stated that I wanted a gym membership that I could cancel at any time. I did not realise it was a private gym, it looks and feels like (and has the costs similar to) a council gym and my understanding of council gyms is that you can cancel at any time. I specifically said to the person "can I cancel by cancelling my direct debit? I don't have to give notice?" and was assured this was the case. So I signed up, used it a few times before finding a better gym.

 

I started getting phone calls demanding that I make one month's payment to cancel. I said thats not what I was sold - they refused to look into it - I said during the phone conversation that I had moved house and was no longer at my old address. They acknowledge this even now - I have had someone at their head office admit to me that their management have said they knew I no longer lived at the address.

 

I thought that was the end of it til I happened to check my credit file. They have taken out a CCJ against me. They are now saying I was meant to give TWO months' notice to cancel which is even more news to me.

 

I have offered to make payment as a goodwill gesture on the basis that they set the CCJ aside as they knew I didn't live at the address and have admitted that. I do not accept any liability. I know for a fact none of my post will have been delivered as the police wrote to me about something and actually called me in autumn 2012 to advise that they had had the post returned to sender! I have asked Parkwood Leisure for a SAR and advised them that I have gone to my MP. I am seeking legal action against them - I have no choice but to pay the CCJ under duress because of my employers.

 

I have had contact from one of their operation managers, a Liyen Ashby, who takes hours to reply to any emails (despite serious complaints being made and the threat of legal action). They are the most vile company I have ever had to deal with - they are ruining my life and my career for the sake of £73.

 

I honestly am at the end of my tether; I have never ever been someone who had great financial sense and will admit it. But I am not someone who would let something get to the point of court action - I studied law at university and work in the legal field - if I had known, I would have sorted it out.

 

I have gone to my MP and am going to a solicitors tomorrow. I have also written letters to Andrew Holt CEO and Tony Hewitt Director as well as writing to BBC Watchdog. I just want other people to be made aware of how vile this company really is - even when it gets what it wants, under duress, it still is content to ruin someone's life.

 

Normally I am a lot more articulate than this but I feel like I am really at breaking point and cannot take much more. I have no idea why any company would want to put someone through this. Parkwood Leisure are one of the most disgusting companies I have ever had the displeasure of dealing with in my life; I seriously do hope they rot for what they have put me through in this past while. Companies only learn when you hit them where it hurts - their pocket through bad publicity - so as far as I am concerned it is my duty to bloody make as many people as possible aware of this bunch of...

[Conniff]

What has your employer got to do with it ?

[lorna2012]

I can't have a CCJ in my employment.

[i hate bailiffs]

Going to see solicitors sounds expensive

 

If they sent the court paperwork to your old address and you were not able to file a defense

 

You should get the judgment set aside

[slick132]

Hi Lorna,

 

I have had contact from one of their operation managers, a Liyen Ashby, who takes hours to reply to any emails (despite serious complaints being made and the threat of legal action). They are the most vile company I have ever had to deal with - they are ruining my life and my career for the sake of £73.

 

I honestly am at the end of my tether; I have never ever been someone who had great financial sense and will admit it. But I am not someone who would let something get to the point of court action - I studied law at university and work in the legal field - if I had known, I would have sorted it out.

 

I have gone to my MP and am going to a solicitors tomorrow. I have also written letters to Andrew Holt CEO and Tony Hewitt Director as well as writing to BBC Watchdog. I just want other people to be made aware of how vile this company really is - even when it gets what it wants, under duress, it still is content to ruin someone's life.

 

Clearly this has annoyed and upset you greatly. However, complaining to all and sundry about this will NOT get you what you need. Watchdog, your MP, etc will not get this reversed. Nor will complaints to Parkwood.

 

See a solicitor if you want but getting a sol'r to have the Judgement set aside will, I suspect, cost you many hundreds of pounds.

 

You can do this yourself for nothing apart from the court fee.

 

1. When was the CCJ made.

 

2. When you told Parkwood you'd moved, did you give them your new address.

 

3. Have you a copy of the CCJ or do you know what court made the Judgement.

 

If you pay it within 30 days of issue, a CCJ is not registered against you and will have no ongoing impact on your CRA records.

 

If you didn't pay within 30 days and you pay the CCJ now, the CCJ will remain registered against you for 6 years.

 

The only way to get around this now is to apply to the court to have the Judgement Set Aside on the basis that you never received the court claim papers.

 

My advice is that you calm down and focus on working effectively to resolve this, by seeking the Set Aside.

 

[slick132]

We can work on the reasons for the Set Aside in due course.

 

We can also assist you if the SA is granted and you want to defend the original claim.

 

[slick132]

Hi Lorna,

 

No feedback from you about the responses you've had.

 

If you're still needing to sort this, give us the further info I asked for above.

 

Also, see this post about what to say on the N244 Application (if the gym was aware of your new address) - http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/member.php?340942-lorna2012

 

The text in red is what you should look at.

 

Edited February 16, 2013 by slick132