Can I cancel a direct debit without incurring a charge?

[pigface]

I am a member of a gym which I pay for by Direct Debit on a monthy basis. Having paid my fee for over the 12 month minimum period I am now looking to cancel my membership.

The problem is that the gym has requested that I submit a letter or cancellation form at least one month beforehand. I have missed the oppotuinty to cancel in February. As such, I will be paying for (unwanted) membership through Feb and March.

Can I simply cancel the DD and therefore avoid the one months notice?

[stevie21]

Phone your bank and cancel the Direct Debit with them - this should stop February's payment as it will stop the *method of payment*.
Also send the letter to the gym informing them that you want to cancel *the membership* with immediate effect.
Even if your contract with them states that you need to give them one month's notice, they're unlikely to pursue you through the courts for twenty quid.
One thing I would do though is keep an eye on your bank account in case they go in a huff and set up a new DD to take this final payment.

[WoWo]

I wouldn't worry about them setting up another DD as this is illegal without your consent.

Clubs like this will take payment in advance so a payment at the end of Jan or begining of Feb will be for the comming month.

I would presonally just cancel the DD and send a letter saying you wish to cancel the membership. As said before they would be unlikely to take any action as legally you wouldn't have done much wrong.

[stevie21]

I would worry about them setting up a direct debit as the consent was given when the membership begun. I have seen this happening zillions of times so, no offence, bu WoWo is completely wrong on that point.

[Gevs1966]

WoWo is actually correct on this matter as a similar thing happened to me recently. If you have paid for the minimum period of membership (you say 12 months) then the original DD would presumably have been for the 12 Month contract. If you cancel the DD, the gym is NOT entitled to put it back on without your consent.

 

Cancel the DD with your bank and your gym membership as said by stevie21. If they do try to put the DD back on without contacting you the money can be claimed back as an illegal transaction through your bank.

 

The situation I was referring to was with an insurance company trying to carry on my DD with them after my policy had been cancelled.

[stevie21]

I've ignored what should happen in favour of what I have seen happening repeatedly. I don't know for certain that the gym membership will stop after 12 months so I'll maybe take your word it, although if I wanted someone's money then I would insert a clause to say that the membership renewed itself unless I was instructed otherwise.

If the membership is still intact (remember my speech about cancelling only the "method of payment"?) then it's possible that the DD would be set up again and if you've made no effort to cancel the membership itself then I, as your bank, would wag my finger at you (I'm in a good mood today - no violence). All the same, under the DD guarantee you'd get a refund but it still leaves you temporarily out of pocket & potentially with a bad mood that you take out on your bank and your gym.

Insurance companies and ISP's in particular (A.O.Hell) are rather renowned for renewing "contracts" that you've long sice cancelled and continuing with the payments.
Evil I tells ya!

This is from an email entitled "what the adverts should say"
http://tinypic.com/1ie77p

Rant over, haha. There, I've imposed my opinion on all of you. I feel better.