Mijn Klacht:

I’ll write my post in English so expats will be able to read this too. I was actually not going to complain, untill my friend sent an article from the Telegraaf about the increase of complaints for Fit for Free, which triggered me to tell my story.

I have recently moved from Australia to the Netherlands and was browsing for a gym that has multiple locations all over the Netherlands. Online I came across Fit for Free but of course read all the online complaints about direct debit (automatische incasso). Early November I called the headoffice to get clarification on this and I asked whether I could pay my monthly subscription cash or card as I had concerns about giving them my bank details for direct debit. The guy on the phone said ‘yes, that’s not standard but we have done this before and that can certainly be arranged, just talk to the location manager to organise it for you’. I also asked (in case I have to return to Australia before the 1-year is up) if there was a termination clause to get a partial refund due to moving overseas. This was also confirmed on the phone.

Great, based on this information I went ahead and visited the gym in my neighbourhood. I spoke to the location manager, explained my story and he said that monthly cash payments weren’t possible but paying by card was fine. As I hadn’t opened a Dutch bank account at that stage and counted on being able to pay cash, he told me to pay my first month when I was due to pay my second month.

And so based on all the information I went ahead and signed the contract. At the direct debit part I wrote ‘not applicable’. Then a few weeks later, I started to receive reminders that I suppose to pay the entire year. So I figured that something must have gone wrong in the system. I went to the gym and tried to sort it out. The location manager made me fill out an amendment form, so the head office could change my payment to ‘monthly’ even though I already had signed for monthly, but anyway I went ahead and did exactly the same (writing nvt maandelijkse pinbetaling). This suppose to be processed within 5 days but again, I received reminders. So nearly two weeks (every day I went to the gym) I had to talk to a staff member about this issue!! How can such a thing not be solved straight away?

Finally, just before Christmas, we found out what it was: I hadn’t filled out the direct debit information and thus I was seen as if I would be the full year at once. I did not sign up for either of them. Given all the complaints I have read, I don’t want to pay the entire year up front if I need to go back to Australia earlier than planned, and I purposely haven’t signed up for direct debit.

It feels as if they just wanted to tell me what I wanted to hear at that moment in time, to make me a member (een contract aan te smeren door middel van leugens). I don’t feel comfortable with the two options that are put in front of me. If I knew they would drive me into a corner like this, I would’ve never signed up…

When you call the head office they make up an excuse or they say ‘what the staff member meant by this is XXX’. They should get their admin and communication sorted seriously. When I email the head office it takes them like 2 weeks to get back to you or (if they are sick of your emails) they completely ignore you. I just want to exercize and get fit, not spending time on all this financial / contractual nonsense.

I have saved all emails, receipts, copy of contract and ‘amended’ payment schedule.

Gewenste Oplossing:

I would be satisfied if I can pay monthly by card and the 'aanmaningen' would stop coming in. Besides that, I would like to have confirmed in writing that in case of relocation overseas, the contract will be terminated before the official end-date and in case the year has been paid in full, the subscription fees will be refunded.