Complaint: Planet Fitness contract

I hereby wish to lodge a complaint against Planet Fitness (Just Gym). I was a member of the Just Gym having joined the gym last year around April. I trained for only a few weeks and could no longer got to the gym facilities as was traveling by work since May 2017.

However, Planet Fitness continued to deduct monthly fees as I was not aware that I had to cancel the contract. Hence I reversed the fees on a monthly basis until to such a time when I received an SMS from Landau Attorneys stating that they were instructed by Planet Fitness through whatsapp to do debt collection on their behalf.

Initially, Landau Attorneys and Planet Fitness said i need to pay an outstanding amount of R1003 in order for my contract to be cancelled. Then I made arrangements with Landau Attorneys to debit my account over a period of 3 from 15 October 2017 to 15 December 2017. They then emailed me a document to provide them with my bank details in order to debit the money. Hence we divided R1003 by 3 months, and then R334.33 was deducted on my account by the Attorneys for 3 months. Landau Attorneys agreed that after December the debit orders will stop automatically.

On 15 December I went to Planet Fitness at Sterland in Arcadia where i joined the gym to notify them that i have settled my debt and that I request that the contract be cancelled. But then they told me I have to call the Head Office which is situated at Wanderers in Johannesburg, therefore asked them to give me their address as I have a hearing problem and I cant hear over the phone. On the 3 January 2018 I went to Planet Fitness Head Office with my fiance, and asked them to cancel the contract but we were told that I still have an outstanding amount of R1175. Hence they said I must pay that amount in order to have my contract cancelled.

Then I asked what was the outstanding amount for because I was only told that I owed R1003? But they just gave me some vague answers, then they said we must call again during the week to determine the settlement amount. The following day on the 4 January 2018 I sent them an email that I will settle the debt on the 15 January 2018, then I spoke to Landau Attorneys on watasapp asking them what the R1175 was for. But the Attorneys said that I owe R448.14 and that I need to settle the amount in order for the contract to be terminated. Yesterday I went to Planet Fitness and asked them how much was the settlement amount and they said its R448.14.

After that I requested bank details from Landau Attorneys via watsapp and deposited the money to their account and emailed the proof of payment to them and Planet Fitness Head Office and also sent it by watsapp to the Attorneys, but then I had to compel Landau Attorneys to send me a settlement letter which they said they cant provide, but they only gave me a paid up letter which states that I am renewing the contract contrary to the fact that I am terminating the contract. Then we had a dispute regarding that. After some moment they said Planet Fitness is the one that must issue a settlement letter then the contract can be terminated and that Planet Fitness will respond to my emails within 24 hours.

Today I sent a follow-up email in the morning but they have not responded yet. Hence I am desperately asking for your assistance and intervention in this regard as it is apparent that Planet Fitness does not want to terminate my contract. I don't mind coming to your offices as long as this can be resolved, it stresses me out. I have settled the debt but they don't want to terminate the contract. And Landau Attorneys said monthly installments are still active and that if Planet Fitness does not cancel the contract it means i will be billed on a monthly basis, which is just unfair. They even said there might be a cancellation fee to have the contract terminated.