Unauthorised debit orders and lack of service (with a hint of bad attitude)

For Maartin Du Toit - Regional Manager as referred to by Beverly from Fourways Megaclub

Hi Maartin,

I don't even know where to begin with the nature of this complaint, so I'm just going to start and be as detailed as possible. Hopefully you'll be able to assist me because the lack of service that I have (or have not) received in the last month and a half is disgusting.

In February I started a new job and my payment date moved to the last of the month. First logical step is to move current debit orders. That is a fairly easy job to do. I have managed to move all my debit orders besides one (well two, it is mine and my wife's). I phoned the club (Fourways) and they then referred me to a contact centre. I phoned the contact centre to try and move my debit order. Initially they couldn't help me because I had an outstanding amount on my membership, but once settled the debit order will be on the 1st of every month. I went in to the club and made a cash payment of more than R2000.

Come March and my debit orders aren't going off on the first. Phoned again, and they said I should go to the club and fill out a debit order form stating that I want to move my debit order. I did that and they submitted the form on my behalf (so I would think). Come next month, debit order is not moved.

Getting slightly ****ed at this simple request and that I had to make another cash payment of more than R1400 to keep my membership.

I have phoned the bank to even try and assist but nothing could help.

On 2 August, just before 9am, I went to the club and asked to speak to Sean Maskell. He comes to see me and I explain the exact same situation as above. He was still very surprised that I know my wife's ID off the top of my head, so surely I can't be lying about the information. Anyway, he said he'll phone me back on the same day, he is just waiting for his team to come in... Four weeks later and I haven't received a call and the debit orders are still trying to come from the 24th of the month. The one month I had you guys trying to debit me on the 24th, 25th, and even the 26th! So now something is even more out of place. After I have queried this with Sean, I started getting my regular debit orders on the 24th/25th as well as an outstanding amount of R1400 something. So surely someone has taken note of that, but not of my simple request.

I went in to the gym again to see Sean, and they said he would be in later the afternoon. I left a message saying that I will come back between 5 and 6pm and they said it is fine. I came to the office on the 29th of August and Sean wasn't there. They then referred me to Beverley and she was very keen and amped to assist me. I was feeling really positive about this as she said the would personally solve this for me.

She phoned me back the next day (30 August) at 19:57. Still no solution, but at least she phoned me back. This has now been another two weeks that nothing has been done so I went in today again. She was very surprised to see me and asked whether someone has called me back (after she said she would personally resolve this issue). I said no. I asked her if they/you have ever had a look at Hello Peter and what people are saying about the gym because it is horrific and that there is a general lack of customer service. There are at least 10 similar queries just in this month, and it is only the 12th now.

This being said, I am really disappointed with how this has been handled. I am trying to move my debit orders due to a logistical matter and obviously to manage cash flow. I have penalties on the bounced debit orders that is close to R1500 now in total. August alone was R700 due to the multiple attempts to debit.

I am asking you now for a solution. If the debit orders were moved in the first place, then we wouldn't have been in this situation. I really want to cancel my contract because it feels like dealing with a telco and trying to get some kind of customer service out of this.

Please can you get back to me with an answer or a solution?

Regards