Please sign this petition if you had a bad experience with Active Centres and/or Debit Finance Collections Plc (DFC)

This is an open letter that is intended to be sent to:

Active lifestyle centres

Debit Finance Collections Plc

The Financial Ombudsman Service

Financial Conduct Authority

 

If you read just a few reviews people are writing for Debit Finance Collections Plc, it will give you an idea about what is happening with these two companies and how Active members are getting trapped with a 3rd party finance company who will try to squeeze as much as they can out of them. Considering that very few people are writing reviews (probably less than 10%) will result in thousands of customers that went through what I am going right now.

Let me tell you my experience with these 2 sister companies.

1. In February 2022 I went to Active Kingswood reception and started a membership with a monthly payment. I was never told that I will be passed over to a 3rd party finance company and I was never told that if I am late with the payment, the 3rd party company will add penalties to your payment every month and you will be more and more in debt. I was only told that I will receive an email where I need to activate the direct debit, which I did. If I was told about the 3rd party company, I would have said NO WAY ! and walked away.
2. I wasn't happy with the Gym ( small area, short opening hours and not enough equipment for my needs, for these reasons I used the gym only a few times ) and in May I decided to cancel my membership. I canceled my direct debit and called the gym to cancel my membership but they said that I need to cancel the membership with DFC, the 3rd party finance collectors. I said , "look, I don't know who they are and I only spoke to you when I started my membership and it would make sense that you talk to your partners to cancel this". They said "No, this is not how it works, you need to speak to DFC" and they gave me their phone number and email address. I can't remember how many times I called their number but one thing is sure: nobody answers ever. So I've sent an email asking to cancel my membership and in the end I was confirmed that my membership was cancelled.
3. In this time when jumping between Active and DFC, my debt went up to £75.95 including late penalties, which I paid on 01.06.2022 with the DFC reference 897901MC0750.
4. If you think this was the end of the story, you are wrong : today I received another email from DFC :

• Subject : Notification of Unpaid Direct Debit Payment - Ref No 897901MC0750
• Please note that your 8th June 2022 payment for £60.95 (including a £15.00 late payment charge) must reach us within 7 days of the date of this email. If we have to send you a second reminder you will incur a further fee of £15.00, as per the terms of your agreement.

So my question for Active & DFC would be : when does it end ?

I am just wondering why are financial companies allowed to do this and who should check them to make sure they are not ripping us off.