ABC Financial Services

Incompetent or venal? ABC Financial handles my gym membership. My CC was set to expire at the end of April, that ABC Financial had this info on computer was clear from a printout. They also had my e-mail on file. On May 1st, they tried putting the CC through 3 times, to have it rejected, naturally, by my bank. Then they added a $19.50 "late payment" fee and e-mailed me a nasty, bill-collector's dunning letter showing a huge balance due. This was on May 5th! When, of course, they could have sent me an e-mail in advance saying hey, your CC is up for expiration, renew it. I vote for venal.

Someone came to my home and asked for my husband. My daughter said he was not there. The woman then asked my daughter who she was and my daughter responded with, "Who are you?". The woman then stated that she was with ABC Mortgage and she was the one who was going to foreclose on this house. My daughter then pointed out the "No Trespassing" sign in my living room window and the woman turned and pointed to a foreclosure sign in her back seat. My daughter again told her to leave and there was some verbal back and forth. I contacted Bank of America and they had no record of dispatching anyone. I researched ABC mortgage and finally came across the one listed and contacted them. They stated that BoA contracted to them for a home inspection and they subcontracted it out and this woman should have never made the statements she made. BoA said everything was fine and there was no foreclosure on my house.

I complained at Gold's Gym front desk in Hershey PA, about humidity and steamy pool-site area. The bathrooms are dirty with missing toilet paper. Gold's has a fan to circulate air because of the humidity even in the bathroom area. What is even more bothersome are the fumes in the pool area from the bromine. It lingers into each nostril, and stings the eyes severely. I have a chronic dry eye condition even in the most ventilated areas, are never promising with stingy.

I joined the gym to use the pool area because the classes are sometimes a bit to bothersome for my back. My intentions were good with exercising and that was the only pool in the area. I signed up, giving my Mastercard to these fellows and contacted them to resign because of the constant dryness (after each use, in the pool) along with burning. They told me I needed a note from the MD. I did that. They told me the letter wasn't good enough. I needed a note stating that I would go blind from the bromine usage. Come on, we all know we take a bigger risk just getting into a car everyday.

I will not be used and abused, that is horse-crap. Is there anyone out there that has empathy for their human friends? Guess you can't mix business with pleasure. Doesn't that make us hard?

I joined Gold's Gym in Buford, Georgia. Gold's management had me sign a contract that designated ABC Financial to debit the monthly fee from my account. The fee was reasonable, so I agreed. Then, during my time at the gym, I would hear other members complaining about ABC Financial doing "double debits" and continuing to debit accounts after they were expired. ABC pulled the double debit on me while I was a member at Gold's. They hit my account twice in one month, hoping I wouldn't notice it. Not an unusual occurrence for them.

Management was eventually able to credit my account back, but it took a while. My contract was coming up for expiration in April 2010. The fine print stated that I needed to notify Gym management in writing that I wanted my contract to "really" expire? That meant, if I didn't give them a 30-day written notice that I really wanted my contract to expire, then ABC would continue to debit my account, even after my contract dates have expired. So, I did what the contract wanted. In fact, I went above and beyond because I knew from the other members complaints, I was going to have trouble.

Two months after my contract expired, I received a phone call from Mr. **, bill collector for ABC Financial. What Mr. ** told me was that he was hired by ABC to be the debt enforcer and collect from me. He stated that the balance was $180 but he would be so kind as to offer me 10 percent discount if I paid for it right now. I explained to him that the contract was up in April of 2010 and that I followed contractual procedures to end the contract as it expired. Mr. ** said, "Well, since you didn't send in writing that you wanted to cancel (even though the contract expired), we've been charging your account for service, late fees, admin fees, month to month fees." Okay, even if my contract went month to month after that, then my balance should be $37.50 a month, times two months (expired contract time) for a total of $75. Not even close to the $180 he was trying to get me for.

Mr. ** said to me, "You didn't send in the correct documents and follow the proper procedure for cancelling you contract, so you owe us membership fees, admin fees, tater fees etc and that is $180." I explained to him that according to my contract, I was only required to notify the Gym in writing that I did not wish to renew my contract and I did that plus sent in the certified letter and fax to ABC Financial. ** said he has no record of it (of course not!), He continued to insist that I pay the $180. They were trying to scam me out of. Mr. ** would not even try and listen to the fact that I had already sent the required paperwork into ABC. He stated that he would place a negative mark on my credit since I was not willing to pay the balance.

This is deceptive and intimidating business practice, and is indicative of extortion by demanding money that is not due and if it's not paid, giving a threat to scar a credit rating.

I joined the fitness club formerly known as "Pleasant Valley Fitness, Inc." in July 2009. I signed a contract (copy attached) for a one year term. At that time, the club was located inside the Pleasant Valley Tennis Club, Jackson, WI. At the end of 2009, the owners of the club told the members that the club was moving from the Pleasant Valley location to become Paradise East Springs Fitness located at West Bend, WI. Section 2 of the contract I signed states "Member acknowledges that at the time this contract was signed he/she was provided with an explanation that disclosed the identity and location of the facilities available to the member", and "If any such facilities or services become unavailable or are no longer fully operational, before full receipt of the services and use of the facilities for which the buyer contracted, the buyer is no longer liable for only that portion of the total consideration proportional to the elapsed time portion of the contract at the time of the unavailability."

Based on the above, Pleasant Valley Fitness, Inc. is no longer available at the location for which I contracted. This contract was voided by Pleasant Valley Fitness, Inc. Therefore, I am no longer liable to pay the remaining contract. I have spent hours on the phone with them. I have sent several emails. I requested a copy of my contract via fax and was assured that one would be faxed but three weeks later I have not received it. They are able to refer to it when I call but will not fax it as promised.

I obtained a copy of the contract from the fitness club. I made a copy and highlighted the applicable sections pointing out that since the club I had contracted with had moved from the address I contracted for (Pleasant Valley Rd.), the facility I signed the contract for was no longer available at the location I signed the contract for, thus voiding the contract. Their response every time is that they have no information that the club has moved and I am still under contract. I closed the credit card account they were drawing from because they had taken two payments after the date the club had moved.

ABC Financial sent me a bill via email and threatened me with collection if I did not pay. I am concerned that this will affect my credit rating if it goes to collection. I feel that they owe me $60 for the two months dues they took after the club had moved. I see complaints about ABC Financial all over the internet and on the BBB website. I have filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission Office of Consumer Protection.

I signed a gym membership contract with Lady of America at W. Central St in Natick on 12/13/06 while I was living in Natick. They told me that their contracts last for a three year term. At the time, I let them know that I would be moving to Norwood at the end of the year since I was reluctant to sign up for such a long period. They specifically told me not to worry, that the contract could easily be cancelled at that time without any problems. I signed the contract for a monthly fee of $34.95 until 12/09.

When I relocated at the end of the year, I called up to find out what I would need to cancel my membership. I mailed in a copy of my bank statement and a copy of my change of address verification from the post office. I did not hear back from them and was sent another bill. I then emailed their company on April 27 and 29 as well as May 22. I asked for a supervisor to contact me to resolve the matter. Each time I was told that I was 21.65 miles away and that they would not cancel my contract. I was not contacted further.

I looked up the exact mileage myself and found it to be between 21.65 and 24.6 depending on the site. Either way it shows to be around 35 minutes minimum. I have also tried calling the company. They have told me that even if I was 24.99 miles away they would not cancel my contract and that there was no way to pay a fee and cancel it early.

Since this has started, I have held onto my bills knowing that I would not be able to recoup the expenses and assuming this would be settled quickly. I currently owe $34.95 each month until 12/09 without any chance of a buyout to a gym I can no longer attend. Since I stopped payment on my credit card until this was resolved, they are currently threatening to send me to collections.

I signed a contract with ABC Financial for a membership to a fitness center. I was told that if I moved farther than 15 miles from the location of the fitness center, I could cancel my contract. I called ABC and advised them that I had not used the gym in over 2 months, and that I have moved to another state. They advised me that I needed to send them proof of moving so I got a copy of my lease from my landlord. The representative that I spoke to on the phone told me that all I had to do was get a lease, mail it to them and as long as they recieved it before a certain date, and the membership would be cancelled. I asked him if there was anything else that needed explaining because I didn't want to send it and then hear that I was missing something. He told me that the mailing of the lease would be all the proof they needed to cancel.

A month later after sending the letter, ABC sent me a letter informing me that my membership was not cancelled because the proof was not sent by certified mail. In the meantime, I had not used the gym for over 3 months. I sent them a letter telling them that I sent them all the necessary documentation that they needed in order to cancel and that I do not owe them any further payements so that they please stop sending me letters. I disputed it with my credit card company, and I am now being threatened to have my case given to a collection agency and my credit is in danger. I have not used this gym now in well over 6 months. I have good credit and always pay, but this is ridiculous! I want them to stop bothering me.

I was put on Active Duty orders 2 weeks prior to my report date. The company then was saying they needed 45 days prior to the cancellation in order to stop payments. They then are going to charge me another full month because I'm under 45 days from my next payment. They were not willing to follow the Soldiers and Sailors Civil Relief Act and waive their procedures with me being 25 days from the date of next payment.

WE moved to France and cancelled our membership (which was a promotional one with open entry and exit) by phone, as instructed.

We just received our credit card statements and there it is, they have continued debiting as if we were still there. They have taken $200 for two months x 2 memberships, and unless we declare our credit card lost, which we will now do, they would keep right on debiting it, no doubt about it. There is apparently no protection whatever for those who GIVE their card number out. The result is the same as if it had been stolen and the attitude of the credit company and its employees is that of a gang of theives.

I signed a contract with a gym in March 03 for a 12 month period. The contract is written by ABC Financial Services and this is who collects all debts owed to the gym. In my contract it cleary states that if you move out of a 25 miles radius from the gym you can cancel your contract with them.

In July of 03 I moved back to my parents house (well over 25 miles away) and contacted ABC Financial Services of my cancellation. Never in my life have I been treated so badly by a Supervisor in the customer service field. I spoke with Louisa Parker who informed me that I could not cancel my membership because I did not have the proper proof of my new residence. I proceeded to tell her that I am moving back with my parents and therefore the only things in my name that were addressed to my house would be CC bills, car insurance and my liscence. She proceeded to tell me these would not be proof enough that I moved. Louisa then told me that even my liscence that was issued from the State of Massachusetts with my correct address on it was no good because it was not a "recently issued" liscence? Hello?? What should I have done, renew my liscence to cancel a gym membership?

Louisa was not only rude, but when I asked to speak with her manager she put me on hold for 20 minutes (I have a timer on my office phone) I finally got discouraged and hung up. Is this legal for them to deny me my right when its not stated clearly in my contract that I need proof that I have moved? Is a liscence with my address that matches not enough because its not "newly issued" I am appauled by this company!