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Lost contract, month-to-month, being billed as if in 2 year Contract

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ErinGoBragh

Senior Member
What is the name of your state? New York

Hello,

As always, thanks in advance for any advice.

I was younger and dumber and screwed up my credit, and I am dealing with that now through Credit Counseling. However, when I pulled my credit report to make sure I had my outstanding debts covered and to provide exact balances to the Counseling company, I realized that there was a $1600 debt on there I don't owe.

Four years ago, I joined a major gym chain. I paid a $250 sign-up fee, higher than what the promotional sign-up fee at the time was, because I did not want to be bound into anything beyond a month-to-month contract. About 6 months after signing up, I stopped going for medical reasons. I told my personal trainer, she said fine, and I never asked for a doctor's note because of the month-to-month and the lack of necessity.

The contract I had a copy of is long lost. I never received any written notification of this outstanding debt, nor collections calls related to it, even though I have always had mail forwarded when I moved. I only became aware of this debt for the first time when I pulled my credit report.

How would I go about challenging the debt? Am I screwed because I do not have my copy of the contract? Should I contact the debt collections agency first where the account was sent to, or someplace else?

And one more question; because I have no written record of the debt, I have no account number to reference (some digits were starred out on my credit report for security purposes by the credit agency). If I do have to contact the company, is it a good idea to give my social so they can look up the account information, or would that be putting my personal info at risk?

Thank you so much.
 


Some Random Guy

Senior Member
You will not be able to resolve this without contacting the gym. You could dispute the debt with the credit reporting agencies, but unless you contact the gym first, they will just respond by validating the debt with the agencies.

Call the gym and be armed with any documentation of the high signup fee, the lack of a 2 year agreement, the date you signed up and your address at the time you signed up. If they ask for the SSN, ask why they need it.
 

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