okay, so i stopped using fitness first, and they do this thing where they put your account on 'hold' when you ask to cancel. this hold costs about £9 a month. didn't realise why i was being charged at the time, phoned, got asked to send a letter telling them i want to cancel so i did. they still were taking £9 out of my bank, so i cancelled the direct debit at my bank and thought that was it. now i'm getting letters from a debt collection agency saying i owe £400, and they'll take me to court

WHAT IS THIS

can they do this? i phoned fitness first and they were absolute bastards about it, really unhelpful and one of them said i was in a year's contract. i distinctly told the person who signed me up when i started last summer, that i wanted a membership for the summer as i was to return to university that autumn. don't remember being told i was signed for a year, otherwise i'd have reiterated the fact i was leaving in 3 months.

so...anyone else had experience with anything like this? or any ideas as to what i should do? really shouldn't have to pay this, but i also don't want to go to jail

also the debt collection people are contacting me at my term time address, which they must've gotten publicly because i didn't have the address when i joined the gym. that's weird right?

thanks in advance