Membership direct debit

I don't see how they are taking payments. They can't claim it's like a normal close season as they uses that for taken March and April payments meaning they will have taken 4 months of close season payments!

 

It's academic after the recent announcement, but as I understand it, a key consideration would be if you flat out refused to pay, or if as it looks like, you didn't refuse to pay, you simply asked for some clarification on the amount. It's possible that you still have an argument over the amount, as the initial arrangement related to a full year, which included x amount of games along with the close season.

 

This seems completely wrong to me. In fact I don't see how it's even legal. We're not going to be able to attend for the first month of the season at least. So why are we paying for the full season as normal?

 

What's that?

The Allams doing something that ****s with the fans?


WELL I NEVER

 

Is it just me being daft, or does that statement make no logical sense?

Fans not allowed back into grounds until OCTOBER (earliest). The season not starting until MID-SEPTEMBER. ...... so therefore 'the Club can confirm Membership payments will recommence in ..... AUGUST' !!??

Eh? Final straw for many?

 

Exactly. I didn’t refuse. I said I’d pay what ever anyone else paid those months.

Asking to pay now is desperate. But legal. The club have to give 90 days notice to change payments... but they argue they haven’t changed them (just not asking for them).
They can now just go back to normal (you could have challenged them not charging you as it’s technically not contractual).
You could try argue they have literally increased and you want 90 days, but this would be down to arguing about words more than about clear Contract terms.


For those confused: the club can’t change the payments without 90 days notice and they can’t suspend membership. So they have just fudged by saying we are as usual but won’t come asking for the cash.
todays statement is just saying we are back to your contract that never stopped being applicable.


The only course of action is a claim they are not providing the benefits agreed. That’s muddy and not a quick win. I’m positive my claim for not being forced to pay notice would have stuck Before this rather brutal announcement.

 

Question: Do these membership "contracts" roll over automatically from one season to the next ( i.e. the club will assume "implied consent" if they don't get a "cancellation" request from the member) ? Or do members have to "apply" for renewal at the end of every season ?

 

If every member cancelled now, in the basis of breach of contract, it would be interesting.
I’d need to read the contract again but it’s far from clear when the normal state of affairs includes time when no matches are played.

It’s a situation the contract doesn’t provide for (I think!), so it’s often down to a court to settle. To stand a chance you would need a group action, or a rich sponsor to raise a test case!!

 

Because I vowed after what's gone on in the wider world not sit watching that ****e, wasting my Saturday afternoons when I could go to the coast for a pint in a nice pub with friends and family not watching the match clock desperate for a pint of over priced piss at half time to make the pain of watching the game fade for a while

 

Are they possibly charging for the next 2 months as they normally would during close season and then stop charging when we can't attend games ???

 

I was just about to post ‘you watch...they’ll decide to charge everyone again to get out of losing one person’s payments when they cancel’...

 

And thereby losing even more members who decide to cancel on the back of that announcement.

best run football club and all that.

 

Are other clubs doing this too?

Seems like it might piss people off and make them cancel. Also depending on restricted capacity even City might have more members than useable seats when we can go back?
Old Trafford cricket ground is looking to get fans back in, but social distancing means that they can only have 2000 fans in what is a 26000 seater stadium.
Might be more relaxed by the time football is back but if it isn’t then what?
Hmm...not a good call I don’t think. I know it’s averaged across 12 months so we’re used to paying when we don’t have matches (and used to for direct debits too) but starting to pay when you know for a fact you’ll miss some and don’t really know when you’ll actually see them again?

 

Maybe they will get around it by offering members free access to the home games streaming service? They can hardly charge £10 a pop for home games if you're a paying member!

 

Ye of too much faith...

 

Hardly the thing you’re paying for though is it

 

I wonder how many fans have told the club they cancel and intend to pay the current (now former) £0 monthly fee over the next two months which has caused this hasty reaction to reinstate the membership fee.

Some on Twitter have said they have to pay a £25 cancellation fee on top of the two months. Has that always been the case?

 

I agree, I was just trying to see things from Ehab's angle. Though as I ain't a c*** it's a bit difficult.
Even he couldn't think it reasonable to charge members to stream a home game if fans aren't allowed in the stadium?
Could he...?