BMS Autodebit Sued me for 10,998.30GBP

BMS AutoDebit sued me for 10998.30GBP, in July 1999 i was approached by a representative of BMS AutoDebit about signing up to there membership dues collection scheme for my Fitness Club, i was already using a company for that purpose but thought OK i'll give this Company a go, i signed a form of which i thought was giving them the abillity to collect our monthly dues but as i have found to my horror i was in fact signing a contract stating that my Gym would sign one hundred memberships per year to BMS AutoDebit for five years or pay the difference and i was gaurantor

(i can not prove that i was unaware of the conditions of this contract but can not understand why i would knowingly sign such a contract as my fitness club had never and has never since managed to sign one hundred monthly dues memberships a year no other dues collection company i had ever used had such demands)

In 2000 i stopped signing members to BMS AutoDebit as my customers were complaining that there memberships were automaticly running into a second year, i pointed this out to BMS AutoDebit and they rectified the problem but unfortunately the damage was already done and the word went round my club and no one was willing to sign with BMS AutoDebit, i never had any contact with BMS AutoDebit until 16th February 2006 when i received a letter from a Solicitor acting on behalf of BMS AutoDebit informing that i had been sued in my absence for breach of contract, I had sold my Fitness Club back in April 2004 and emigrated to Canada so this came as a total shock, after trying to fight this unfair Judgment that had been made against me i ended up having to pay BMS AutoDebit the sum of 10998.30GBP, they had me under contract law, what upset me the most was that BMS AutoDebit never tried to contact me for all of those years to inform me that i was in breach of contract, if they had i would of been in the position to sign as many memberships to there scheme and make up any difference from my Fitness Clubs profits, when this was presented to BMS AutoDebit the answer i got from there solicitor (i have this in a e-mail) is that i should be greatfull that they never demanded the monies at a earlier date as i have had the use of my money for so many years,

what this company does not understand is that they were supposed to be providing a service but there only interest seems to be waiting until the right moment to sue me for the maximum amount of money and not providing a service at all.

Beware

If anyone has had a similar experience dealing with this company please post your story as i think Trading Standards should be made aware of this companies practises.