How to fight Gym collection

[Anonymous]

I signed up for a gym membership last year in March. I stopped going 2 days later and never went again and neglected to cancel it. I just looked at my credit report, and it seems they put it on collections, and I now have a $1,123 derogatory debt on my CR. I am wondering how would I be able to fight this and get it off my cr? I did not go to the gym for the rest of the 11 months so I should not have to pay for it. On the contract it says that it is annual, but on a month-to-month basis with a cancellation fee of $200. Is there a way I could fight it to where I just owe the $200 cancellation fee, and get it taken off of my cr? 

Thank you for any help

[RobertEG]

Contact them, offering to pay what you feel is faiir in exchange for their agreement to delete their reported collection.

If they agree, you then pay the agreed amount, and they must delete.

To fight them on the basis that you dont owe the debt would require an interpretation of your contract with them, and thus legal action.

[Anonymous]

This is a huge issue (an has been for a long time) with 'monthly fee' type gym memberships. Always go to 'pay as you go' type gyms to avoid these sorts of hassles.