Collection agency after unfair misleading debt
I have a debit card not a credit card if that makes a difference and I’m located in San Diego, California.
I signed up for a boxing gym which required a contract and agreement to sign but they told me I can still cancel my membership after sometime so I signed up anyways. I spent a few months there then stopped going for almost a year until I realized I was paying $119 a month for nothing so I tried to cancel with them but they told me they can’t do anything and to call a number provided instead so I called that number which was a third party that handled their billing and they told me they can’t do anything as well.
I contacted the owner through email if there was anything we can possibly do to resolve it but he just did not respond to my email totally disregarding what I asked. My only option at that point was to take it with my bank (Chase JP Morgan) and they cut my routing number with that gym then I had to pay a stop payment fee on top of it. Their third party billing company tried getting in touch with me for a few months until I was recently forwarded to a collection agency located in the mid west somewhere. They’re blowing up my phone and sending me letters but they haven’t threatened legal action yet and they’re saying I owe over $1,000 which I don’t get why would I owe that much after not paying a $119 gym membership for 2-3 months.
I can’t afford to possibly go to court right now and pay attorney fees and I don’t want this to affect my credit so what are my options at this point?