Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  05/11/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I paid $660 to prefund my account for future flights. I have not used any of these funds/flight credits and have asked for a full refund. The owner refused to give me a refund. I told him if I will not receive a full refund, then I would be using the funds that are on my account. He said that he is refusing me service and that I am not allowed at the flight school, but still refuses to give me a full refund. If they are refusing to allow me to use my credits and have prohibited me from attending their flight school, then I am demanding a full refund of $660.

  Business response

  05/12/2022

  At Front Range Flight School we take great pride in treating our customers as we would like to be treated.  We appreciate and respect their decision to bring their business to us and learn to fly with us.  Unfortunately this individual has given a very limited explanation of what occurred.  At our school we encourage people to pay as they go to avoid these exact circumstances but if they do decide to place money on account they are allowed to do so with the provision on page 3 of their contract which is attached. This administrative fee is associated with placing funds on account and then withdrawing them early without use.  The facts are as follows:

  This person placed $660.00 on account on 4/21/2022 and has used none of the funds up to date.

  The customer spoke with our ********************** office manager on 5/9/2022 and requested a refund.  He was informed he was entitled to a refund of $528.00- due to the policy which he agreed to when he signed up with us and completed his attached paperwork.  She informed him we would be happy to start the refund process immediately and would have his check out as soon as possible.

  The customer then called and spoke to me relating that he had just gotten a new job and would be moving out of state and asked me to waive our fees for withdrawal of un used training funds.  I then informed him that this was not an option as when he signed up we discus this exact circumstance and that it is not a flexible policy for us.  He was informed he could either fly off his training funds at his convenience OR he could receive the refunded 80% he was entitled to and he indicated he would take his refund.  I congratulated him on his new job.  Apologized for this inconvenience and wished him well.  I then asked our office manager to begin his refund immediately as he was moving.

  Then on 5/11/2022 the customer completed a "Charge Back" process with his bank for the full $660.00 that has been on account with us since 4/21/2022 in spite of our discussion and his requesting his refund as we discussed on the phone.  When I called the customer and asked why this had been done in spite of our conversation he informed me he had decided he was entitled to his full amount regardless of the training contract he had signed and that he simply did not care what agreement he had committed to.  

  I then informed him that I intend to dispute the "Charge Back" based on our operating agreement he signed.  I next told him that he would not be able to get his refund he was due now until the charge back dispute was resolved as I did not want to send him the check I had already issued for $528.00 while he was clearly working to recover the entire amount from us in violation of our member terms of agreement but that once the dispute was resolved we would immediately send him his check.

  **************** THEN informed me that he would now rather come fly off his funds with my company.  It was then that I let him know that due to his clear attempt to violate our refund policy and the underhanded way in which he had attempted to go about doing so AFTER having already requested his refund that we are no longer able to offer him services at our school.  I again let him know that regardless of the way he had handled this situation that he was still eligible to receive the entire refund due to him based on our policy and the refund he had requested  once his attempt to "Charge Back" the full amount had been disputed and resolved.

  It was at this time that **************** began to become agitated and while yelling at me threaten to do harm to my company and began to curse and use vulgar slurs in regard to myself.  He informed me that he would "come to the school and was getting his money back no matter what" he also made it clear that he would do everything he could to "destroy my company".

  It was at this time and due to his threats that I then contacted ***** ************* and related this entire situation to them.  We had a deputy come to our company for the next couple hours and made sure that this person did not show up and hard the employees, customers or the business itself.  The deputy contacted him and made it clear that due to the threatening position he had taken he was not to come on the premises again and that the next step would be his being ticketed for trespass if he were to do so.

  I take no pleasure in ******************** frustration.  We take great pride in how we treat our customers and the fantastic product we provide them.  We also work very hard to communicate up front to our customers the most effective ways to plan, budget and be successful in their desire to become pilots.  We were all working in good faith with **************** to provide him service and then to process the refund he is due and he took it upon himself to take money that his is not entitled to based on the agreement he made and signed with us at our school.  Once a person is clearly working to circumvent our company policy and no longer working in good faith with us we can no longer allow them to benefit from the services we provide.  We will not tolerate threats against our staff, the facilities or myself.  We take these kinds of threats very seriously as we have over 130 members many of which who are children and whos parents bring them to learn from us as they feel themselves and their children are safe at our facilities.  There is NO room for someone to conduct themselves in this manner and I have zero tolerance for bullies and people who work to get what they want with threats of violence.  I have a family and this is my lively hood and I will not put either at risk.  

  In closing this person is no longer welcome at our facilities and he will immediately receive the refund he is entitled to assuming my disputing of his "charge Back" request is successful.  If my dispute of his request based on our signed agreement is not successful he will have been made more than whole and will still no longer be able to attend our school.

   

  Thank you for the opportunity to refute this distorted claim against us and I am available if you need anything else at ************ or via my email at *************************

  Customer response

  05/12/2022

   
  Complaint: 17191724
  
  I am rejecting this response because the owner clearly states in his response that I am not allowed to attend his flight school. I am more than willing to attend the flight school and use the money that I have funded on my account. Due to the owner refusing me service, I feel I am entitled to full refund of $660. Anything less than a full refund is unacceptable and will result in legal action against Front Range Flight School and the Owner.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

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