ComplaintsforChampion Athletix

• Initial Complaint

  09/26/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My daughter was dismissed from participation in a full year All Star cheerleading program at ************** MetroWest/Champion Athletix. At her point of dismissal, I had already made 3 tuition payments as well as a uniform deposit, totaling $1297. The dismissal came on 9/13/23, after *******************, the program director, changed the fall practice time (which had been established as 4:30-6:30 pm on Tuesdays and Fridays, after Labor Day, in the Welcome Letter dated 5/27/23). Once the practice time was changed to 6:30-8:30 pm on Tuesdays (which I was alerted to on 8/17/23), my daughter was in violation of the team's attendance policy due to a conflict with her town cheerleading program (which practices on Tuesdays from 6-8 pm). Because of the attendance violation she was dismissed from the team and the 3 tuition payments and uniform deposit were not refunded, as I have requested. Furthermore, when **************** changed the practice time for the fall, she was well aware that my daughter would have a conflict with the new practice time, given she had been in contact with my daughter's town cheerleading coach in early May 2023, inquiring as to when my daughter would have her town practices in the fall. When I signed my daughter up for this program (May 27, 2023) I did so on the basis that she would be able to attend her town cheer practices as well as the All Star team practices, throughout the entire fall. The change in established practice time after I had already signed up for the year and made 3 tuition payments as well as a uniform deposit (for a uniform she never received and would have no use for after dismissal from the team) is an Unfair Business Practice, as outlined in MA General Laws Chapter 93A.

  Business response

  10/23/2023

  To Whom it May ***************** you for taking the time to review our response. We run a club style, competitive cheer program. The customer in question committed her child to an 11 month cheerleading team in our gym in May of 2023. She attended tryouts for the team, made the team and attended classes and practices in ***** July & August. Mom participated in a parent meeting which specified all requirements, including attendance policies and signed a financial agreement. In August of 2023, the customer decided to commit her child to another fall cheer team in her town. The practice schedules overlapped. Cheerleading is a team sport and conflicts are often difficult for families. Sometimes that leads to families having to choose to do one team or the other. We always understand this and encourage families to do what is best for their family. We did try to work with this customer by allowing their child to miss 1.5 hours (out of 4) of our practices a week. The parent could not commit to this and wanted to miss more than 1.5 hours a week. This was not something that we could accommodate, so ultimately the family decided it was best to choose and commit to the other team (town cheer). We do NOT continue to charge families who leave mid season, but we also do not reimburse for services previously rendered. The customer made the following payments towards cheer:
  1) ****** 6/3/23- Tuition for ***** ****** Registration Fees, Mandatory Skills Camp (held June 27-29)
  2) ******- 7/1/23- Tuition for July, 1st Choreography Fee & Music Fee
  3) ******- 8/1/23- Tuition for ******* ***** Choreography Fee (held 8/13 & 8/20)
  4) ******- 8/1/23- Uniform Deposit
  
  Again, the athlete attended all practices & training throughout the summer. Once the customer notified us of leaving the team, they should have been billed their cancelation fee (see signed financial agreement attached) of $250.00 and then reimbursed for their uniform deposit ($200) because they never received their uniform. This ultimately would have left their account with a $50 balance. However, the customer then went ahead and did a charge back on their credit card for $****** which resulted in the customer being reimbursed temporarily (while we fight this chargeback). I cannot settle the account or issue the refund as the customer has already received money back for services we have rendered. Attached is a copy of the chargeback and the online financial forms signed by the client in question in June of 2023 upon committing to our program. Please let me know if you have any questions at all. 
  
  **************************************
  President
  Champion Athletix, Inc
  cell ************
  email ******************

  Customer response

  10/24/2023

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  [You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]
  
  I am not satisfied with the response from ******************************* on behalf of Champion Ahtletix. First, I would like to make it known that in the three years that my daughter has been taking classes or participating on competitive cheer teams, we have never met or had any interaction with *****. She is a 51% owner of the ****** location, and all of our correspondence has been with *******************. At no point during our conversations with *** in late August/September of 2023 did ***** make any contact with me. 

  Many of Paulas claims are false. I will outline the timeline of our commitment to the Platinum Cats team at Champion Athletix as well as provide documentation to support.

  On February 11, 2023, I registered my daughter for the 2023 Cheer season with ******* Youth Football and cheer (see attached). At that point I was aware that her ******* practices would begin late August and would be held weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6-8 pm and Saturdays from 2-4 pm.

  On May 11, 2023, my daughter was evaluated for the full year All Star prep program at Champion Atletix. On that same date, ******************* exchanged text messages with ***************************, who is *********** Youth Football and Cheer coordinator and also my daughters town cheer coach. Her texts were inquiring as to when *********** cheer team would be practicing so that she could schedule her All Star practices. My daughter and one of her teammates had both been on the All Star team the prior year. See attached for documentation of text exchange.

  On May 27, 2023, we received an email from ******************* and Champion Athletix stating that my daughter was placed on the Platinum Cats team. Included in that email was a Welcome Letter (a ****** document) outlining policies and practice times for the fall. In that letter, it was stated that:

  Platinum Cats will be practicing on Tuesdays 6:30-8:30 and Thursdays 6:30-8:30 during the Summer. After Labor Day we will practice Tuesdays and Fridays 4:30-6:30.  (see attached screenshot of Welcome Letter with practice times circled).

  On June 2, 2023, we submitted payment and paperwork, accepting the spot on Platinum Cats. There was to be no conflict with my daughters town cheer schedule.

  On August 17, 2023, ******************* posted a message to the **** app starting that practices beginning 9/5 would be Tuesdays 6:30-8:30 and Fridays 4:30-6:30 (see attached). This shift now caused a direct conflict between the town and all star programs. The town season is short, lasting only through the fall, and the first All Star competition for this team was the end of January. Additionally, this was a different schedule than what was outlined when we signed up in June. I immediately responded to the message stating there was a conflict with the Tuesday practice time. My response has since been deleted since I was kicked off of the messaging app.

  On September 5, 2023,  ******************* sent an email outlining the violation of the attendance policy, stating that **** would need to miss her town cheer practices in order to satisfy the attendance requirements of Platinum Cats. We went back and forth trying to come to a solution, which included extra weekend practices as well as my suggestion that my daughter come to the gym for extra tumbling classes or individual practice to make up for the lost time. Additionally, we were never given the option of the Champion make up policy, stated below:

  We encourage all athletes to get involved with their schools and in their towns. However, it is important to the success of the team that all participants are present during scheduled practice time. Athletes will be allowed to miss 1.5 hours of practice per week for a Fall sport. We will work with athletes and families with Fall sports schedules. [emphasis supplied]. If an athlete misses practice time due to a School/Town commitment they will be allowed to make up the missed practice time within the same week in a tumbling class. All-star Excel athletes WILL NOT be allowed to miss any practice time for school or town sports during the Winter and Spring sports season. *

  On September 8, 2023, I went to Champion Athletix to have a conversation with *******************, to attempt to come to a resolution. She told me that her Welcome Letter had stated that practices after Labor Day would be Tuesdays 6:30-8:30 and Fridays 4:30-6:30. I opened the Welcome Letter while I was in the gym with her (at 4:44 pm) and as you can see from the attached, practice times for the fall were clearly stated to be Tuesdays and Fridays, 4:30-6:30 pm. *** then changed the Welcome Letter to reflect the new practice times (at 4:58 pm). 

  On September 13, 2023, after multiple attempts to come to a compromise with *******************, my daughter was removed from the team. At that point we attempted to get a refund on the money spent.
  

  ****** assertion that: 
  In August of 2023, the customer decided to commit her child to another fall cheer team in her town. The practice schedules overlapped.
  
  Is completely false. You will see from the details above that I had committed my daughter to *********** Youth cheer program in February of 2023, almost three full months BEFORE committing to Champion Athletix cheer. I was well aware that ******* practices would be Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6-8pm (as was *******************), and decided to sign my daughter up for Platinum Cats because there would not be any practice conflict, as the stated practice times in the Welcome Email (May 27, 2023) had a 4:30-6:30 practice time on Tuesdays and Fridays. As I stated in my email to ******************* as well as my initial claim, I would never have signed a contract with Champion Athletix had I known that there would be a conflict with *********** practice times.
  
  
  Regards,

  *******

  Several of my files were not attached. Please reach out if you need more.

   

   

  Business response

  10/29/2023

  I have already responded to the complaint. We wish the former customer and her child well. Ultimately, scheduling conflicts do arise when parents put children on multiple teams and practice times overlap.

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