Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  05/20/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Requesting 75% refund on completed tutoring services. Son has received tutoring for years from HLC Gambrills. Most recent service: Jan 29, 2024 (intake testing told by front desk rep there was no charge for). Also presented promotional letter, $100 off sessions signed by Dir. Anand P****, prior to sessions. On intake papers, made clear primary goal was WRITTEN COMPOSITION; stipulated reading, math were secondary, tertiary goals later AFTER written comp. Also disclosed all learning disabilities, challenges for tutor's awareness. Was offered group tutoring but stipulated 1-to-1 for reason of attn/focus, $70/hour, 90min w/breaks (4:30pm-6pm; however, requested 4:45pm-6:15pm for usual traffic to ensure punctuality; she said no). MyTuition acct advanced $2,500. Also told he'd be tested for current academic levels and put right in, with regular performance updates (was SOP of excellent former dir-tutor Byron Stancil and dir Anand P****, whom I have unsuccessfully reached l****y, no email reply, never in center). Jan 31, Feb 5, 7, 12, 14, 21, 26, 28, Mar 4, 6 (sick child - 90 min refund due and agreed upon), 11, 13, 18, 20, 25, 27, Apr 1 (No tutoring, scheduled in advance), 3, 10, 15, 17, 22, 24, 29. Ended Apr 29, after email received (initial testing results for academic level and updates never provided): May 1, 12:15pm ************@gmail.com "In the past couple of weeks," child's behavior had deteriorated, spending more time wrapping a pencil than taking care with his work, affecting scores, needing constant redirection, distracting other students, grabbing materials "when his teacher's back is turned"; please have a talk with him. Reply/concerns: Were 1-to-1 sessions unattended? Why issue took "weeks" to bring my way? Why I have no data still? Why child did not begin written comp until after Apr 15? Why tasks not aligning w/goals? Why HLC Gambills quality, communication declined like son's behavior? Cancel everything, provide 90-min refund. No email/phone reply still.

  Business response

  05/27/2024

  Unused funds have been refunded to the third party financing company that the customer used for monthly payments. Depending on the billing cycle for the customer, the credit might not get posted until the next billing cycle. With regards to the student's progress, progress report meetings are scheduled after a certain number of hours have been instructed. There is no weekly or monthly progress report. The General Enrollment Agreement signed by the customer at the time of enrollment mentions the frequency of student progress report meetings. It also refers to process used by the center and the Directors to create and implement tutoring programs based on assessment results. The General Enrollment Agreement mentions that there is a 48 hour notice required for cancellation or rescheduling of sessions, and that no refund is provided for hours used. The refund amount claimed by the customer is incorrect.

  Customer response

  05/28/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  While HLC Gambrills does simply state facts regarding it taking actions to refund unused funds to the third party financing company that I used for monthly payments this was an action I initiated anyway with the third party and is a typical action taken for resolving unused loan funds. It has nothing to do with this complaint.

  HLC Gambills has neither disclosed/confirmed here as its response to this complaint the actual amount of the credit for hours used.

  Neither has HLC Gambrills disclosed what it finds its accurate billing to be, with itemized lists.

  HLC Gambrills also has not shared here with its response to this complaint the actual General Enrollment Agreement signed in January 2024, which will confirm actual agreed terms.

  All of these items - the signed General Enrollment Agreement, an itemized bill, and the credit refunded simply for unused hours post cancelation - are what HLC Gambrills should furnish to support whether anything is accurate in this complaint.

  Please provide the paperwork; without it, HLC Gambills can neither prove its response/any response is applicable nor enforceable. This is true for:

  1. Whether HLC Gambrills clearly disclosed and communicated the number of hours logged as being a qualifying benchmark that progress report meetings were warranted and scheduled, in the General Enrollment Agreement and in any supporting materials at intake, especially when the parent had consistently inquired of receiving them, and consistently and steadily (monthly) the parent had received them in the past in writing at the same center location during the same time of year;

  2. The fact that the parent of this complaint never received initial assessment results as requested and still has no data to this day, post disenrollment, and no data despite still bringing this issue to light and per this complaint.

  3. The fact that the General Enrollment Agreement asked the parent to designate the area(s) for which the student was returning to HLC Gambrills for concentrated tutoring.

  4. The fact that in writing in the General Enrollment Agreement, the parent clearly designated WRITTEN COMPOSITION first, then later reading and math.

  5. The fact that WRITTEN COMPOSITION was not taught until the student brought it to the tutor's attention in mid-April.

  6. The fact that a 90-minute credit (2 half sessions) was approved due to missed sessions due to student illness.

  7. The reality that it is not clear whether the 90-minute credit was applied post disenrollment, since no itemized bill was ever furnished by HLC Gambrills to the parent to this day.

  8. The fact that on March 25, March 27, and April 1, 2024, the parent coordinated with HLC Gambrills weeks in advance to state that the student would not be attending sessions (Spring Break for PGC Schools), yet despite this, the parent still received HLC Gambrills emails confirming sessions would be held - please do not charge for these dates.

  9. Whether the 24 to 48 hour cancelation prior to the scheduled tutoring session clause was disclosed in the General Enrollment Agreement. 

  10. Whether the $100 promotional credit was applied to the account, because I brought the letter in that I received in the mail to the desk rep at intake and Agreement signing.

  I request as part of this complaint:

  -the signed General Enrollment Agreement

  -an itemized bill

  -the amount of the credit HLC Gambrills claims it refunded simply for unused hours post cancelation

  To be clear, aside from unused tutoring hours typically refunded as SOP, I also still request:

  -a 75% discount off all tutoring services actually provided between January 2024 and April 2024

  -that the last day of tutoring scheduled April 29, 2024, which was canceled almost 4 hours in advance due to total dissatisfaction with HLC Gambrills' lack of communication, non-adherence to tutoring designated in the Agreement, and lack of progress data originally requested, not be charged to my account.

  Additionally, the deciding factor for immediate cancelation was the email sent to the parent about the student's behavior ongoing for WEEKS; that email sent by HLC Gambrills was not acceptable. Any behavior affecting academic success should have been tackled with the parent immedi****y, not after "weeks."

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *****

  Customer response

  05/28/2024

  Correction: To be clear, May 1, 2024 was the canceled date I request the center not charge for, canceled almost 4 hours in advance, and the date of email addressing student behavior. April 29 was the last session attended.

  Business response

  05/30/2024

  Good afternoon.

  Attached is the signed copy of the General Enrollment Agreement that the parent had signed and emailed back on Feb 21, 2022 when the child first enrolled for tutoring at the center. The refund policy is clearly outlined in the agreement. The agreement also talks about no guarantee and no promises regarding any specific result from tutoring. I have also attached the attendance history along with the charges, as well as attendance history that the parent had emailed to the center. The student was not charged for April 1, 2024 absence. Even though the General Enrollment Agreement mentions that all absences are charged, and in return the student will receive a complimentary make-up session, in good faith, we have voided the charges for March 6, March 25, and March 27th absences. Charge for March 6 absence was credited towards April 3 session charges. Charges for March 25 and 27 absences were credited back to the student's account. At the time of account closure, per the parent's email, the student had $338.50 in unused funds which have been credited back to the third-party company that the parent had signed up for to make monthly payments. The parent should see the credit posted on their account within 1 billing cycle.

  Regards,

  Anand P****

  Executive Director/Owner

  Customer response

  05/31/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response.

  While I appreciate the itemized list of current charges, and the attached, original Enrollment Agreement from 2 years ago in 2022, I signed a hard copy Agreement left in the center with the rep, consenting to tutoring in *2024*, on January 29, 2024. During that same time, I presented the $100 discount off tuition offer letter, signed by the Director, to the rep, then my son was assessed in-center.

  The 2024 Agreement signed before he was assessed clearly stipulated the tutoring needs and goals, since the form specifically asked what the student's goal(s) were. The parent specified on the 2024 form that Written Composition was the area in which the student would start, and the parent further stated on the form that Reading and Math would come later. These terms were agreed upon and understood but not executed until 3 months later.

  The dates the student did not attend sessions, on March 6, March 25, March 27, and April 1, were not in violation of any attendance policy, such as a No Call/No Show/less than 48 hours notice; thus the account would not be charged anyway. Thanks for also confirming the $338 was due as a refund to the account, which was due anyway as these were unused funds.

  I request the following:

  -Provide the 2024 signed agreement form, NOT the one from 2022

  -Provide the January 29, 2024 initial intake scores/data for the student, as I had requested them, have been requesting them, and still am not being provided with them for some odd reason

  -Provide the student's level of progress (or regress) scores/data as of April 29, 2024

  -Apply the $100 credit back to the account, per the promotional letter presented to the rep at intake on January 29, 2024

  -Refund 75% of tuition costs back to the tuition account, per HLC's violation of the January 29, 2024 agreement form

  -Provide a legal point of contact (name, email, and phone) where my attorney may reach HLC Gambrills if the above items are not provided or if we cannot, through this complaint, come to a reasonable compromise on partial refund of tutoring services.
  

  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *****

  Customer response

  06/12/2024

   

  Better Business Bureau:

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID .********, and find that arbitration is necessary.

  Sincerely,

  ***** *****

   

  
  

  Business response

  06/13/2024

  We have already provided the necessary documentation and information to the customer as well as BBB. The unused funds have already been refunded to the customer in accordance with the General Enrollment Agreement that the customer as well as the business had signed and executed. 

  Business response

  06/20/2024

  General Enrollment Agreement does not have an expiry date, and is only signed when the student first enrolls at the center, unless there is a change in program that the student enrolls in. Royal had enrolled for the Learning Center program in 2022, as well as 2024. So the General Enrollment Agreement signed by the parent in 2022 remains valid. Attached is a copy of the initial assessment results from February 2022 when Royal completed the diagnostic test, prior to enrolling at the center. Due to copyright reasons, we are not allowed to photocopy, screenshot, or share pieces of curricula that Royal covered in the program. If the parent is interested in learning more about the progress, including the different curricula covered during the program, she is more than welcome to schedule a progress report meeting at the center with one of the Directors. There is no fee for this service. We have already provided the attendance history previously, and have indicated that we have already refunded the unused funds to the customer. The General Enrollment Agreement does not provide any guarantees or promises regarding student progress. We have only charged the customer for services rendered. In good faith, I am willing to refund an additional $500 to the customer for any inconvenience that it might have caused. If the parent does not agree to this, they or their counsel can mail the center directly to the center's mailing address.

  Customer response

  06/29/2024

  It is apparent that I do not accept the business's offer.

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