ComplaintsforCarolina Flipz

• Initial Complaint

  12/03/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I sent a private email to the owner asking if they were following the mask mandate after walking into the gym and seeing zero staff and zero customers wearing masks. She replied that they would continue to follow it until the order was lifted and cited a clause that those who were exempt from mask wearing were not required to show proof of exemption. I responded "It says a lot about your regard for the safety of the athletes and families versus you just checking a box of being in compliance with how you responded. Thanks for your time. "Her response was to then send me an early withdrawal form and dismiss us from the program. Afterward, the owner called and apologized for things escalating how they had and invited us to come back to the gym "after Covid". At this point in time I was left with the understanding that although our membership with the gym was terminated and was too late to turn that around, it probably did not truly have to end up that way. A little under a month later I was called by their office manager stating that I needed to pay an early withdrawal fee and fill out the form. I wrote an email stating we did not violate any rules to warrant dismissal and would not be paying the fee. She then responded in a voicemail that if we did not pay the fee and sign the withdrawal form they would charge our account for tuition for the remainder of the season and then turn that over to collections. After bringing this threat up to the owner, she has refused to acknowledge it as such and sent the account to collections for $280 (withdrawal fee minus a $20 credit that was on my account). She sent me forms indicating I had violated a policy of "always promoting a positive environment". I fail to see this as accurate considering it was a private email with the owner expressing a safety concern & she invited us to rejoin. Of note, I also have not received practicewear that was paid for in full (rebel tank $89, rebel skirt $79 and a varsity tank $29)

  Business response

  12/03/2021

  Attached is the email thread that took place on Oct. 11 my reply at 10:30am to her last response at 3:03pm. Multiple opportunities were given to that she didn't want to be dismissed from the program but ultimately wanted me to make the decision for her. In the second email to her "We will go ahead and draft the $300 Early Withdraw Fee this week and I will get with ******* and ******* on any funds which have already been paid out on our behalf that have not been covered by tuition." With SafeSport guidelines or not, if a parent does not feel we have their child's safety as a top priority then I, as the owner, must make that decision for them as some parents don't want to be the "bad guy" in the child's eyes. That whole event was an email communication & in our Directors "Debrief Meeting" we discussed that an immediate phone call should have happened instead of the back and forth through email. So, I called the complainant on Oct. 18th apologizing for not immediately picking up the phone and calling to discuss but verbally told her on the phone that we would be running the "$300 Early Withdraw Fee by the end of the week baring any additional expenses paid out on her daughter's behalf. She never said anything about this being an issue. When my office manager, *****, tried to run the funds the card declined. The handbook that she initialed and signed clearly states our Cancellation Policy and Early Withdraw even by dismissal whether your opinions are private or public. As for practice wear, the shipping issues everyone is facing it has not come in yet. She will receive those items once they are in and her balance of $280 ($300 Early Withdraw Fee less a $20 credit on her account) is completely paid off. I have tried to be as gracious & work with her on this but it just come down to following policy in the handbook that she signed & agreed to at the beginning of the season. I do wish them back with open arms as the child is a good kid & got stuck in the middle of it all.

  Customer response

  12/03/2021

  Complaint: 16202129
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I don't think it is appropriate to withhold items that have been paid for when the alleged debt you are withholding them for has been sent to collections.  Though the skirt and 1 tank have not come in, there's 1 tank that you've had in your possession with no attempts to notify me. In addition to Karie's threats to send a fraudulently inflated sum to collections if I did not submit to signing your form and paying the fee, this tactic from you is another example of questionable business practices.  

  "We will draft the fee this week" isn't a question, it is a statement. My follow up emails specifically ask for clarification.The fee was not ever discussed or mentioned in our phone call. 

  After our call, I considered it over with us both walking away amicably. I wrote to ***** that I disagree with paying the fee on 11/9 after receiving her phone calls.

  The end of our membership was not due to inability to comply with the handbook, it was done to protect the interest of Carolina Flipz as stated by ***** and your documents, "Termination of Enrollment: The owner and coaching staff have the right to suspend or terminate enrollment (without refund of fees and dues) at any time deemed appropriate to protect the interests of the Carolina Flipz Cheerleading Program."

  "6. If I/my child decide to leave the program early for any reason or I/my child is dismissed from the program I agree to pay the $300 early withdraw fee and any funds which have already been paid out on our behalf and have not been covered by tuition."

  We did not decide to leave the program early.
  We did not engage in any behavior warranting dismissal.

  You stated the decision was made because I expressed safety concerns.

  Our enrollment was involuntarily terminated to protect the interest of Carolina Flipz at the owners discretion.  Nowhere states the withdrawal fee is applicable to termination.
  

  Business response

  12/09/2021

  Fact is we are following through with the rules & policies that were signed & initialed by *********************************** before she started the new season this year on 6/2/21.She has been a customer for 4 years and never had a complaint until she was dismissed on 10/11/21. 
  Guardian Policies page that was initialed on the bottom by ***********************************. Initial as your acceptance and understanding of all policies and guidelines on this page. Above you will see the Early Withdraw Policy.This fee is added on for any athlete who leaves the program after Routine Camp for any reason, including injury and dismissal The reason we have this is to pay the Coaches the extra time it takes to fix the entire cheer routine now that a member of that team is out. This money is not extra just to be a greedy business. It is for a purpose!
  In her opinion she should not have to pay this but her signature is fact. After paying $1750 she is just head strong on begin right & she is wanting to get out of the $280 due. Which is why we had no choice to send that amount to collections.
  The initialed & signed Registration & Payment Policies CANCELLATION POLICY the first sentence, There will be an Early Withdraw Fee of $300 charged to any athlete who leaves the program after Routine Camp for any reason, including injury and dismissal The last sentence, Carolina Flipz reserves the right to collect at any time any delinquent or outstanding balance(s) So we followed through with sending her to collections.
  In Christinas very own DisputeOfFeesEmailThread ATTACHED.The email Early Withdraw Fee she states for a fact: My daughter was dismissed from the program. It all just comes down to the fact she doesnt see it the way that is laid out in black and white in MULTIPLE areas what she agreed to MULTIPLE times back on 6/2/21. Our response to this matter if for her to pay the $280 that is due to us.
  Yesterday, 10/8/21, the *** package arrived.  An email was sent for her to come pick it up.

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