ComplaintsforTai-Kai Jiu-Jitsu

• Initial Complaint

  02/29/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  • The initial transaction was on October 17th, 2023. My membership goes through September 20th, 2024 at a rate of $159/month. • The total amount of the membership is $1908. As of today, February 29th, I have paid $795 • This is a martial arts school. They were offering functional self defense classes (**** ****). • The reason for my dispute is that the quality of the instruction and my experience at this school was inconsistent with the stated purpose provided by the business. Within the month I was going, I attended twice per week per my membership. I had no sparring partner twice, no instruction more than half the days due to the size of the classes, and one day where the instructor failed to show up. I stopped going to classes after this and made it clear to the owner that the quality of the classes was not as advertised. I stated intent to cancel my membership which he denied stating I was unable to cancel my membership. 

  Business response

  02/29/2024

  This customer 1st tried do reverse charges w his credit card and then made a complaint to the attorney general.  Both agreed with the merchant , Tai Kai  and he was denied by his credit company and by the attorney general and case closed.  Here is the response given to both of them  My Name is Ken Kronenberg. I am the owner,CEO, and head instructor of Tai Kai Martial Arts(Syracuse Jiu-Jitsu INC)  This is my email my cell is ************* Here is the history of interaction with **** ****** 1)      On 10/13/2013 at 11PM **** had went to our website and put in to opt in for info on our classes 2)      I contacted him about trying out a free class on 10/14/2023. I then sent him a waiver to try out a class and he filled it out on 10/14/2023 and we scheduled a free class for 10/16/2023-I have attached that file as a waiver  3)      He tried out a class on 10/16. He said he enjoyed class. We went over our pricing which I have attached as pricing document. I then said exactly to him” We have two options.  The first two are year memberships paid monthly. One is two days a week and the other is unlimited.  The second option is class passes you purchase and use whenever you want.  The year memberships are much cheaper and offer the best value but you are committing to a 12 month program” I told him I would contact him the next day. 4)      On 10/17 I contacted him and he said he wanted to do the 12 month membership for 2 times a week. I then told him “The way it works is it’s a 12 month membership of 159 a month that works off auto deduct off a credit card or bank account. We just need to make an appt to get it set up. Once on a membership you don’t need appts anymore and come as you want to :) He made an appointment to sign up on that night at 10/17 5)       He signed up on our 12 month contract-which is included as an attachment. When he signed up we went over that he was signing up for a 12 month membership. He initialed that he understands he was signing up for a 12 month membership, he then signed that he agreed to pay each month for 12 months off his credit card, he then signed acknowledging our cancellation policy which is the membership can cancel if he moves more than 25 miles away or 3 days from the signing of the membership.He said he understood and signed it. He then instantly received a copy of his contract 6)      He then started attending classes 7)      I then got an email from him  in November which he already provided to you that said he wanted to cancel. We went over with him again reminding him that he signed up for a 12 month membership and it didn’t cancel early and sent him a copy of the texts we went over w him. He even acknowledged in the email “ Okay Yes you are right. I understand. Can I switch to the other plan” the class passes. We told him now it is a 12 month membership we can’t switch to the class pass. 8)      He then tried to reverse the charges with his credit card company. We sent them a copy of everything and they ruled in the schools favor and didn’t reverse the charges We went over at least 8 times that he was signing up for a 12 month membership. Nothing was unethical or hidden for him.  Any more questions you can email me back  Ken Kronenberg 

  Customer response

  02/29/2024

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  I am aware of the attempts made to remind me of the terms of the membership agreement, however the terms were not shown to me at the time I signed the contract. As Ken stated, I recieved a copy of the contract with my signature on it immediately after signing it. My complaint is not that I am being charged for the membership. Its that I was not shown the exact terms of what I was signing until after the fact when I was sent the contract in an email.  Regards,  **** *****

  Business response

  03/04/2024

  Yes the customer was told multiple times via. Text. Email and in person. If you read the response I sent you guys it shows every single time he was told that before signing up 

  Customer response

  03/07/2024

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  I would like to clarify a few points since we went over this many times and I still have yet to get my point across. I never said I understood the cancellation policy in its entirety. I said I understood what you were verbally telling me, Ken. I did not actually see the physical contract or the wording in the contract at the time I provided my digital signature at your business. You said nothing was hidden from me, but I only saw the exact wording and my signature copied under other sections of the contract when I contacted you in November of last year and tried to cancel. I provided two signatures and yet there are four on the actual contract; your contract that you watched me sign. I don't get why you can't understand what I have told up to this point. A member of your martial arts studio has a legitimate complaint and you don't seem interested in listening. Why not? 

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