Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  02/20/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My daughter took a trial dance class at True Talent on Saturday, October 14, 2023. As noted in the attached email chain, on 10/10, the owner, ***, asked me to set her up in the online portal and complete the registration, which included inputting a payment source. After taking the one class, we decided and informed True Talent/Geo a few days later, on Tuesday 10/17, that we would not continue. He told me then that I would not get back the $350 registration fee - which had NOT been previously disclosed to me. Despite my disagreement with that, I was willing to eat the $350, but confirmed with him IN THE ATTACHED EMAIL that he would stop any ongoing monthly billing. However, since then I have been vcharged every month for the last 4 months, for a total of over $1100 paid to True Talent for classes we never took. I have called the studio and left messages, send many emails, and made disputes with my bank. Geo has never called me back once. When I log in, there is no way to remove my form of payment (which also seems illegal??). I wish to be reimbursed immediately and have my information deleted from their system.

  Business response

  02/20/2024

  Hello *******,
  
  
  I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to touch base regarding your registration and season contract with our studio. According to our records, you registered and signed the contract on October 12, 2023. We noticed that we haven't received any communication from you via email or in-person, as mentioned in the contract.
  
  
  Just a friendly reminder, the contract states that you have a 10-day window to drop from our program without any penalties. If you have any concerns or would like to discuss your situation, please feel free to reach out to me during business hours. If you happen to call while I'm teaching a class, kindly leave a message, and I will gladly get back to you.
  
  
  I understand there may have been some miscommunication. I recall you visiting the studio briefly while your daughter was taking a class. At that time, your friend paid for her daughter's classes, and she mentioned that she would discuss it with her daughter before deciding to register. I remember agreeing to that arrangement. Additionally, please note that our studio has a no-refund policy, as stated on the forms you signed.
  
  
  I genuinely empathize with your frustration, and I want to assure you that I'm willing to waive the contract and not pursue any legal actions, as outlined in our agreement. However, please understand that if you choose to discontinue your participation for the remainder of the season, you are still responsible for paying the full year's fees.
  
  
  If you have any further questions or would like to discuss this matter further, please don't hesitate to reach out. I'm here to assist you.
  
  
  Thank you,
  Mr.Geo
  

  Customer response

  02/29/2024

   
  Complaint: 21319408
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Hello Mr. **************** you for the reply. However, as evidenced in the attached emails, we communicated on 10/17/23, when you did note that the $320 initial fee was non-refundable, but you offered to cancel all recurring payments for the remainder of the term... which I promptly confirmed with you to move forward on. 

  While I didn't appreciate the fact that I had been asked to "just go ahead and do the registration /waivers online" on 10/10 and then told it was non-refundable (as I had paid through the portal, as you had suggested), as I noted in my original complaint, I was willing to chalk that up as a loss and my learning moving forward.

  However, your email on the 17th very specifically states that you would cancel the recurring payments, and I told you the same day (within the recision period you note below) to go ahead and do so. That never happened, and I have been billed every month since, totaling well over $1000 for classes we have never taken.

  I have also repeatedly e-mailed and called. I am attaching some of those emails here. They are dated 11/7, 1/9, 1/10 and 1/16, all to the same email listed on your website, and on the chain we previosuly communicated on. I have also messaged the business on Instagram (on 2/12) and left voice mail messages (1/15, 1/18). Happy to share my phone records. I also stopped by in person, but the studio happened to be closed that day, and honestly I've been nervous to do so again, as I have felt that my messages have been purposely ignored and I was afraid of how I would be received.

  All I want at this point is the monthly ******** reversed, in keeping with your promise. I will not fight you on the $350, even though I don't agree with that. I would also like my credit card removed from your portal, as I don't seem to be able to delete my payment information. Even though I canceled my debit card for this reason, the recurring ******** must be tied to my bank account, because they continue.

  I have more than enough evidence of trying to solve this amicably to proceed with a lawyer if needed, but I haven't done that. Nor have I posted any negative sentiment on social channels about my experience, as that is not my character. I simply ask you to do what is right, and refund the monthly ******** as promised.

  Please feel free to call me directly. I have sent enough messages. ************.

   

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

  Customer response

  03/08/2024

  I have been charged AGAIN. Please advise when I will receive a response to my claim. 

  Business response

  04/02/2024

  *******, has a contract with the studio and also has been as a pendant balance and continue doing chargebacks . 

  Customer response

  04/02/2024

  Hello,

  I am confused by the response from the business - it doesn't make sense. What is a "pendant balance"? Do they mean pending? Also, the comment about "chargebacks" - are they referencing that I also put in claims with ********* to dispute each charge as it comes in? That is true, but I'm not sure what they are saying. 

  All I want at this point is to be reimbursed for what I've been charged (minus the original $300, which I agreed to pay in the email correspondence), as the business AGREED IN WRITING to stop all subsequent charges. If my bank reverses the charges, fine,. The business doesn't need to pay me double, of course. But I DO NEED THEM TO STOP ALL FUTURE PAYMENTS.

  They are completely ignoring the fact that they agreed to this, in writing, the *** AFTER we took the class.

  Customer response

  04/02/2024

   
  Complaint: 21319408
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I am confused by the response from the business - it doesn't make sense. What is a "pendant balance"? Do they mean pending? Also, the comment about "chargebacks" - are they referencing that I also put in claims with ********* to dispute each charge as it comes in? That is true, but I'm not sure what they are saying. Please clarify.

  All I want at this point is to be reimbursed for what I've been charged (minus the original $300, which I agreed to pay in the email correspondence), as the business AGREED IN WRITING to stop all subsequent charges. I have provided proof of this as part of this complaint, in the form of email from the business owner.

  If my bank reverses the charges, fine. The business doesn't need to pay me double, of course. But I DO NEED THEM TO STOP ALL FUTURE PAYMENTS.
  

  I am unclear and a bit appalled that the business continues to completely ignore the fact that they agreed to this, in writing, the *** AFTER we took the class. I want my method of payment removed from their system and to stop being charged monthly payments, as they agreed to.

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

• Initial Complaint

  01/25/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My daughter ****************************** (12y) was taking 5 classes, JUSgoing 3 times a week. But unfortunately, a couple of months later we moved far away and we can take her any more 3 times a week. We try. We make the effort for a month, but she was missing a lot of classes because she have to come home by bus after school and then we have to drive her to the studio, and traffic in Miami is crazy, so she was late most of the days. Also, her dad (we are just divorced) is sick, he has CANCER and the weeks that my daughter is with him it was even more complicated. Because he works 30 miles away and has a lot of medical appointments. So I try to contact the owner Mr. *** since Dic.22-2022 to let him know that ***** can make it anymore. He didn't answer until Jan. 2-2023, saying that we can't leave the studio because we have a contract. so we decide to make an effort and stay for 1 class only on Fridays. He said that that wasn't possible and that she can change her schedule and that she need to stay for all the classes or he will *** us. When he always tried to convince my daughter to take more classes or participate in competitions without talking to me for permission first. When at the beginning I told him that we can not afford the competition at this moment. Also, my daughter suffered from emotional bullying because of that. Her friend and other girls were making fun of her or leaving her aside and Mr. *** never did anything about it. So After that, I decided that I don't want her to be part of the studio anymore. And I let him know that we have been forced to leave the studio because he doesn't accept that she takes only 1 class a week. After that, he charged my credit card $891.14 without permission. I already filled out a claim with my credit card. But also I will like to report this to the BBB so no other parent suffered from abuse like this. Most of the communication between us was through messages on an app ( Band) and he deleted all. Thank you

  Business response

  02/02/2023

  **************, 
  Neglect to pay her unpaid tuition balance and costume fee that was owed to the studio. She herself personally signed a commitment contract for 10 months installment fees. The studio has a contract with each Dancer and a ********************************** drop from classes. as we have limited space per class. She registered in August 2022. It is very sad to say how she is now claiming her ex husband has cancer when in reality he does not. And trying to find any excuse to not pay the debt that was owed to the studio.  Her daughter has a lot of potential to become a great dancer. *** never once pushed for her to be a part of our competition team we have a rule in order to compete you have to be enrolled in the unlimited classes. Unfortunately, she was not and her mom got offended multiple times ask me to put her in the competition dance and I did not allow it. And this is why, after multiple attempts, she decided to quit and breach of contract.
  

  Customer response

  02/09/2023

   
  Complaint: 18893595
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I try to have an agreement couple of weeks before and he wasn't ***** to make one. I insist I do not want to leave the studio. I want to stayed in only one class. But he said NO and threat. 

  And yes, after that conversation that he's showing on the pictures he insist many times to my daughter ***** that she should take more classes so she can be on the competition. That is emotional bulling. And How dare he's saying that I am laying about  ex  husband having cancer. With this attitude you can see what kind of persone he can be.

  Also he his sharing this personal and private dispute with the girls on the studio and then all of then apoprache my daughter at school with the gossip  this still emotional bulling. 

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

  Business response

  02/10/2023

  Good morning,
  
  I am so sorry you feel like I am rude to you, this is not the case.
  When registering in the beginning of the school year, you knew that we had an agreement that you were registering for the whole entire 2022-2023 dance season. 
  
  There are limited space in the classes that you registered for, and you took away an opportunity from another dancer that wants to be a part of those classes.  That's why the studio has a contract with you. 
  
  I've never forced your daughter to be a part of my competition team.
  There's multiple times that you reached out to me and also she came up to me after class to asked to be a part of my other routines. This is where the problem began when I kept denying her for being a part of the routines. It's not fair to me nor to the other family's that pay the unlimited package in my studio. That I treat ****** better than the others. The rules are the rules in order to compete you will have to take unlimited classes. One is because a true dancer trains, and second, there are extra classes that are given, which are rehearsals. Those classes are not complementary. They are paid for with the monthly fees.
  
  And these allegations with you saying that i am talking "bullying" your daughter with the other dancers in my studio. Lets please stop with that he say she say. You're hindering my character with this please we are adults, let's stop !
  

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