yoga payment problem

[Guest guest]

Amanda...

 

Here in Michigan the situation you describe (regarding the studio) is

pretty much standard practice. You purchase a class package and yes, there

usually is an expiration date. Some studios will extend this date but not

all of them are willing to.

 

It's usually well spelled out and there's nothing an attorney would be able

to do about it.

 

Do you have a teacher at this studio with whom you have an active practice?

It might be a good idea to discuss it with him/her... or perhaps just

approach the studio owners and try to explain the situation them and (only

if necessary) explain that potential loss to the studio might be both your

business...

 

The bottom line from this person's perspective, no matter how you slice it,

I don't know how your boyfriend's decisions, inaction in taking the classes

in a timely fashion or making up for lost money in is any way YOUR

responsibility.

 

Good Luck...

 

 

 

 

 

At 03:22 PM 4/12/2005, you wrote:

 

>Looking for guidance on how to handle a dispute with my teacher over

>payments. I urged my boyfriend to take up ashtanga, and he very much

>wants to do it seriously. I urged him to take advantage of a

>30-classes-for-$300 special at our local studio. He never used most of

>the classes and, according to the studio, they have now expired. He is

>furious, both at me for urging him to buy them & at the studio for

>basically saying that his money is now lost. He wants me to either sort

>it out with the studio that he can use the classes once his school term

>ends or pay him back myself. I am completely broke; can't usually pay my

>rent from month-to-month. No way I can (or would) pay him back. I would

>like for him to be able to use the classes -- it doesn't make any sense

>that they expire after a certain number of months/years, but I don't want

>to damage my relationship w/this yoga studio. If I didn't care, I'd bring

>out the big guns (his father is a lawyer) but I don't want to cr

> eate any hostility with the studio or my teachers there. My dad (a

> devoted ashtangi) thinks we should just swallow the money to preserve the

> relationship but we are both grad students and can't be wasting money

> like this. It is a significant amount of money to us. I don't feel

> right going there & shelling out more money for classes when there is

> money that has already been paid but can't be used. I've avoided going

> back to the studio for several weeks now because of this. I actually

> went somewhere else to take a few classes instead because the situation

> is just too awkward but I do want to go back there as I really like the

> owner & it is the best ashtanga place around.

>

>Amanda in NYC

>

>~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

>Spencer's Dogster page: http://www.dogster.com/?88019

>He was my North, my South, my East and West,

>My working week and my Sunday rest,

>My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;

>I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong.

>The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;

>Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;

>Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.

>For nothing now can ever come to any good. -W.H. Auden

>

>

Links

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Studio policies can sometimes be pathetic. They don't

practice what they claim to teach!

 

I wouldn't go as far as suing them but I think there

can be a workaround. If you have a good rapport with

the teacher, maybe you can talk to him/her personally

to let you in to the class without paying until your

rest of the classes expire.

 

Gayathri.

[Guest guest]

Amanda,

 

I have been in your situation & missed a couple of classes here & there, but I

ate the money because in the contract it said that you must complete the classes

within the session.

 

Now being a yoga instructor myself & am on the other end, we need to make money

too... this is my livelihood & for the most part if you let one person "slide"

then the next person thinks they can "slide". (not all people are like this).

But when you bought your sessions, it should have said somewhere, or someone

should have told you that they expire whithin a limited amount of time... a

number of places I teach at do this... we do have to make a living.

 

If you do have a good relationship with them, you might be able to just ask them

kindly... the worst they can say is "I'm sorry there is a term limit". I know I

wouldn't have any hard feelings or think anything differently if one of my

students approached me with that question... they are people too.

 

Good luck,

Maureen

 

"A. Kirk" <rowena28 wrote:

 

Looking for guidance on how to handle a dispute with my teacher over payments.

I urged my boyfriend to take up ashtanga, and he very much wants to do it

seriously. I urged him to take advantage of a 30-classes-for-$300 special at

our local studio. He never used most of the classes and, according to the

studio, they have now expired. He is furious, both at me for urging him to buy

them & at the studio for basically saying that his money is now lost. He wants

me to either sort it out with the studio that he can use the classes once his

school term ends or pay him back myself. I am completely broke; can't usually

pay my rent from month-to-month. No way I can (or would) pay him back. I would

like for him to be able to use the classes -- it doesn't make any sense that

they expire after a certain number of months/years, but I don't want to damage

my relationship w/this yoga studio. If I didn't care, I'd bring out the big

guns (his father is a lawyer) but I don't want to create any

hostility with the studio or my teachers there. My dad (a devoted ashtangi)

thinks we should just swallow the money to preserve the relationship but we are

both grad students and can't be wasting money like this. It is a significant

amount of money to us. I don't feel right going there & shelling out more money

for classes when there is money that has already been paid but can't be used.

I've avoided going back to the studio for several weeks now because of this. I

actually went somewhere else to take a few classes instead because the situation

is just too awkward but I do want to go back there as I really like the owner &

it is the best ashtanga place around.

 

Amanda in NYC

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Spencer's Dogster page: http://www.dogster.com/?88019

He was my North, my South, my East and West,

My working week and my Sunday rest,

My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;

I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;

Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;

Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.

For nothing now can ever come to any good. -W.H. Auden

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ashtanga yoga

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I think that you should just let it go and forget

about the money, lesson learned. And if you are

really hard up on cash, to save money, I would

practice at home with your boyfriend.

[Guest guest]

amanda - it is unfortunate that you and your boyfriend are in this situation. i

don't know what the law is in ny, but in some states, an expiration date is

completely legal, but the business must clearly state its policy. if they

didn't, you might have an argument. and even if they did, you should still talk

to the owner about it. i am a graduate student, too, so i know how money can be

tight. don't be too proud to bring this up when you talk to your studio owners.

if they don't agree to let you use the rest of the classes, then it's your right

as a consumer to decide if it's still worthwhile doing business with them. at

any rate, i hope it all works out.- ro

-

A. Kirk

ashtanga yoga

Tuesday, April 12, 2005 3:22 PM

ashtanga yoga yoga payment problem

[Guest guest]

i think the studios should do away with the expiration dates. they will

make their students a LOT happier and they will come back and pay more money

later.

 

 

meeschia [meeschia]

Tuesday, April 12, 2005 7:50 PM

ashtanga yoga

Re: ashtanga yoga yoga payment problem

 

I think that you should just let it go and forget

about the money, lesson learned. And if you are

really hard up on cash, to save money, I would

practice at home with your boyfriend.

[Guest guest]

A. Kirk wrote:

>

> Looking for guidance on how to handle a dispute with my teacher over

> payments. I urged my boyfriend to take up ashtanga, and he very much

> wants to do it seriously. I urged him to take advantage of a

> 30-classes-for-$300 special at our local studio. He never used most

> of the classes and, according to the studio, they have now expired.

> He is furious, both at me for urging him to buy them & at the studio

> for basically saying that his money is now lost. He wants me to

> either sort it out with the studio that he can use the classes once

> his school term ends or pay him back myself. I am completely broke;

> can't usually pay my rent from month-to-month. No way I can (or

> would) pay him back. I would like for him to be able to use the

> classes -- it doesn't make any sense that they expire after a certain

> number of months/years, but I don't want to damage my relationship

> w/this yoga studio. If I didn't care, I'd bring out the big guns (his

> father is a lawyer) but I don't want to create any hostility with the

> studio or my teachers there. My dad (a devoted ashtangi) thinks we

> should just swallow the money to preserve the relationship but we are

> both grad students and can't be wasting money like this. It is a

> significant amount of money to us. I don't feel right going there &

> shelling out more money for classes when there is money that has

> already been paid but can't be used. I've avoided going back to the

> studio for several weeks now because of this. I actually went

> somewhere else to take a few classes instead because the situation is

> just too awkward but I do want to go back there as I really like the

> owner & it is the best ashtanga place around.

>

Hello

 

This is the way I see it. You offered your boyfriend advice. He could

choose to take it or ignore it or compare it with alternatives.

 

He took your advice and he made a contract (payment for services) with

the studio. So really it's his problem. It is unfair of him to say you

gotta sort it out as if it's all your fault (which it isn't).

 

If he's a big boy, he needs to sort it out himself. If his father is a

lawyer, then his father can advise him further if the contract has been

breached or if there is a consumer affairs issue with this matter.

 

If you want to help him, seek advice from your local Consumer

Affairs/protection office in your state to see if the studio has the

right to expire the classes after a certain period. People who sell

services have to act within legal guidelines which are designed to

protect the consumer.

 

Best regards

Hugh

[Guest guest]

Hi in order to receive yoga one must pay it. Monetary

or not an exchange have to be made it, with the school

or with the world.

 

If you do not want to get it then one shoud not pay.

My point of view is that for the Yoga keep the

realationship with the studio. The teacher have a

great care for the students.

 

For the boyfriend. If he weights the relationship in

three hundred dollars. you might weight it at one

hundred and fifty, maybe by sharing the cost it can

easy the financials on both sides. If he wants the

whole three hundred, I would let him go.

 

Reinaldo