CF or just protecting her business?

[Feckinlego]

So dd goes to a dance class. That's obviously not been happening for the last few weeks. Term fees are due next week and the owner has requested that we continue to pay. She is doing an online class which my dd has no interest in. I understand she wants to keep her business going but I cant help thinking its cheeky to expect us to pay for a service we are not using. Aibu?

My small family run gym has also closed. They have now got all their classes online with Zoom. They also do a daily workout post.
Some members who have lost 20% Of income c/x their subs are being allowed to log on and do classes for free till May. Many are continuing to pay and use the online classes as long as they are being paid.
New people who want to come and do the new online classes are being charged per class. They have had lots of new people join in it’s a great atmosphere during the classes.
They really are trying to help their members and of course keep their business going, to be able to open up again.

Our dance teacher is not still invoicing
She is offering optional online classes pay per class
She doesn’t have to pay rent on the halls she uses at the moment though obviously will still be missing out on income

That doesn't make sense as she is not providing the service now

She is, though, she's just doing it online instead of in the studio.

My Pilates class has gone online. I will continue to pay, as I want my tutor to be able to continue offering face to face classes when lockdown is lifted. It's her only source of income. Time to support each other, OP.

We are in the very fortunate position that out pay has not changed so we have continued to pay for everything that we did before because we can afford it. After all this madness is finished I want to be able to go back to normal so don’t want clubs/companies to go out of business. Obviously if our income had been significantly impacted I might feel differently.

As with all these cases, I'd want to know how she proposes to protect your money in case her business folds ... after all goodwill's a two way thing, no?

Not dance related but same principle - we were due to go on holiday at Easter. I booked the cattery well in advance, and as soon as we knew the holiday was cancelled, I rang the cattery. The owner wanted to impose a 50% cancellation charge, I thought that was a bit steep so I negotiated and paid 30%. I don’t know if people think that is reasonable or not, but I felt 30% was a decent compromise?

Another whose Pilates teachers have shifted to Zoom streaming. I'm struggling to get (and stay) logged in, but I want my classes to resume and my teachers to be able to eat during the lockdown.

Likewise, I am paying my gardener (one half-day per fortnight) as normal: it has been such a wet winter that all garden contractors have lost time and projects, and the piggy banks are very empty after five months of rain.

I can see this from both ways really. I wouldn't want to be paying for an online class when really, you could just search youtube and get something similar for free. On the other hand, shes trying to keep her business alive and if everyone just cancels, theres a chance she might not be able to start up again when the end of this is in sight.

DHs gym have done something similar to this, they are closed obviously, but sent emails basically explaining that they are chance to have to stay shut forever if everyone cancels membership, so could those who can afford to please consider keeping paying their membership (or setting up a reduced rate), and using the online classes that will be posted. In fairness, the online ones are being posted even for those who have to cancel too, its not exclusive to those who can afford to keep paying for something they do not use, so thats nice in a way. But a lot of those who could afford to pay..wont as they can get the videos for free, so not sure if thats counterproductive or not!

Awful time for everyone really. All so uncertain..

I would keep paying if I could in your situation. I might be a bit pissed off, but if I planned on using the same person when this is over, I would try. IF it was skinting me though, I would have no issues stopping it. Depends entirely on circumstance. I don't think its cheeky for her to ask, I think its sensible really.

Thanks for all your responses. IABU it seems. In my defence I should have said I pay for 2 hours per week, online classes are one half hour per week. My dd is 6 and while she enjoys it, I think she enjoys the social aspect more than the dancing.

In saying all that, I think you are all making valid points, and I am going to pay today. I havent lost income and can afford it.

We're in the same position with gymnastics. My daughter tried the on-line but with no space, no equipment and no-one to do things with, it was rubbish. They want us to keep paying and there's a large part of me that wants to as well in order that they'll still be there when this ends. But my OH is not getting any work in (he works from home just on a computer) and if that doesn't change we're going to have some tough financial decisions to make.

Will your daughter be wanting to go back when classes reopen?

If so, I suggest you keep paying so there is something to go back to. You could suggest a reduced fee to keep her place but it would be up to her whether she accepts that or not. She will still have to pay out things such as insurance etc but the service she is providing is not the same.

If you can afford it I would. My husband is self employed and I have been furloughed and so I’m cutting out all non-essentials.

She should cancel the fees, then set up new fees for anyone wanting to do the online thing and claim money under the self employed scheme.

If you can afford it, I think I would keep on paying. If not, then I would withdraw her for now and you can sign her up again when normal classes can be held again.

Some people have been hit hard financially and can't keep up payments but I think that those of us who are still being paid have a moral obligation to keep up subs, membership fees etc to support the businesses and voluntary groups that we usually use.

I haven't been to the gym for weeks and don't expect to be able to go again for many months. We were emailed to say that our direct debits would be suspended. There was a link to clink on for anyone who felt able to continue to pay.

I'm still working and on my full salary. Under those circumstances, I think that it would be shitty for me to stop paying, especially as the gym is a not for profit organisation.

I think an online class should be cheaper than a face-to-face lesson. In a normal lesson, the dance teacher would be advising and teaching your daughter directly. An online class, she is demonstrating dances, and not teaching you daughter directly.

I don’t think it should be an automatic continuation of fees, but a new option.

I’m a childminder. I shed many tears between being told I had to close and the government announcing the 80% self employed scheme and even some After (it’s all well and good knowing there will be cash coming in June, but that puts no food on the table next week).
I had told dds teacher I probably wouldnt be able to afford the fees for the online classes as money would be really tight. She understood completely. But, my Childminding parents have been absolutely fantastic and the majority have paid their bills as normal. I am so thankful to them and will of course pass that on to my daughters dance school and have re-enrolled her for next Term as it’s the right thing to do.

If you want there to be a dance class to go back to and you can afford it, please pay up or the teacher might go and work at Aldi instead.
Those that are still being paid need to keep paying their normal commitments as far as possible to keep everything else moving. It seems slightly immoral to profit out of this kind of situation.

I think she just wants to keep the business going.

I do classes of various kinds. I am still being paid the same amount and therefore am continuing to pay for classes - offered to do it even before online content was proposed. Most of these setups aren’t making a huge profit even when life is normal so I want to support them in the hope that they will still be here when all this is over.

We are still paying for DS music classes and DD's driving lessons - it must be really shit for the self employed at a time like this. Many will be struggling to make ends meet until the 80% kicks in and beyond. I am wfh on 100% plus a wfh allowance and dh on 80%. We are not spending as much - no transport, lunches out, dry cleaning, going to pub / dinner / away. We are passing the savings on to ensure they are still about when lessons can resume.

We had a long think about it when the lockdown first started.

DH and I are both still getting paid at the moment, full salaries, for the time being. We know how lucky we are that this is the case.

We are continuing to support our DD's dance and other team activity that are now holding stretching/dancing/routine/tumbling work online, almost daily for one of the groups. One, because it's the right thing to do in our position. And two, because how on earth would we face these teachers and our DD's friends who stuck with it come (likely) September if we didn't and we could have? And three, that still holds for the class that would have come to a natural end in July, as her dance class is an after school club that she's been doing for 6 years.

So yes, I'm glad you see YABU now and will continue to support it while you can comfortably.

OP I have a similar situation with a networking organisation I am a member of. However, I am acting in the course of a business rather than as a consumer, which means my situation is somewhat different.

My networking group have moved the monthly meetings online and are still charging the full fee, even though there is obviously no food/refreshments involved. However, they have added other services, so on the whole I think it's fair to charge the £20.

In your case I think you can argue, as you are a consumer, that the online sessions are not of interest and you don't want to do them and they are quite different from the service you signed up to do, so you expect a suspension in fees until face to face sessions are again possible.

I have a PT who usually does face to face sessions with me. I am choosing, once she gets set up, to pay for her to coach me remotely, but I am choosing that and she is not trying to force the issue as she knows remote coaching is not as valuable as face to face coaching.

I work for a private swim school and council run leisure centre we certainly arent charging people for their place, they will get credits back for the block they paid for. Yanbu

I don't think the OP is remotely unreasonable! Or a CF!

Why on earth should you continue to pay full price for a service you are no longer receiving, or which is very different (and not as good) as the service you contracted for, unless you want to do so as an act of goodwill?