To think th gymnastics club are taking the mick?

[DonutCone]

DD and DS go to a gymnastics club. A family owned club, very much a for-profit business. You have to pay a term in advance, and often much earlier, so by October you need to pay for January - April.

Obviously term ended 2 weeks earlier than it was meant to in March, so we essentially paid for 10 hours of lessons we didn't get (8 hours a week for DD and 2 for DS). Now we've had an email saying they will be running lessons once a week for the next 3 weeks at £12 for 55 minutes. It has been asked if all the missed lessons can be used towards the cost of the new lessons, but they cannot.

AIBU to think we are now paying for the same thing twice. The 10 hours we missed equates to £65 of lessons and now for 2 children they want an additional £72 for 6 hours. I am so fed up of paying for things we aren't getting. One sports club made us pay for the entire summer term as we had signed a contract saying we were committed for a year, despite the leisure center being closed and saying they were not changing any clubs a penny.

[DonutCone]

Jesus, sorry, horrendous amount of typos in that!

[DonutCone]

Sorry, I answer a few questions. Yes, it's a totally private business, not a charity or council run thing. They have their own building so no rent to be paid to anyone else. I think if they were happy (which they were) to make parents pay £30 for a special leotard for the Xmas show, then they should have reserves. They indeed do have a captive audience as its a small ish town and no where else has any of the boy sepecific equipment.

I have written off money for other clubs because they are run by volunteers and are not profit making. I want them still to be there so I was happy to do it. This is a private business, so I don't feel the same about it at all as they have been notoriously money focuses.

[HexagonsHecateAndHecuba]

Just shown this to DD who is a gym coach, she rolled her eyes!

Gym clubs are fighting to survive. Before they can reopen they have had to comply not only with any government requirements but also with BG recommendations and advice. Ask your head coach to look at the plethora of guidance that has been coming out. There had been huge amounts, all of which the coaches have to wade through and apply to their clubs situation.

Whilst I can understand you not wanting to lose £65, that money will have helped pay the rent on the premises during lockdown. It will have helped pay for a deep clean of the premises prior to reopening. And yes, reopening may be limited because BG insist on safety of gymnasts and coaches above all else. The size of the gym is immaterial. The gymnasts have to be able to see, hear and be able to communicate clearly with their coach. Not as easy when you're socially distanced and coaches are shouting to be heard (recreational classes in particular can be challenging due to the diverse nature and ability of children who attend. The elite classes less so as they are the highly able and disciplined groups)

Different clubs will have different approaches to repaying hours lost. And all the ones DD knows are repaying hours (or will be when they open). Talk to the head coach about why they're not repaying hours.....probably better to talk to the Treasurer though as they hold the purse strings! Most clubs are willing to work with parents to ensure there are no financial difficulties experienced (at the moment by either side). To be fair it sounds like you/your children aren't really into this activity so maybe cut yourself losses and find an activity (or a club, if they are development squad/elite gymnasts) you're happy with.

[Abraid2]

@Evelefteden

I hear you.

Our dds go to a fee paying school. They still tried charging me for school lunches, flute lessons and dance.

I refused.

The flute and dance instructors may have been freelancers who are paid by you not by the school.

[ilovemydogandMrObama]

Lots of clubs do not employ the trainers, they are self employed so furlough may not work everywhere.

Fair point.

Re: Gymnastics Clubs - The DCs used to go to a gymnastics club, which was also a family run type club. They mostly employed young kids who may have been good at gymnastics, but were fairly dreadful at teaching, and controlling large classes. Sort of got the impression the club was more interested in the, 'elite,' gymnasts and the classes for those who were never really going to compete was more of a money spinner. DS once was shouted at for hitting a boy, which he absolutely didn't (as I was there), so after being at the club for 5 years, we walked out and they didn't even call us.

Agree about kids doing way too many activities.

[ritzbiscuits]

I think this situation has brought out the best and worst out in those running a business.

Our dance school is run by a wonderful lady. She moved classes to Zoom and didn't even charge us for a couple of months as she wanted the kids/teachers to acclimatise and get used to the new format. We are now paying slightly reduced fees (as she feels its' not personally the same as being in the studio). I couldn't ask for more.

At the other end of the scale, our nationwide swimming provider wanted to charge £15 per month retention fee, were threatening people with cancellation charges when they were contractually unable to offer a service. We also had the issue of March classes being cancelled and no monetary refunds. All at the same time as them cancelling contracts with all their staff and were not paying any fees for the leisure centres they use! The company eventually changed tack after a massive social media backlash, but the damage was done.

In short, I will not be going back to that swimming company and will be looking at leisure centre classes when we feel comfortable in returning.

I would be asking yourself if you really want to be continuing to use them or if there are easy alternatives you could switch to. I know with gymnastics providers facilities can be completely different at different venues e.g. a leisure centre may be a lot less favourable to a bespoke gymnastics club.

[Dulra]

Have they made any suggestion on how they would pay you back for the lessons you missed? I get they're struggling but that doesn't mean you can take people's money for classes which don't take place and not expect them to look for a refund. My dds drama class paid back fees without anyone even asking them. I would probably have let it go because of how sudden and unprecedented everything was but now that they are putting on extra classes they should be offering these in lieu of what was missed not asking you to pay again . They could say they're struggling and as for voluntary donations if things are that bad but don't forget the government have been supporting businesses quite well

[Quarantimespringclean]

My biggest interest and discretionary expense is theatre. Since lockdown I’ve written off the cost of several theatre tickets because I don’t want theatres to go under. I want them to stIll be there when all this is over.

[wheretonow123]

Are they in too many clubs.

I know of other families with kids literally in everything - the same kids are involved in nothing now that they are older.

In my opinionj it is good to be involved in one or two clubs but have other home stuff, out with family and concentrate on getting better in he activity that they are doing.

Also, less wasted costs.

[christinarossetti19]

It sounds like you're fed up with the club anyway tbh OP.

If you really don't have anything invested in them closing, then just remove your children and look for something else.

Otherwise, what Maryann1975 says is about right.

[ajs88]

They are fighting for survival but they should also be getting government help to do so, though I appreciate this won't be enough by itself.

I think it's very unfair that they are not offering something in return for the missed and paid for lessons, not even a discount or extra free lessons. Personally I think splitting the difference ie. 50% discount on the next lot would be fair.

[reluctantbrit]

@ilovemydogandMrObama

The staff should have been furloughed, so the staff should at least been getting a large percentage of their income, however there are still the running costs of having a building, rent, utilities, insurance that wouldn't be covered?

Lots of clubs do not employ the trainers, they are self employed so furlough may not work everywhere.

DD’s swim and riding school has employed teachers or at least some are, some aren’t, but her drama school works on the basis that the teachers are invoicing the school for the hours they teach.

[Maryann1975]

My answer depends very much on your personal financial situation. Have you worked through out or been on furlough or have you lost your jobs and don’t know how to put food on the table? If you are in the first group, then if you would like the club to survive, then pay. If you are struggling, then they should accept that the fees should be transferred. But then if you are struggling that much, should you be paying for gymnastic lessons for your dc? As someone else upthread said, it seems lots of children have been quite happy without all the extra curricular things in the evenings. Would they be happy without gymnastics so often?
I run a small business and have had the self employed grant. It didn’t take in to account last years accounts, which were my best yet, by about £3k, so they have based my figures going back to 2016-17. I’m so glad that my customers have stuck with me and still paid a voluntary contribution to keep me going. If they hadn’t, I don’t think I would have been able to reopen.

[reluctantbrit]

I wrote off drama school classes, riding lessons, swim school fees for the lost weeks in Spring term and donated refunds for scout camps to the pack.

But, in all cases DD loves the activities, the clubs/school were very open about their financial situation and all but swimming managed to offer something so far.

If you are not happy with a club I look hard on the reasons why. Yes, they most likely struggle like all of these activities are but it is often the way how they communicate and create a bond between the club and members, especially the paying parents.

If you are not happy, look at a club swap. It feels like there ar other underlying problems, not just the way they try to charge you.

[EnjoyingTheSilence]

Find a new club. If they fold it’s down to their own greed.

[Talcott2007]

Wow. i keep hearing about this stories and realise how lucky we seem to have been with clubs and nursery fees.

Nursery - Didn't charge at all in April and May then in June when things opened up again you could choose to 1. cancel your place or amend your days etc with no penalties. 2. Start back with normal fees on whatever days you wanted or 3. if you didn't want to loose your place but not send them straight away pay 33% of fees to hold the place during June and July.
Swimming Lessons - 'Paused' so have got maybe 4 weeks left of the previous term that they will take off the cost of the new term once we can restart.
Gymnastics club - Again various options but again included pausing at how many weeks you have left (we only pay on a rolling month basis) - plus they did a lot of zoom offerings of virtual classes. TBH we were probably going to stop gymnastics once DD starts in reception n september as its not her favorite activity and she has said she doesn't miss it and give her the opportunity to try other activities.

[ilovemydogandMrObama]

The staff should have been furloughed, so the staff should at least been getting a large percentage of their income, however there are still the running costs of having a building, rent, utilities, insurance that wouldn't be covered?

[Bluntness100]

Op if you’re not happy with the club, then cancel or change.

They are a business, primarily there to make money, Covid caused a lot of financial issue for a lot of companies, and things like the fees you paid may have already went to paying rent, insurance etc they could be in a situation they don’t have the money to give back.

[Timeforanotherusername]

What makes you think a lot of their customers aren't also struggling?

Eh? Where did i say that?

OP does not mention money concerns. She mentions not being happy at paying for a service she hasn't received.

These are extraordinary times. Lots of people are struggling. My family aren't. At the beginning we were asked if we would continue paying. We chose to do so. We want there to be swimming and gymnastics and cubs etc to return too. I know its not the same for others.

[MalificentJones]

Our gymnastics club have been completely transparent about their finances publishing how much it cost to run each month. It’s also family run but he hires his premises so didn’t quality for the £10,000.

Way back in March when everything closed down and we all thought it would be back to nor after the Easter holidays he asked everybody not to cancel their April fees as they would be missing four weeks of sessions. That’s what we thought at the time but then after Easter he told us to cancel them as it wasn’t fair as people were losing their jobs etc. Quite a lot of people continued paying.

[TheTeenageYears]

I think any person or organisation who is expecting to be paid for a service it hasn't delivered has to be totally upfront about their finances. If you applied for a benefit or grant you would have to declare financial need and prove it. I don't see why customers should just be expected to pay a for profit business who may have made a fortune in the past.

I'm presuming OP that they have a captive audience and there is no other reasonable option for gymnastics for your DC. It's a difficult one, I had a gymnast who would have hated to have to move clubs or not go over something like this and probably comes down to which is more important- the money or the principal. In a way not being able to afford it is easier to justify.

[fflelp]

I think they should have offered the 65 pounds credit towards the lessons they are now offering.
I know everyone is struggling for survival but you can't keep the money from the lessons not taught and then offer more lessons and ask for more money. It's just not right.
If they were not able to provide the service you paid for due to corona they should have paid the money back or offered an alternative or offered make-up lessons in the holidays.
I am in a similar line of work (not sport related) in another country. My students missed a couple of weeks of lessons at the beginning of lockdown until I was able to move over to online teaching. I've now made up all of these missed lessons by teaching in the Easter holidays and the first week of the summer holidays so that no one paid for something they did not receive.

[cologne4711]

OP, there is a MN viewpoint that we should all be spending money we don't have to keep businesses afloat.

They are taking the mick, pure and simple. Of course they should be applying the money from March to lessons now.

[IKEA888]

They will be struggling but could of handled this better.
They may have got governement help with furloughed staff etc and therefore are just trying their luck
such a shame all round

[hippoherostandinghere]

Our gymnastics club have been in touch to say all missed classes will now be made up over the summer and then they're back to normal from September. I think this is really poor from your gymnastics club but doesn't seem to be much you can do about it unless you leave and join another. They'll soon get the message of everyone does that.