To be peeved with new owner of DD’s dance school?!

[Hohumbugho]

Am aware that this is small potatoes in the real world but has really wound me up!

DD (4) started with a pre-school focused ballet class last spring. Lovely lessons, made fun and engaging and she appropriate. Paid a yearly registration fee upon joining plus cost of lessons. Earlybird offer came out in summer that if you re-enrolled for September early, the annual registration fee would be waived. Signed up early so just paid termly class fees last term.

Dance school was then sold just before Christmas, promises not to change things etc.

Had notification of term fees sent yesterday, which included the term fees plus an annual registration fee. Emailed and explained the situation, sent an email with the earlybird offer attached etc.

Response was:
“The school is now run by X and the early bird offer was run as part of the previous ownership. We are not currently running that offer at the moment.”

It’s only £25, but it’s the principle of the thing and what a crappy way to ‘welcome’ your new client base!

YANBU - they are CFs
YABU - let it go, business is business

I voted YANBU. These sort of things are annoying. I’d be tempted to ask for a cost breakdown as to how they arrive at £25 to put a name on a list.

When I went dancing, in the dim and distant past, it was something like £2 on a Saturday and £1 on a Thursday!

Increased fees because of higher energy costs, justified. The response not one to encourage you to continue.

'Very sorry, with increased energy costs we are going to have a standard charge for all, and don't want to penalise those who cannot pay early'. would have been a far better response.

The attitude would make me go off and find another class.

Registration fee??? I have never paid a registration fee to a dance school, and I would baulk at paying year on year. Surely once registered that’s it?

Short sighted business practices. They could have easily added the £25 into the term fee and avoided pissing their clients off.

Depends how much your DD likes the class and whether there are any viable alternatives you could move to. If she really enjoys it, suck it up for her sake, as one of those annoying things we have to do for kids ' activities (don't get me started on bloody swim schools!).

That would massively piss me off as well, and I'd be inclined to walk (balletically of course). I'd point out that I had already paid the annual registration fee for that year.

Although cynical me thinks that maybe the early bird off to get as many registered bums on seats prior to advertising the business for sale ...

Your agreement was with the company, not with the owners. Company is still there and can't unilaterally change the agreement. It's none of your concern what offers they 'currently' run.

Not necessarily unfortunately - the previous owner could have just sold the trade and assets to a new company.

I’ve replied whilst peeved with the below. Bit snarkier than I’d usually be so not sure if I should have cooled off first!

“Ok. Not a great first impression for a new client base though really, is it? Especially as no prior communication about cancelling an offer which was honoured back in September.
I will continue this term as we’ve already started and it’s unfair to my daughter to pull her out midway, but will have a think as to whether I wish to continue next term. Especially if further changes are going to be made without prior information.”

It’s a shame as DD loves the classes. The format is really well thought out, and encourages them to develop their ballet skills but not in a traditional formal way, through stories, sings, props etc. The school is also just aimed at just young dancers rather than being a ‘bolt on’ to a dance school for older kids.

I danced as a kid and gave up ballet as found it too rigid, and DD is a bit of an individual so don’t think it would go well in a stricter class.

Although it wouldn’t take much now for me to vote with my (pointed) feet…

Sounds like it’s one of the franchises- Baby Ballet or something so the new owner probably doesn’t have to honour anything. I’d go elsewhere.

However one of our local dance schools done proper preschool classes - they play with props, games as well as dance. The teacher is a qualified registered dance teacher and preschool qualified too so I really wouldn’t just dismiss a bolt on to a dance school out of hand - ours is amazing.

Yabu to put your dc in ballet classes yup

Why’s that then?

This is exactly the sort of thing the old manager of our ballet school would have done.

Thank god she sold the business - I’d have left years before if my daughter hadn’t loved it so much. The woman had no idea how to look after her customers.

Hmmm - wonder if it’s her???

Nooo this isn't right

Yeah it’s a terrible thing to given them a hobby they enjoy and is good for them.

My response was to this troll, having trouble quoting tonight!

Yup…it’s awful…my poor DD just suffers tutu much through the class…poor thing 🤣

I mean, you have a pointe 🩰

What's the random 'yup'? is it the new LOL?

🤣🤣🤣

A dance school charging an annual 'registration fee' is not something I have ever come across in upwards of 20 years.

They are pulling a fast one, and it is not normal for dance schools to do this.