Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/04/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I enrolled my child in martial arts classes at **** and encountered several issues with their operations. Upon registration, I was charged an additional $25 for administrative costs on top of the monthly membership fee of $150 for one class per week. However, what was not disclosed prior to signing up was the policy for cancellation, which requires a payment of $30-$40 and a 30-day notice period.Furthermore, despite my explicit instructions to the owner, *****, to charge my account in the middle of the month and to send me an invoice before doing so, these requests were disregarded. This lack of transparency and failure to adhere to agreed-upon terms is deeply concerning. There were instances of overcharging, which I raised with the owner, and they were all completely ignored. Additionally, the quality of instruction at the academy was subpar. There were issues with instructors displaying ******** behaviour towards children, and there was a high turnover rate among instructors. Even the owner, Coach *****, took over teaching classes after dismissing all other instructors. However, his teaching methods were ineffective, as he rarely engaged with the children and provided minimal instruction, resulting in neglectful supervision during classes.During the initial week of March, as per usual, my credit card was once again charged without regard to my request to delay the charge until the middle of the month. However, the charge was declined due to my ongoing bank transition and a hold on my credit card. On that same day, my child attended their regular class at the academy, only to be abruptly removed by the owner/instructor. In front of their classmates my ********** child was embarrassed and humiliated in front of his peers as they were informed that the payment had not gone through, the owner asked him to leave, and he could no longer attend any sessions. **** *********** ********** ********** ******** ** ***** *** **** *** *********** *** *********** The owner's actions and direction led us to believe that the membership had been cancelled, and thus, my son was also under the impression that he was no longer permitted to participate. Additionally, on that same day, I informed the owner, *****, that my son would be travelling and that we would no longer be attending any sessions anymore. The owner knew we will not attending classes anymore, sent a note on piece of paper and instructed my nanny that he will send an invoice for first week of months my child attended classes and close all accounts. Today, I observed that the owner charged my credit card for $356.97 without my consent or any prior agreement. Promptly, I contacted the owner to express my concerns and emphasize that I did not authorize or consent to these charges. Furthermore, I raised the issue of the public humiliation my child endured when he was removed from class and informed he could no longer attend. I reiterated that the membership was cancelled, and we communicated our decision not to attend classes anymore. When I confronted ***** about this unauthorized charge and expressed my concerns about his treatment of my child, he rudely dismissed me and hung up the phone on my. Subsequent attempts to address the issue via email were also ignored.I would like to make a formal complaint against this business and how it operates. Also, I urge you to conduct a thorough investigation into the business practices of WestVancouver ******** Arts (WVMA) and hold them accountable for their ********** and unethical behaviour. No business should be allowed to charge customers without consent or ignore rightful requests for refunds.