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:03/10/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore 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.

  7/2/22, $899. I joined Yoga Farm’s Trauma-informed instructor course under the guise it would be inclusive of all religions, trauma-sensitive, and teach yoga. I was told one of the instructors, Christopher, had a Christian background. It was stated there would be regular live yoga classes available. A Yoga Instructor training course should be focused on yoga. This was not my experience. I learned of Christopher’s Christian background when he spoke negatively about Christianity and why he chose to leave. There are videos Christopher seems high, which has been triggering and difficult to watch; I often need to stop. When I reached out to support, I was instructed to send the videos and that it “wasn’t possible” for me to be experiencing this because Christopher and another instructor are sober. I say watching these videos are triggering, and I'm told to rewatch them to find the video? I never questioned their sobriety; I expressed how I was being affected. Neither of these responses are trauma-informed as they claimed the course would be. There is a focus on meditation and other practices. I was promised yoga classes. Instead, there are multiple meditations daily, and the yoga classes offered are often “On Pause.” They teach Ayurveda. The multiple videos are 2 hours long and required. This is not yoga. The information in these videos is also medically inaccurate, claiming that hot flashes in menopausal women are caused by having too much “yeast” in the body. When I requested a refund, I explained I had played through the course trying to only watch the yoga and that was used against me, stating the material was “fully” released to me and past refund dates. I couldn’t have watched the videos and known this in the timeframe given for their policy. This was after I explained I felt unsafe in their course having to protect my mental health, sobriety, and spirituality. I was taken advantage of and misled by Yoga Farms. I offered to settle this between us, they declined.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/10/2023

  We had a single back and forth with ***** around her dissatisfaction with the program. In this correspondence we asked her to offer clarifying examples of the issues she alluded to in her refund request. This refund request was submitted to us months after her program start date and fully outside of the refund policy outlined within the waiver she agreed to and signed (see attached). Our yoga teacher trainings are acknowledged and registered with Yoga Alliance and follow their guidelines for curriculum requirements.  We are saddened that this was the outcome of a students unhappiness and stand behind our program and policies.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/17/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. Their response confirmed their request for me to rewatch videos I expressed were triggering for my mental health, spiritually and sobriety instead of the organization reviewing said instructors videos, thus further proving their failure to provide the "trauma informed" services promised. They presented a form I signed, which I did not deny signing, however, there is no way for me to have known the context of the videos without watching them and I could not have done so in the refund timeframe. Ithaca Farms should be held responsible for misleading and giving false information to gain clients. I request a refund due to not being able to continue their services based on the instruction being triggering to me and suggest for them to release curriculum before it is purchased to avoid this in the future.  
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** ******