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:08/22/2023

  Type:Product 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.

  I purchased 75 hours of prepaid tutoring for my 3rd grader at the Fairlawn OH location in Feb 2023. We went to sylvan because my son was unable to pass his 3rd grade reading guarantee. At the time of purchase, the owner convinced us to buy the 75 hour package because it was their "estimated" hours needed to catch up and if it was too many hours, we could get a refund of unused hours later. He went consistently 3 days a week March-May and a few days in June. He passed his test and was promoted to 4th grade. At that time we had 33 hours of prepaid tutoring remaining or approximately $1,650 dollars. We have requested a refund and we told that we are only able to get a refund for 30 days even though it is logistically impossible to use all of the hours in 30 days. There only solution is to use the additional 33 hours. That many hours is 3 months of forcing my child to go to tutoring we do not want nor need. I understand preparing but now that they have our money, they are unwilling to provide an even partial refund for the unused hours and provide no contact information for contacting corporate.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/28/2023

  I am the new owner of Sylvan of Fairlawn- Purchased 8-1-2023.   ********* *** came in on 8-21-2023 and requested a refund for hours they paid for in February 2023.  Their child attended tutoring for 3 months, from March-May. and stopped attending in May.  Sylvan has a policy of a 30 day refund, and it is now 6 months past that date of when they purchased tutoring hours from the former owner.   As the new owner, I communicated the policy in place for all families, but would be happy to render services to them where they can use the remaining hours for their child.   Attached is the email I sent.  Attached is the policy form in their file.   

  In additon, ********* stated that I didn't give her any contact information, which is inaccurate.  Per the email, I provided the phone number that I was able to find, and have been more than accomadating for a situation that I had no part of. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/28/2023

   I am rejecting this response because: I would like a response from corporate. I told the owners at the time I discussed this with them that I needed a response from their corporate office. They then, after supposedly contacting their rep, told me the only number is the generic number on the website which doesn't actually connect you to corporate or anyone at all other than the local office. Hiding behind an exploitative refund policy rather than actually assisting customers is bad business practices and someone needs to take accountability for that.
  
  
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/01/2023

  I am sorry that ********* is upset with the decision she made in February of 2023.  As she stated, she purchased hours, that she later decided she no longer wanted. That should not be held against me and my new opportunity to be a business owner because she changed her mind.  There are refund policies in almost all businesses- furniture stores, car dealerships, mower dealerships, retail clothing stores, and even grocery stores.  I recently purchased a new laptop and the screen had a pixel issue.  I had 14 days to make the return or they wouldn't return my purchase.  Instead, I would have to make a warranty claim and have the item fixed.  If the screen had formed a pixel issue after the 14-day return policy, the same policy would have been in place: after 14 days, we will fix it for you, but will not return it and you won't get your money back.   Another example is a new zero-turn mower was purchased, and the engine blew just outside of the return policy window.  After contacting the dealership, they would not refund the money or take the mower back, but would submit a warranty claim to get a new Briggs engine.  This wasn’t what we wanted, and had to wait months for the new engine, but this was the policy. Another example, which is not to the caliber of a laptop or a mower, but nonetheless, I bought a shirt for my son on his birthday.  He also received the same shirt from a family member.  Time went by, and I forgot to return the shirt.  I tried to take it back, knowing it was outside of the window, but unfortunately, the policy was upheld.  For all of these instances, a store policy was put into effect and was upheld. These are just a few simple examples where policies are in place at almost every business. I most certainly am not hiding behind a policy to refund her money, it is the simple fact that a policy is a policy.  If I want to be loosy goosy with a policy, then I might as well not have one.  
   I guess my issue now is, why all of a sudden is she now coming after me for a refund?  As stated, her child attended tutoring from March to May.  If she wanted her money back, why didn't she go to the previous owner at the end of May when they stopped attending and requested a refund? Or in June? Or in July?  Instead, after 6 months, and it just so happens to be when there is new ownership, she wants her money back.  There are a lot of red flags here.  In addition, I sure know that when families are enrolled, we suggest a number of hours to purchase, not tell them what they have to purchase.  We follow right up with "These are just a suggested amount. Every child is different.  Some may get through a program in less time, and others might need to purchase more hours because they work at a slower rate.”  Kids are all different, and forcing a family to purchase X amount of hours is not the case here at Sylvan.  You can ask any one of my families at the center, and they will all say, a suggested amount of time was given, and they ultimately chose what they wanted to do.  In addition, the hours that were suggested were hours to get him through all the skills needed for his current grade level. He started much lower than his current grade level, and during that time, he was able to progress substantially.  The problem is that he still has hours remaining because he never finished the program to get him through the end of all 3rd-grade standards.   He still has content that is in progress and skills he's never even worked on because they just quit as soon as they found out he passed his test.  As a result, the hours that were purchased to complete a program are left because the program was never completed. (Initial assessment, Progress report from April 4, and progress report from May 10 are available upon request.)
  Lastly, after seeing the negative reviews she's posted online to different venues, she is now slandering my company name, and potentially deterring families from helping their kids receive support because of her own bias.   This is unacceptable   I also am not happy that she is eluding that I never talked to my advisor or even tried to get a phone number.  This is completely inaccurate, an attack on my character, and I will absolutely not stand for this.  I am expecting an immediate change or I will be moving forward in a different manner, outside of the BBB.  Those reviews must be taken down, and further attacks on my charter will cease immediately.