Parents Repercussion to leave gym?

[Jbella123]

Hi,
We left a gym where my daughter was on the competitive team. We left a few days prior to the start of the following month and of course they said they wanted us to pay tuition for the following month since they expected 30 days notice. Mind you, we had already paid in advance all our competition/meet fees which we were out of and still had many meets to go and were paid through the month in which we left. We left due coaches allowing older girls to bully the younger ones, a gym that continuously accepted new team members even though the gym itself was over capacity based off coach to student ratio, when you would walk into this gym the older girls are typically injured and cannot practice so they sit there with ice bags on various parts of the body, head coach was asleep and on cell phone throughout the first meet which prompted our exit, and every time you turn around they were requesting more money or recommending privates and to be paid through venmo vs paying it to the gym (apparently under investigation over this because not paying taxes on it - and a significant amount of money). Of course after we left they approached our new head coach to tell them they wanted their money. Our new gym, actually all the gyms throughout our state recognize their reputation is not good, many potentially great gymnasts have left as well as coaches because of how they handle their gym and shady practices. Every gymnast that has left has been welcomed with open arms from the other gyms, and almost all the owners have stories to share regarding said gym.
They have threatened collections, anyone else gone through this.

 

[WV Gym Mom]

IF you are asking if you are responsible for additional fees to the old gym, that will 100% depend on their contract. Have you signed any team handbook, agreement, or are their posted policies about annual commitments or similar? That would tell you what you agreed to as a member of the team. As for them going after a new coach for your money, that makes no sense at all, and I would consider that a breach of privacy personally.

 

[gymgal]

If you signed a contract that said you have to give 30 days notice, then you are obligated to pay it, regardless of how the gym is conducting itself as the complaints you note are subjective and would be difficult to prove that they have violated the contract, which would be the only way you could win this. The competitive fees you paid are already accounted for. Meets fees have to be paid for months in advance with no refunds. I would just pay it to wash your hands of the situation and reduce any problems with the new gym.

 

[gymgal]

. As for them going after a new coach for your money, that makes no sense at all, and I would consider that a breach of privacy personally.

This is actually very common - alert the new gym that a family still owes money to the old gym. It's one of the ways old gyms get back at families for leaving - even when fees are not actually owed. New gyms don't want to do business with families who don't pay their bills.

 

[Jbella123]

This is actually very common - alert the new gym that a family still owes money to the old gym. It's one of the ways old gyms get back at families for leaving - even when fees are not actually owed. New gyms don't want to do business with families who don't pay their bills.

Fortunately, all the gyms nearby do! This coach/owner plays dirty and has done things to affect many of the gyms as well. Typically if gymnasts are leaving in droves, there’s good reason!

 

[CuriousCate]

You should check your contract with your old gym to see if you agreed to give 30 days notice before leaving and also to see what the policy is on returning fees. If you never signed anything, they don't have a lot to stand on.

If your old gym already registered your child for meets, don't expect that money back. If your new gym is going to any of the same meets, they can transfer the registration from your old gym to the new gym through the meet and through USAG reservation system and then you wouldn't lose the meet registration fee at least. Just make sure to go into USAG and change your gym affiliation or they will end up calling your old gym to ask and old gym may say no.

If your old gym counted your child in the head count to determine fees for coach travel etc for meets, I wouldn't expect to get any of that money back. But the actual fee for the athlete registration you should be able to get back if your kid won't actually be competing. Again, this assumes your gym already paid to register her.

 

[Flipsrus]

Agree, look at your contract. If you didn't violate the terms, then they should give your money back. I would threaten going to a lawyer if they persist with collections. See what happens. My guess is that they will back off if you didn't violate the handbook. Meet fees already paid by the old gym can be transferred to the new gym, not team fees though. Hope everything works out!

 

[GymDadWA]

If you paid by credit card you could do a chargeback it would be up to the merchant to provide proof that the contract had been breached and a neutral arbitrator will decide who's correct.

 

[Aussie_coach]

In Australia you can’t enrol in a new gym anywhere in Australia. While you still owe money at a previous gym.

When you enrol in a new gym, they have to register you and if they find out you have Ren registered at another gym, they have to ask the previous gym if you can transfer.

If you owe money, they won’t approve the transfer and you can’t train anywhere until it’s paid.

It’s no unusual for 30 days of notice to be required when quitting. Not just in gyms, but everywhere, dance studios, drama class, karate lessons, choir etc.

The gym has generally budgeted their coach numbers based in number of gymnasts etc. the 30 days notice gives them time to offer the spot to another gymnast, before it becomes unpaid or adjust coach schedules if needed.

But if a gym is awful, it can be better just to loose the money. Pay the extra month and leave, so she doesn’t have to spend the month training there when they know she is leaving.

 

[GymnastMomX2]

30 days notice is pretty typical, you likely owe the money, even if all your reasons for leaving are valid. I’d just pay it and move on.

 

[katrid11]

Ok there are 2 options here:

Option 1 - NO CONTRACT
1) send a letter stating there is no contractual relationship requiring 30 day notice and note that funds for a future month's service is hence not required.
2) send that letter via email and by return receipt requested and keep for your records

Option 2 - CONTRACT
1) if your contract lists a 30 day notice - pay the check
2) do so in writing by email and return receipt requested.
3) IF you have meets that have not past the refund date, Specifically request those fees to be reimbursed (list the name of the meet, level registered, date of meet and date of 'no refund' - all of which is available online). You could choose to short your monthly check by the amount of the meets that can be refunded to ensure you get those funds. IF you do this, show the math ($630 monthly dues - $130 meet fee = $500 remaining due).

If the gym was nice, you could walk in and have a conversation and give a credit card etc. However your description tells me to do this all very formal. they already crossed a line calling the new gym - that is low and uncalled for.

 

[3dogmama]

Best to pay and move on. Not worth the headache.