Athena Vertical Dance LLC

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because: I will not continue to respond the same tired argument MsC [redacted] continues to rely uponShe completely ignored and failed to respond to my complaint raised about her arbitrary and selective application of the expiration policy, has still failed to produce any documented evidence that there was any alleged "extension" given or respond to any of the other issues raised in my rebuttalFurthermore, I contest the validity of the documents she attached to support her argumentI asked to see such documentation months ago and only now does she produce some handwritten log that I have never even seen before, and it can be reasonably inferred from her conduct that this log was fabricatedShe still cannot produce any documents with my signature on them that support her position as alleged She has no means of knowing what I paid the original owner of the studio in because she does not have access to or possession of those recordsShe took ownership of the studio in June I know for a fact that MsC [redacted] has never had an accounting system or software in place to accurately track payments or class attendance because she told us for months she was trying to find one to use, and we even got test emails from a system she was considering but never successfully implementedI have heard complaints from other students about instances where MsC [redacted] claims they owe her money when they had already paid her and she simply "forgot." MsC [redacted] defends herself by arguing that she has so many students that she can't possibly be expected to keep track of everythingMy class had an average attendance of four (4) students (on a good day)Four is not too many students Once again, MsC [redacted] 's allegations regarding my behavior are of no moment to me and will not be addressed hereIt is rather perplexing to me that she continues to raise the issue after I have already made this very clear; unless perhaps she has no better argumentFor a moment, let us assume that everything that MsC [redacted] has said is trueLet us pretend that at the time of my dismissal, I had only one class left (valued at nine dollars, as she alleges)What sense does it make for MsC [redacted] to go so far out of her way to spite me by denying me a refund of nine dollars? Again, this sounds like more of a personal grudge against me and less like a practical business decisionThe irony to be found here is that MsC [redacted] has devoted a good deal of time to portraying me as a bitter bully, yet the cumulative effect of all her statements points to the fact that she did all of this over nine dollarsThe latter sounds more like a bully, in my opinion At any rate, I am quickly losing faith that there will be any satisfactory resolution achieved in this issueI trust that MsC [redacted] has thoroughly enjoyed my nine dollars and hope that this incident has inspired her to keep proper records from now onFailure to do so can make things exponentially more difficult for a business owner later on down the road.Sincerely, [redacted]

[redacted] Please See Attached Documents [redacted] Athena Vertical Dance [redacted] Tacoma, WA [redacted] June 24th , Revdex.com Station Drive DupointWA Dear Revdex.com: This letter is to respond to the complain id [redacted] [redacted] purchased our class package on December th at a discount of 40% therefore making each class worth a value of 9$Her package purchase was classes per month as she was coming twice a monthSo for her to double her package purchase normally would have taken her two months with her typical prior usageThe month expiration date is posted both on our website http://athenaverticaldance.com/prepay-for-classes/ , our price list (which is posted in the studio and on our student form of which she signed, (please see attached} The studio gave her a onetime extension of months therefore giving her almost a full months to use what should have taken her two months to use When she was terminated she had one class left at a value of 9$ however it was over months expired Over the last year her attitude with students and instructors has become a problemShe was spoken to on two separate occasions in May for two separate instancesThe first was being disrespectful to our substitute AnyaShe was unhappy with the way Anya was teaching and very rude with her language and disruptive to the classThe second was a culmination of many instancesBoth her and another student have been negative to a third of the studio's student on a regular basesOn May 3rd I received a long text message from this students about how for weeks in a row she had been made to feel bad for which pole she choses to useThey berated her and made her feel so upset that she was going to stop coming to that class I sent both [redacted] and the other student a text message asking them to stop such behavior of to which I received no responseAfter speaking to [redacted] after the first incident her attitude towards the studio and its students got progressively worseIn June it was apparent that she had a complete and utter disregard for the students and the space and was no longer following any of our policies about respect These are posted on our website at http://athenaverticaldance.com/studio-policies/ At that time (June 5*She was sent an email terminating her membership with the studioPlease see a copy of her email reply as well I believe the studio has gone over and above trying to make this situation work and it is best that she seek out another studio of which (per her email attached) you can see that she did Due to the fact that we have given an extra month extension already no refund will be given If you have any questions please don't hesitate to email me at ***@athenaverticaldance.com Kind Regards Jane C [redacted] Owner ***SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS REDACTED BY Revdex.com***

[redacted] Please See Attached Documents [redacted] Athena Vertical Dance [redacted] Tacoma;WA [redacted] July 24th 2015Revdex.comStation DriveDupointWA 98327Dear Revdex.com:This letter is to respond to the complain id [redacted] .I will respond with only the facts in this complaint; as there seems to be a lot of hearsay and untruths.First as I mentioned in my last letter " [redacted] purchased our class package on December th at a discount of 40% therefore making each class worth a value of 9$Her package purchase was classes per month as she was coming twice a monthSo for her to double her package purchase normally would have taken her two months with her typical prior usageThe month expiration date is posted both on our website http://athenaverticaldance.com/prepay-for-classes/ , our price list (which is posted in the studio and on our student form of which she signed, (please see attached) The studio gave her a onetime extension of months therefore giving her almost a full months to use what should have taken her two months to use When she was terminated she had one class left at a value of 9$ however it was over months expired." Only once did Mrs [redacted] purchase the higher package of classes and that was in DecemberHer spending was per month for classesThe prices for that package never changed from the previous owner to myselfShe has been paying for classes since she was part of the studio in as she statesThis makes the price per class a rate of 20$ per classNo where do we have a class for 30$ per class as classes for would come out to beSee attached copies of her spending for both October and November as well as a copy of her 144$ for classes in DecemberWhen she had text me as she claims I did not have my books on me and had no idea how many classes she had left as I have many students that take class.It is very clear that Mrs [redacted] is unhappy with the fact that we would not allow her to continue to bully both our students and our staff as we have a strict no bully policy(Our policies are posted our website at http://athenaverticaldance.com/studio-policies/.) We gave Mrs [redacted] multiple chances to correct her attitude and she refusedIt is our belief that with these erroneous complaints she is still continuing to try to bully the studioWe went over and above trying to make this situation better and she refused at every turnAgain it is best that she seek out another studio, as we are obviously not a good fit for herWe wish her luck in her pole endeavors.If you have any questions please don't hesitate to email me at ***@athenaverticaldance.comKind RegardsJane C [redacted] Owner

Re: Rebuttal to Business Response in Case # [redacted]Dear Ms. [redacted]:Thank you for your attention to my complaint regarding Jane [redacted] and Athena Vertical Dance, LLC. I respectfully reject Ms. C[redacted]’s response to my complaint and would call your attention to several issues:1.      Failure to Produce Requested DocumentationWhile I can appreciate that Ms. C[redacted] has finally made an attempt to produce the information I have repeatedly asked for, it does not satisfy my request. I asked for records—tangible documentation such as a spreadsheet, ledger, client history, or class attendance—to confirm the amount of classes purchased, the price for which they were purchased, and a history of my class attendance. The reason for my request is that I have always paid Ms. C[redacted] in cash and she has never once provided me with a receipt or any other documentation of my purchases. In my initial request for relief, I was unable to state the amount of the desired refund as Ms. C[redacted] has ignored past inquiries, as she essentially did in her response. I find it quite convenient that she alleges that I had one remaining class valued at $9.00. When I asked her via text message on May 17, 2015, her reply was “Hmmnot a clue but I can look I feel like it’s 10 or 12 but I don’t have my books on me [sic].” See attached screenshot. She never followed up with me.2.     Erroneous Accounting Given in ResponseI have been a loyal customer and student of this studio since March 2012, under previous ownership. For three years, I have always purchased monthly class packages that permitted me to attend twice a week. I was a regular member of the Thursday and Sunday Advanced Pole classes. The price was the same each month: $240.00. When Ms. C[redacted] took over the studio, the price structure changed and there was a great deal of confusion regarding the new costs, as it took her some time topost new prices. To keep things simple, I continued to pay $240. After listening to her explanation of the price structure, it seemed similar enough to what I had been previously paying. It seemed reasonable to continue paying this amount monthly. To be clear, attending two classes per week per month (a total of eight classes) cost me $240.  When I purchased the Black Friday deal from Ms. C[redacted] on December 5, 2015, I gave her $240.00, because this was the monthly rate I was accustomed to paying. Based on the accounting given by Ms. C[redacted] in her response, $240.00 at a rate of $9 per class should have bought me 26 classes, not 16. Again, I emphasize the importance of documentation here because she did not provide me a receipt and all the proof I can provide is documentation of a cash withdrawal from a nearbyATM on or about that date. Essentially, it is her word against mine.  3.     Arbitrary and Capricious Enforcement of the Expiration PolicyMs. C[redacted] is correct in stating that I purchased the package from her on December 5, 2015. In her response, she mentions at length a fellow student and friend who was simultaneously dismissed and also denied a refund. This student, one other student, and I all purchased our packages on the same day, December 5, 2015. In a conversation with the three of us, Ms. C[redacted] assured all three of us that if we purchased the packages, she would waive the expiration policy (“Don’t worry, I won’t expire them…”). It was on this assurance that we all relied and purchased our packages. Ms. C[redacted] denied each of us a refund in her dismissal e-mail on the ground that our classes had expired. See attached. She alleges she graciously gave us an “extension.” This is not true. The first I had heard of any such “extension” was in that dismissal email.I am calling her denial of a refund both arbitrary and capricious for the simple fact that she did not “expire” the package purchased by the third student, who is still an active member of the studio who continues to be able to use her package past the alleged expiration date. I feel that she did this in bad faith, regardless of what she claims warranted my dismissal.4.     Allegations Regarding Student MisconductAs I mentioned earlier, I had been a loyal member of this studio since March 2012. I have participated in several performances and workshops there. In January 2015, I volunteered my time and effort to act as stage manager in Ms. C[redacted]’s first major production as the new studio owner. In April 2015, Ms. C[redacted] had approached me about becoming an instructor and teaching classes at the studio over the summer. I have allowed Ms. C[redacted] to use photos of myself on social media and her website to help promote the studio. As expressed in the copy of my email provided with her response, I was both shocked and confused by Ms. C[redacted]’s decision to dismiss me.Ms. C[redacted]’s response makes some heinous and deceitful allegations about my conduct as a student. I seek redress here for denial of a refund, not some petty and unsubstantiated personal grievance. Therefore, the remainder of her response is of no consequence to me. I will not address any of those accusations, save to point out that Ms. C[redacted] states that my “complete and utter disregard for students and the space” had progressively worsened to the point that she felt it necessary to dismiss me from the studio. This statement is patently untrue, as date of my last class attendance was Sunday, May 17, 2015. Prior to receiving the dismissal email on June 5, 2015, I had not attended class nor had contact with Ms. C[redacted] or any other students in nearly three weeks. Therefore, it is not possible that any subsequent “incidents” occurred as alleged by Ms. C[redacted].5.     ConclusionA business owner generally has the right to refuse service to anyone, for almost any reason, as Ms. C[redacted] knows. However, even if Ms. C[redacted]’s allegations ofmisconduct are taken as true (they are not) and I was properly dismissed from the studio as she states, she is not within her right to arbitrarily apply some expiration policy to effectively deny me a refund and keep my money. What is true for one should be true for all—either the expiration policy was waived at the time of purchase or she chose not to apply it to everyone equally. In either situation, Ms. C[redacted] is squarely in the wrong. I am not arguing about Ms. C[redacted]’s decision to dismiss me—she could dismiss me if she thought I had chronic bad breath if she so desired—I am arguing that she owes me (and my fellow student) a fair refund based on what I actually paid her. Thank you in advance for your consideration.Sincerely,[redacted]

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:
I will not continue to respond the same tired argument Ms. C[redacted] continues to rely upon. She completely ignored and failed to respond to my complaint raised about her arbitrary and selective application of the expiration policy, has still failed to produce any documented evidence that there was any alleged "extension" given or respond to any of the other issues raised in my rebuttal. Furthermore, I contest the validity of the documents she attached to support her argument. I asked to see such documentation months ago and only now does she produce some handwritten log that I have never even seen before, and it can be reasonably inferred from her conduct that this log was fabricated. She still cannot produce any documents with my signature on them that support her position as alleged. 
She has no means of knowing what I paid the original owner of the studio in 2012 because she does not have access to or possession of those records. She took ownership of the studio in June 2014. I know for a fact that Ms. C[redacted] has never had an accounting system or software in place to accurately track payments or class attendance because she told us for months she was trying to find one to use, and we even got test emails from a system she was considering but never successfully implemented. I have heard complaints from other students about instances where Ms. C[redacted] claims they owe her money when they had already paid her and she simply "forgot." Ms. C[redacted] defends herself by arguing that she has so many students that she can't possibly be expected to keep track of everything. My class had an average attendance of four (4) students (on a good day). Four is not too many students.
Once again, Ms. C[redacted]'s allegations regarding my behavior are of no moment to me and will not be addressed here. It is rather perplexing to me that she continues to raise the issue after I have already made this very clear; unless perhaps she has no better argument. For a moment, let us assume that everything that Ms. C[redacted] has said is true. Let us pretend that at the time of my dismissal, I had only one class left (valued at nine dollars, as she alleges). What sense does it make for Ms. C[redacted] to go so far out of her way to spite me by denying me a refund of nine dollars? Again, this sounds like more of a personal grudge against me and less like a practical business decision. The irony to be found here is that Ms. C[redacted] has devoted a good deal of time to portraying me as a bitter bully, yet the cumulative effect of all her statements points to the fact that she did all of this over nine dollars. The latter sounds more like a bully, in my opinion.
At any rate, I am quickly losing faith that there will be any satisfactory resolution achieved in this issue. I trust that Ms. C[redacted] has thoroughly enjoyed my nine dollars and hope that this incident has inspired her to keep proper records from now on. Failure to do so can make things exponentially more difficult for a business owner later on down the road.Sincerely,[redacted]

[redacted] Please See Attached Documents [redacted]
Athena Vertical Dance [redacted] Tacoma;WA 98380 [redacted]July 24th 2015Revdex.com1000 Station DriveDupointWA 98327Dear Revdex.com:This letter is to respond to the complain id [redacted].I will respond with only the facts in this complaint; as there seems to be a lot of hearsay and untruths.First as I mentioned in my last letter " [redacted] purchased our 16 class package on December 5 th at a discount of 40% therefore making each class worth a value of 9$. Her normal package purchase was 8 classes per month as she was coming twice a month. So for her to double her package purchase normally would have taken her two months with her typical prior usage. The 3 month expiration date is posted both on our website http://athenaverticaldance.com/prepay-for-classes/ , our price list (which is posted in the studio and on our student form of which she signed, (please see attached) The studio gave her a onetime extension of 3 months therefore giving her almost a full 6 months to use what should have taken her two months to use.  When she was terminated she had one class left at a value of 9$ however it was over 3 months expired." Only once did Mrs [redacted] purchase the higher package of 16 classes and that was in December. Her normal spending was 160 per month for 8 classes. The prices for that package never changed from the previous owner to myself. She has been paying 160 for 8 classes since she was part of the studio in 2012 as she states. This makes the price per class a rate of 20$ per class. No where do we have a class for 30$ per class as 8 classes for 240 would come out to be. See attached copies of her normal spending for both October and November as well as a copy of her 144$ for 16 classes in December. When she had text me as she claims I did not have my books on me and had no idea how many classes she had left as I have many students that take class.It is very clear that Mrs [redacted] is unhappy with the fact that we would not allow her to continue to bully both our students and our staff as we have a strict no bully policy. (Our policies are posted our website at http://athenaverticaldance.com/studio-policies/.) We gave Mrs [redacted] multiple chances to correct her attitude and she refused. It is our belief that with these erroneous complaints she is still continuing to try to bully the studio. We went over and above trying to make this situation better and she refused at every turn. Again it is best that she seek out another studio, as we are obviously not a good fit for her. We wish her luck in her pole endeavors.If you have any questions please don't hesitate to email me at [redacted]@athenaverticaldance.comKind RegardsJane C[redacted] Owner

[redacted] Please See Attached Documents [redacted]
Athena Vertical Dance [redacted] Tacoma, WA 98380 [redacted]
June 24th ,2015
Revdex.com
1000 Station Drive
DupointWA 98327
Dear Revdex.com:
This letter is to respond to the complain id [redacted].
[redacted] purchased our 16 class package on December 5 th...

at a discount of 40% therefore making each class worth a value of 9$. Her normal package purchase was 8 classes per month as she was coming twice a month. So for her to double her package purchase normally would have taken her two months with her typical prior usage. The 3 month expiration date is posted both on our website http://athenaverticaldance.com/prepay-for-classes/ , our price list (which is posted in the studio and on our student form of which she signed, (please see attached} The studio gave her a onetime extension of 3 months therefore giving her almost a full 6 months to use what should have taken her two months to use.  When she was terminated she had one class left at a value of 9$ however it was over 3 months expired.
Over the last year her attitude with students and instructors has become a problem. She was spoken to on two separate occasions in May for two separate instances. The first was being disrespectful to our substitute Anya. She was unhappy with the way Anya was teaching and very rude with her language and disruptive to the class. The second was a culmination of many instances. Both her and another student have been negative to a third of the studio's student on a regular bases. On May 3rd I received a long text message from this students about how for weeks in a row she had been made to feel bad for which pole she choses to use. They berated her and made her feel so upset that she was going to stop coming to that class.   I sent both [redacted] and the other student a text message asking them to stop such behavior of to which I received no response. After speaking to [redacted] after the first incident her attitude towards the studio and its students got progressively worse. In June it was apparent that she had a complete and utter disregard for the students and the space and was no longer following any of our policies about respect.  These are posted on our website at http://athenaverticaldance.com/studio-policies/ At that time (June
 
5*3 She was sent an email terminating her membership with the studio. Please see a copy of her email reply as well.
I believe the studio has gone over and above trying to make this situation work and it is best that she seek out another studio of which (per her email attached) you can see that she did.  Due to the fact that we have given an extra 3 month extension already no refund will be given.
If you have any questions please don't hesitate to email me at [redacted]@athenaverticaldance.com
Kind Regards
Jane C[redacted] Owner
[redacted]SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS REDACTED BY Revdex.com[redacted]