Chiropractic Sports and Rehab Seminars LTD

Dr. [redacted] registered for a two part seminar through CSR Seminars which took place on October 17 and November 14 in Columbus, OH.  When she scheduled for the seminars she had sent in her registration form from the REGISTER icon from the csrseminars.com website.  At the bottom of the...

registration page is the Cancellations and Refund Policy.  The policy clearly states that there are "no refunds" if canceled within 14 days of any seminar registration (below is an exact copy from our website).  It is also posted that there is no charges to transfer to a future seminar.  CANCELLATIONS AND REFUND POLICYPayment:  Checks made payable to CSR Seminars must be made 2 weeks prior to seminar date.  We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover and now accepting Paypal through our website.Cancellation Policy:  There is a 20% registration fee if canceled 2 weeks prior to seminar.  No refunds if canceled within 14 days of any seminar registration.  There is no fee or charges to transfer to a future seminar.Seminar Policy:  We reserve the right to cancel any seminar, at any time, due to unforeseen circumstances.  All attendees will be given credit toward a future seminar of exact or similar topics.  There are no exceptions to our cancellation/seminar policies.Dr. [redacted] called my chiropractic office 3 days before the seminar and stated that she was unable to attend due to her current situation.  She spoke with my office manager, who doesn't work for CSR Seminars, she only relays information from attendees.  Dr. [redacted] spoke with my office manger and "requested" that she would like a refund or credit towards a future seminar.  I know this information to be true because I was standing in the office with my office manager when the phone call took place.  My office manger listened to her requests and stated that she would pass the information to me.  At no time was it mentioned to Dr. [redacted] that she would be promised a refund.  Also, during the numerous emails to Dr. Campbell, there was never a promise of a refund, only a transfer to a future seminar.  The CSR Seminar policy clearly states that no refunds will be given, only credits toward a future seminar without any charges/fees.  At no time were we unprofessional to Dr. Campbell, we are only following the policy that is clearly listed on our website.   We are not holding "her money hostage" as Dr. [redacted] stated, we are just honoring our CSR Seminar cancellation/refund policy allowing her to take 2 future seminars at no costs.  Dr. [redacted] also stated that we are providing her nothing in return.  Once again, Dr. [redacted] can attend future seminars and will obtain CEU credits, which will be applied to the 2016-2018 chiropractic licensing board.  Dr. [redacted] stated that I had led her to believe that I would be doing seminars before the CEU deadline.  At no time did I state via email that any of our future seminars would be before the March 31, 2015 deadline.  I stated in a email on November 17, 2015 that I have not posted the 2016 seminar schedule and told her that she is welcome to attend any "2 of those seminars" to be listed without any future costs to her.  At no time was she promised our seminars would be posted before the CEU deadline.  Ohio chiropractors have 2 years to obtain the CEU's and currently the Ohio State Chiropractic Board has 41 (12 hour) seminars listed between now and the March 31, 2015 deadline.  CSR Seminars will host at least 2 Ohio seminars this year which Dr. [redacted] is welcome to attend at no costs.  CSR Seminars did host 2 other seminars in Cincinnati, OH on October 24 and November 14, 2015 on the same topic for any doctor who could not attend the Columbus dates provided ( a total of 4 seminars, 2 in Columbus and 2 in Cincinnati).  We do our best to accommodate doctor's schedules.  I understand that situations arise and this is why we have the no fee or charges to transfer to a future seminar.  This year alone, I have had 4 other seminar attendees miss because of illness or family situations and canceled within the 14 day period.   None of the doctors have complained about our policy and all have agreed to a future seminar.  Attendees must understand that "their situation" is "their responsibility" and not the responsibility of CSR Seminars.  Once our policy had been explained to Dr. [redacted] she then tried to find a "loop-hole" within our cancellation/refund policy and requested that half of her money be returned.  It is clear to see that Dr. [redacted] is unhappy with "her current situation" but she failed to read CSR Seminars cancellation/refund policy at the bottom of the page when she register for the seminar.  Our website posts our policy clearly, so that all attendees are aware of their responsibility when registering for one of our seminars.  Dr. Campbell is making false accusations about Dr. [redacted] being unprofessional, a liar and unethical.  I do not take false accusations lightly and all email correspondence has been documented showing no wrong doing by Dr. [redacted] or CSR Seminars LTD and is available for legal purposes.  Dr. G.[redacted]

CSR Seminars cancellation and refund policy is listed below.  CANCELLATIONS AND REFUND POLICYPayment:  Checks made payable to CSR Seminars must be made 2 weeks prior to seminar date.  We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover and now accepting Paypal through our website.Cancellation Policy:  There is a 20% registration fee if canceled 2 weeks prior to seminar.  No refunds if canceled within 14 days of any seminar registration.  There is no fee or charges to transfer to a future seminar.Seminar Policy:  We reserve the right to cancel any seminar, at any time, due to unforeseen circumstances.  All attendees will be given credit toward a future seminar of exact or similar topics.  There are no exceptions to our cancellation/seminar policies.Below is a the last email that CSR Seminars received from Dr. [redacted] dated January 27, 2015 at 11:41 am.[redacted]  Jan 27 at 11:41 AMTo[redacted]Message bodyDr. G[redacted], Thank you for your emails back.  I appreciate your clarification regarding your policy and expenses related to your seminars.  I am sure my frustration built due to hearing different responses at different times regarding a refund versus a credit and my impression that you'd be rescheduling seminars in March 2016.  Obviously when hearing that wasn't the case, I was dissapointed and concerned about relicensing.   Nevertheless, you have expenses and policies and I understand you are just doing business.  My fault for not having read the policy thoroughly and bad luck for my circumstance.I appreciate the extension of the credits for future seminars.  Sincerely, [redacted]

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]
Complaint: 11106251
I am rejecting this response because:There are two issues relative to this complaint still not addressed.  They are first that when I called October 13, 2015 and spoke with Dr. G[redacted]s office manager about my coworker's medical emergency and my inability to attend the upcoming seminar Saturday October 17 and also cancelling the November 14, 2015 seminar, at no time did she bring up the policy relative to refunds or cancellations.  She and I spoke, in fact, of how offering a credit for seminars not yet in existence was not the best option and ended the call with the understanding that I would be receiving a refund.  She also said it was Dr. G[redacted]s belief he'd be scheduling seminars in March 2016 as I was specifically concerned about CEU deadline for Ohio.  Again, if Dr.  .[redacted] was standing next to her, as he has stated, this would have been the appropriate time to interject his assertion that he would not be issuing a refund as he heard his staff member discussing.  Not only did I receive no communication initiated from his office in this regard within that day or week , I had to follow up a month later with an email and at that time Dr. G[redacted] stated that per his policy he would not be issuing any refund and would only issue credit for seminars not yet in existence.  Had I been made aware of this situation during the phone call, which would have been the obvious time to discuss this, I could have been made aware that were I to cancel and fulfill my obligation to my co worker that I would not be able to have my registration fees go towards seminars that would fulfill the CEU deadline for the state of Ohio.  As the emails, which I will attach, unfolded, it became clear that Dr. G[redacted] felt his "policy" removed any obligation to the consumer in terms of verbal communications made by his staff.  I therefore carefully re-read his policy which states:
Cancellation Policy:
 There is a 20% registration fee if canceled 2 weeks prior to
seminar.  No refunds if canceled within 14 days of any seminar
registration.  There is no fee or charges to transfer to a future
seminar.
Since 2 weeks is as far as I am aware the same as 14 days, this is written ambiguously.  In any case, setting that issue aside and the fact that the communication has been poor from the start, I resolved that I should just ask if the second part of my registration for the seminar to have taken place November 14th, and cancelled October 13th, more than a month prior to the seminar, could then be refunded, as surely this is outside of the 14 day/2 week period.  But,  I was surprised again by his response that:"The cancellation and refund policy states that no refunds if canceled within 14 days of "any seminar registration".
 You registered for both seminars together (early registration), not at
separate times and you canceled 3 days before the first seminar, which
is within the 14 days of "any seminar registration".  Is this to mean cancellation within 14 days of any seminar he puts on, whether concerning chiropractic care,  or any subject for that matter, posted on his website or not,  falls into this strange wording and therefore absolves him of any duty to the consumer?  Because he included the word "any" he feels this isn't ambiguous.  Of course this isn't ambiguous to himself, the author, but the issue of ambiguity is from the perspective of the reader.  In summary, I have paid $525 to register for two seminars, when calling to cancel was not made aware of a policy and was verbally told to expect a refund and that likely Dr. [redacted] would reschedule seminars within the time to fulfill CEU deadlines by his estimation.  I was then told,  a month later,  that I was not to get a refund, but that a policy on his website disallowed this.  My next communication was that there would not be seminars within the CEU deadline timeframe but that I have credit to two seminars not yet in existence.  Furthermore, due to the wording in his policy, and the inclusion of the word "any", no amount of money could be refunded for any seminars cancelled.Thus, my assertion that the wording in the cancellation policy, as discussed above, is ambiguous and punitive to the consumer.