Little Burgundy Farm Stables

May 2015Dear Revdex.com:This letter is in response to a customer complaint filed to your office from [redacted] around the 12th of May (complaint ID 10620790)It appears, unfortunately, that [redacted] did not understand the terms of her membership and believed she was not receiving the services she was paying forThe information below provides some background and explains the circumstances surrounding [redacted] 's membership cancellation at Little Burgundy Farm.Background of the businessLittle Burgundy Farm (LBF) is a very small, private, membership-only equestrian riding club for English horseback riding instruction in Alexandria, VARiders pay a monthly membership fee for use of the facilities and the horses, much like you would pay for a gym or golf club membershipMembership gives members access to the horses and facility for one hour This hour block time is intended to give members time to groom, tack, ride, un-tack, and clean up(The one-hour block time does not equate to one hour of riding.)Riding instruction is provided by private instructors that work directly for the memberThey are not employees of LBFThese instructors must be approved to teach at LBF, but are not farm employees and do not receive payment from LBFMembers agree to instruction fees with the instructor and pay the instructor directly(Continuing with the analogy of a gym or golf club membership, this is similar to paying for a private fitness instructor or golf pro in addition to gym or club membership dues.)Membership dues are billed and paid on a month-to-month basisMembers may cancel their membership at any time, but a 30-day written notice of membership cancellation is requested by the farmAll monthly membership payments are due the first day of the month with a seven-day grace periodAs stated in the membership agreement, if payment is not received within seven days, membership may be cancelled and the time slot may be given to another member.The complaintI understand [redacted] believed her membership time had been reduced to minutes and, because of this, she felt she should not pay the full membership fee (in her case, $per month for a "shared-use” membership) or the full instructor feeThis appears to be an unfortunate misunderstandingHer time remained a full hour slot timeFor the May lesson, at the request of [redacted] , in an email dated April 27, the instructor, [redacted] , agreed to change the ride time from 2-p.mto 3-p.mto allow [redacted] ’s daughter to share a riding lesson with her friendBoth parents and the instructor agreed to this changeAdditionally, to ensure the students were ready to ride promptly at 3pm, the instructor would have the horses tacked and ready to ride rather than having the students spending the first half hour grooming and tacking their horses(This is not a standard practiceThe students are usually responsible for this.) The students were also asked to arrive at 2:p.m., mins before [redacted] 's time slot, to ensure they were ready to ride promptly at p.m,They would ride from 3-3:p.m, then un-tack, groom, and clean up from 3:to p.m., after their rideTaking care of the horses is a standard part of the lesson program for all riders at Little Burgundy FarmAdditionally, the instructor ensured an additional instructor was on hand to assist with the shared lessonUnder this arrangement, [redacted] was actually receiving a 1-hour and 15-minute slot time and an additional trainer, all at no extra cost.During the May lesson, [redacted] again raised questions about the new lesson time, mistakenly believing she was paying the instructor $for a 45-minute lesson (2:45-3:p.m.) rather than the standard one-hour lessonThe instructors attempted to explain several times to [redacted] that her lesson slot was a full hour long (actually hour minutes)But, regardless of how it was explained, [redacted] apparently continued to believe she was being charged for the same price for a shorter lesson time[redacted] also stated a concern that her membership was cancelled with no notice and little explanationWhile she did not receive advance notice that her membership was being cancelled, there were extenuating circumstances that occurred the day of her last lesson that resulted in a revoked membership on that dayI do not have first-hand knowledge of the events that occurred that day, but the instructors I spoke with all stressed that [redacted] raised her voice during numerous occasions (not just on this last day) and they did not feel that her or her daughter were a good fit or safe for being around the horses at Little Burgundy FarmAccording to several instructors that teach at LBF, [redacted] had been verbally abusive on multiple occasions to the instructors and younger volunteer helpers at the farm, to include the day that she was told her membership was cancelled- On the day of her final lesson, she continued to become more and more aggressive, and one of the other instructors stepped in to allow [redacted] (the instructor [redacted] had hired) to continue with the riding lesson for the other student that was already in-progressAfter [redacted] allegedly raised her voice multiple times, the second instructor asked [redacted] to leave the property, but she refusedThe second instructor then called the police because she would not leave and was disturbing the rest of the patrons and the animals at the farm and disrupting the riding programThe Fairfax County Police arrived and escorted [redacted] from the premises.While we highly value our clients' satisfaction, we must also we maintain a safe environment and, to do that we must ensure our members are suited for being safe around these large animalsHorses are very good at sensing human emotions and when they are around people who are high strung and nervous, the horses become nervous, unpredictable, and possibly dangerousThis creates an unsafe environment and we are just not able to accommodate these personality types at Little Burgundy FarmUnfortunately, [redacted] created a tense environment on more than one occasion, which increased the risk level for her daughter and others and resulted in instructors being concerned about safety.Because [redacted] had, on multiple occasions, been perceived as verbally abusive to the instructors and created a higher-risk environment, the decision was made to terminate [redacted] 's membership on May (Side note: [redacted] ’s payments were often late, to include this May payment - received on the 9th of MayAs stated above, late payments are also grounds to terminate membershipsAdditionally, the instructor, to date, has not been paid for two riding lessons, a total of $60, for lessons on April and May 2.)Given the unfortunate circumstances of this membership termination, however, I have provided a refund for [redacted] 's May membership dues ($175)I sincerely regret the way this arrangement has ended, but it is likely the best result for both parties.Sincerely, Mark D Owner

May 2015Dear Revdex.com:This letter is in response to a customer complaint filed to your office from *** *** *** around the 12th of May (complaint ID 10620790)It appears, unfortunately, that *** *** did not understand the terms of her membership and believed she
was not receiving the services she was paying forThe information below provides some background and explains the circumstances surrounding *** ***'s membership cancellation at Little Burgundy Farm.Background of the businessLittle Burgundy Farm (LBF) is a very small, private, membership-only equestrian riding club for English horseback riding instruction in Alexandria, VARiders pay a monthly membership fee for use of the facilities and the horses, much like you would pay for a gym or golf club membershipMembership gives members access to the horses and facility for one hour This hour block time is intended to give members time to groom, tack, ride, un-tack, and clean up(The one-hour block time does not equate to one hour of riding.)Riding instruction is provided by private instructors that work directly for the memberThey are not employees of LBFThese instructors must be approved to teach at LBF, but are not farm employees and do not receive payment from LBFMembers agree to instruction fees with the instructor and pay the instructor directly(Continuing with the analogy of a gym or golf club membership, this is similar to paying for a private fitness instructor or golf pro in addition to gym or club membership dues.)Membership dues are billed and paid on a month-to-month basisMembers may cancel their membership at any time, but a 30-day written notice of membership cancellation is requested by the farmAll monthly membership payments are due the first day of the month with a seven-day grace periodAs stated in the membership agreement, if payment is not received within seven days, membership may be cancelled and the time slot may be given to another member.The complaintI understand *** *** believed her membership time had been reduced to minutes and, because of this, she felt she should not pay the full membership fee (in her case, $per month for a "shared-use” membership) or the full instructor feeThis appears to be an unfortunate misunderstandingHer time remained a full hour slot timeFor the May lesson, at the request of *** ***, in an email dated April 27, the instructor, ***, agreed to change the ride time from 2-p.mto 3-p.mto allow *** ***’s daughter to share a riding lesson with her friendBoth parents and the instructor agreed to this changeAdditionally, to ensure the students were ready to ride promptly at 3pm, the instructor would have the horses tacked and ready to ride rather than having the students spending the first half hour grooming and tacking their horses(This is not a standard practiceThe students are usually responsible for this.) The students were also asked to arrive at 2:p.m., mins before *** ***'s time slot, to ensure they were ready to ride promptly at p.m,They would ride from 3-3:p.m, then un-tack, groom, and clean up from 3:to p.m., after their rideTaking care of the horses is a standard part of the lesson program for all riders at Little Burgundy FarmAdditionally, the instructor ensured an additional instructor was on hand to assist with the shared lessonUnder this arrangement, *** *** was actually receiving a 1-hour and 15-minute slot time and an additional trainer, all at no extra cost.During the May lesson, *** *** again raised questions about the new lesson time, mistakenly believing she was paying the instructor $for a 45-minute lesson (2:45-3:p.m.) rather than the standard one-hour lessonThe instructors attempted to explain several times to *** *** that her lesson slot was a full hour long (actually hour minutes)But, regardless of how it was explained,*** *** apparently continued to believe she was being charged for the same price for a shorter lesson time.*** *** also stated a concern that her membership was cancelled with no notice and little explanationWhile she did not receive advance notice that her membership was being cancelled, there were extenuating circumstances that occurred the day of her last lesson that resulted in a revoked membership on that dayI do not have first-hand knowledge of the events that occurred that day, but the instructors I spoke with all stressed that *** *** raised her voice during numerous occasions (not just on this last day) and they did not feel that her or her daughter were a good fit or safe for being around the horses at Little Burgundy FarmAccording to several instructors that teach at LBF, *** *** had been verbally abusive on multiple occasions to the instructors and younger volunteer helpers at the farm, to include the day that she was told her membership was cancelled- On the day of her final lesson, she continued to become more and more aggressive, and one of the other instructors stepped in to allow *** (the instructor *** *** had hired) to continue with the riding lesson for the other student that was already in-progressAfter *** *** allegedly raised her voice multiple times, the second instructor asked *** *** to leave the property, but she refusedThe second instructor then called the police because she would not leave and was disturbing the rest of the patrons and the animals at the farm and disrupting the riding programThe Fairfax County Police arrived and escorted *** *** from the premises.While we highly value our clients' satisfaction, we must also we maintain a safe environment and, to do that we must ensure our members are suited for being safe around these large animalsHorses are very good at sensing human emotions and when they are around people who are high strung and nervous, the horses become nervous, unpredictable, and possibly dangerousThis creates an unsafe environment and we are just not able to accommodate these personality types at Little Burgundy FarmUnfortunately, *** *** created a tense environment on more than one occasion, which increased the risk level for her daughter and others and resulted in instructors being concerned about safety.Because *** *** had, on multiple occasions, been perceived as verbally abusive to the instructors and created a higher-risk environment, the decision was made to terminate *** ***'s membership on May (Side note: *** ***’s payments were often late, to include this May payment - received on the 9th of MayAs stated above, late payments are also grounds to terminate membershipsAdditionally, the instructor, to date, has not been paid for two riding lessons, a total of $60, for lessons on April and May 2.)Given the unfortunate circumstances of this membership termination, however, I have provided a refund for *** ***'s May membership dues ($175)I sincerely regret the way this arrangement has ended, but it is likely the best result for both parties.Sincerely,Mark DOwner

26 May 2015Dear Revdex.com:This letter is in response to a customer complaint filed to your office from [redacted] around the 12th of May 2015 (complaint ID 10620790). It appears, unfortunately, that [redacted] did not understand the terms of her membership...

and believed she was not receiving the services she was paying for. The information below provides some background and explains the circumstances surrounding [redacted]'s membership cancellation at Little Burgundy Farm.Background of the business. Little Burgundy Farm (LBF) is a very small, private, membership-only equestrian riding club for English horseback riding instruction in Alexandria, VA. Riders pay a monthly membership fee for use of the facilities and the horses, much like you would pay for a gym or golf club membership. Membership gives members access to the horses and facility for one hour This hour block time is intended to give members time to groom, tack, ride, un-tack, and clean up. (The one-hour block time does not equate to one hour of riding.)Riding instruction is provided by private instructors that work directly for the member. They are not employees of LBF. These instructors must be approved to teach at LBF, but are not farm employees and do not receive payment from LBF. Members agree to instruction fees with the instructor and pay the instructor directly. (Continuing with the analogy of a gym or golf club membership, this is similar to paying for a private fitness instructor or golf pro in addition to gym or club membership dues.)Membership dues are billed and paid on a month-to-month basis. Members may cancel their membership at any time, but a 30-day written notice of membership cancellation is requested by the farm. All monthly membership payments are due the first day of the month with a seven-day grace period. As stated in the membership agreement, if payment is not received within seven days, membership may be cancelled and the time slot may be given to another member.The complaint. I understand [redacted] believed her membership time had been reduced to 45 minutes and, because of this, she felt she should not pay the full membership fee (in her case, $175 per month for a "shared-use” membership) or the full instructor fee. This appears to be an unfortunate misunderstanding. Her time remained a full hour slot time. For the May 9 lesson, at the request of [redacted], in an email dated April 27, the instructor, [redacted], agreed to change the ride time from 2-3 p.m. to 3-4 p.m. to allow [redacted]’s daughter to share a riding lesson with her friend. Both parents and the instructor agreed to this change. Additionally, to ensure the students were ready to ride promptly at 3pm, the instructor would have the horses tacked and ready to ride rather than having the students spending the first half hour grooming and tacking their horses. (This is not a standard practice. The students are usually responsible for this.) The students were also asked to arrive at 2:45 p.m., 15 mins before [redacted]'s time slot, to ensure they were ready to ride promptly at 3 p.m,They would ride from 3-3:30 p.m, then un-tack, groom, and clean up from 3:30 to 4 p.m., after their ride. Taking care of the horses is a standard part of the lesson program for all riders at Little Burgundy Farm. Additionally, the instructor ensured an additional instructor was on hand to assist with the shared lesson. Under this arrangement, [redacted] was actually receiving a 1-hour and 15-minute slot time and an additional trainer, all at no extra cost.During the May 9 lesson, [redacted] again raised questions about the new lesson time, mistakenly believing she was paying the instructor $30 for a 45-minute lesson (2:45-3:30 p.m.) rather than the standard one-hour lesson. The instructors attempted to explain several times to [redacted] that her lesson slot was a full hour long (actually 1 hour 15 minutes). But, regardless of how it was explained,[redacted] apparently continued to believe she was being charged for the same price for a shorter lesson time.[redacted] also stated a concern that her membership was cancelled with no notice and little explanation. While she did not receive advance notice that her membership was being cancelled, there were extenuating circumstances that occurred the day of her last lesson that resulted in a revoked membership on that day. I do not have first-hand knowledge of the events that occurred that day, but the instructors I spoke with all stressed that [redacted] raised her voice during numerous occasions (not just on this last day) and they did not feel that her or her daughter were a good fit or safe for being around the horses at Little Burgundy Farm. According to several instructors that teach at LBF, [redacted] had been verbally abusive on multiple occasions to the instructors and younger volunteer helpers at the farm, to include the day that she was told her membership was cancelled- On the day of her final lesson, she continued to become more and more aggressive, and one of the other instructors stepped in to allow [redacted] (the instructor [redacted] had hired) to continue with the riding lesson for the other student that was already in-progress. After [redacted] allegedly raised her voice multiple times, the second instructor asked [redacted] to leave the property, but she refused. The second instructor then called the police because she would not leave and was disturbing the rest of the patrons and the animals at the farm and disrupting the riding program. The Fairfax County Police arrived and escorted [redacted] from the premises.While we highly value our clients' satisfaction, we must also we maintain a safe environment and, to do that we must ensure our members are suited for being safe around these large animals. Horses are very good at sensing human emotions and when they are around people who are high strung and nervous, the horses become nervous, unpredictable, and possibly dangerous. This creates an unsafe environment and we are just not able to accommodate these personality types at Little Burgundy Farm. Unfortunately, [redacted] created a tense environment on more than one occasion, which increased the risk level for her daughter and others and resulted in instructors being concerned about safety.Because [redacted] had, on multiple occasions, been perceived as verbally abusive to the instructors and created a higher-risk environment, the decision was made to terminate [redacted]'s membership on 9 May 2015. (Side note: [redacted]’s payments were often late, to include this May payment - received on the 9th of May. As stated above, late payments are also grounds to terminate memberships. Additionally, the instructor, to date, has not been paid for two riding lessons, a total of $60, for lessons on April 25 and May 2.)Given the unfortunate circumstances of this membership termination, however, I have provided a refund for [redacted]'s May membership dues ($175). I sincerely regret the way this arrangement has ended, but it is likely the best result for both parties.Sincerely,
Mark D
Owner