Should you sign a contract for instruction?

[xcakid]

dim mak or 'death touch' in 3 simple lessons:

1 - smack their head into the concrete really, really hard as many times as you can.

2 - twist their head violently in a full 360 degree manner, continue twisting as necessary or indicated by continued respiration

3 - crush/rip/tear/compress the larnyx for 6-8 minutes, again, as long as indicated by continued respiration.

pretty easy, really.

Cool!! What time is class on Monday.

[Rhapsody Rain]

Even in the case of an injury, some contracts for martial arts schools are charging the full amount without the student actually receiving any lessons whatsoever.

Read the fine print......

it's all about the money......

[BruceSteveRoy]

i would question the legality of a contract like that. there is a world of difference between not wanting to continue and not being able to. i know my jiu jitsu school will suspend a contract if a person has a note from a doctor stating that he/she is injured and can't continue for x number of days/weeks/months. when that time comes they will reinstate the contract. but if i go in a say i hurt myself they can't do anything without a doctors note. thats only fair to them. too many people would try to weasel out of their commitment just bc they get little bumps and bruises. bc somehow ppl are surprised to learn they get knocked around in a school that is training them to fight/defend themselves. its probably a state by state thing regarding contracts but i have never heard of a MA school that does not have a stipulation regaurding both relocation of the student or injury.

[lkfmdc]

Even in the case of an injury, some contracts for martial arts schools are charging the full amount without the student actually receiving any lessons whatsoever.

Read the fine print......

it's all about the money......

MOST state lawas make that illegal.....

However, I can't tell you how many people have claimed a "serious injury" to get out of a payment (usually once they haven't paid several months and owe a lot already) and CLAIM they have a doctor's note but can't seem to produce it

[Lama Pai Sifu]

Even in the case of an injury, some contracts for martial arts schools are charging the full amount without the student actually receiving any lessons whatsoever.

Read the fine print......

it's all about the money......

That can't be legal and I doubt anyone even attempts anything like that.

In NY, the student can MOST TIMES be released from their contract if the injury procludes them from using the facility for a period of six months or more. Any amount of time less than that, and the membership can/may be frozen.

My advice to school owners is that you freeze a students membership for less than six months, injury, school, etc. HOWEVER, you only freeze time; the student still makes their required monthly payments on time. You may add the time that they were out, to the end of their agreement. I.E., if they had a 12 month agreement and were not able to attend months 10 and 11, but came back in month 12, they would complete their payments at this time, BUT they would still get month 13 and 14 to train for free (alreay paid).

This is a good method for everyone, and doesn't put the school owner in a lurch if 5 people decide to get injured and/or go away for the entire summer.

"Time can be held and added to your membership Mrs. Smith, but you still will be making your monthly payments as scheduled."

Hope this helps....someone!

[lkfmdc]

Can I add a funny side to all this?

Considering how we train (and what we train) in my gym, I always find it funny that students get injured doing something stupid on the OUTSIDE

[Shaolinlueb]

I am with tentigers and lkfdmc on this one

you are signing up for a commitment. you pay to use my facility and my knowledge.

ten tigets anology about driving and rent are great.

it protects our interests as an instructor, and allows us to pay the rent, pay the bills, so you can keep learning.

if a student runs into an instructor where that all they do is bleed you for money, i suggest that you get out of it as soon as possible.

i allow a 30 day cancelation notice with 1 month tuition. so they can cancel if they pay me 1 month extra tuition. I run the contracts 6 months at a time.

some guy called me and asked if i could wave the 1 time sign up fee. i was like no. he said thank you and goodbye. we have so many mcdojo's around me that they have 100 dollars renewal fee every 6 months. He wont find a school that will wave it. I am already the most resonably priced school around.

if a student needs to take a month off because they hurt themselves or something and they let me know, ok i put account on freeze i call them in a month. if they dont tell me, i just add it to their tab. if they call me saying oh i wasnt there, like ten tigers said, if i dont drive my car, do i have to pay for it?

People are cheap, they dont want to pay for anything either.

if you like what you are learning then there shouldnt be a problem with signing a contract.

[MasterKiller]

I almost had to shut down this month because 9 of my 12 students didn't come in December. I ate practically a full month's expenses and actually packed up my mats to shut down, but the guy I rent from cut me a deal to keep things going.

Of course, when students started coming back this month they were all shocked that everything was packed up.

So, I raised my rates and discontinued per-class rates and discounts for people that couldn't come in regularly. Now, everyone pays full-price, even if they only come once a month. If I had a larger facility and was running more classes, contracts would be mandatory.

[Shaolindynasty]

I like how contracts for martial arts are offensive to some peope but then they jump on their cell phone that requireda 2 year contract, and go to the health club which also requires a lengthy contract.

From an instructors point of view- I have done both withand without contracts. Without contracts i spent the first 2-3 weeks of each month chaseing my tuition payments. Some people actually came for class for 2 weeks and put off paying then disappeared. There are bills to be paid from our end. So for those of you who say its about the $$ you are right. Except instead of "getting rich or ripping people off" we are just trying to survive and possibly make a living

From a students point of view- the closest ive come to having a contract is paying quarterly which i had no problem with. I'd be at the school anyway. If you have problems commiting to 3-6months or even 1 year then you need to sit down and evaluate your goals then figure out how serious you are about attaining them.


Bottom line is YOU CHOOSE to sign a contract(which is also called an AGREEMENT) if you don't like the school you shouldnt have agreed to the terms. No sleazy salesman tactics can make you sign. Whatever happened to free will?

[Shaolinlueb]

I almost had to shut down this month because 9 of my 12 students didn't come in December. I ate practically a full month's expenses and actually packed up my mats to shut down, but the guy I rent from cut me a deal to keep things going.

I like how contracts for martial arts are offensive to some peope but then they jump on their cell phone that requireda 2 year contract, and go to the health club which also requires a lengthy contract.

From an instructors point of view- I have done both withand without contracts. Without contracts i spent the first 2-3 weeks of each month chaseing my tuition payments. Some people actually came for class for 2 weeks and put off paying then disappeared. There are bills to be paid from our end. So for those of you who say its about the $$ you are right. Except instead of "getting rich or ripping people off" we are just trying to survive and possibly make a living

and if people on here keep arguing this and dont understand our point of view as instructors, i think they can go buzz off.

MK your lucky your landlord cut you a deal. I have open asbestos in my basement and she is trying to argue with me she doesnt have to remove it cause its only in my contract as storage not usable space, but the basement is finished. she said if i remove it and you use it, i;m going to have to charge you more. I am done with my landlord.

[Oso]

MK your lucky your landlord cut you a deal. I have open asbestos in my basement and she is trying to argue with me she doesnt have to remove it cause its only in my contract as storage not usable space, but the basement is finished. she said if i remove it and you use it, i;m going to have to charge you more. I am done with my landlord.

were you made aware of the asbestos upon signing the lease?

[lkfmdc]

and if people on here keep arguing this and dont understand our point of view as instructors, i think they can go buzz off.

MK your lucky your landlord cut you a deal. I have open asbestos in my basement and she is trying to argue with me she doesnt have to remove it cause its only in my contract as storage not usable space, but the basement is finished. she said if i remove it and you use it, i;m going to have to charge you more. I am done with my landlord.

Don't you have a lawyer? You can also call the EPA about it.... landlords are reptiles and try to act like G'd until you get a lawyer or government official who can FINE involved, then they suddenly want to be "nice"

[Shaolinlueb]

yeah I am going to call the epa. or i might just leave and let her be stuck with the problem.

i had a student who was licensed and properly removes 90% of it. then he wouldnt call or return my calls.

[Oso]

yea, if she didn't give you a disclosure statement at the beginning of your lease, she could be very liable. Some asbestos is still ok (floor tile, tape and insulation on heating) to be in a 'usable space' as long as it is not disturbed.

if your student did not pull a permit to remove the asbestos that he did, and have the proper monitering done while removing it (if it was more than 2 or 3 square feet of material)...then you should drop the issue and just move because you and he could be liable as well.

ftr, I'm an LEA AHERA representative for asbestos management.

[yutyeesam]

Contracts are great, but they're a lot more relevant if you charge through EFT (electronic funds transfer) or autobill through credit card. Then your contract is taken more seriously.

Using the automatic payment method, I offer programs with and without contracts. The programs with contracts of course are a much better deal, so the vast majority of my students choose the contract.

But either way, it is autopay all the way. I refuse to take checks for tuition unless it is a PIF.

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