On paper you daughters account may be current, but that doesn't mean that your money wasn't used to pay for another non paid member.  So while you should get a refund there probably isn't actual money there to give you. 

When I bought my gym from the "horrible owner" I paid out to families who didn't receive paid for items, and gave credits to families who deserved them.  I felt it was the right thing to do, and I didn't want to loose the families I already had. 

It's all going to depend on your specific owner.  But check your contracts you may be legally entitled to a refund. 

I hoped I helped!!

This should have been handled months ago.  Not now. 

Several months ago our gym owners sent out letters that if our accounts weren't current our cheerleaders would be benched from competitions or removed from the program depending on the severity of the balance owes.  We saw a few cheerleaders siting out competitions or removed from the program one by one.  This act gained a ton of respect, in my eyes, for the gym owners.  They held their ground and made all the parents accountable.  Those that are left in our gym are excited to be going to Nationals  this season, knowing darn well that we are not forking out money for those who didn't pay their bills. 

The refund can be made.  Most competition hosts will refund the money, because they want your business next season.   It's up to the gym owner to negotiate this transaction.  It's going to be accounting nightmare but it can be done. 

I know this happened to a southern california gym last season.  I certainly don't hope this is happening in the same gym again.  In the end all the paying parents were to pay an additional amount exceeding $200.00 per cheerleader to cover the remainng expense.  If this is the same gym, then there is a mismanagement of funds and more needs to be looked at.

Yes that owner shares blame for not being tougher, but then agian that owner prepais the entry fees and lost their business! Let me get this right... you don't have and obligation to pay unless the owner chasses you down and threatens you... sounds like spin to me!

Anonymous wrote:

---

Gym owners are taken avantaged over ever single day. The prepayment of uniforms, competition fees, choreographers, music are done on the hope that the clients pay their bills. Lots of times the owners take the lose to keep the paying clientale content. It's lame that there are clients out there that think they can get away without paying.

---

I don't know what gym you are from, but neither my daughter's all star team or even her high school team for that matter allows anyone to take posession of uniforms, practice wear or anything else that hasn't been paid for. I am not saying anyone should be "begged" to pay their bill, but certainly don't "reward" them for not paying by allowing them to take uniforms they haven't paid for or continue to participate in a program they haven't paid for at the expense of the paying families. Not only is it unfair, it is just bad business!

 

First, there is no anger....just frustration for my daughters who have had a successful season and who have been looking forward to the last two competitions of the season. Second, I have already paid tuition for the entire season and now it is just over? Is my tuition for the last month going to be refunded too? Third, why would you buy a business that has to be "bailed out"?  Not to mention....why would you buy it one month before the end of the season and then turn around and say "that's it...your season is over"? Now, not only are the parents who don't pay their bills being driven away but so are the parents who do pay the bills. The saddest part is that my daughters are the ones who will suffer.  
The statement that the previous owner should have been "wiser" is a huge understatement.....like a previous poster said.....you don't handout uniforms, pay comp. fees, etc. when you have parents with a history of not paying.
Again, these are issues that should have been dealt with a long time ago....and the paying parents at our gym have said that time and again....but it was allowed to slip by.....so now, one month before the end of the season the girls are being punished. And then they are to believe they are being welcomed into this new gym with open arms? Sadly, until another gym comes to town, I think this will be the last year my girls cheer......

Yes there are some parents that take advantage and "play" on the compassion of the owners. I have seen parents run up staggering debt, refuse to pay anything on it..only to go to other programs and tell everyone how bad they were treated. Why don't more owners get tough and crack down?

Reasons I have seen is one there are always truly some people who are struggling: going through a divorce and cheer is the only stable thing their child has in their life right now; parents with multiple kids in the program accrue debt faster than anyone else...after awhile it can catch up to them. Most owners don't have lie detectors (sarcasm) in their offices to tell whether the people are lying to them or not. When a parent says..I will pay you on ______ because my tax check is coming in, or I just sold a house...you tend to believe it. So you fork over the money to the comp company, pay for the hotel room...and they never pay you.

I believe (Nicole) said..how do you punish the kids? You take the kids off, you punish the team trying to fix the holes in the routines. You try replacing 3-5 kids on a team the week before Nationals because their parents have not paid....whew! Then explaining why those kids are no longer on the team or are practicing but not competing. You alter not only the physical structure but the dynamics and energy of that team. if they lose..they will blame the coach for making the changes, not the parents for not paying the bill.

Another reason is some of the older kids actually may be the one paying their own bills. I know we have a couple like that at our gym. I used to pay my own own bill for gymnastics classes and I did not get an allowance to do so either. In most of those cases, the owners let those bills go until it would be impossible to catch it up..then write it off and either put the child on a scholarship or let them go.

A big one is parents who already think they pay too much so they don't care if they pay on time. They see the cars the owners and staff drive and the houses they live in and swear they are being overcharged. )failing to realize that many people in America today have income coming in from more than one source) As one poster said...a lot of those fees have to be shelled out by the owner ahead of time. They are trying to recoup money already spent. If your gym pays an outsider for choreography it is not cheap. Even if you are assigned to pay a cost, the owner has to usually put a deposit down to insure the choreographer will come. Comp fees have to be sent in as soon as possible so that the comp company can pay for the venue. Custom uniforms often require a sizable deposit. Too me this group embodies the I want it all as long as I don't have to pay for it mentality.

Lastly you have bad business people. Most coaches are not trained to run the books, or deal with parents...they are trained to coach and teach. Many gyms could benefit from having accountants (not a parent either) on staff.

I remember what I was taught and subsequently taught others teaching gymnastics. Teams are a money pit. They suck all the money out of a gym. They pay for very little but need everything. The classes are where you make your money. If your classes are full and have waiting lists, you will be doing great. Well in most cheerleading facilities, classes are only seen as a necessary evil to get the kids on a team. They usually get the least trained staff, the smallest space, and the least amount of prep time. But if you have a great class program, it goes upward from there!

What area are you in?  I know that programs like Power and Cheergyms have multiple locations.  You could always enjoy a nice drive through the wine country? lol.

I am hoping that I am not drawing too many conclusions too and that the owner will do the right thing...only time will tell...

I really feel sorry for these kids missing out on their last competition, and the thought that a parent can pay for something and then have it taken away with no refund is just wrong.  In what other business would you get away with that??   If a flight is cancelled, you would get a refund.  If a show is cancelled, again, refund.  But they can cancel a competition and leave you with nothing?  That I don't get.   They  need to do the right thing and take care of the families who played by the rules.  Those are the families you want to keep, why drive them away?