ComplaintsforLittle Endeavors, LLC

• Initial Complaint

  11/16/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 10/12/2022, we messaged our current daycare provider (Little Endeavors) via their app that we would be terminating our care with them and that the last day our son would be in their care would be 10/21. I do not have access to the app since we terminated care, so I am not able to provide documentation of the message. However, I am uploading an email that was generated in response from Little Endeavors's reply/confirmation that same day.We were aware that there was a two-week termination notification policy but had understood it to mean two weeks of services, since the policy was undefined. Our son was attending Little Endeavors Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. So, when we provided notification on 10/12 (a Wednesday), we believed that we were giving adequate notice for this policy. This belief was supported by lack of any policy infringement notice in the message from Little Endeavors. And the termination paper that is referenced in this communication was more of a form to confirm the termination details: when we gave notice, the last day of care, and why we are leaving. Additionally, we continued attending Little Endeavors those two weeks with no notice of policy infringement as we filled out the paperwork or made any small talk with management.On 10/29, we received an automated email with a statement from Little Endeavors showing that they had billed us for the week after our son's last day (week of 10/23-10/29). (I have uploaded this statement.) I immediately emailed the director asking for a correction/refund. (I have also uploaded this email.) This then began a email chain (also uploaded) where the director would give different information and cited this unclear policy for billing us another week (3 days tuition).I would ask that you please consider helping us resolve this issue. As you will see in the email chain, we will compromise if they will refund us the tuition for 2 of the 3 days (only pay 1 day - 10/26). There has been no reply since.

  Business response

  12/19/2022

  Hello ****,

   

  We are responding to the inquiry you sent dealing with ****************************  As a child care center we require a two week notice of termination of care from all families.  This is the first time weve been faced with a complaint like this.  To give you background, all child care centers have these requirements because there are waiting lists to get into the centers.  The notices provide adequate time so the spot of the leaving child can be filled by a new family.  This keeps costs lower for everyone so there are not weeks with vacancies.  Additionally, child care centers bill family tuition on a weekly basis which begins on Mondays (and typically is paid on Monday.  We can provide you more detail on the process if needed.

   

  Now in this particular situation, the family was billed for their week that Monday and they gave notice on Wednesday.  The form they signed clearly states we do NOT prorate their weekly tuitions.  So, they would be billed for the following two weeks of care after their notice which we did according to our policy and the form they signed when leaving. 

   

  At this point, the family has already done damage to our center.  We are a highly rated child care center and the family has made numerous bad remarks about us on multiple websites and social media pages including on our other location websites and social media sites (where the family never even attended).  This is unfortunate because ****** friend groups have shared this information on other sites and with other families in our service area causing us harm.

   

  Now she wants us to negotiate with her for money back after our brand has been harmed by her.  I actually dont know what can be done at this point for us to even consider negotiating because she didnt understand the policy.  At a minimum she would need to sign a document that she would never talk about or post on social media anything regarding Little Endeavors.  She would also need to withdraw all of her comments on websites and social media platforms.

   

  Outside of those, we have nothing to discuss because we did nothing out of the norm that has had no complaints for over seven years of ownership and 20 years of operation.

   

   

  *********************

  General Manager 

  Little Endeavors Learning Center

   

  ***************************

  Owner

  Little Endeavors Learning Center

  Customer response

  12/19/2022

   
  Complaint: 18410225
  
  I am rejecting this response because: a copy of the signed acknowledgement that is referenced in this response was not provided. Additionally, if the business had been open in their communications surrounding this policy, especially as their handbook does not use clear language, we would have likely attended Little Endeavors another week rather than having our money taken from us for no reason, or, at the very least, we would have clearly understood what was at stake for the messaged last day.

  Furthermore, I am not the only one to rate this organization poorly. Happy to provide evidence of other poor ratings that the business has received over the years and including one from 3 weeks ago. Beyond these public ratings, I was also outreached by other families that had or are (for a little longer) using Little Endeavors and voiced the same concerns (and more) but were fearful to make these comments public for many reasons, including their concern over receiving the deposit funds back. (We did not receive our promised deposit refund until roughly 6 weeks after our last day.) Additionally, they appreciated my post so that they were educated about Little Endeavor's two-week policy, as they also agree that it does not read the way that Little Endeavors has enforced it upon us.

  If Little Endeavors were to make this right, then I would consider updating my posts according, as I like to have clear and truthful language.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

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