ComplaintsforShape Your Success Coaching, LLC

• Initial Complaint

  11/22/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Bought six sessions, only received two of them and ******* appears unwilling to provide a refund for the FULL amount of the remaining sessions or to provide the service. Note, the coaching relationship had not been going smoothly and she offered to waive her no refund policy, which I accepted under the assumption that I'd be refunded the full amount (minus the two sessions) but when she offered me only half of the amount of the remaining sessions, I told her I'd rather just continue with the program. She went ahead and refunded my $600 on a $1,800 purchase and seems intent on running away with the rest of my money.

  Business response

  11/29/2022

  Good afternoon,

  
  Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions regarding the complaint filed against Shape Your Success Coaching and the process by which to respond. 

  
  My name is *************************** and I am a Certified Career Coach and the *** and Founder of Shape Your Success Coaching.  ***************************** reached out to me and engaged my services after a complimentary discovery call in October 2022.  She purchased a package that included unlimited email support, weekly check-ins and six (6) bi-weekly career coaching sessions over the course of three months for $1800.  On October 8, 2022, we both signed a coaching agreement reflecting the deliverables as well as a no refund policy, which ********* does not dispute. 

  
  Refund Policy 
  a. Coach is not able to offer refunds once Client has purchased the Program. Client understands this provision, and agrees that he or she is not entitled to a refund once payment has been issued to Coach. 

  
  b. Client further agrees and understands that changing his/her mind about the Program, failing to follow through or understand the details of the Program, not experiencing the results he/she expected or desired, or experiencing any other similar situations does not entitle him/her to a refund.  
  
  Nov. 1st

  I offered ********* a complimentary 30-minute call after the second session (that would not go towards the coaching sessions she purchased) in a good-faith attempt to understand *********'s goals for the remaining coaching sessions. The call took place on November 1st and lasted almost 2 hours in length. During that call, and contrary to *********'s understanding, I informed her that if she decided we would not be a good fit to continue working together given her immediate goals and timeframe, that I would offer a "partial refund on the remaining sessions" despite my no refund policy. This was a good faith attempt to understand she was prioritizing her personal matters. A specific refund amount had not been mentioned or discussed. 

  
  Nov. 15th 

  ********* worked with me to schedule the third coaching session and subsequently canceled the session and stated in an email "Candidly, I do not have any emotional energy to invest in anything right now. I am not able to think straight and I honestly dont know when Ill be able to again. Thinks just arent good for me right now." I took this to mean that ********* was not going to continue with the coaching sessions at that time. I made an offer to hold the remaining sessions in abeyance until such time that she wanted to use them. Another good faith attempt to provide support at a later time. 

  
  Nov. 16th

  I responded on Nov. 16th via email, stating in part, Regarding the coaching sessions, I'm happy to hold your remaining coaching sessions in abeyance for you to use whenever you are ready." 

  
  ********* replied via email, in part, referring to the 11/1 conversation. "The last time we spoke, you had mentioned being willing to arrange a partial refund [emphasis added] if I thought the career coaching wasn't working out."  ********* also alluded to the fact that she did not see herself being in a place to use the coaching sessions or my services "any time in the near future."  According to *********'s BBB complaint, she assumed she would be refunded the full amount of the remaining sessions. A copy of the full thread can be provided. 
  
  Nov. 19th 

  I refunded ********* $450 via PayPal. 

  
  ********* responded via email requesting how I came to that amount and in a separate email replied, in part, " By my math it would be $600 [emphasis added], since I only did two sessions, but honestly thats such a small amount of money for a $1,800 package, Id rather just gift my money to someone tell instead of throwing it down the drain. When we had talked, you hed mention a refund in the training sessions, not half the worth of the reminding sessions. $450 just isnt worth it to me. Like I said, Id rather gift them or use the sessions staring at each other looking stupid, than take $450 refund on a $1,200 value. 

  
  I responded, in part, via email:

  "Yes, sure. The package included six coaching sessions for $1800. Two coaching sessions were completed. I honored not charging for the follow up call as promised (although it went well beyond 30 minutes). You scheduled the third session to take place, which indicated an agreement to move forward with the coaching sessions. That third session was canceled on the same day it was scheduled to take place and without 24 notice, which left a remaining 3 sessions. My hourly rate is $325, but purchasing a package brings a discounted rate. $300 x 3 remaining sessions is $900 and 50% of that is $450.  I mentioned that I would provide a partial refund under these very specific circumstances, although my policy per the signed agreement is that refunds would not be issued. 
  
  Since it was determined that ********** canceled the 3rd session within 24 hours, I refunded an additional $150 to *********, bringing the total refunded amount to $600, half of the value of the remaining sessions. From the perspective of a business owner, I was losing a current client, had issued a partial refund despite a no refund policy, reflected on the amount of time spent with the client towards providing excellent customer service  and I believe this to be a fair resolution. 

  
  Nov. 21

  Received an email from ********* stating, in part, "And my bottom line comes down to, I'm only willing to accept four sessions as per contract, or to completely terminate the remaining contract by means of a full refund. I'm not willing to do a middle ground, I didn't ask to do a middle ground, and it's not sufficient for me."
  
  Nov. 24- 11/26th
  
  

  In a comment made on my business website on 11/26 at 12:44 AM, ********* wrote, in part, "For various reasonings the coaching sessions where not beneficial to me (many of these reasons had to do with personal challenges in my own life and were of no fault of *******). The original contract had a no refund clause, which I understood but did not dispute."  An additional post by ********* was made on 11/26 at 5:50 AM. The full posts can be provided upon request.

  
  ********** continues to express via various means of contact that she was not and is not in agreement with the refunded amount. ********* has most recently sent correspondence on 11/24 stating, in part. "I am once again emailing you to inform you that as per our contract, I would like either a FULL refund of the uncontracted services or FOUR coaching sessions. You unilaterally decided to issue a refund and I acknowledge that receipt, but I am not accepting it under the terms you laid out. You are more than welcome to ask Paypal to reverse it, or rebill me though I would need a revised version of the contract stating that the rebill was due to you issuing a refund on terms not previously discussed."

  
  I have received numerous emails with various offers/ultimatums, text messages at various hours ranging from 3:00am to 9:30 pm on 11/24 and 11/25,  and have been subjected to numerous public accusations across several of my social media platforms and comments on the business social media pages of business I am contracted with through 11/26/22.   
  
  Kind regards,

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  ?

  Customer response

  11/29/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  [Your Answer Here]

   Per contract I am still enetitled to four sessions or a refund.  

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

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

  Business response

  12/01/2022

  I have received the additional complaint/information via the BBB. I made an initial offer to hold the remaining sessions in abeyance when complainant canceled the 3rd coaching session, stating she was not in a position to continue with the coaching sessions. That offer was declined by complainant.  Complainant responded via email and noted that I had previously offered "a partial refund". From my perspective, since 2 sessions had already been completed, that would have meant a partial refund on the four remaining sessions. 50% of the $1200 value of the four remaining sessions was provided and received by complainant.  A breakdown of the partial refund amount was provided to complainant upon her request. In fact, the initial partial refund was $450 and was followed by a subsequent refund of $150 to bring the total partial refund to $600 (the amount indicated by complainant's "own math" in her email). The complainant indicates she made an assumption that it would be a refund of $1200 on the $1800 purchase price, but unfortunately, to refund an additional $600 at this time (for a total refund amount of $1200), would in effect, be to provide a full refund on the remaining sessions, which I did not offer.  A partial refund on $1800 purchase price was at no time offered. I offered a partial refund on the remaining sessions, not the six sessions or $1800.  A partial refund was offered on the remaining sessions valued at $1200. 

  
  Essentially, the offer to hold the sessions in abeyance and the partial refund provided on the remaining sessions, were good faith gestures to the complainant and was provided given out of empathy for the situation described by complainant as to why she was not going to continue with the remaining sessions. Complainant had indicated she did not know when she would be in a position to continue with the coaching sessions.  By complainant's "own math" in her email correspondence, a partial refund would have been $600, which she acknowledges receiving although she simultaneously found that amount to be unsatisfactory, 

  
  In light of the combative nature of the emails received from the complainant, the text messages received and the disparaging remarks made on public social media platforms related to my business, including my website, on multiple dates, at multiple times of the day and evening, I will neither reverse my partial refund(s), nor amend my own contract to reflect that "the rebill for the $600 was due to issuing a refund on terms on previously discussed."  Complainant has made statements to the public, including  "she... seems intent on running away with the rest of my money" and statements describing me and/or my practices to be "unethical and unprofessional", therefore, it is potentially not in my best interest at this time to provide additional coaching to complainant. 

  
  Regards,

  
  *******  

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

  Customer response

  12/01/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  [Your Answer Here]

  I have no interest in getting into a t** for tat about what I did understand or what I did not understand. Nor do I think personal conflict is relevant to our contract, therefore I wont respond to that either. I once again stress, I never agreed to that refund amount. Even if I knew it would be a partial refund (I did not) the exact amount was never discussed. When I said by math it would be $600 it was in reference to her breakdown but the very next line in that email was but even that would not be with accepting. I find it a bit suspicious that she decided to leave that line out to paint her narrative. 
  

  At the end of the day, I am asking for the service contracted for or a refund, as is my right based on the contract. There is no if we dont get along or if client leaves a bad review clause in her contract. Therefore she needs to perform or refund.  

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

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

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩