A school flyer carried home by my child had mistakenly gotten through the superintendent's office—it advertised a program for children's ice skating that was not credible. The flyer indicated urgency to sign up 'as there were only 20 spots available'—that was the first red flag. After I scanned the QR code and paid to register my two children for once-weekly lessons, I was notified that our local school district did NOT intend to send the flyer out; it was a mistake. The program was not credible or reliable—possibly a scam. Other community members also expressed concerns.
Honestly, the program looked legitimate on the flyer, but if you look closely at the website, there have clearly been issues in the past—it even mentions legal action if you try to get a refund. There were also details that were not clear until after we paid: each child would be required to use a very 'specific' brand of skate and uniform, and if they didn't have it, they would NOT be eligible to participate. None of this was given up front. It wasn't until after registering and paying that these requirements were pushed on us—links to other websites requiring $200 skates for toddlers in order to participate. This was an absolute scam.
Additionally, the liability form we were asked to sign after registering used unclear language and was sent via email (no address or phone number provided) as a Word doc. As guardians, we were not comfortable filling out and submitting that form for each child. It was also required to participate.
When I emailed (the only contact option) and politely asked for a refund, saying the program wasn't fit for our two children, the response was 'too bad—no refunds given, all sales final.' The person (no names given) emailed an attached snapshot of the website's front page, which indicated 'ALL SALES FINAL.'
This program is a fraud, people. Watch out and don't jump to signing up your children without reading closely. Finally, it was also mentioned that the program is a non-profit—that's not correct; it is not listed or registered as a 501(c)(3). They further falsified that to avoid having to refund our registration fees. In the end, we lost out. The credit card company is currently filing a fraud claim. It's important that all consumers hear our story and avoid falling prey.