Bad school

thomas-french

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Aug 28, 2011
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I am not used to make public comment on internet of my experience when i buy a service, go to a hotel or see a movie. But the way i was treated by this school deserve publicity as it must be quite unusual on the panorama of schools.

So i came to Ba Language (http://www.buenosaireslanguage.com/) and the girl Barbara gave good first impression. I could choose clasas grupales but if i wished i could convert my hours into private clasas if it was better for me she said. After 3 clasas grupales i decided to switch and advise her.
Then i went for a trip of 10 days and expect to start private classes at my return. When i went back to the school, she had not schedulded any class during the whole week… so one week lost but i said ok I would wait the next week to start. We agree to schedule 8 private classes i pay for. She schedule two for the following week. First one on Tuesday, then Thursday, two the following week.
On Monday i write to confirm with her the courses and this is when it starts to go wrong. She says that the second one is cancelled. I say ok but what about the other two ? She replies with mails that don’t answer this simple question ! Plus she writes she did her best for me, she made great efforts to customise (but she did nothing more that was said) and she almost blame me for being difficult (!).
I had bought a package to have cheaper lessons but she now would charge me the one i had at the most expensive rate and refund me the rest. Implicity admitting she could not provide me with lessons. I write two simple mails where i ask her in a few words that all i need is her to schedule at least 2 or 3 private clases out of the eight and that i don't intend to give up taking lessons. Have no clear answer.
Then i write if you cannot give me a schedule then give me my money back and we stay good friends because i need to know my courses for the following days. Then the tone change : she writes there is a line on our website we cannot refund !
I talk to the boss he writes can only schedule three but with a higher rate ! After talking and talking, wasting another afternoon to talk to them he said finally he would refund me at the price that was agreed first. I went there this morning. They would not let me in. At the door on the street she handle the money but hysterical she shout at me saying she disagreed with her boss to give my money back. The idea was to oblige me to listen to her shouting before having the money. And she talked rude.

In the end she didnot complete a simple job : schedule 8 clases within 3 weeks. Apparently they lack teacher (just two including the boss) himself the boss is on another project that take most of his time and her as well. I was quite patient with them.

To me the worst is how they behaved. I asked her to call me to make things clear she never did. She never recognised that i had no schedule. She evenblamed me for making her lose time but it is me that lost one month ! i am here for a temporary stay and could not have lessons i paid for. She even made me pay the fee for inscription (25 usd) where as she was unabled to make a schedule. I was warned that such things can happen in Argentina but wasnot expecting from a school. That was a bad pick and back luck. People can make mistake but just recognise them, don’t blame your clients and stay polite please, and don’t screw me with money : making me pay at 25 USD private clases that would cost 8 USD in the package i had bought. So unprofessional, liars, dishonest and rude. Great school !
There are so many language schools in BA so i would advise really not taking any risk with that one.
 
so today i had my money back even if they made me pay fees, and of course not in USD but in pesos with a low rate. Then I texted the boss it was not nice to have her partner shouting at me before giving the money. Had a great reply : he said i had been agressive with him on the phone the day before and would take me to court (!) :) and see his "abogado y de migraciones". Maybe he thinks i am illegal but i am not.
Instead of facing responsabilities look like here some love to invent things to intimidate you and threat you with non sense law pursuit.
Just because the guy couldnot schedule the eight courses i had paid for (really a big deal!)
I understand now the people who say it can be crazy to deal with argies on a business side.
 
yes scott. i should have written maybe a shorter account of that story so that it is read.
 
Fucking outrageous, if you don't mind me saying so!
And the worst part that he should hide behind some fictitious lawyer as he didn't have the balls to handle it himself.
Dios mio!
 
This website is a great source for schools and other consumer related stuff. People should search through the threads to keep from making these mistakes. I am sorry that the school did not work out for you.
 
I've heard a handful of stories of schools here making hard sales and seeming relaxed and flexible, only for the student to find them much less so once they'd turned over money. It's hard to research too - so many of these threads immediately become packed with spam and fake reviews abound all over the next.
 
Disappointed you had to go through that Thomas. I had a similar incident with a school I went to when I first arrived where they told me I could convert my classes to privates, then told me they didnt have a teacher available, then told me they did, then cancelled again (on the day). They didnt want to give me a refund however I persisted and received it. That schools name is Ibero, I would add it it to the list of those to stay away from!!
 
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