Complaint Review: Jonathan Reed

We recently solicited the services of Jonathan Reed to train our 15 month old Brittany Spaniel mix.  When I'd initially contacted him, he'd seemed great.  He was available that same evening due to a cancellation, and he provided me with some basic information over the phone.  The impression that I'd received was a great one, so I moved forward.

When he came over, he was professional and well-spoken. The results that we saw within even the first session were promising, so when he explained his six month program; I decided to give him a shot.  It was proposed as a six month program for $650, and if we needed any additional sessions, it would be $20 per session.  Compared to  what we'd found at other places, it seemed standard, so we decided to write him a check and continue seeing him.  We scheduled our second appointment just two weeks out for the same day and time.  He'd never mentioned any restrictions with availability, and since we were meeting up with him on a Friday evening at 6 p.m., we'd assumed he was pretty flexible.

Our second session arrived, and he was there.  The second session went well, and we were looking forward to the next, when he asked us for $20 to cover the session.  I was confused, as I was under the impression that we'd not been liable for $20 per session payments until after we'd completed our six months.  I explained my concerns, and he agreed to allow me not to pay it for that session, but in future sessions.  He left, and I became very dissatisfied.  He texted me shortly thereafter, apologizing for the miscommunication and agreed to give what I had thought that arrangement was - $650 for six months and $20 per session thereafter. 

Before our next training session arrived, I became short staffed at work, and I needed to start staying late on Friday evenings.  After canceling our next Friday session, I asked him to re-schedule.  This was when I found out that he doesn't work any weekends.  This is fine - except he didn't tell me that to begin with.  Yes, I realize that I did not ask, and I will be accountable for my actions, but he should've known to share the important information before taking $650 from me.   

After feeling frustrated with the scheduling situation, as I am unable to arrange anything for the weekdays; I asked him about a refund.  I shared with him that I was willing to pay the per session fee for the first two, but would likely need a refund for the remainder.  He then told me that I had two options; I could either accept less training hours that would be available for use up to two years, or I could take a 50% refund after the two session charge.  He agreed that he would refund to me $250, opposed to $500, which was actually what he should have owed me. I agreed to take my loss, and I politely informed him that he should consider a contract, along with a welcome packet outlining all of his rate and availability information.

While I recognize my fault in this situation, as I should've been more diligent about asking for the information; I was not familiar with the industry, and I had no idea what to expect.  If anything, this has been a learning experience for me, and I certainly hope him. I have not received my refund yet, so, if it doesn't come, then this will be another story.  Though, for the most part, Jonathan was very communicative.  I think he'd have potential to be successful if he'd ensure to present a clear picture of his services straight from the get-go.