Hi everyone,

I thought I would post this question here, as there are many knowledgeable people who have probably dealt with this situation before...

I've been going to a chain studio for about a year and a half now. A few months ago, before my contract expired, my instructor talked me into buying another package of lessons. This package wasn't as big as my initial one, but still a substantial amount of money. As stupid as I was, I bought the package.

Now, I'm starting to feel more and more disappointed with the studio. I feel as if I'm being held back from learning new steps, and I feel as if their teaching method is not using my abilities to their full potential. In addition, I am getting irritated with the fact that they are constantly trying to sell me more and more, when, they are hiring teachers with no previous dance background. I am not even kidding when I say that I can dance better than all of their teachers combined (except for the owners).

I have recently discovered a fairly new studio in my area who is independently owned and whom the instructors are very highly qualified. And the best part is that they charge much less than the franchise studio, with no packages. Plus, they are a competitive studio, who go to REAL competitions, as opposed to the chain studio competitions which are a big waste of money.

Now, my question is, how do I get out of my contract and get a refund? I want to do this as soon as possible. I have a private lesson in two weeks and a dance party a few days later (which I want to attend). Specifically, how do I approach my instructor, who is the owner of the studio? Do I tell him after my lesson, or do I call him and tell him over the pone? Also, what do I use as a reason for leaving? Personally, I think I would be better off lying about it and saying I need the money for something else, but I know he will question me.

I just want to get out of this as easily as possible without causing too much trouble.

Any advice would be appreciated!

There's no need for you to degrade yourself by lying. Simply read your contract, look for the termination clause and use that as your guide.

You probably received a discount as part of your package deal. The contract probably specifically states that if you terminate, the used portion will be charged against the unused portion at the full class rate. This is fair because you did not actually fulfill the qualification to get the discount.

However, it means that if you did not pay all up front, you may actually owe a little money, or, at the very least, you won't get back quite as much as you may expect. However, if you are fairly early in the contract, not too much damage has been done yet.

You can be honest by just saying that you feel you are not getting good value for your money and would like to move on. You don't need to elaborate, it's not required.