However, I advise all my friends and new acquaitances to BRD, to avoid the Rookie teachers, because it is better to take group and provate lessons from the mort experienced dance teachers, especially if the price is the same, or almost the same.

I avoid rookies in all businesses because I have found that it is easier to deal with an expert in whatever the business or endeavor! From hiring a plumber, a computer repair person, etc., or a ballroom dance teacher, go with the Pro and get the best work done by a seasoned professional.

Best to you in your teaching! Pete

By the way, one of our clients is an attorney whose first case was against a franchise for swindling a student 25 years ago. He recognizes that we are not of that ilk, and we serve his needs perfectly. Also, he did not inform us of that little fact until after we discussed his dance plans.
So there are some people and places that are better than what you two and others have griped about. How about a little praise when you run across them?

Interesting comments and case. I dedicated my last 10 years of life to dancing. Studying, dancing, practice, video watching and u name it. 5 hrs a day at minimum and continuing. I started to teach a voluntary class after 5 yeras if intensive dancing. I prepared for ISTD certification and passed with Honors in 1995. Now I teach and LEARN everyday but I am very comfortable where I am. You can pick and choose whatever you want from my story...thanks for attention...Max

It is quite conceited to think that America will never dance without Arthur Murray or Fred Astaire! Just because one pioneers in a certain endeavour one is entitled to immunity from criticisms specially if the allegations are true. And what exactly do you mean by giving the franchise studios a break? SHOULD WE KEEP QUIET AND ALLOW PERPETUATION OF UNACCEPTABLE PRACTICES? Forums like this keep the pressure on studios in general to keep their business honest. Word gets around if a studio is
honest but for the meantime let this forum warn unwary customers?

"And what exactly do you mean by giving the franchise studios a break? SHOULD WE KEEP QUIET AND ALLOW PERPETUATION OF UNACCEPTABLE PRACTICES? "

What I mean is; press the particular studio, regional, or national office. Don't ignorantly lump them all together. There are people, like myself, that do not deserve your grief.

" Forums like this keep the pressure on studios in general to keep their business honest. Word gets around if a studio is
honest but for the meantime let this forum warn unwary customers"

Almost correct. Word does get around, but the fastest spread is the dirtiest word. Let the Better Business Bureau and proper law enforcement handle the crooks, so that the honest and hardworking don't get caught in a mindless media frenzy.

There are some studios that have refunded the money but never changed their practices. As to regional or national offices, I have yet to see that. Complaints abound including a television expose` and warning from Fair Trade Commission but I haven't really seen any effort of the national offices to do something about it. As to "lumping", it is a fact of life and is used when individual discrimination is impossible or impractical. It is used by almost anybody from private Joe to the US Government. It is easier to get rid of the few bad apples than control the human psyche from lumping.

"Almost correct. Word does get around, but the fastest spread is the dirtiest word. Let the Better Business Bureau and proper law enforcement handle the crooks, so that the honest and hardworking don't get caught in a mindless media frenzy."

"Dirtiest word travels faster.." is an old cliche that applies more to personal matters than business. In business, an excellent customer service gets around faster and sticks to the mind of people longer. When I shop around I ask who are the good ones rather than the bad ones. You might be good example, your business seems to be thriving probably from the good word that is spread around. If this dishonest studios thrive they would drag down honest studios with them . Also, mounting complaints is not good for the industry because it is a good reason for the government to come in and regulate (warning, suggestions, guidelines, regulation...that's the sequence). Believe me, I've worked in an industry that was overregulated by the government because of few bad apples. The result, extra expense driving out some good and honest mom and pop businesses. A lot of the victims of the studios are older folks and I am pretty sure AARP knows about it and can lobby if they wanted to.

I prefer to be proactive when it comes to fraud. I try to stay informed and vigilant through forums like this. Getting entangled in the legal system as far as I am concerned should be a last resort.

There have been several expose's, local and national. NONE of which show any positive view points. Also, the expose's were all on INDEPENDENT STUDIOS. I have not seen or heard of a Franchise being "exposed." I do know of at least one school where an undercover reporter went in. Only to walk away with no dirt, and did not mention the clean Franchised studio!
The warning on the FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION website is also lopsided and outdated. The challenge with the FTC is that they only regulate the national/big chains( i.e. Fred's and Murray's). Joe Blow's studio is exempt from any and all federal regulation.

" As to "lumping", it is a fact of life and is used when individual discrimination is impossible or impractical."

Or when one is too lazy to identify their specific gripes with specific people/studios. It is never impractical. That lumping you do can, will ,and does damage other people. Eat your Wheaties and gather the strength/energy to identify your problems, let others choose for themselves. If you have a problem NAME THE SPECIFIC PERSON/STUDIO. Give the address, phone number , whatever; just don't let your laziness cast false suspicion on my business and livelyhood.

"it is easier rid of the few bad apples than control the human psyche from lumping."

Almost again. It would be easier to promote only the good, let the weeds die of starvation. Allowing the good to be lumped together.

"Dirtiest word travels faster.." is an old cliche that applies more to personal matters than business. In business, an excellent customer service gets around faster and sticks to the mind of people longer."

Except when someone puts all the rotten apples in the headlines, ignoring the thousands of good for the ten bad ones.

"You might be good example, your business seems to be thriving probably from the good word that is spread around."
You are correct, our students want to bring friends and our referral system is top notch.

"Also, mounting complaints is not good for the industry because it is a good reason for the government to come in and regulate (warning, suggestions, guidelines, regulation...that's the sequence)."

That already happened for us(the Franchised ones), and it will eventually get around to all if words like yours keep getting repeated over and over without any thought.

"The result, extra expense driving out some good and honest mom and pop businesses."

That adds to my overhead, I know.

"I prefer to be proactive when it comes to fraud. I try to stay informed and vigilant through forums like this."

If you are going to serve any purpose being "proactive", then you better be specific when writing about someone in forums like this. Your type of proactivity will only succeed in driving naive people away from a wonderful opportunity.

If you worked on being a positive influence as hard as you have on this proactive/vigilent stance, you could really get some things accomplished.

If you must be the negative, then start a website of VERIFIED fraudlent studios and teachers. Just be accurate and completely upfront about the contents.

Media, governement, and customers when exposing fraudulent practices will almost always paint a broad brush. That is REALITY that everyone lives with. You can sit back and cry unfair but at the end of the day you will be the one paying the price. The point is if there are fraudulent practices going on, real or imagined, a business or industry should address it before it affects the bottom line. Of course, we can also argue about it in this forum but is this an effective way to stop the problem?

"Almost again. It would be easier to promote only the good, let the weeds die of starvation. Allowing the good to be lumped together."

I wish but unrealistic. Weeds are not a good example because they'll just do the opposite choking the desirable ones. It takes a while for these weeds to wither and during that time there would still be victims. Deliberate weeding out is much better than waiting for the good ones to out grow them.

"Except when someone puts all the rotten apples in the headlines, ignoring the thousands of good for the ten bad ones."

As you've mentioned earlier, there are no positives being mentioned by media, FTC, and forum participants. Then, how would you explain the flourishing business of good and honest studios, franchise and independents? Could it be the way they treat the customers? In fact, they (honest studios) are the beneficiary once the dishonest ones are out of business. Although there is a reflex for people to lump, there is also tendency to realize that there are exceptions and are willing to give it try.

"You might be good example, your business seems to be thriving probably from the good word that is spread around."
"You are correct, our students want to bring friends and our referral system is top notch."

Precisely the point, good deed triumphs!

"That already happened for us(the Franchised ones), and it will eventually get around to all if words like yours keep getting repeated over and over without any thought."

The government will not step in unless there are specific valid complaints. Like what I've said, complaints should be addressed whether real, imagined, or concocted because they snowball. What "words like mine" are you talking about?

"If you are going to serve any purpose being "proactive", then you better be specific when writing about someone in forums like this. Your type of proactivity will only succeed in driving naive people away from a wonderful opportunity.
If you must be the negative, then start a website of VERIFIED fraudlent studios and teachers. Just be accurate and completely upfront about the contents. "

I am proactive in protecting myself by reading forums like this and making inquiries about the studio. I am not driving away people from your business. It is the few bad apples that you refuse to police. Put up a website? Nope. I am not putting up a website to benefit you or anybody. My solution is for the industry to address the problem at a national level. Do you have any solution aside from responding to people like me in the forum?