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Screwy teacher or is this normal?

#43
behemecoytl said:
I’d never had any formal bass lessons, so I found a teacher and signed up. The teacher’s payment “contract” says that he charges $45/hour, based on a 50 week per year schedule (with Thanksgiving and Xmas weekends off). I signed up for lessons in November and the teacher calculated my payment to be $187.50, which is $45*50(weeks in a year)/12= $187.50.

Here’s where it becomes tricky. Since $180 would pay for 4 hours ($45*4=$180), I assumed that I had paid for 4 hours of lessons… so I had a lesson the first weekend in November, and again the next week, and my 3rd lesson was the week before Thanksgiving--- 3 total hours… and on my 3rd lesson, I mentioned to my teacher that next weekend was Thanksgiving, and that I’d see him the week after—But No… he said my lessons were done, and that I had only paid for lessons for November (he also says he doesn’t charge by the month), and that payment is based on this weird 50 week schedule. I feel like I should get a $45 refund (or credit toward another month of lessons), since I only got 3 hours…

This seems unfair to me, but this is my first experience with music lessons- is this normal?
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The reason the payment idea of his seems so unclear is because he is advertising two mutually exclusive payment rates. One claims that you get $45 an hour. The other charges $187.50 per month, without regard to the fact that there may not be 4.16 hours per month.

While he may not be a scam artist, this is a scam, and I recommend taking this to him and asking for him to charge $45 an hour for the 3 hours you got (as advertised), and if he doesn't refund you, than take it up with authorities.

The way he should have advertised it (if he likes his stupid system), would be:

$42.9/hr, in all months but November, where the fee is $62.50/hr. Although I doubt being that clear with the system would allow many people to trust him.

So in short, he is charging two different rates, and you happened to choose the one month where the rates are higher than they should be. This is by no means your fault, it comes down to unfair math on his part. This could come down to the fact that you only paid for a month of lessons, and he usually charges for an entire year, but he should have adjusted his payment scheme in order to accommodate that. In his working out of the prices, he takes $2250 (price of 50 hours), and divides that into 12 equal parts for each month, although the months do not contain an equal amount of hours...
 
#46
My teacher charged $75 per month (30 minute lessons)...he guaranteed 4 lessons per month and if we "were lucky" we'd get the 5th lesson for no extra charge, but quite often he would schedule a vacation or take a break for the 5th week. In one year I got 50 lessons, so I got 2 "freebies"... :hyper:

But...he NEVER made students pay for a month and then only give 3 lessons.
 
#47
Since you didn't sign a year contract, it's by the hour.
It's $2250 per year(50x$45). Good money if you can get it.

What I don't care for is his cancellation policy: If he cancels a lesson, it's okay. If you cancel a lesson, no credit.
 
#48
Stumbo said:
Since you didn't sign a year contract, it's by the hour.
It's $2250 per year(50x$45). Good money if you can get it.

What I don't care for is his cancellation policy: If he cancels a lesson, it's okay. If you cancel a lesson, no credit.
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This has been the policy of every studio I have taught at, and the private school I teach at. While we try to work with students, I've found an amazing ability for students to make their lessons and take them seriously with this policy.

When I didn't have this policy there was the occaissional really nice Saturday when I would show up to teach and no students would show. You cannot in any way make a living in that situation. Show up for work, with a full schedule and don't make any money.
 
#50
I've been playing and studying for a long time... I've never heard of anyone signing a contract to study with anyone... unless you're signing up to go to University or College for music.

This is weird to me... if he's a good teacher and you're connecting with him he shouldn't need the contract. So you sign a contract with him but there's no connection there? Understanding each other is one of the often overlooked aspects of study.
 
#51
Yea, it seems a bit on the crooked side. Every teacher I have ever studied with was a pay-per lesson. You pay at the end of each lesson, and if you have to miss a lesson you have give at least a 24 hours notice. Nothing more.
 
#52
behemecoytl said:
Example:

30 minute lessons=$30

$30 x 52 weeks (in a year) =1560/12 months (in a year) =$130 per payments

*pro-ration is based on a 50 week year. There are no lessons the week of the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays.
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So he says it's $30 for a 30 minute lesson, and also says you'd pay $1560 for 50 lessons. $1560 divided by 50 = $31.20. You are getting 50 lessons for the price of 52!
 
#54
Rockman said:
The thing I haven't seen is, that a year is 52 weeks long, so really the fact that he is missing a lesson is no big deal. There are two weeks that he didn't pay for.
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The big deal is that this teacher is advertising lessons for $30 and then charging $31.20. Though I just noticed that in the document that the original poster posted, 30 minute lessons are based on a 52 week year and 60 minute lessons are based on a 50 week year. I'm confused now :confused:
 
#56
richmoore1998 said:
I've been playing and studying for a long time... I've never heard of anyone signing a contract to study with anyone... unless you're signing up to go to University or College for music.

This is weird to me... if he's a good teacher and you're connecting with him he shouldn't need the contract. So you sign a contract with him but there's no connection there? Understanding each other is one of the often overlooked aspects of study.
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There's nothing wrong with signing a policy. At the school you pay for x number of lessons, in advance for the semester. If the school has a function or I cancel, you are prorated the next semester or get an extra lesson the next semester. At the studio you sign up for lessons by the month, and are not put on the schedule til paid. It is a subcontracted situation, the student pays the studio and the teachers are paid by the studio. Quite often students are put on the shedule before ever paying and they never show up. What is usually called a contract is simply an understanding of policy.

If I give a lesson at a students home, it is usually after the lesson each time, some students however prefer to pay by the month.
 
#57
Find another teacher unless this one is worth it to you.
All my teachers charged by the lesson, in advance, per month or per packaged number of lessons. If you miss a lesson you don't get to make it up. In my experience that is how it runs. I currently pay one guy 15 per hour, the other 20 per hour.
 
#58
I charge $30.00 per approximately 45 minute lesson. However, I ask my students to pay in advance for 4 lessons. After each lesson, I check one off in the ledger book. After the 4 have been exhausted, I send an e-mail notice letting them know a new advance payment is due. This goes a long way in keeping my students motivated to practice and consistently attending the pre-paid lessons.

I also have a fair and somewhat liberal cancellation policy. I credit (no charge) missed lessons if I get at least 24 hours notice. I don't offer make-up lessons for two reasons: (1) That would require me setting aside a few hours one day every week while I sit here and wonder if anyone is actually going to make up a missed lesson, and (2) Most of my students can use the extra week of practice ;) If I feel someone is taking advantage of my cancellation policy (frequent cancellations, weak excuses, no notice, etc.), I charge for the missed lesson.

All of the above is clearly stated in a "contract" document of sorts, not legally binding, but more like a clear description of the expectations.

I have toyed with going to a "one fee per month" structure, which would simplify the entire billing process and make income more consistent, but I'm a little worried it could serve as a deterent to some students. A lot of my students are school-age, and stuff comes up that necessitates them missing lessons. My cancellation policy may cause me to lose a little revenue here and there, but it keeps my student roster full, and a "one fee per month" structure might cost me more in the long run in the form of fewer students overall. Also, "one fee per month" ethically demands providing a make-up opportunity, which again means wrecking one day by setting a few hours aside and wondering if anyone is coming for a make-up lesson.

OP's teacher seems to be combining the two different fee structures in a very confusing and ambiguous way. If he wants to charge "by the month," he should just do so without all the details as to how he calculates the monthly fee. That just opens up a can of worms.
 
#59
Around here, we prepay $80 for a month of lessons (weekly/half hour session). It's most convenient to think of this as $20 per lesson with occasionally rescheduing a different day due to holiday or teacher's vacation. Recently, I missed two lessons in-a-row on short notice, I gained time on my schedule, and the teacher got paid-anyway, a win-win situation.

I don't like instructors that have absolutely no flexibility for anyone to ever reschedule-well in advance. "Sorry-it's your time slot or else"...good for them, not so good for students that can give plenty of advance notice to schedule something different.
 
#60
Billnc said:
Never... Only when they don't show up. If they call in plenty of time I try to reschedule, but when the schedule is full that can't be done.
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Ya, that's pretty much I've always seen it done. The instructors would starve if students could just not show up whenever they felt like it for free. They have much more incentive to show up if you're paying for the time regardless.
 

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