Please help!!! AMS taekwondo contract

[Cenkar]

Jurisdiction

Florida

Please help me. I'm at my wits end. I signed this contract while it was blank and it said "try six month". Now I found out after I tried to cancel it that I am stuck paying for two years!!!!!! I have attached the file of the contract. The master acts like he doesn't know what I'm talking about and acts like he can barely speak English anymore. AMS says I can't get out of the contract. I can't afford it anymore. Please anyone have advice??? Is this legal!??
Any loopholes??

 

[hrforme]

"I signed this contract while it was blank and it said "try six month".

You should ALWAYS read the whole contract prior to signing because at the bottom it says that "buyer will fill in all blanks" and it seems you did not and someone might have done so at a later time.

What does the reverse side say?

Have you actually paid for 6 months already?

 

[Cenkar]

Nothing on the back of my copy. Yes I've paid for over six months. Almost a year.

 

[adjusterjack]

Yes I've paid for over six months. Almost a year.

You could have enforced the "try 6 months" had you cancelled at the 6 month mark. But by continuing to pay, you accepted the two year obligation.

You can, of course, quit paying and await whatever financial consequences may befall you. Which could include being sent to collections, trashed credit, a lawsuit, wage garnishment, bank account levy, etc.

 

[hrforme]

Have to agree -- once you went past the 6 month mark, it sounds like to automatically converted to the regular payment system (2 yr commitment).

That said, you should ask them for the back side of the contract/agreement if you didn't get it. Most gyms require that you sign both sides so that they can prove you got the back side. You might get lucky if they were unable to prove you signed the back side.

 

[Michael Wechsler]

Hi and I'm extremely sorry to hear about your problems with this taekwondo school. I do not know specifically what may have happened and whether you were fully explained the nature of the long term commitment. So I am not making any representation or drawing any conclusion as to the guilt or liability of either party.

The number o incidents like this unfortunately tarnish the reputation of martial arts schools, which I have had the privilege to train in for many years. (I'm a fourth Dan taekwondo instructor and trained with a ninth Dan Korean grand master.)

Before we continue the conversation, I suggest you read this article about martial arts school contracts which cover how classes may be sold at different schools - taekwondo, kung fu, karate - and not limited to martial arts. To summarize, in a number of instances the school master may sell the contract revenue stream (income) to receive early payments from a third party which handles billing and collections in the event of non-payment. They may have assigned your contract rights to them.

As I guessed, there is a reverse side of your agreement. In order to discuss further we'll probably need to see it but I'm guessing it is the same standard form contract as I've seen before from these billing companies.