Sign a contract or pay more for month to month?

[jwmims]

Hi all,I have found a school i would like to join,I can pay $120 a month for lessons,pay month to month,no contract or i can
sign a contract for 9 months and it will cost $80 a month.I would be able to take 2 one hour classes a week either way i pay.
What do you guys and gals think i should do?Cheers,
James

 

[Kaygee]

Are you able to go for a month and pay the $120 and see if you like it and, if you do, then sign the contract? If so, I would recommend that.
Also, how long is the contract for? And which art?

 

[arnisador]

Hi all,I have found a school i would like to join,I can pay $120 a month for lessons,pay month to month,no contract or i can
sign a contract for 9 months and it will cost $80 a month.I would be able to take 2 one hour classes a week either way i pay.
What do you guys and gals think i should do?Cheers,
James

I've made a deal like that> I wasn't crazy about it but it made financial sense for me. In my case the contract required a 4 month notice of termination.

 

[Buka]

Sign the contract, save money, have fun.

 

[geezer]

Sign the contract, save money, have fun.

A little simple arithmetic shows that you'll save enough by signing the contract vs. the higher monthly rate to break even after six months, so go ahead and sign the contract. I assume you've researched the school, instructor, and system and that you've tried out a class or two. Now you are ready to make the plunge and really start training. That demands some commitment. If it's not worth committing yourself to at least six months of training, go somewhere else. Good luck, and let us know how it goes!

 

[arnisador]

Is it a rolling nine months? Mine was a rolling four months, and the numbers worked out for me. But be clear if it's fixed-term or continuing.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

Sign the contract, but be sure you want to commit first. too many people only go to class for a few months, and if you end up doing that, you lose money overall.

 

[Takai]

Is it a rolling nine months? Mine was a rolling four months, and the numbers worked out for me. But be clear if it's fixed-term or continuing.

Good point. Make sure you understand the entire contract before signing. Surprises can be expensive.

 

[SacredCoconut]

If you realy decided to start, signing longer contracts may help you keep doing it. As alredy sayd, just make sure there is nothing wrong with the contract.

 

[Swifty20]

Good point. Make sure you understand the entire contract before signing. Surprises can be expensive.

Agreed. I'll also include this article link for the OP to read through. I don't necessarily agree so staunchly with the conclusion of this article to "never" sign a contract, but it is definitely worth reading to get a feel for what's out there (not even just in the martial arts world, but in any activity that wants you to sign a contract).


http://www.24fightingchickens.com/2006/09/29/contracts/

 

[Guy Preston]

I personally don't like the idea of signing a contract regarding payments. Rules, constitution, etc... fine, but not payments.

I'm only speaking about my own experience here, not all clubs that do this, but I've found that clubs that have contracts focus more on cash collected than they do on quality martial arts.

Don't get me wrong, I know to some people this is their livelihood so security is needed, I think it's a shame some greedy folks ruin it for others.

I can also understand when clubs have their own premises, but I think there should always be a no obligation trial period so students can sample classes before having to sign up.

I don't use contracts in my classes, I do offer a discount for people who pay the month in advance as it gives some security, but have never felt the need to tie people in...

 

[arnisador]

I don't like contracts at all--but I understand why people use them. It's a negative for me when looking at a school but not a stopper, necessarily.

 

[Buka]

Contracts smontracs - if a person trains for a brief period, he/she is but a statistic on a whim. With all due respect, nobody cares about a statistic on a whim. Train. Just train.

 

[Instructor]

Sounds kind of pricey to me either way. I have an institutional dislike for contracts. Commitment happens from within not because of a piece of paper.

 

[arnisador]

Sounds kind of pricey to me either way. I have an institutional dislike for contracts. Commitment happens from within not because of a piece of paper.

I agree, but I also see where the instructor in his role as a small business owner might want the stability that a contract provides.

 

[Mark Lynn]

Sounds kind of pricey to me either way. I have an institutional dislike for contracts. Commitment happens from within not because of a piece of paper.

How is paying $80.00 a month pricy? Now the $120.00 a month for 2, 1 hour classes a week sounds high, but..... $80.00 for 2 classes isn't to bad. Well it's not outrageous.

 

[arnisador]

Around $100/month is pretty standard nowadays, isn't it?

 

[Mark Lynn]

Regarding the 24chickens article, I thought it was pretty good, although I don't agree with the NEVER SIGN A CONTRACT. However I do believe you need to be educated as to the consequences of the contract.

First off we sign contracts in one form or another for just about anything. I mean download something or try and install a program and you sign a contract, you agree to their terms or you don't get to install the program. Buy a house, rent a house, get a cell phone, all involve contracts. You agree to their terms. Sure you can line through something on paper but.... is it really realistic, I've never been able to edit a contract for a program on my computer.

If you have investigated the school, and it has a good track record, you like the style, you like the school, you like the instructors (owners) etc. etc. I don't see the need in spending an extra 40 bucks a month just so on a whim I might drop out. Because if you are planning on staying and learning something of value your going to be there for several years, so in the big scheme of things a 9 month contract saving you $40.00 a month isn't that big of a deal, but it can save you almost $400.00. Now if they were wanting you to sign a 3 year contract to save you $40.00 a month, I'd balk about that.

And while the short 9 month contract might lead to longer contracts you can always refuse and go month to month then. If they come back with the short contract and it saves you money then you can sign up again.

 

[WaterGal]

I agree, but I also see where the instructor in his role as a small business owner might want the stability that a contract provides.

Absolutely. There are a lot of fixed costs involved in running a school, and if you have no idea what your income will be month-to-month.... I think that would make it very hard to have the business.

 

[arnisador]

...and this matters, because I've had too many cheap garage instructors stop teaching to take a real job due to lack of cash, leaving me at green belt once again. We try to support stores we want to see open. I don't like signing contracts, but I do like a martial arts school staying in business long enough for me to get out of it what I want.

As a rule, contracts will send me away, but I have made an exception.