This is a response to Leigh's reply:
In short, I have documentation that proves what I wrote in my initial review. I received only 4 of the 35 lessons (and never got the 2 on-course ones). Texts that prove I had to reschedule only 1 of those 4 lessons within 24 hrs because I was sick (all other reschedule requests were by Leigh, who initiated 3 in total - including 1 within 24 hrs of the scheduled lesson).
The texts also prove Leigh was unresponsive for several days at a time on more than one occasion about rescheduling even when he was the initiator to ask for the change. At one point, he had to ask me to remind him when our next lesson was scheduled because he didn't know!
There is clear proof I offered 2X the value of those 4 lessons ($40 each vs. $20 each) - which I still believe was a more than fair offer. I never asked for a full refund - ever. I initiated that offer as a compromise to Leigh and only asked for the balance of my payment.
In addition to the compromise I described above, I also offered to pay Leigh on a pay-as-we-go schedule AND at a higher rate than the original packaged rate. When it was clear that no compromise could be reached, I initiated a charge-back with my CC company - again, consistent with the offer I described above (whereas I could have easily asked for a higher chargeback considering the actual package rate of those 4 lessons).
Leigh has tried to fall back on the assertion that his standard lesson rate is $75/hr, that I am "severely undervaluing" his time / worth - yet he was the one who initially offered and pressed me to sign up for a 10-lesson package for $200 during my first ever Groupon lesson with him (lesson 1 of 3 from the Groupon deals he regularly runs). In retrospect, I made a grave mistake by assuming the quality of that first Groupon lesson would carry over to future lessons - and Leigh and I settled on a 1-year package w/ 35, 1-hr lessons + 2 on-course lessons.
Again, I received only 4 of those 1-hr lessons in a 2-month period. At that rate, I knew I would never get the remainder of the lessons in a reasonable period. And I would lose any claim at a refund from my CC company after a certain period of time - not to mention that money would be better used to take lessons somewhere else.
I have proof of all of this and Leigh's defensiveness and unwillingness to compromise.
Out of respect for Leigh's privacy, I'm not going to post the texts or other documentation that clearly support my case - but I have already shared this with my CC company who have since already ruled in favor of my recount of this experience. They shared Leigh's written rebuttal to the chargeback - which, just like Leigh's reply on this review, lacked any substantial evidence whatsoever.
Leigh reply only further highlights his defensive nature and inability to admit there are clear problems with his business. This is unfortunate, because I even tried to help him by sharing technology solutions (e.g., auto-syncing lesson videos to Google Drive so he doesn't have to do this manually - an issue you can find in other reviews - as well as scheduling tool options).
As a final word:
The prices of the Groupon packages are incredibly enticing. You will not find a cheaper rate for golf lessons in the Bay Area. But please consider this review carefully - especially if you are considering a longer-term lesson package. read more