7 On Your Side: Westchester family runs into tutor troubles
YONKERS, Westchester County (WABC) -- Like a typical "tween", Deandra Zapata is really into making slime. She loves her iPhone and watching music videos on YouTube.
But before mid-terms, Deandra's mom hired a local tutoring company to help boost her daughter's proficiency in reading and math.
"When we met with him (a company rep), he promised me he was going to give me the services my daughter needed to help with mid-terms in March," said Deandra's mom, Mary Soto.
Mary says tutoring was to begin mid-February. She was supposed to get three sessions per week until the end of the school year for a fee of $2,500.
"I am very upset," said Mary. She says the tutor never came and Deandra didn't ace her March mid-terms.
"They continue to tell me due to the weather they were not able to give me the services for my daughter," said Mary.
But there was no snow to justify their no show. Area weather was clear those last two weeks of February when her contract was to start.
And then she got an email response from a company rep that contained spelling errors and grammar gaffes. The company rep stated "We was ready to get started" and "We was available to start the sessions, instead of "we were."
Mary gave the tutors an underachieving "F". So we called the company and just a day later..."I need to thank 7 On Your Side. I'm going to receive my total refund," said Mary.
The total $2,500 contract was canceled.
A rep for the tutoring company stated "strange weather over the past several months severely impacted the company's ability to send tutors to clients' homes."
The rep also said there were "issues" with Ms. Soto's application for tutoring that caused additional delays. Mary says she asked for a refund over the phone. But the company rep says she never formally asked in writing.
If she had, the company rep says she would have received her money back, no problem.
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