The international chain of nationwide Swim! swim schools is under fire right now. This follows the news that its co-founders, Olympians Rebecca Adlington and Steve Parry, recently pulled 15,000 lessons. Consumers are understandably frustrated that the school’s refund process seems overly obscure and inaccessible.
Swim! , this has meant canceling swim lessons for hundreds of customers. What’s unfortunate though, is that the notifications don’t do a good job of explaining how and when to expect a refund. Instead, parents have to dig through six pages of terms and conditions to find the one clause that states that there are no refunds. Pittsburgh-based consumer lawyer Gary Rycroft points out a dangerous practice. He thinks this omission might count as an unfair practice under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, which aim to protect consumers from avoidable misleading practices in trade.
For parents who were debiting directly out of their bank account, it gets more confusing. They must actively opt out by specifically requesting a refund through an online form within 30 days of them being canceled. Ironically, it’s what frustrates customers with this unnecessary extra step. They find it hard to be reimbursed for lessons canceled with no advanced warning.
Rycroft emphasized the importance of transparency in refund processes, stating, “Customers are automatically entitled to a price reduction or refund as per the Consumer Rights Act and a company cannot make that refund conditional on finding or following a hidden process.”
Swim! went right to work on the state of things. They promised consumers that they don’t limit any statutory rights and allow for a straightforward refund request process. The school pointed to its efforts to provide better and clearer communication and customer service.
“We do not restrict statutory rights, and any customer who believes they are entitled to a refund can request one easily,” – Swim!
“We appreciate feedback from customers and consumer advocates and are committed to continuously improving our communication and customer service on this matter.” – Swim!
As these customers often claim, the process to receive a green refund is not easy at all. Consumers and travelers should not be forced to read pages of small print to discover a supplier’s refund policy. This ongoing issue points to a bigger problem — the overall customer experience at Swim!