I need to get out of a martial arts contract anyone know how?

Question

I signed a martial arts contract and didn't realize I was stuck with it for three years, my son doesn't want to go anymore If I had read it I wouldnt of signed it. They man that signed me didn't talk english very much so he didn't explain hardly anything stupid me

Answer 1

This is a question better posed in a legal forum. If you still have the contract I would suggest reading it over looking for any particular loopholes, or policies for early termination. You might have to pay some sort of severance for breaking the contract. I'm sorry for your situation and wish you luck.

Answer 2

Send it to me in a PDF.  I'm a martial artist and contract admin is part what I do professionally in project management.  I'm not an attorney and it's likely I will not be 100% familiar with the laws of your state, but I'd be happy to give you my opinion.

There are a couple of things you should consider before you go down this path though.  I wanted to quit karate when I was a little boy, my dad didn't let me, and in time I found out it was something I really liked and really had a lot of fun with.  It also gave me something to work hard for and feel proud about.  Maybe the first thing to do would be to approach your young man about his apprehensions.  He may want to learn martial arts, but he might have a personal problem that really magnifies while he's at class.

The second thing to consider is that most martial artists and most small business people are very reasonable.  If after approaching your son's apprehensions with him, you decide that he should stop these lessons, it might be worth sharing the situation with the dojo.  They may just mutually terminate the contract if they feel that your son is not a right fit or has a legitimate reason for quitting.  

A karate school is not going to want to promote someone through the belt ranks who can't back up their skills in real life.  Their reputation is worth a lot more than the $500-$3,000 that your son would be billed over the next three years.

If you must challenge the contract, let me know and I'll be happy to let you know what you need to do.

Answer 3

I agree with the other person who said just talk to the owner. They usually will be willing to terminate the contract on good faith. Why ruin their reputation in the community, you know? It would stir up bad blood to not terminate the contract. Who knows, that person might refer numerous other people there.

You could try to find someone to take over the contract, or he could. That's another avenue.

Answer 4

Hmmm boy this is a tuffy this school has got you the best thing is to see how munch it may cost you to break the contract with your son not wanting to go there anymore this is a waste most school,s dont make a person sign a thing I always believe in pay as you go this the best way to go  the one thing you dont want to do is not pay because they can take you to court  you need to see if you can break it if you can if you can see how munch  My advice to you is you might want to talk to an attorney  for some advice  remember dont ever a contract with no one unless its lagit  I hope this helps you

Answer 5

If you have a friend who is an attorney, that person could make a phone call to the owner of the school. Threaten to report the the school to the BBB, your local consumer advocate, etc.

If you did not know that you were signing a contract, you might be able to have it nullified. Do you remember if he told you it was a contract? Or did you think you were just signing the usual paperwork?

Answer 6

I may be wrong but most of the time i have seen contracts like this it is usually to benefit the costumer...like say you either pay $80 a month or sign a contract and pay $60 a month for the three years.  if this is the case, i would say you may be stuck because you never get nothing for nothing.