Lead_Carrier:
it sounds to me as if the owner/instructor is saying, "I didn't make enough money so I'll charge you $50 to get back in the pool to get back up to speed."
N2DeepInAZ:
Something is definitely wrong here. . . . Just hearing an entire class 'failed' in this manner just sounds wrong on so many levels.
blue sky:
This whole thing sounds like a bait and switch.
I think that is the consensus among respondents. I have never had an entire class of OW students fail to meet requirements. It is uncommon for people to get all the way to the end of an OW course and not suceed. If a student is not ready, that is usually apparent early in Confined Water. So, as one poster suggested - either the instruction was very poor, or there is something else going on - the LDS is trying to make up for the loss leader cost by having people buy another full class, or an additional amount of 'remedial' instruction.
The instructor for the class was the LDS operator, otherwise I would have escalated on their end. I'll be honest i dont have so much an issue with the money, I just don't want to spend the next 6 Sundays waking up early to take the class again.
I will echo the recommendations of several previous posters - if you can arrange for as many members of the class as possible to contribute their names to a letter of complant to SSI, it may be useful. At the very least, it will put SSI on notice that the business practices of one of their affiliated instructors are questonable. I can't speak for SSI (I am PADI-affiliated), but I suspect they will be concerned that their image is being tarnished by what appears to be some unethical business behavior. The LDS owner knew in advance
exactly what he was signing up for - if he didn't feel the compensation was sufficient to cover costs, he should not have signed up for it.
To the comments of those who question the use of Groupon or Living Social promotional campaigns in scuba instruction I would add that the problem in the situation described by the OP may be the mix of opportunities (DSD AND OW) that the shop signed up for. We recently ran a Living Social campaign for Discover Scuba Diving (PADI) ONLY - we would never run a campauign for an OW course. In the LS promotion, we sold over 440 coupons. The price of the DSD was probably at most 2/3 of the usual price, and we then split that revenue with Living Social, so the actual money coming to the shop was quite modest. But, of the 440+ coupons sold, ~250 redeemed the coupon within the designated time frame, and we are finishing up the last DSDs this week. So, there is a certain gain based on attrition - some people buy the coupon then can't schedule it, or lose interest, figuring the initial investment was small enough to write off. But, so far, our 'conversion' rate among the ~250 is good - over 30 people have already signed up for OW classes (at a slightly discounted rate). And, we anticipate that we will get some more 'conversions' within the next 30 days (when the promotion discount expires, and then some more over the summer. For us, the DSD promotion was a loss leader. The shop didn't lose money - the revenue covered the pool rental and airfills for the tanks - but all of the instructors (including the owner) did the sessions for no compensation. I did four of the ~25 sessions (28 diver participants across the four), each with at least one DSD-qualified DM and usually with two DMs (also not compensated). Some may ask, 'Why?' It helps build business for the shop, the 'conversions' - people who sign up for the OW course - are students that we are subsequently compensated for teaching, they possibly become students in AOW courses (and beyond) that we are compensated for teaching, and all are divers who may patronize the shop and add to the bottom line. But, the main reason that many of us pitched in is that it is FUN. I finished my fourth one last Friday night, and had a blast. There was one gentleman who was a bit anxious at first just breathing underwater, so I stayed with him and his girlfriend for much of the session, helping him become more comfortable, while the DM leading the session worked with the remaining four participants, and by the end of the session this gentleman was thoroughly enjoying himself. He had a great experience, I felt good about helping him, and I got to spend another hour breathing compressed air. It was a nice way to spend the evening.
