Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/25/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On February 10, 2025, I agreed to pay Hubert Gaffney $1200 for a trading education service, which I paid in full. The official invoice he provided explicitly states the service will "run for 12 weeks in total".Despite paying for a 12-week service, I only received 2.5 sessions. The schedule was consistently disrupted by Mr. ********************* who cancelled or rescheduled multiple sessions for personal reasons, including doctor's appointments and a power failure at his home. These disruptions are documented in our WhatsApp chat log and his own Zoom invitations.On June 11, 2025, I informed Mr. ******************** that my circumstances had changed and requested a pro-rata refund for the 9.5 unused sessions. He refused a refund, offering only credit. He also misrepresented the course terms and the number of sessions I had attended, directly contradicting his own invoice and the factual record.When I presented him with the evidence, he responded on August 24 with a hostile email, threatening me with his "legal counsel" for stating my intent to file a consumer complaint. He followed this with an intimidating WhatsApp message, creating a false deadline and stating, "The window closes eternally at that time".My desired resolution is a refund of $950 for the services I paid for but did not receive. I have attached all supporting documentation.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/05/2025

  Hubert gaffney is responding to the complaint of ******** ******* dated monday august 25 2025.   during this formal complaint the plaintiff cites that the defendant company Hubert Gaffney acting as an educator failed to deliver on the agreement to provide education to the complainanthe also states that he requested a refund and that he felt i used threatening tone with him.   now lets respond in kind to each issue the complainant raises.  

   

  1) first of all information complainant submits as invoice amount and payment he made is accurate and not in dispute.

  2) his classroom sessions from date of enrollment february 10 2025 through march 19 proceeded in a normal fashion as indicated in the original document which stated he would receive 9 sessions of one on one training and 3 follow up sessions as assessments to evaluate his progress for a total of 12 sessions or a price point of $100.00 per session in average although this is NOT the way it was sold or represented it was a flat course enrollment fee.  you attend your weekly sessions as agreed upon by the parties on february 10.    for the first 6 weeks everything was progressing normally.  i missed one session which was advised to the complainant as i lost power and had no acccess to internet which caused a session to be canceled and rescheduled.  he was kind and understanding when this occured.  

  3) after march 19 , mr ******** ******* suddenly vanished he failed to show up for his next 6 weekly sessions spanning march 19 through april 25thats 37 days absent see supporting email stating this as well as the chat ?? messages between the party..  the complainant apologized for missing classroom assignments and scheduled zoom meetings to which i was kind and understanding of his work schedule which he said was causing him stress and stopping him from attending note his original 9 weekly sessions spanning would have ended during this time and his 3 review sessions would have completed i didnt give him any difficulty and allowed him to continue

  4) from the april 25 contact he then proceeded to enter an even longer 47 day subsequent abscence period where he returned with messages stating again how busy he was as well as how difficult his life had become he even started his message with hey HG its been a minute yeah its been a lot of minutes and he stated i bet youve been wondering where i have been.yes thats true i tried to call him no response during those 47 daysafter the prior 37 days we had contact 2x and 84 days had passed thats 12 weeks of absence of unattended meetings etc. this was the first time he said he was sorryhe then asked about a refund on june 11 and i told him i dont issue refunds for classroom sessions i showed up to teach it was clearly him who did not show uphe even replied to my message on the no refund statingthat seems reasonable and that he understands i offered him the remaining sessions he had due to him individually or even in a group format whichever he preferred

  5) he then contacted again demanding refund and began threatening complaints with BBB and anyone who would listen to the frivolous complaint

  6) review here shows he abandoned the classroom for over 80+ days and apologized for it its clearly in writing in the text and then ive remained kind all along offering to provide him the sessions that he abandoned in an attempt to resolve his problems.  

  7) i have not changed my position on this matter ever..he acknowledged it and felt it was understandable.   

  8) then he raises his demand to an even more frivolous number stating he received 2.5 sessions onlythis is NOT true. he failed to attend 84 days in a row 12 weeks worth.i offered the best i could which was no penalty and he gets the education he requesteddespite his abandonment of the classroom.  

  9) during this period my zoom storage fees increased and my classroom fees also increased yet i still honored to teach him without even collecting the difference

  10) i owe mr ******** ******* NOTHING. it was he who did not show up my other classrooms clearly can testify to the fact i was there and his unattended sessions spanned 84 days he took on a course and left the classroom on his own choicei have never NOT one time stated i wouldnt teach him, but im not obligated to he violated the terms of the concept of the february 10 invoice

  11) this complaint as ive said since june 11 has no basis whatsoever and this gentleman has filed a complaint that is frivolous and should be filed against himself for failure to attend sessions and then showing up on 3 separate intervals and apologizing each time

  12) im quite certain after reviewing this matter you will see ive tried to resolve this matterthere is no refund policy where a student can abandon the classroom and expect a refund of any ******* feel ive been overly kind to even allow the sessions to be taught afterwards the vacancy which is at greater cost to me.

  please let me know this matter has been reviewed and closed i will not be threatened by a person who failed to show up for their classroom sessions for 84 days and be expected to refund anything ..

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/05/2025

  Complaint: 23791329
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau Case Manager,

  Thank you for forwarding Mr. ********************** response. His account of events is largely inaccurate and contradicts the extensive documentary evidence I have already provided with my complaint. I would like to offer the following factual rebuttal.
  1. Regarding the Claim of a "Normal" Schedule and My "Abandonment": Mr. ******************** falsely claims that sessions proceeded normally for six weeks before I "suddenly vanished". This is untrue. The schedule was inconsistent from the beginning due to Mr. ********************** own unavailability.
  As shown in the WhatsApp log and his own Zoom invitations, Mr. ******************** cancelled or rescheduled sessions on February 19th, March 6th, March 15th (due to a power failure he admits), and March 17th .
  
  My messages in April and **** were polite updates about my changing work schedule, which was a direct result of this initial period of inconsistency. There was no "abandonment"; there was a pause in a service that was never delivered reliably.
  2. Regarding the Number of Sessions Attended: Mr. ******************** claims my count of 2.5 sessions is "NOT true," but provides no evidence. My claim is based on the factual record:
  We had sessions on Feb 12 and Mar 15. The session on Mar 6 was a one-hour half-session, confirmed in our WhatsApp chat .
  
  I challenge Mr. ******************** to provide any evidence to the contrary, such as Zoom attendance logs, to support his position.
  3. Regarding My "Agreement" to a No-Refund Policy: Mr. ******************** is misrepresenting a polite phrase, "it makes sense," as a legal agreement. This is a gross misinterpretation. In the messages that immediately followed, I continued to pursue a refund, which clearly shows I did not agree with his policy .
  
  4. Regarding the Service Agreement: Mr. ******************** now claims the service was a "flat course enrollment fee." This contradicts the invoice he wrote, which clearly states the service would
  "run for 12 weeks in total" . Furthermore, his invoice uses the term "subtotal" for the $1200 fee, which implies the total is comprised of individual parts (the 12 weekly sessions), not a single, indivisible fee . As the service was not fully delivered, a pro-rata refund is the standard and fair consumer outcome.

  
  In conclusion, Mr. ********************** response ignores the evidence of his own invoice and communications. He has fabricated a narrative of "abandonment" to justify keeping $950 for a service he did not provide. My request is not frivolous; it is a documented claim for a refund based on the facts.
  

  I maintain my request for a $950 refund.
  Thank you for your time and assistance.
  
  Regards,
  
  ******** *******
  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/16/2025

  hubert gaffney is responding dated tuesday september 16 2025 

  attention to the case manager of complaint ******** and the complaint of ******** *******. 

  this response is a reply to the correspondence of the original complainant and his frivolous additional response where he is basically restating his original complaint to wit ive already responded .   it shows exactly what the actual real complaint is.  Mr ******* requested a service and paid his payment for the service and i acknowledged that the payment was received.  the original response and the original complaint both state the invoice period that was to be covered.and in fact my classroom was operating and was ready to teach mr ******* during the time period.  

  mr ******* claims that he has submitted his documentation and it is in fact that documentation that shows it was the complainant that violated the boundaries of the invoice which he claims were courteous contacts on not once but on two separate occasions when Mr ******* elected to leave the classroom and not show up or make contact for extensive periods of time he abandoned his service agreement. still in good faith i responded in kind genuinely concerned for his behavior as it is NOT normal for a beginner student to elect a 9 week session with 3 follow up sessions and then suddenly not show up.   

  he stated this on two separate occasions with the reasons he cited of being busy with his new work assignments and his personal abscence and even acknowledged my reply to him as HE UNDERSTOOD.   that is clearly a clear indication he abandoned his classroom assignments and not only did it once but did it twice it was after the second occasion he first raised his request for a refund and he was told that under NO circumstances in his absence of attending the classroom would ANY refund be issued.   He made the choice to not attend and then he has since taken the approach to attempt to strong arm the situation by stating he is owed money that he is not owed.  in good faith response to him then and still continuing through current i have agreed to provide Mr. ******* what he signed up for.  i even offered him to transfer the classroom sessions to a group environment if he wished that service as well but there was never a provision for refund in the original invoice and it was NOT me who abandoned the classroom sessions.  his own submitted testimony states this on two separate occasions. 

  i responded and he acknowledged and understood my response apparently he feels as though he can sign up for service stated to be delivered between a range of dates and then not show up and expect a refundunfortunately no business would operate that waythe materials for mr ******* classroom education period were secured the classroom was open and he failed to show up.  this clear abandoned classroom was his fault.   i couldnt be any kinder than i was and offered him to transfer to group class or complete his additional classroom sessions he abandoned.  i didnt even have to offer that but i did in the effort of providing a peaceful environment and resolution of his blatant abandonment.   

  mr ******* doesnt write the script of how my classroom will be taught or how my classroom handles students who abandon the education classroom.  i felt i was being more than kind offering him to teach the classes he purposely missed to pursue his own goals.. 

  im under no statutory responsibility or obligation to provide mr ******* any refund of any kind.  if you fail to show up for services you intended to attend the rule of law is clear.  it is the same as buying a ticket for an event you then fail to attend..  

  Mr ******* acknowledges his responsibility in his submitted statement and clearly in his text messages as well after disappearing for time periods that stretched way beyond the scope of the intended service,,

  it remains my position that there will be NO REFUND issued and i have been consistent with this since he raised this frivolous statement and requested the same which the evidence then clearly shows i rejected and stated then why that would not be happening.  

  i offer a final opportunity for mr ******* to accept what ive offered which was to give him the balance of his classroom education in either direct or group environment in good faith which is NOT REQUIRED but im simply trying to offer a peaceful resolution to the matter. 

  mr ******* classroom period was now more than 2 quarters ago the costs of which were paid to secure services he abandoned it is beyond kind i would offer to even provide the replacement classroom sessions.  it is not required of me but i felt it was the best solution. i dont want any student to not be satisfied. Mr ******* is the only student who has ever abandoned my classroom. 

  every other statement made in his complaint is frivolous and unnecessary and only occurs after the act which caused the abandonment which was Mr. ******* personal and work schedule changed and he chose to blow off or ignore for extensive periods twice the classroom. he then suddenly reappears which he says was in courtesyin fact when he returned he was already outside of the intended window of service still i never told i wouldnt teach him 

  this is nothing more than mr ******* abandonment of his invoice and education class he paid for and then his strong arm attempt to extort a haneous amount of a refund.  a refund he has been told since he requested it DOES NOT exist as he failed to show up for two lengthy periods 

  i hope the BBB has enough information to close this case in favor myself the business owner and defendant. i offered a balance of service to be kind which is identical to what he originally invoiced despite his blatant disregard for my classroom sessions. its clear he thinks he can choose a service not attend and be owed something im sorry mr ******* that is incorrect.  

  my offer remains intact.  if thats not what he wants he is free to pursue his next legal step in the court system.  

  i thank you again for attempting to bring resolution to this matter and thank you and your service for the kind work that you do for the worldwide community.   

  most sincerely 

  Hubert Gaffney 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/18/2025

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: 23791329
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau Case Manager,

  This is my final response to Mr. ********************** submission. His reply offers no new evidence and repeats claims that are directly contradicted by the extensive documentation already on file.

  1. His central claim is that I "abandoned" classes. This is false. Mr. ******************** uses the analogy of missing a ticketed event. This is a false equivalence. A ticketed event has a fixed time. This was a personal coaching service that required mutual scheduling for each session.
  Mr. ******************** falsely claims I missed weekly sessions after March 19. As the complete communication record on file shows, I received no Zoom invitations, no emails, and no WhatsApp messages from him scheduling these supposed sessions. One cannot miss appointments that were never made. Furthermore, his claim in his first response to the BBB that he tried to call me is also untrue; I have no record of any missed calls or voicemails from him. The burden of proof is on the business to show these classes were scheduled. Mr. ******************** has provided zero evidence because none exists.

  2. The service agreement is for a service delivered over time. The invoice he provided clearly states the service would "run for 12 weeks in total" and uses the term "subtotal." This contradicts his claim that it was a single, indivisible fee. Since the service was not fully delivered, a pro-rata refund is the standard and fair consumer outcome.
  

  3. Mr. ********************** offer to teach the remaining classes, or transfer me to a group session, is not an acceptable or practical resolution. If my schedule could not accommodate a flexible one-on-one session, it certainly cannot accommodate a group session at a fixed time. I am seeking a refund for a service that was not provided, not a credit for a service I can no longer use.
  

  4. Finally, I must note for the record that Mr. ********************** responses, both to me directly and to the BBB, have been consistently hostile. He continues to dismiss my evidence-based claim as "frivolous" and an "attempt to extort," which has made a direct, amicable resolution impossible.

  Conclusion: Mr. ********************** entire argument rests on his unsupported fiction that classes were scheduled weekly for me to miss. The evidence demonstrates that the service I paid for was not delivered.

  Based on the extensive documentation provided, I maintain my request for a refund of $950.

  Thank you for your assistance.
  Sincerely, 
  
  Regards,
  
  ******** *******