SSQQ Business Policies at a Glance

There is the distinct possibility that SSQQ is the most complicated dance studio ever created. This page helps you review our policies quickly.   Please direct questions to:  Rick Archer   dance@ssqq.com

Dance classes are a "leisure time" activity. They are a great deal of fun.

However, as the word "leisure" implies, whenever something more important comes up, dance classes become expendable.  Over the course of a month - the length of a dance semester - the chances of "something coming up" are pretty good.  We accept this obvious reality without hesitation or rancor.

SSQQ averages 1,200 customers a month. The sheer numbers dictate that we set up basic ground rules known as "Policies" to put a limit on the amount of changes we can accept without going nuts.

The First Week of the Dance Semester is known as Registration Week. Each night we have 3 or 4 Registrars on duty to handle Walkin Registration, answer questions, handle problems and make changes.

First Night of Class is defined as the Night you register for. If you walk in the door and register on Monday, then Monday is your "First Night of Class".

If you use Online Registration and register for a Monday class, but walk in on Tuesday, Monday is still your legal "First Night of Class".

Changes such as Refunds or Course Switches must be made on or before the "First Night of Class" if you wish to avoid a penalty.

The First hour of the First night of class is important. Known as "Grace Period", it serves as an Evaluation Period.  This hour gives you the opportunity to take your class at no risk and make an informed decision as to whether the class is right for you or whether you wish to make a change. This change can be made during Break (8 pm weeknights or 5:30 pm weekends) at the Registration Desk.  

You can ask for a Refund. You can ask to switch to another class. There is no penalty to do either. We will give you your money back without rancor and we don't mind at all helping you transfer to another class if you wish.

"I hereby acknowledge that no one at your business forced me or tricked me into coming here. I come of my own free will.

I think I am interested enough in dance to show up at this place 4 times in a 30-day period. I understand if I lose interest for any reason or something more important comes up, I can take the class over again at a later date for free using my "Exception" or for half-price.

But if I choose to stick around after one hour of my first class, I won't get my money back no matter how much I kick, scream or holler. That's the risk I take."

Once the One-Hour Grace Period on the First Night of class is over, no Refunds will be issued. This rule applies to Online and Walkin equally. No exceptions.  If you do not wish to continue to take your class, your tuition will be placed in your account as "Credit".

You cannot cancel a class by email; only in person. However you may use email to postpone taking the class you signed up for to a later date.  You may use email to switch to another class in the same month (until the end of the second week).  You may use email to postpone your class to a later date. You can even transfer your class credit to another person in the form of a Gift Certificate.  dance@ssqq.com

90% of all Registrations are handled in the First Week. Since Refunds are almost never asked for in the Second Week, we shorten the Grace Period from one hour down to 30 minutes. In other words, the Registrar leaves after 30 minutes.

Third and Fourth
Week of Class

We do not permit Registration in the Third or Fourth Week of Class unless you obtain EMAIL PERMISSION in Advance (dance@ssqq.com). The Hall Monitor will stop you and turn you away. It is not fair to the existing class to allow people into class after the movie is "half over".  Now if you take a private lesson to catch up, that's another story... but you will still need an EMAIL PERMISSION SLIP.

No Refunds for Double Charges can be issued at the studio in the Third and Fourth Week for the simple reason that there is no Registrar on duty to help you.

Double Charges on
Credit Card

Electronic Transactions

Accidental double-charges on your credit card bill do occur. This problem is caused by the customer hitting the "Back Button" or the "Submit" button a 2nd time while the Internet is busy processing your initial Online Registration transaction.  Do not worry. We will not keep your money.

If you catch the problem quickly, we can handle it during Second Week Registration of the current month. Bring the information with you when you come in the Second Week.   If you catch the problem in the Third or Fourth Week, then we will handle it in the First Week of the following month.  Again we will need to see the paper evidence and we will need your Credit Card in order to swipe it AT THE STUDIO.

Electronic Transactions

There is a common misconception that all Registration Problems can be handled by emailing the studio and we magically hit a command and the problem goes away. Nothing could be further from the truth.  The real story is documented at great length in the article known as "Electronic Transactions".

Exception Rule

All Rules are made for a Reason, but we try to be understanding as well.  In addition, we consider "Ignorance of the Rules" to be a Legitimate Excuse. Our list of Rules and Policies is so vast that flexibility is sometimes called for.

Therefore we have an Exception Policy. If you ask for something that bends our Rules, but doesn't threaten to put us out of business, we might be able to say,

"This is the Policy and you can find it here on the Internet at www.ssqq.com, but if you wish, we will make an Exception for you in this situation.

Please email ssqq in advance to ask, dance@ssqq.com

Overcharges -
Paying Full Price for a
Repeat Class

The time to ask for any Refund is on or before the day your class starts at the studio. Bring your credit card.

Two or three times a month, we are approached after the fact with a refund request made by students who paid full price using OnLine or Walk-in for a class that they are repeating.  They ask for a refund.  This is too late.

After your class starts, there are no refunds. However we will gladly turn your overpayment into Credit.  Just email us at dance@ssqq.com.   One more thing - we are not mind-readers.  If you are repeating a class, please tell us so we can check the database and get the price right the first time.

Email Sent to
SSQQ Dance Studio

The SSQQ policy regarding email is that we have the right to reprint anything sent to us either in our Newsletter, on our website, or both.  This includes snail mail as well as email.

That said, if you let us know your correspondence is private, we promise to omit your name plus any references that might give away your identity.

You in turn have the right to reprint any of our direct correspondence and/or replies just as long as you do not change the wording.

House Rules

SSQQ averages 150 guests a night.  We have a lot of fun, but with this many people, SSQQ has to set common sense limits.  After all, even playgrounds have rules. Please take a look at the 12 Basic SSQQ House Rules.

Group Tuition Cannot be
Switched to Private Lessons

This deeply misunderstood Rule is explained at great length in the "Tuition Switch" article.  Basically it says: "A Deal is a Deal and we won't change the Deal after the fact". Please read the article for this to make any sense at all.