The proposed settlement offer seems to be standard fare. They admit nothing, agree to change the language of their marketing materials to include a phrase about their right to cancel classes whenever they feel like it, and offer a proposed solution that costs them nothing and provides the plaintiffs little.
However, the good news is it may actually benefit you, if you've been screwed by NH and their little "club memberships." If you are eligible for class member status (If you purchased a "club membership", including technical training club, technical track, technical program, certification program, technical boot camp, or any other similar technical training program where the right to take more than one technical training class was purchased as a package between September 4, 1998 through March 4, 2004) then if the settlement goes through, you can take the following 8 courses online, free of charge, unlimited for 6 months starting in December 2004 (all dates are tentative, pending approval of settlement.)
Introduction to Networking – Learn what computer networks are and how they are used, by examining the various components and their functions.
Application Developer – Learn how to write print-to-screen scripts, customize Web page hit counters, create and use business forms that interact with text files and manipulate data in a database.
Convergent Network Technologies – Explore the technology of voice and data integration, frame relay and the principles of transmitting voice calls and fax over the Internet, as well as how to transmit more than one type of signal simultaneously by way of divided channel.
Database Specialist – Learn how to plan and design relational databases and the theory behind relational databases, relational database nomenclature, and relational algebra.
Introduction to Telecom – Learn how to install and troubleshoot analog and digital phone lines in home and Private Branch eXchange (PBX) installations by providing detailed coverage of telephony standards and best practices.
Internet Foundations – A course designed to guide students through the Internet and its wide array of useful resources including how to use key Internet technologies, such as Web browsers, e-mail, newsgroups and File Transfer Protocol (FTP).
Object Oriented Design – Discover basic object-oriented design and analysis techniques using UML in the context of the Unified Software Development Process.
Operating System Security – Learn networking skills relating to Information Security and how to harden a Linux or a Windows Network Environment.
The page at the New Horizons web site that leads you to this court-ordered public legal notice is not linked to anywhere I could find. According to Google, there are no links to it anywhere on the web, and I couldn't even find it in the site map of the NH site. The on-site search engine didn't seem to know it existed either. Odd, huh? One might think that NH doesn't WANT the people they screwed over to know they have a settlement coming.
Anyway, for those who don't want to sift through the whole document, a bit of info regarding claiming your settlement or excluding yourself from the class:
To participate in the Settlement and attend any of the Courses, you will be required to send a request by electronic mail to the following address: bellclassaction@newhorizons.com. Once the e-mail is received, each Settlement Class Member will receive an e-mail in response providing the Settlement Class Member with an electronic link to provide access to the Online LIVEi Archive Learning site. Upon entry to the site each Settlement Class Member will be prompted to submit a form releasing the Released Claims. Upon submission of the release, any Settlement Class Member may participate in any or all of the Courses.
EXCLUSION FROM THE CLASS You may request to be excluded from the Settlement Class. To do so, you must mail a signed, written request to:
WOLF POPPER LLP
Lester L. Levy
Patricia I. Avery
845 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10022
The request for exclusion must state: (1) your name, address, telephone number; and e-mail address; (2) the New Horizons Computer Learning Center at which you had purchased technical classes as part of a package; and (3) that you wish to be excluded from the Settlement Class. TO BE VALID, A REQUEST FOR EXCLUSION MUST STATE ALL OF THE FOREGOING INFORMATION AND MUST CLEARLY STATE THE INTENTION TO BE EXCLUDED FROM THE SETTLEMENT CLASS. YOUR EXCLUSION REQUEST MUST BE POSTMARKED ON OR BEFORE AUGUST 26, 2004. If you submit a valid and timely request for exclusion, you shall have no rights under the Settlement, shall not be entitled to take any of the Courses provided under the Settlement, and shall not be bound by the Stipulation of Settlement or the Judgment.
New Horizons page about the class action settlement
The actual notice of hearing and proposed settlement.
The same document mirrored at my site (just in case people have trouble getting it from NH)
Frequently Asked Questions about the site.
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The name "New Horizons" is a registered trademark of New Horizons Worldwide, Inc. The name "New Horizons Computer Learning Centers" also belongs to New Horizons Worldwide, Inc. All other copyrighted or trademarked names contained herein belong to their respective owners.
"newhorizonssucks.net" is registered to Joseph Betz. All inferences contained herein that New Horizons Computer Learning Centers, New Horizons Worldwide, Inc., or any other person or entity "suck" are the personal opinion of Joseph Betz and should not be construed otherwise. New Horizons Worldwide, Inc., its subsidiaries and franchisees, are neither responsible for the content of this site nor have they given approval of any of the materials contained herein. |