My New Horizons Sucks Story - Page 5

Specifically, I told the machine that if my wife's money was not refunded, that I was going to get a web site going called newhorizonssucks.com^[3], and that I would be performing an informational picket outside of their building, holding a sign that said "Ask me about my experience with New Horizons", and handing out flyers relating my experience to their next batch of potential students.

Mr. Thompson called back while I was at work, and very courteously left a message stating that he had received my complaint, was reviewing the situation, and would get back to me "by the end of the day or at the latest, tomorrow."

That was Wednesday. The day after Wednesday is Thursday.

On Friday, August 4, 2000, I called Mr. Thompson back again, getting his voicemail once more. Since he had apparently slipped into "ignore" mode, my message was a gentle reminder to him that he had promised to get back to me and that he hadn't done so. I merely asked him to get back to me so I could plan how much money to budget for legal expenses. That's all. No big.

He called back. He scheduled a meeting for Tuesday, August 8, 2000 with himself, me, and his Director of Sales and Marketing, Alozie Aguwa. Why the Marketing Director would have to be involved in this meeting was beyond my immediate comprehension, but would soon become clear. My wife was traveling on business all week, so she couldn't attend. Mr. Thompson was very well aware of that fact, and I asked specifically whether or not it would be worth my time to come in for a meeting without her. He assured me that it was not necessary for her to be along for this initial meeting.

When I showed up on Tuesday, it immediately became apparent to me why the Marketing Director was involved. Unlike the Manager, Mr, Thompson, who I probably would adjudge to be a reasonable guy if he ever spoke enough to give me any impression at all, Marketing Director Aguwa was a bulldog.

He started the meeting by suggesting that the meeting not take place at all, since my wife was not present to tell her story. This was of course after Mr. Thompson specifically scheduled the meeting knowing full well that my wife was out of town.

After convincing Mr. Aguwa to generously allow the meeting to take place, I proceeded to spend the next 40 minutes sitting in his office, and most of that time was taken up by an oratory delivered by Mr. Aguwa, who stressed these two points repeatedly and in myriad ways:

1. I was a bad person, and

2. I was wrong.