Update 7/8/10 9:54am – I am very happy to report that last Wednesday I deposited a refund check and it has since cleared. Thank you to Robbie-Davis Floyd for facilitating the refund!
Update 5/25/10 11:00am – Thank you to those who suggested I contact Robbie Davis-Floyd. She and I exchanged emails yesterday and we have a plan in place. Hopefully this will be all worked out soon. I will keep you posted via this page.
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I remember how excited I was in August 2009 when I registered for the 2010 Controversies in Childbirth conference as well as a preconference technology session on marketing your birth business. I had no idea that 4 months later it would be canceled and 5 months after that, I would still be waiting for my $570 refund. (If you want to hear the full story, continue reading, if you want to know how you can help, skip ahead.)
I have emailed and called Alan Huber, Conference Coordinator multiple times since the conference was canceled via an email dated 12/30/09. It wasn’t until 10 weeks later, on March 11, 2010, were my communications acknowledged via an email from Mr. Huber.
He assured me that I will receive a refund but that he would “give priority to those that indicate[d] that waiting a few months for their refund would create a severe hardship” and that if I “must have [my] refund in the next few weeks, please e-mail [him] back and let [him] know.”
I immediately emailed him back explaining that not only was I out $570 cash, which was a hardship in and of itself, but I now also held over $1200 in Southwest Airlines credit as my family was going to spend a week in Tampa and make the conference our annual vacation. If I didn’t buy $1200 worth of tickets and fly on them by October 15, 2010, I would be out that money as well. All told, my checking account was $1800 lighter for a conference that was ultimately canceled.
It’s been 10 weeks since I sent that email. I haven’t heard a word from Mr. Huber nor have I received a check in the mail or a credit on my credit card account.
I have called my credit card company to contest the charge only to learn that even if I had contested it the day the conference was canceled, it would have been to late. Charges need to be contested within 60 days and the conference was canceled 120 days after I registered.
I’m sharing all this because I’m hoping you can help me.
If you have found the website and/or the classes helpful or if you just think I’m a fantastic person with a good haircut, please email Alan Huber at huber at businessofbirth dot com and ask him to expedite the refund due to VBAC Facts for the canceled 2010 Controversies in Childbirth conference. I, and the digital projector I need to fix or replace before my upcoming July class, would greatly appreciate it.
OMG! What a crock! How completely unprofessional for him to hold your refund. That is so incredibly inappropriate. I’ll be sending an email. It’s sad that it’s gone on for this long.
Done. I hope it helps. I almost went to that conference. Eek!
He is with (dating) Robbie Davis Floyd, but I don’t trust him one bit. Ask Barbara Harper about him.
I’m so sorry.
Done. You’re welcome.
I sent out a quick e-mail too. I hope it helps. Too bad the conference was canceled. I wanted to go too.
Just sent an email. What a CROOK, and a crok! I asked him to carve out just a few minutes to process your refund TODAY!
Just found the phone# for the conference on the bottom of their website, I’ll call in the morning!
http://www.birthconference.org/ShowPage.asp?id=234
I sent an email. I hope you get your refund pronto. I’ve met Mr. Huber before. That’s all I’ve got to say.
Threaten legal action. Get an attorney friend or volunteer to write a formal letter.
You can file a small claims lawsuit against him if you need to. Or just threaten it – we’ve done that before in a difficult situation and just the threat was enough to get things moving. I hope you get this figured out.
He should have had conference insurance in case of cancellation.
Good luck, I am sorry you are dealing with this.
Done. Hopefully you have in your account by the end of the week.
Hey I’ve met A. H. too and that’s not all I’m gonna say. Scummy doesn’t even cover it with his bizarre remarks about how he attends birth and nursing conferences such as the AWHONN conference because “the nurses are hot”, and much more. Here are two other phone numbers for you that you can try: [edited] and [edited]. Good luck and keep us posted.
I deleted the phone numbers that you left because I would hate to have the wrong/old phone numbers up there and people not involved receiving angry calls. People can use the phone number available at the bottom birthconference.org website which is (512) 709-4022.
Thank you so much for your help and support!
Done!
The website for the conference has been taken down. Obviously he’s getting the message. I hope you get your refund soon!
Apparently he has taken down the website now. Scumbag. I hope you get your refund soon!
I sent him a “nice” email, and I cc’ed you so you can read my response. This is bullshit and we need to get RID of this man. He does NOT belong in childbirth education.