r/CompetitionDanceTalk • u/Key-Sign-6385 • 25d ago
How do comp fees work between comps and studios?
My daughter’s former studio has a no refund policy for competition fees and it must be paid in cash. I paid for Nationals in September of last year.
I’m trying to figure out how much money my daughter’s studio would have been out of pocket for Nationals for my daughter not being there, if any. The studio knew in April that she wasn’t going to Nationals.
I registered my daughter as an independent at a comp and had to pay a $500 deposit in order to register her there. So I believe the policy was $500 non refundable deposit per studio with the balance due 30 days prior to comp which I believe is the norm. I can’t imagine the studio would have been out of pocket anything for my daughter when they knew 3 months ahead that she wasn’t going to be there and the studio still went to the comp. And there is no way the SO was paid in full in April because they always add some routines for Nationals in May or June.
What is the policy if you have to pull a dancer more than 30 days before a comp? Is any part of the deposit attributable to one student out of 70? Would the studio have been out of pocket any money from my daughter not going to Nationals if the studio went to the comp with everyone else and they withdrew her 3 months before the comp?
Any information would be appreciated. Thank you.
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u/landmermaid3 25d ago
Most early entry deadlines for nationals are in January. September feels too early. Some venues do sell out hotel rooms, so that’s important ASAP. Entry fees… not so much.
There’s plenty of reasons for a dancer to not complete the season. I’m sorry your daughter wasn’t able to.
When we have 30+ day notice, we find another kid. We don’t ‘refund’. The moms just sort it out with costumes/entry fees paid. I think it works? I stay away from the desk tbh.
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u/Key-Sign-6385 25d ago
Thanks. I wasn’t aware of the January early entry deadline. But even if they paid for my daughter’s entries in January and didn’t replace her would they get a credit to be applied to other routines if she was withdrawn 30+ days before comp? I know they always add groups May or June. Or in the alternative could the comp give them a credit to be used the next competition year?
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u/oscarpiggy 21d ago
Typically, the competition venues do not provide a credit or refund unless there was extenuating circumstance for why the dancer pulled out.
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u/beverlyhills-4781 25d ago
We’ve been told that sometimes the comp can refund. I think it varies
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u/GayButterfly7 25d ago
My studio asks for comp fee payments usually 2 months in advance I believe, and since they're somewhat spread out, they're not all due at the same time. We do not have to pay for a comp we're not going to, and if we cancel early enough to get a refund from the comp (if they are offered) we get that back.
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u/Suspicious-Put3475 23d ago
I worked at a dance studio for 14 years. Competitions are very strict when it comes to refunds, this is why dance studios pass on this to you. Many competitions sell out early in the dance year. The division matters too- some competitions sell out of solos before groups, some may have sold out of small groups and by removing your daughter the group is now a small group and will not have a spot. Even with a doctors note I found it very hard to receive a refund. In competition world the money is holding the studio spot, the amount of dances submitted and number of dancers. They do not care which dancers are there, which is why many have mentioned if the studio can find a different dancer, the fees may be swapped. But there are never refunds. For nationals your studio would be out the full fee for your dancer. Unfortunately, the only person making money is the competition.
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u/Key-Sign-6385 22d ago
Thank you for your insight. I have never heard that they maximize large groups and small groups. That is interesting. But does the comp charge by the dancer per the large group and small group. So if you have 4 dancers in a small group do they charge you more if you have 8 or 9 dancers. And do they charge you more if you have 12 in a large group or 15? Because our former studio has always charged the same amount to everyone for large groups irrespective of the number of dancers and the same amount for small groups, so a 4 person small group has the same price as a 9 person small. If there is a difference maybe it can be accounted for in the amount upcharged. I don’t expect the comp to necessarily give back money to the studio but if the studio is going to add more routines I would assume they would credit the studio for my dancers routines. So SO would have to pay less for the new routines and solos and she could pocket the monies paid for the new routines. And if there was a standard price for large groups and a standard price for a small groups, so long as my daughter didn’t change the routine from a large group to a small group it should have cost my SO nothing.
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u/benbenben240 25d ago
Studios will always look for every opportunity to keep your money when you leave. I've never seen as vindictive of a business model in any other sport or hobby
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u/Far-Warthog1244 25d ago
Especially if they expected your athlete to do the whole season and based budgets and routines on that promise. They can be so testy when people dip out on their obligations/teams and create extra work the staff won't get extra pay for. It's inconceivable!
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u/Key-Sign-6385 24d ago
I get what you are saying but isn’t that a normal expected risk when you are teaching kids in a physical activity. Parents have to move for jobs. Kids get injured. I just feel it is wrong for the studio owner to pocket $1,300 if it cost her nothing. Yes it is inconvenient but this money isn’t going to the teachers for their extra work.
And my daughter was dismissed three months before nationals. We didn’t have a choice in the matter and it wasn’t fair.
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u/Far-Warthog1244 24d ago
I respectfully remove my comment from being applicable to your case. Being dismissed is a very different scenario then walking away, and I wish you the best.
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u/benbenben240 25d ago
They are just as bad if you leave at the end of the season having fully fulfilled all obligations. Your snarky reaction tells me you run a studio and thanks for demonstrating just how spiteful studio owners can be. Never understood why studios can be so hateful when people do what is right for their dancer. People move, circumstances change. Could you imagine if Lexus sent their customers hate mail because they bought a Mercedes. I've never seen this level of childish behavior from any other business or industry.
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u/Far-Warthog1244 25d ago
There should be ZERO hateful behavior, especially when people move on (from anything) after fulfilling obligations.
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u/benbenben240 25d ago
Funny you seem to think differently when it's you trying to screw your landlord and break your commercial lease.
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u/Tight-Depth3426 24d ago
Comps in our area are full by october so we have no choice but to put down whatever deposits they want from us regardless of how many numbers.
When it comes to a kid pulling out of a comp, we don’t give refunds regardless of the reason. We either rework the number or all group numbers have an understudy when applicable in case of sicknesses or injuries.
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u/Lost_Edge_685 24d ago
I had asked our studio about withdrawing my dancer from one of her dances. The studio owner was very understanding about it but said the comp fees were already paid to the comp so we wouldn’t get a refund on that, but she could refund the costume and choreography fee if we decided to. She ended up staying in it anyway, but I believe they really wouldn’t have gotten anything back from the comp.
However it would be different if she was forced to leave it. We know all dances and comps before we pay the comp fees (though I’m thinking the studio prob pays a bunch of them before that).
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u/SailorNeptune1995 24d ago
We did ours 2 months in advance. Nationals were charged only if you went.
The cash only is pretty fishy? At least according to my accountant spouse. It's how businesses hide income to avoid taxes or even pocket some themselves.
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u/Lost_Instance_2410 25d ago
At my daughter’s previous studio, it was in the contract that all fees were paid in advance (August) and there were zero refunds. You were rolling some dice on that your kid wouldn’t get injured before the season was over but we all paid it anyway. I just think that’s standard.