Naples Air Center - Not returning deposits

[monkeyboy]

Has anybody else had any experience of Naples Air Center not returning their $500 deposits "one week after settling your final bill"?

Myself and a flying partner left NAC after doing some hour building and were assured our $500 deposits would be reimbursed in a week's time. Three weeks later - after numerous emails and having even spoken to them by phone where they again said it would be reimbursed we still do not have our $500.

Curious to know if this is a regular occurance because I must admit up until this happened I used to think of Naples Air Center as being one of the best FTOs in Florida. Not anymore, I'm afraid. :*:*:*

Does the US have an equivalent of the Office of Fair Trading or some such who you can approach if companies fail to return deposits?

:* :*:*:*:*


MB

[notice]

Although there have been problems with Naples, they are big advertisers/customers of PPRuNe so local officials are toothless.

To be fair, you must say:
- on what basis and for what purposes did you pay a deposit?
- what reason was given, if/when you settled-up when you left, for deposit not being credited against the balance due from you?


Sorry to challenge your complaint but I have heard such stories before when the truth was that the culprits had wrecked the aircraft or accomodation and had totally blown their deposit !

[reynoldsno1]

My own experience of dealing with just about any company in the US is that it takes a fair old while to get any deposit back!! NAC's financial function may be some distance removed from their operational function...

[monkeyboy]

Notice, no need to apologise for challenging, I know what you mean. :D

The deposit was paid two months before our arrival and as far as I was aware everybody paid this regardless of what they were using the school for. I think it covers admin and visa processing etc...

On the day of our departure, we paid our outstanding bills in full by credit card and left on good terms, in the understanding that the deposits would be reimbursed in a week's time.

What annoys me is that after the second week, still with no refund, we phoned NAC only to be told that our deposits had not been flagged on the system to be refunded and that they would be done ASAP..........and one week on from that phone call we're still waiting! :*

I don't care if Naples Air Center are good customers of this site, the fact still remains that they don't refund student's deposits when they say they will.

MB

[scroggs]

Whether or not a company is an advertiser on this site, it does not absolve them from the requirements of good service. As notice says, there can be good reasons for witholding a deposit. I assume that's not the case here. There also can be genuine mistakes made; let's hope this is one of them.

NAC have a generally good reputation here, notwithstanding their troubles earlier this year, and I'm sure they'd like it to stay that way. I, and many others, would be interested to hear how your complaint is handled now it's public.

Scroggs

[PPRuNe Towers]

Please note wannabees.

Notice runs a rival FTO and never misses a chance to put the boot into other Florida schools and NAC in particular. Note how he has a go and then immediately starts backing up the rights of an FTO owner to withhold deposits.

As I said recently, FTO owners and employees will be outed as such each and every time they overstep the mark with their backbiting agendas. However, if you you suspect there might be some validity in his point regarding protecting advertisers just put Ryanair or easyJet in the search engine - our two biggest advertisers. Don't forget to set a side a couple of days to read the heavily protected and censored results!!

Finally, perhaps as relaxation rather than anything useful, you can search by poster rather than subject. Read the extensive and collected works of 'notice.' Decide for yourself whether or not this floridian FTO operator has ever made a post that offers UK wannabees a single item of useful, pertinent or positive information.

You might even say that the ID is used solely for the Floridian bitching and backbiting I described a couple of weeks ago - I couldn't possibly comment of course:} :} :}

Meantime, as the US East Coast wakes up we look forward to the reponse from NAC.

Regards
Rob Lloyd

[mad_jock]

Notice proberly has more time on his hands now he has left wales ;)

MJ

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

monkeyboy (Lloyd Bentley),

My sincerest apologies in this matter. I am sorry you felt this was the place you needed to vent your frustrations.

The problem falls squarely on my shoulders. I should have contacted you sooner on the issue.

Your Deposit on 22 April 2003 was not put in a pending account. It was directly credited to your account in invoice 095613. When you started flying on 17 June 2003, you were actually using the money that was supposed to have been kept as a deposit. You actually used up the $500.00, that was supposed to have been slated as a deposit, by 19 June 2003.

I did not reply back to you immediately with the answer because I was personally reviewing every invoice from 22 April 2003 until 5 July 2003 in order to make sure you did not have another deposit. (About 2,000 invoices.)

Once again please accept my apologies,

Capt. Richard J. Gentil, Pres.
Naples Air Center, Inc.

[Megaton]

Sad thing is that the agenda is sooo transparent; however, useful to warn newcomers to the site. In an idle moment, I looked up his postigs and they all concerned Floridian FTOs or Air Wales. How bizzare! At least NAC, BGS and a few others have the integrity to idntify themselves fully as being involved in the training business.

[monkeyboy]

Richard, thank you for finally getting back to me. How ironic that it's taken a posting on pprune to get the full attention of your establishment despite emails and a phone call.

I am a little dismayed to read that I apparantly used up my $500 deposit to pay for flying - even though this was never mentioned to me throughout my 3 weeks of being with yourselves and nor was it mentioned when we finalised our bills and were told that our $500 deposits would be returned in a week.

My training partner and I will now review our original invoices to see just how exactly our $500 deposits were 'used up'.

Needless to say, I am extremely disappointed.

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

Lloyd,

Even though it was an error on our part not keeping a deposit on your account, the money had been on your account for your use since 22 April 2003, and it showed on every statement we printed for you along with the last statement which was printed upon your departure.

Part of your hour building package specified that you had to keep your account in credit at all times in order to be able to rent the aircraft. Do not forget that we did allow you to fly even though you were deep in the hole on 3 July 2003 and did not get your account in credit again until the day you finished your flying on 5 July 2003.

We do try to work with people in order to help them reach their goals.

Once again I do apologize,

Richard

P.S. Your Training Partner (Sarah) has already had her deposit refunded.

[scroggs]

Richard, thanks for clearing this up. As ever, there are two sides to the story. Can I suggest that you and Lloyd complete the discussion in private?

Scroggs

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

Scroggs,

I agree with you. I would prefer to continue this in pivate too.

Thank You,

Richard

[notice]

In response to above 'official' libel, by LLoyd, I neither run nor own any FTO rival, or otherwise, to NAC. I did not favour the customer or FTO but indicated that there are always at least two sides to any story, as has become abundantly clear in this case.

Your other lie was 'You might even say that the ID (notice) is used solely for the Floridian bitching and backbiting'.

I did what the liar suggested (search) and confirmed that my recent postings are as below.

The US Visas clarification was promised (by PPRuNe Scroggs), on 11 March, and it would 'help Wannabees'. Most of the rest seems to have nothing obvious to do with FTO's, Florida or Wannabees.

notice recent postings on:
Us Visas notice Professional Pilot Training (includes ground studies) 5 116 28th July 2003 20:06
by Evo

Airport Development in the south east. Say again s l o w l y Airlines, Airports & Routes 21 774 28th July 2003 16:53
by Say again s l o w l y

Us Visa Reqs. notice Private Flying 1 90 27th July 2003 08:24
by bpilatus

Where to do PPL training: big airport or small airfield? Fancy Navigator Private Flying 28 1014 26th July 2003 00:01
by BigGreenPleasureMachine

Trouble at Air Wales Shed Driver Airlines, Airports & Routes 92 17880 18th July 2003 10:55
by civil aviation

FLYBE takes off from Exeter Buster the Bear Airlines, Airports & Routes 36 3280 13th July 2003 22:14
by Wycombe

jet2 expands into northern ireland glynn-kayes Airlines, Airports & Routes 14 1779 11th July 2003 11:27
by eastern wiseguy

Flybe prepares for sale ! the_tyke Airlines, Airports & Routes 8 2065 7th July 2003 09:25
by MarkD

Fly BE "will sue for millions" Flight Level Zero Airlines, Airports & Routes 12 2057 1st July 2003 10:57
by titfield

Air Wales richardhall99 Airlines, Airports & Routes 89 10200 19th June 2003 16:29
by SimJock

Bmi Baby - New Routes Powerjet1 Airlines, Airports & Routes 18 1734 15th June 2003 23:09
by eastern wiseguy

New Uk Airline "Air Southwest" BAe 146-100 Airlines, Airports & Routes 2 838 2nd June 2003 02:48
by MarkD

USA Visas notice Professional Pilot Training (includes ground studies) 5 317 24th May 2003 13:44
by B2N2

Humberside on the up? MD11FAN Airlines, Airports & Routes 15 1260 21st May 2003 12:50
by Chillwinston

Jet2 performance? chrisleeds2003 Airlines, Airports & Routes 8 1054 20th May 2003 08:42
by Localiser Green

Why does the mail pick on My Travel keepitlit Airlines, Airports & Routes 15 1579 19th May 2003 10:08
by Splat

Usa Visa Reqs. notice Private Flying 2 77 17th May 2003 14:19
by EKKL

Ryanair Launch Route To Ostend BAe 146-100 Airlines, Airports & Routes 8 659 9th May 2003 23:16
by notice

Finningley Airport, Doncaster gets the Green Light from HMG Thrush Airlines, Airports & Routes 24 2365 21st April 2003 01:38
by RAFAT

[PPRuNe Towers]

Sorry notice,
forgot to mention your recent fixation with the Leeds and Humberside areas and internal lo-cost UK start ups resulting from your Capital days no doubt. Another of your deeply respected operations.

Also, as you're so keen to point out, there are indeed two sides to ever story. Most regrettably there seems to have been some sort of technical problem we really must attend to on your behalf.

Somehow the software has tragically kicked off when you made your first ever post off the subject of Florida schools on the 21st of April this year. It is most unfortunate that the previous 50 posts covering some two pages of listings didn't appear in your thrilling precis. While I may be a nasty cynic not even I think you missed out the 50 posts because every single one was on this or the Private Flying forum taking a poke at other Florida schools.

Just who on earth do you think you are kidding?? Haven't you twigged yet - bluff, bullying and bluster just doesn't work in print. You really are very sad indeed.

Therefore still happy to stand by my opinion of your shallow, spiteful 'contributions' to this and the Private Flying forum.


Rob Lloyd

[MVE]

I have to ask....

Why the :mad: didn't you know you had already used up your deposit?

Seems like you could have saved us all a wasted effort reading this thread if you had been responsible for your own finances instead of expecting your FTO to babysit you!

and of course if you had been following your costs while you were training, why did you not withhold the $500 from your final payment?

Or am I being too simplistic?

Perhaps a little more personal responsibility was in order here?

[G SXTY]

Having enjoyed a somewhat ‘character building’ time in Naples earlier this year (see previous threads) I’m probably not the first person you would expect to wade into an argument on the side of NAC.

However - in the interest of fairness - I found them to be absolutely scrupulous in refunding deposits, and I never felt they were the sort of outfit to run off with my $500.

My main gripe was way the way they handled things on the admin side (and particularly the lack of communication with customers) and I think this is what MB was really getting at. Again – in fairness – there can’t be many companies who’ve never cocked-up their admin at some stage, so in this respect the Air Center is probably no different to anyone else.

[monkeyboy]

MVE, thanks for your reply. :hmm:

Unfortunately, you've based your reply on Richard's last posting, and yes, you are being 'too simplistic', as you so put it. :hmm:

I decided not to reply to his last posting as it was requested that we carry on in private, which is what we've been doing for the past three days.

As it stands, Richard is looking into things as there appears to have been a 'misunderstanding' with regards to the rate I was charged. I do not want to say anymore.

In future, please only post such comments if you're 100% sure of the facts, otherwise you're the one that ends up looking like a :mad:!