It is heartbreaking to get an email that says, “I can’t attend a class because my child died” or “I didn’t show up for a class because my dad died.” Our first instinct has always been to help out. We did so for an entire decade before a good friend asked us a pointed question: “You get a lot of these emails. Have you ever verified that these people are telling the truth?”
So we checked back on dozens of people we have helped out. What we discovered was stomach-churning. Every claim had been fabricated, and the people making the false claims were wealthy. One guy posted current photos of him and his dad on their private island years after claiming he died. One person who claimed to have a child die had a million-dollar home; she and her partner were executives pulling in high six-figure salaries. By the time we checked, their kid was alive and thriving and attending Yale. Thank you, Instagram.
Because of these experiences, we don’t make decisions based on personal tragedy. If someone needs to reschedule, regardless of the circumstance, they can pay a fee before the class starts: Reschedule a Class or Course.
If you are angry about his policy, blame the hundreds of elites who have created fake tragedies to cheat a small business out of a few dollars.