(WSVN) - When she enrolled her son in the program, they were excited. When she caught an instructor belittling him, she was fuming. Can she get her money back? And can you be fired if you refuse the COVID-19 vaccine? Plenty of answers in tonight’s Help Me Howard with Patrick Fraser.
Work is tough. Raising two kids is a challenge.
Now, throw COVID in the mix, learning online and the hurdles become a headache.
Maryam Omidi, could not get money back: “It was like a big learning curve for everybody, just learning to adjust working from home.”
Then, Maryam thought she found a solution. A place where kids would do their virtual classes in a group with someone to help, and after that, have an organized play time.
Maryam Omidi: “There he could actually jump in the trampoline after school is over, run around a little bit, so that was like really great.”
Maryam was so impressed, she paid for the whole month for Bradley.
Maryam Omidi: “I’m like, ‘This is perfect. This is exactly what I want.”
On the third day after she dropped him off, she says she listened to the school app to make sure her son had connected to his class and heard the camp employee who was supposed to be helping the kids.
Maryam Omidi: “Belittling him and telling him like, ‘Why are you not following the directions? What are you doing?’ She tells my son’s teacher, ‘Isn’t he supposed to be in the gifted class, and he doesn’t even know how to use these?’ And just the way she said it and the tone, I just broke down.”
Maryam rushed back to the camp to remove her son from the program. The owner was there.
Maryam Omidi: “I already paid you a whole month. Please just send me the refund, and he just says, ‘OK, OK,’ and I walked away with my son.”
That was in August. No refund in September or October.
Maryam Omidi: “And he said, ‘I processed it with Square,’ the company that does the credit cards.”
But November and December rolled around and still no refund, and the owner was tired of Maryam asking for it.”
Maryam Omidi: “‘And you’re harassing me, and I’m going to call the police on you, and I’m blocking your number.'”
I don’t think they teach that in customer relations school, but Howard, is Maryam entitled to a refund after she pulled her son out of the camp?
Howard Finkelstein, 7 News Legal Expert: “Maryam didn’t have a written contract, so she gets her money back, and even if there was a written agreement, implied in every contract is the element of good faith, meaning in this case, it’s understood that the child will not be verbally abused.”
We have heard from several people in the medical field who are being told they have to get a vaccine. They don’t want it and want to know if they can be fired if they don’t.
Howard Finkelstein: “It’s not mandatory that you get the vaccine, and it’s not mandatory that your employer has to keep you. They can fire you for not getting it with very limited exceptions.”
Then, we heard from doctors and nurses who work in private practices and can’t get the vaccine. Are they entitled to it?
Howard Finkelstein: “Yes, they should be getting the shot, but the state and counties don’t have a plan for medical workers under 65 in the private sector to get the vaccine, and they need to fix that for them.”
The $600 stimulus money is going out. A lot of people have received it, but many have not. What should they do?
Howard Finkelstein: “If you have not gotten that $600 yet, go to the IRS website to see if your money is on the way. The link to do that is down below, and if the website says payment status #2 is not available, that means you won’t get a check, and you will have to claim that $600 as a credit on your 2020 tax return.”
Leave it to Congress to complicate things, and Maryam finally got her money back from the camp. It took a while, but for her, it was worth it to fight for it.
Maryam Omidi: “For me, $400 is a lot of money. It’s a lot of money. I have two little children that I have to take care of, and I work hard for my money.”
Glad Maryam got that money. Every little bit helps.
And the beginning of the COVID vaccine rollout reminds Howard of the beginning of the COVID testing — just chaos. Hopefully, it will get better quickly.
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CONTACT HELP ME HOWARD:
Email: helpmehoward@wsvn.com
Reporter: Patrick Fraser at pfraser@wsvn.com
Miami-Dade: 305-953-WSVN
Broward: 954-761-WSVN
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