Job Discussion Forums

[Brooks]

here is an article about Nova from today`s Mainichi Shinbun.
Their shady practices have caught up with them:

http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/news/20040714p2a00m0dm004000c.html

[joncharles]

Here Here!! About time. One of my former students had a similar problem. She bought a package to come to Nova during the day. Not long after, she got a job and couldn't come during the day. she wanted to exchange them so she could come in the evenings. Nova refused and she ended up just eating her points.

[guest of Japan]

I don't consider that much of a win for consumers. By only awarding exactly the money owed the court ruling is encouraging Nova to continue its current business practices. It's clearly in Nova's best interest to continue with its practices and pay for the court costs and meager losses to a few agressive students than to pursue a more honest policy.

[Rice Paddy Daddy]

Nova is one nasty company.

[worldwidealive]

What is unclear in this article to me is this:

1) I can't be quite sure based on the judge's quote (which, as a side note, seems to be written incorrectly and since I am ignorant of Japanese laws on such matters) if it is illegal to have this sort of stipulation in a contract or not in Japan,

and

2) It isn't entirely clear if the contract had this stipulation actually written into or if Nova just "tells" the person signing the contract the policy and the student is held responsible based upon a verbal agreement.

Love or hate Nova, I am not a big supporter of judges that baby those that sign contracts and then get angry when things don't work out as they would like.

If she signed something that was illegal in the first place, then she deserves her money back and maybe more. If she signed something perfectly legal and then just claimed that no one told her then I have to say, read what you sign.

Anybody have clearer insight on this matter than this article offers up?

WWA