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Why I no Longer Go to World Ice Arena
World Ice Arena, in Flushing, Queens, in New York City, is owned and operated by RD Management LLC, which “owns and operates a portfolio of 150+ assets throughout the United States and Puerto Rico.” RD Management also owns and operates another ice-skating rink, City Ice Pavilion, which is in Long Island City, Queens. One of the programs of these rinks is “open hockey.” Any adult can show up and play in an informal game, and players range from beginner-level to advanced.
For a little more than ten years, I played open hockey almost every Friday night at World Ice Arena or, for about a year within those ten years, at City Ice Pavilion, where I also attended dozens of noontime open-hockey sessions. Both rinks sold ten-session volume-discount punch cards for open hockey, and I bought about 40 of them for World Ice. Throughout the entire time, the standard price for open hockey at World Ice was $25, and the punch cards cost $200, making the per-session price $20 (see the photo of the card below). The cards stated “VALID THRU ___ / ___ / ___,” and, from the time I first bought a card, the cashier would write the date that was one year after the date of purchase. In recent years, the cashier did not write a date, or would write the date of purchase, so it is not clear if the cards still expired after a year, although that issue never arose in my case, as I had always used the cards long before the passing of one year. Here is the last card that I bought, which I bought on February 28, 2020 (which is also the date written on the card):
The last Friday-night session before World Ice closed due to Covid was on March 13, 2020, which I attended, and the first Friday-night session after the rink re-opened was on July 2, 2021, which I also attended. Prior to the closure, the sessions were for two hours, but were 80 minutes after the re-opening. In addition, I learned when I showed up at the rink on July 2 that participants had to sign up online for an account and had to access that account to register and pay for each session. There were seven sessions remaining on the punch card that I had bought before the rink closed, and the cashier transferred the pro-rated amount, which was $140, to a balance that the rink kept in its records. However, I was told that the rink would deduct $25, which was still the standard price, from the balance for that night’s session, instead of $20. I played that night, expecting that I would be able speak with someone from the rink the following week and straighten out the situation.
Ultimately, RD Management told me that: (1) cardholders would not be given the option of receiving a pro-rated refund (so that a person who, for example, moved away when the rink was closed, or a person who no longer plays hockey, would be out of his money); (2) cardholders would not be given the $20 rate even though they had paid for their entitlement to that rate; and (3) no adjustments would be made for cardholders even though they had paid for two-hour sessions instead of 80-minute sessions. These refusals are, in my opinion, illegal, and, even more importantly, dishonorable. As a result, the rink has lost me as a customer.
I corresponded with RD Management by email and telephone, but although the company sought to placate me, it continued to refuse to do right by the other cardholders. Below is the email correspondence regarding the punch cards. Additions to the emails are in red. Following the emails is a section for comments.
1
From: Todd Bank <tblaw101@aol.com>
Date: July 8, 2021 at 10:58 AM
To: ktortorella@worldice.com [Kristi Tortorella is the District Manager of World Ice and City Ice]
Subject: open hockey
For ten-session open-hockey cards that were purchased before covid, does the rink refund the unused portion of the card? [the rink was closed for more than a year, and the Friday-night open-hockey sessions had been canceled for more than 15 months, so I was curious about whether the rink would give a refund, as customers might no longer participate in open hockey at the rink for any number of reasons]
Todd
2
From: Cathelyn Cheow <ccheow@cityicepavilion.com>
Date: 7/8/2021, 11:21 AM
To: Todd Bank <tblaw101@aol.com>
Subject: Re: open hockey
Hi Todd,
Please send a picture of all your punch card, and we will convert the remaining punch into account credit. You can use the credit to register any open hockey session.
Thank you.
--- Please consider the environment before printing this email.---
Best Regards,
Cathelyn Cheow
----------------------------------------------------
Assistant General Manager of Administration
City Ice Pavilion (718 - 706 6667 x 7006)
World Ice Arena (718 - 760 9001 x 7006)
ccheow@cityicepavilion.com
3
From: Todd Bank <tblaw101@aol.com>
Date: July 8, 2021 at 11:36 AM
To: Cathelyn Cheow <ccheow@cityicepavilion.com>
Subject: Re: open hockey
Does the rink give cash if that is requested?
4
From: Cathelyn Cheow <ccheow@cityicepavilion.com>
Date: 7/8/2021, 11:38 AM
To: Todd Bank <tblaw101@aol.com>
Subject: Re: open hockey
Unfortunately, we not able to do that.
--- Please consider the environment before printing this email.---
Best Regards,
Cathelyn Cheow
----------------------------------------------------
Assistant General Manager of Administration
City Ice Pavilion (718 - 706 6667 x 7006)
World Ice Arena (718 - 760 9001 x 7006)
ccheow@cityicepavilion.com
5
From: Todd Bank <tblaw101@aol.com>
Date: July 8, 2021 at 3:25 PM
To: Cathelyn Cheow <ccheow@cityicepavilion.com>
Subject: Re: open hockey
Thank you for getting back to me so quickly. I appreciate that.
I bought a card a few weeks before the rink closed due to covid. The card, which was valid for one year, cost $200, meaning that each of the ten sessions cost $20. Covid obviously wasn’t the fault of the rink, nor was it my fault. Morally (and legally as well), I was entitled to a pro-rated cash refund. In my case, I had seven sessions remaining, which would make the refund $140. However, I went to open hockey last Friday night. I was told when I arrived that the cards were no longer usable but that the pro-rated amount of the card, i.e., the $140, would be given to me as a credit and also that $25, rather than $20, would be deducted from the credit for the session. This means that the seven remaining sessions on my card were reduced to 5.6 (140/25), which means five sessions plus a sixth session for which I would have to pay another $10 (because five sessions would bring my balance down to $15). With a seventh session costing me a total of $25, this means that I am being forced to pay an additional $35 to get the seven sessions for which I had already paid when I bought the card.
I am also being denied my full use of the card in another way, which is because the card was for two-hour sessions (that’s how I used the card in any case, i.e., on Friday nights). Now the sessions are 80 minutes. This means that my card still had 840 minutes (7 x 120) but that I would be able to use only 448 minutes (5.6 X 80). With respect to the 80-minute sessions, the seven sessions that were remaining on my card comes to 10.5 sessions [840/80], which is what I should be given. Once those sessions are used up, the rink would, of course, be free to charge me whatever the going rate is; so if that rate is $25, I would pay half of that amount toward the eighth session and, of course, $25 for each subsequent session.
Should longer sessions be reinstated while I still have credit from my current card, I am willing to keep track of the total time and have my balance be zeroed out once the 840 minutes are reached.
I am not looking for more than what I am entitled to receive, but, at the same time, I, and others whose cards were still usable when the rink closed due to covid, should not be given less.
Todd
6
From: Cathelyn Cheow <ccheow@cityicepavilion.com>
Date: 7/8/2021, 5:30 PM
To: Todd Bank <tblaw101@aol.com>
Subject: Re: open hockey
Hi Todd,
At this time, all we can do is crediting your account for the balance on the card. We are not offering punch cards/discount package until further notice.
We are still in our COVID schedule and not sure what the schedule will be in the fall. Please check out the master schedule for schedule updates.
--- Please consider the environment before printing this email.---
Best Regards,
Cathelyn Cheow
----------------------------------------------------
Assistant General Manager of Administration
City Ice Pavilion (718 - 706 6667 x 7006)
World Ice Arena (718 - 760 9001 x 7006)
ccheow@cityicepavilion.com
[after receiving this email, I called RD Management, and was told that someone would call me back. Early in the evening on July 9, Heather Marchione, a manager of the rink, called me. I explained my objections, she seemed to agree with all of them, apologized to me, and said she would try to make things right and would contact me. She also told me that the rink was offering refunds to everyone who was enrolled in anything before Covid]
7
From: Todd Bank <tblaw101@aol.com>
Date: July 9, 2021 at 6:55 PM
To: info@worldice.com
Subject: Attn: Heather
Below is the complete correspondence regarding the cards. [emails 1-6]
Todd Bank
8
From: Reservations at World Ice Arena
<reservations@worldice.com>
Date: July 10, 2021 at 1:20 PM
To: Todd Bank <tblaw101@aol.com>
Subject: Re: Attn: Heather
Hi Todd,
Since talking last night, I have investigated your concern further. The price for open hockey has not changed. What has changed is our offering of discounts via punch card. This policy has changed for several reasons; throughout the pandemic we are only able to operate with capacity restrictions, and pre-registration for all programming. That is why we are not able to accept punch cards for the time being. We are still operating with pandemic pricing and restricted capacity. We hope to be able to return to our punch card system this fall.
I am only able to credit you for the money you paid. I understand the timing has changed, but this is a result of the pandemic restrictions we must follow. Again, we do aim to return to normal procedures for the fall. The credit on your account will not expire, and you are welcome to hold on to the credit as long as you need.
Best,
Heather Marchione
Rink Manager
World Ice Arena
(718) 760-9001 ext. 6
9
From: Todd Bank <tblaw101@aol.com>
Date: July 11, 2021 at 1:23 PM
To: Reservations at World Ice Arena <reservations@worldice.com>
Subject: Re: Attn: Heather
What are the open-hockey capacity and session-length restrictions? What rules or guidance are they based on?
Why would the pre-registration procedure make the rink unable to deduct an amount from a punch-card holder’s credit other than $25?
10
From: Reservations at World Ice Arena
<reservations@worldice.com>
Date: July 11, 2021 at 2:23 PM
To: Todd Bank <tblaw101@aol.com>
Subject: Re: Attn: Heather
Hi Todd,
We adhere to all reopening procedures imposed by the CDC and NY state. Additionally, since we are in a NYC Parks department building, we must also follow their guidelines.
We are required to do a deep cleaning of the entire facility at certain times throughout the day. Therefore, all sessions are limited in time to allow for the mandatory cleaning process to be completed.
The process involved in the punch card is not possible at the moment because we are not doing any cash transactions within the facility. As you know, punch cards are treated like cash, and we are unable to use them as a result of the restrictions currently imposed on the rink.
I hope this helps.
Best,
Heather Marchione
Rink Manager
World Ice Arena
(718) 760-9001 ext. 6
11
From: Todd Bank <tblaw101@aol.com>
Date: July 11, 2021 at 5:19 PM
To: Reservations at World Ice Arena <reservations@worldice.com>
Subject: Re: Attn: Heather
What is the maximum number of skaters (as opposed to goalies) who can register for open hockey? What specific rule or guidance is that number based on?
According to the master schedule, there were activities on Friday and yesterday from 6:00 a.m. to 9:50 p.m. with each day having a maximum break of 30 minutes between sessions (one such break each day), but most sessions being separated by ten minutes (I assume for the Zamboni), so how does the deep cleaning bear on the changing of the hockey slot from two hours to 80 minutes? What specific rule or guidance requires the deep cleaning?
What rule or guidance precludes the physical use of the punch cards? Regardless, why would the change to pre-registration preclude the rink from honoring what customers paid for when they bought the punch cards, i.e., 20 hours of hockey for $200?
12
From: Reservations at World Ice Arena
<reservations@worldice.com>
Date: July 12, 2021 at 11:11 AM
To: Todd Bank <tblaw101@aol.com>
Subject: Re: Attn: Heather
Hi Todd,
Our capacity limits are dictated by the Parks department.
As you can see from the master schedule, the current average length of any given session is 80-minutes.
Our open hockey sessions, with or without punch cards, are charged per session, and not per hour. We can only credit the money you paid, less the 3 sessions you attended prior to the COVID shutdown. I was able to credit you for the 7 unused punches on your card, for a total credit of $140, which has been applied to your account.
Best,
Heather Marchione
Rink Manager
World Ice Arena
(718) 760-9001 ext. 6
13
From: Todd Bank <tblaw101@aol.com>
Date: July 12, 2021 at 2:16 PM
To: Reservations at World Ice Arena <reservations@worldice.com>
Subject: Re: Attn: Heather
Most of the sessions are 80 minutes, but there is also a 3-hour session every day but Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Regardless, could you explain why the deep cleaning limits the time of sessions?
What is the actual capacity limit for open hockey? [this is the third time I asked this question, and I have still not been given an answer]
With respect to the punch cards, it doesn’t make sense to say that the open-hockey sessions are charged per session and that, therefore, the customer is out of luck if the sessions are shortened. Once I paid for ten sessions of 120 minutes each, I was entitled to receive what I paid for (or the equivalent in terms of the total amount of time). Saying that I am now entitled to only 80 minutes per session (even aside from the fact that it was wrong to charge me $25) would be like charging a customer who paid for a single session of, say, 80 minutes, and then, in the middle of the session, telling him that the session is only for 60 minutes and that he is out of luck because he paid for the session without regard to its length.
[on July 13, I called Margaret Southard of RD Management. In a previous call I had made to RD Management, she had been mentioned as someone who might be able to assist me. Ms. Southard understood my concerns, asked me to forward the emails correspondence to her, and told me that she would see what she could do to help me]
14
From: Todd Bank <tblaw101@aol.com>
Date: July 13, 2021 at 3:56 PM
To: msouthard@rdmanagement.com
Subject: Todd Bank [re World Ice Arena]
Todd Bank
[my phone number]
[emails 1-13]
15
From: Margaret Southard <MSouthard@rdmanagement.com>
Date: July 14, 2021 at 12:13 PM
To: Todd Bank <tblaw101@aol.com>
Subject: World Ice Arena
Good afternoon, Todd.
In the interest of fairness, we’ve agreed to refund to you the balance of your punch card as of the closure of the rink due to covid-19. I’m having a check in the amount of $140 processed. Your remaining credit at the rink has been reversed.
Please send me your mailing address via return email, and I’ll have the check mailed to you.
Thank you.
Margaret
Margaret Southard
Senior Auditor/Tax Preparer
RD Management LLC
810 Seventh Avenue, 10th Floor | New York, NY 10019
tel (212) 265-6600 x387 | fax (212) 459-9133
rdmanagement.com | LinkedIn
[on July 20, I called Lauren Holland, RD Management’s marketing manager, who told me that she would speak to Ms. Southard]
16
From: Reservations at World Ice Arena
<reservations@worldice.com>
Date: July 21, 2021 at 1:00 PM
To: Todd Bank <tblaw101@aol.com>
Subject: Re: Attn: Heather
Hi Todd,
I just wanted to update you on the status of your request. You will be receiving a check in the mail for $140, the amount of your unused punches. We have also added a credit of $50 to your account to cover two open hockey sessions for the trouble.
We had just restarted open hockey in July and are not accepting punch cards since we require online registration. Our policy will not change for the summer. We will have a better understanding of our season come November.
Best,
Heather Marchione
Rink Manager
World Ice Arena
(718) 760-9001 ext. 6
17
From: Todd Bank <tblaw101@aol.com>
Date: July 22, 2021 at 2:54 PM
To: Reservations at World Ice Arena <reservations@worldice.com>
Subject: Re: Attn: Heather
As I have said repeatedly, cardholders paid for the right to have ten sessions at $20 each; that, of course, is the purpose of the card, which is a volume-discount card in which the customer benefits from the lower rate and the rink benefits from the customer’s purchase of multiple sessions (just as a newspaper subscriber does not pay the cover price). Despite the fact that we paid for the rights that the card provided, the rink is now treating the volume discount as if the rink had given it as a gift. I certainly understand that the rink suffered due to the closure. That, however, does not justify mistreating its customers.
Customers who had punch cards should have been offered a refund of the pro-rated unused portion of their card. As I said when we spoke, the rink closure was, of course, not the fault of the rink, but it was also not the fault of the customers. To say to those customers who, for whatever reason, would not be attending open hockey now that it has resumed, that they are not entitled to a pro-rated refund is not only illegal in my opinion, but also dishonorable.
As I have said, the fact that the rink is “not accepting punch cards since we require online registration” does not prevent the rink from honoring what customers paid for when they purchased the cards. For those, like me, who wished to resume attending open hockey, the rink should have converted the amount of time left on the card (simply by multiplying the number of remaining sessions by 120 minutes) and given the cardholder credit for that amount of time. In my case, as you know, I had seven sessions remaining on my card, which came to 840 minutes. The length of each session that I would attend, which is currently 80 minutes, should have been deducted from my credit; or, given that 80 minutes is two thirds of 120 minutes, the rink could have deducted, from my balance, two thirds of $20, which is $13.33. Instead, the rink deducted $25 per session from the pro-rated balance ($140) that the rink had converted from my card, so that even aside from having cut down the length of the sessions from 120 minutes to 80 minutes, the rink also refused to charge (that is, by deducting) $20. As I said, cardholders paid for the right to have ten sessions at $20 each, yet the rink treats us no differently than customers who did not have a card.
As for the rink’s having “added a credit of $50 to your account to cover two open hockey sessions for the trouble,” I told Lauren Holland when we spoke yesterday that I would no longer be going to World Ice, nor City Ice Pavilion, unless the rink decided to honor my punch card (this goes for the other cardholders as well at both rinks). As I also told Ms. Holland, I have been the biggest open-hockey customer over the past ten years, having purchased about 40 cards. That’s $8,000, in addition to which there was a year or so when I switched to City Ice as well as the dozens of times I attended the noontime session at City Ice. I only first learned of the rink’s refusal to honor the punch cards when I showed up on July 2, which was the first Friday night of the resumed sessions. I played again on the following Friday night, even though the situation had not yet been resolved, as I thought, wrongly as it turned out, that the rink would end up doing the right thing. I am quite sure that the loss of me as a customer will far outweigh whatever additional money was made by mistreating the cardholders, and I continue to be perplexed as to why the rink refuses to honor its word with respect to the cards.
18
From: Reservations at World Ice Arena
<reservations@worldice.com>
Date: July 23, 2021 at 9:38 AM
To: Todd Bank <tblaw101@aol.com>
Subject: Refund
Good morning,
At your earliest convenience, please send me your address so that the accounting department can mail your refund check. [I have since received the check]
Thank you,
Heather Marchione
Rink Manager
World Ice Arena
(718) 760-9001 ext. 6
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