Hello LCYO Parents. You have received multiple communications over the past week from the Board of Directors with information pertaining to the financial situation with our on-line registration and league management software vendor, Count Me InCorporation (CMI.) We recognize the situation is unfortunate and more than a bit confusing. As a result, the followingFrequently Asked Questions have been compiled for your use. We hope you find them helpful. Q: Will the 2009 baseball/softball season still go on? A: As was mentioned in the December 10th letter from League President Phil Urbina, the 2009 season will go on. As was previously stated, our greatest asset is our volunteer coaches who give so much of their time to ensure a meaningful experience for your son and/or daughter. The Board continues to explore all available options to recover our money and is determined that any cost reductions necessary have minimal impact on your child’s LCYO experience. Q: What has happened since the last e-mail was sent and what is the Board doing to get our money from CMI? A: The Board of Directors established an Executive Committee that continues to meet regularly and, most recently, secured legal representation with a firm familiar with the laws of the state of Washington (CMI’s headquarters.) We have also filed a complaint with the Attorney General of Washington’s Consumer Protection Division. In addition, a budget committee has been organized to review and monitor LCYO’s cash flow position. Q: How does the credit card dispute work and what if it was on a previous billing statement that I paid? A: It is extremely important that you dispute the registration and/or sponsorship charge on your credit or debit card (which was processed as a credit transaction and should be disputed in the same manner.) We realize each bank/credit card company handles this differently but most allow a dispute between 60-90 days from the date of the billing cycle. Even if you signed up on October 1, you should still be able to dispute the charge. LCYO has put extensive supporting material on our website to facilitate the process. Please check www.LCYO.org for specific information. Your child will remain registered throughout this process and will not lose their spot on a team for the upcoming season. Q: When should I send in a check and where do I mail it? A: While we understand you may want to wait until you have confirmation of your charge account credit, LCYO is accepting and tracking any new registration payments that are received. Please send your registration check – made payable to LCYO – to the following address: La Costa Youth Organization 7668 El Camino Real #104-610 Carlsbad, CA 92009 In the memo portion, please indicate your child’s name and division (Div 1A, Mustang South, Pony…) In addition, we will be accepting registration payments at your child’s Evaluation Day next month (this does not apply to T-ball and Pee-Wee divisions.) Please check the website and your mailbox for specific division information. Q: How can I help? A: There are plenty of opportunities to help: · Our annual Golf Tournament is an excellent way to help the League and have some fun. Scheduled for April 24 at Encinitas Ranch, the success of this year’s event is even more critical. Please consider putting together a foursome. Look for more information in the coming weeks at www.LCYO.org or you can now book on-line at http://www.sangolf.com/event_1_4.htm · Team sponsorships are still available. $275 secures your business’ name on team banners and team web pages. Higher level sponsorships are available that include League website display. Family sponsorshipsare encouraged this year as well. · Donations are always welcome. Any level donation is welcomed. Please consider one additional registration donation to help out. Please contact Sponsorship Director Vince Tully at sponsorship@lcyo.org for more information. Q: Is there someone at LCYO I can call with questions? A: We realize it may be frustrating not to be able to speak with someone directly. Please remember that our league has no paid staff – the Board is made up of all volunteer parents working hard on your behalf. E-mail to online@lcyo.org is the best way to reach us and we strive to be as responsive as possible. We appreciate your understanding. Sincerely, Leslie Sippel Saldana LCYO Team Parent Director
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Important FAQs from LCYO
Friday, December 12, 2008
Letter to LCYO from CMI
Contact Information for "Count Me In"
Disputing Credit Card Charges for the Spring 2009 Season
LCYO Parents,
As mentioned in the letter from Phil Urbina, LCYO President, we are requesting anyone who paid for their child’s spring 2009 registration with a credit card to contact that credit card company and dispute the charge. Each company may have different procedures to handle the dispute but all will request information regarding the transaction. Below are some key points to assist you with that process.
- If you paid by credit card, call your credit card company immediately and dispute the bill (the charge on your bill should read either "CMI (La Costa Youth Organization)" or "Count Me In (La Costa Youth Organization).
- Explain that the company (Count Me In or CMI) that accepted credit card payments for LCYO baseball/softball, took your money but did not pass it along to the league.
- Inform them that we have made numerous attempts to contact CMI but all calls go unanswered.
- When you dispute the bill say that it was for services that were not performed and that your child could not be registered for baseball/softball because CMI took your payment but did not pass it along to the league.
- Inform them the registration was immediate and that your child has now missed registration.
- Please do this immediately!
Once you have received a refund or credit to your credit card account, we ask that you mail a check for the registration fees to our LCYO mail box. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU RECEIVE YOUR CREDIT OR REFUND BEFORE SENDIING A CHECK. Your child will remain registered throughout this process and will not lose their spot on a team for the upcoming season.
Please e-mail if you have any problems or need additional information.
Thank you for your support and understanding in this matter.
Sincerely,
Ed Mungovan
Treasurer
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
An Important Message about LCYO
Dear LCYO Parents,
I am writing to apprise you of a serious financial issue facing La Costa Youth Organization. The on-line company LCYO uses to process the credit card payments you made to register your son or daughter with LCYO for the 2009 Spring season has not forwarded the money to our organization. On Saturday, Dec. 6 Count Me In (CMI) informed LCYO and its 200+ other youth sports organization clients via e-mail that it is seeking additional funding and hopes to pay all monies due us. However, it can not provide us any assurances or a timeline of when we can expect payment.
First, let me assure you that despite this problem, the 2009 Baseball and Softball season will go on as planned. Our greatest asset is our volunteer coaches who teach your children the technical aspects of the games as well as lessons that apply on and off the field. Though we may face cuts in some areas, the LCYO Board of Directors is determined that they will not lessen the experience our children receive from participating in LCYO programs.
Your LCYO Board of Directors is busy examining all options available to us to recoup the approximately $180,000 owed to us by CMI, which is based in
We have been advised by a Visa/MasterCard official to instruct parents to immediately challenge their credit card charges paid to CMI. Our treasurer will soon provide instructions on how to do so via e-mail and on our website, www.lcyo.org.
The LCYO Board of Directors has temporarily suspended the ability to use credit cards for those who still need to pay for Spring registration or team sponsorships. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you. If you still need to pay for Spring registration, please send a check payable to LCYO at the following address:
La Costa Youth Organization
7668 El Camino Real #104-610
Though we are hoping for the best, we are preparing for a difficult situation. LCYO has provided a quality softball and baseball experience for children in
Thank you for your support and understanding.
Respectfully,
Phil Urbina
President, La Costa Youth Organization