Spanish Schools :: Don Quijote Enforex Schools

January, 17 th , 2007 Dear Respected Industry Association, Language School and/or Agent: The recent default by Amerispan Unlimited, Inc. on debts owed by it to language schools, and the related â€Å"seizure† of certain Amerispan assets by Don Quijote USA, Inc., has caused great consternation among language schools, agents and associations in the language travel industry. Although it is not yet certain as to the total amount of money owed to language schools across the globe by Amerispan, preliminary indications are that it exceeds $500,000. Amerispan Unlimited, Inc. has stated, â€Å"We will not be able to pay for any unpaid students who have studied at your school, nor do we have the assets or funds to remit to you on account of your claims against AmeriSpan.† Don Quijote USA, Inc. has stated, â€Å"we are not liable for those students who started their course before January 1, 2007.† Neither AmeriSpan nor Don Quijote has even hinted that they are considering an equitable and fair plan to compensate the schools for their losses. Instead, indications are that a few select schools, perhaps those already part of, or those selected to be part of, the Don Quijote – ENFOREX network, are being offered special terms and agreements, while others have been left wondering if they will receive any compensation at all. We believe this sets a very dangerous precedent for our industry. If this situation is allowed to stand, what will prevent other agencies from defaulting to language schools in the future? What will happen to small language schools with little or no financial resources? If allowed to stand, the current scenario is certain to damage the trust between schools and agents, jeopardizing the bedrock sales channel of our industry. We are writing to inform you that we believe we have a possible solution to this current crisis, one that we believe will prove to be a win-win solution for everyone involved, directly or indirectly, including Don Quijote, USA, Inc. To accomplish this end, we have created AULAS – (Association of Unpaid Language Schools). The mission of this association is to ensure that a fair and equitable solution is arrived at with respect to Amerispan Unlimited's default on its obligations to language schools worldwide. We will reach out to the 40+ language schools that have been adversely affected, and ask each to submit a verified statement as to the total amount owed to them.