James Madison High School - Professional Career Dev. Inst. ripoff and misled my son Norcross Georgia

My 17 year old son Dustin was looking for a faster way to graduate H.S. and he "enrolled" by using my credit card, without my permission, to charge the initial $5.00 online for James Madison High School.

According to JMHS policy he would be unenrolled if they did not receive his transcripts within 90 days of this enrollment. So he figured that he had 90 days to convince me to let him send his transcripts and begin receiving books and taking tests.

When he came to me I told him that his charge to my card was not authorized and no further charges would be authorized. He assured me that JMHS would terminate his enrollment when he didn't complete his enrollment process of sending his transcripts.

I reviewed the JMHS policy and it stated that he could not enroll while already enrolled in another school which of course he was.

Dustin told me that he had also gone to the rip off report and saw the complaints against JMHS after his supposed unauthorized "enrollment" and he became afraid that he would be harassed into cancelling what he had not even completed purchasing.

Sure enough JMHS has told Dustin that he can cancel for $255.00. Dustin has not receive 1 school book and has not completed any assignments for the school to have had to grade. What could he have owed for had it actually been a real school?

Dustin told me that he told them he would not be completing their acceptance requirement of sending his transcripts and that their policy stated that his enrollment would be cancelled. They stated they were unaware of the policy they were just trying to collect either the fees for classes or the cancel fee.

Since August 2005 Dustin has never received any school books or services from JMHS. Their failed efforts to charge any monthly fees on to my credit card has resulted in notices for collections being sent to Dustin.

I have had Dustin forward his phone to my phone and I have spoken to these collection people informing them that my son was an unauthorized minor at the time of this alledged enrollment and has received no services from JMHS for which to charge anything.

They inform me that I can call student services but they are going to collect from my son.

Interesting people. They are not acting like a school that wants a student. They are not interested that my minor son was not legally liable at the time of enrollment for any contractual agreement.

My son has turned 18 now and I will be curious to see if they want to turn this matter over to collections and attempt to involve others in their collection scheme.

I will follow your books suggestions and keep recordings of all calls and this may be the making of a lawsuit that will finally put this group out of business if they really are the paper mill that I am starting to believe that they are.

You would think that since I let them keep the $5.00 charge, that I made Dustin repay me for his part, they would terminate this account because a parent has informed them that this was a mistake made by a minor and that any agreement is considered unenforceable.

They probably don't realize how deep it is going to get if they attempt to further harass or cause further mischief.

I am beginning to get interested in this group and would appreciate any other feedback that I can present to the Georgia Attorney General, the South Carolina Attorney General and the various federal agencies that monitor illegal activities with the use of the mail/wire or interstate commerce.

Sandy
Florence, South Carolina
U.S.A.