Ashworth College Rude, Books took 3 months to arrive, Can't get anything right, including address, etc. Norcross Georgia

I'm a juvenile justice advocate who signed up a juvenile inmate for correspondence courses after he completed his GED in prison. Ashworth College has been nothing but trouble since the day I called. The inmate didn't recieved his books for 3 months during which I was being billed and called repeatedly for money. I tried to explain he never received his books. They said they were sent out. I asked if they had any record of them being returned by the facility. They said they had no way of tracking. What?

They finally came to the conclusion after many frustrating phone calls that the address was wrong. They had not put a street address because with an inmate they needed more lines then they had available on their computer registration form. He blamed the computer and of course no apology and in fact was rude about it. I had to make numerous phone calls just to get the books delivered and many calls were rude and I was hung up on numerous times, once by a supposed supervisor. When I threatened to withdraw him, they re-sent the books, they arrived in a week.

Even though I have explained to the "phone bank" employee, (a different one every time and the only employees available to talk to even regarding billing) that I am calling for an inmate who I am sponsoring and they have me as the contact person, they always ask for the inmate when they call for money. I'm in Illinois, he is in Florida (this is a place of higher learning??) All of this was explained in detail when I registered him. I've told them the inmate does not have a phone and is incarcerated. They never get it.

Now they are telling me I have no authority to talk to them because I'm not the inmate when I called to see why he had not received anything a month after he submitted his first lesson. One employee told me he should receive a notification of his grade after it is posted (by the "teacher") and another told me that he doesn't receive anything until he completes 75% of the course, then he gets a summary. Two completely different answers.

In fact, the one employee told me why don't I just have him read the handbook, it's all in there. I was wondering if he even received the student handbook. Some of the conversations I have had with this place are appalling. The attitude of most of the employees is aggressive and rude. They don't seem to know what they are saying or doing.

After another go around this morning with this place just to see if the inmates lesson arrived and if he will be notified of his grade, etc. I was rudely spoken to and when I asked for a supervisor was told I wasn't allowed to talk to one because I wasn't the inmate and was abruptly hung up on. And why should they get any more of my money? I am so glad I found this website and now I know the degree he is working toward is going to be worthless if and when he gets out and tries to put his life back together and my money will have been wasted and it would have created more devastation for this child.

Thanks to all of you who have reported the very same problems and worse here so others don't fall prey to this fraud. I am going to withdraw this child/student now before we go any further. It is hard to find a correspondense school and it was a good deal. Inmates have no access to computer for outside courses due to security concerns; and it is hard to help them get educated in the prison system. Its about punishment, not rehabilitation so I did fall pray to this place because they offer strictly correspondence which is hard to find. What scares me is I'm on a payment plan and now they have my credit card number.

I'm going to call the Attorney General in the state of Georgia to report this school and their fraudulant practices of selling accreditation when in fact, no one accepts their degree or courses. I'm filing a report with them too.

Pamela
St. Charles, Illinois
U.S.A.